Election Day...And Night

Sorry I've been MIA lately. No major excuses besides just, well, life!! Sometimes it just gets the best of me! Let me fill you in on what's happened with Kenneth Sheets and other stuff!

Election Day 2010 - POURING rain...and I was standing out in it. I was a poll greeter for Kenneth Sheets. Myself and a candidate for judge would stay in our cars until someone would arrive to vote and then we'd jump out with our signs. After lunch time I decided to leave since traffic was slowing down and my car battery was dead! I got a jump and finally got to go home, take a shower and get warm thanks to my mom picked up my kids at their respective schools. Thank God for her that day or I don't think I would have ever warmed up.

Now you would have thought that I would be exhausted after that, and I was, but election day adrenaline was pumping and I was ready for the Dallas GOP party. We headed out to the Hotel Palomar where most of the Republican candidates set up camp to watch election results. We got there and found Kenneth's suite where spirits were extremely high as the early voting totals had come in and Kenneth was winning! We tried to temper ourselves a bit because there was a long night ahead and anything could happen. At some point we all made our way downstairs to the big party. I have never felt anything so electric. The energy in that place was unbelievable and even now, several weeks later, I'm getting chills as I type! I have never experienced anything like it and don't even know what to compare it to!

As I stood there looking around and taking it all in, Kenneth's campaign manager Ronda showed me her cell phone. There was a text from their consultant informing her that 5 of the "deathzones" or areas that would be tough for Kenneth to win, had gone his way. He said that it looked like Kenneth had won. We are all screaming!! As much as we believed wholeheartedly in this man, he was a relative unknown running against a well liked two term incumbent and no one really knew how it would go. We headed back up to the suite to wait some more for results to keep coming in and to let Kenneth get his thoughts together for his speech. Once the concession phone call came through, we all headed back downstairs and Doug and I got to be up on the stage with Kenneth and all his supporters and staff as he made his victory speech.

It was one of the most incredible nights of my life. I will never, ever forget it. I can see how people get lured in by the energy and excitement of politics.

In other news...Big Bear had her Pinewood Derby and won an award!! A separate post will be coming with pics and more details. Let's just say, I've never seen a smile that big!! Me Too turned 5!!! A separate post will be coming on that too. Her birthday party is this weekend so I'll wait until I have those pics and details. She has strep throat right now but started antibiotics today so I'm hoping she'll be up for having the party. I'm hoping that I am up for having the party as my throat is suspiciously getting sore and throughout the day I have felt worse and worse. Luckily, Doug off early tomorrow so if I need to run to the doctor I should be free to do so! Campo is chugging along! He is turning 3 in just a few weeks - acckkkkk!!!!

Oh and I started working with my first Handwriting Without Tears client. I did his evaluation and report and am now tutoring him once a week. He is a 3rd grader and I'll have to admit I was quite intimidated by the thought of working with a 3rd grade boy at first. But, after I left the house yesterday, I texted my husband and told him that I hope Campo is JUST like this boy at that age. He is very well mannered, very sweet and very cooperative. And his mom emailed me this morning and said that when his dad asked him how it was he answered, "Kinda fun". I'll take that!!

That's it for now!!

Handwriting Without Tears Recommended for Texas Educators!

The Handwriting Without Tears printing and cursive curricula for Grades 1-3 has been recommended for adoption by the Texas State Board of Education, under Proclamation 2011. See how the HWT curriculum meets Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for Language Arts.

Contact me for evaluations and/or tutoring!!

A Big Accomplishment

I've gotten some exciting news this week! After 21 hours of training, countless hours working on reports and case studies, giving a presentation and passing a 100 question multiple choice test I have passed my Level 1 Certification in Handwriting Without Tears!

Handwriting Without Tears is an amazing program that teaches handwriting for kids PreK - 5th grade using developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory materials that are fun and effective. I've been using this program with my own kids, in my Pre-K class, and my daughter's 1st grade class. Not only is it very effective...it is a blast!! I love singing and dancing and having fun with kids but also knowing I'm teaching them such an important skill!

I hope to start offering tutoring, summer camps, and in service or informational trainings to schools, parent groups, etc.

I'm very excited about this new venture and very proud of my accomplishment after working SO hard! I didn't know how much work it would be going into it which makes it even that much more satisfying to me!

New School Year

A new school year has begun! I have a brand new pre-K class, classroom and co-teacher and I love all of them! This year I'm in a tiny classroom with no windows except out into the hallway. I thought it would really bother me but it is not bothering me at all! I only have 8 kids and just happen to have 8 of the most wonderful ones to teach this year! And my new co-teacher...I thought I'd like working with her...and I actually love working with her. We complement each other very well. Here are some pics of our classroom...




Our school focuses on one Fruit of the Spirit each month so this is our "Fruits" tree!

I'm so excited to be loving school again. Last year was a VERY hard year. I keep telling everyone that I have the class this year that I earned last year! Here's a picture of me teaching Handwriting Without Tears - I'll have to post more about that at a later date!