Merry Christmas

My mom told me that she missed my blogging. So Merry Christmas mom! I'm going to try and blog at least every other day in 2016. 

The boys love to watch Bob's Burgers, so I got them all t-shirts for Christmas. 

Harrison had his wisdom teeth taken out 3 days ago, so his cheeks are still swollen. 

It's been a great year for these Streib boys. We are all headed to Canada in a week or so for the Silver Sticks tournament. The twins are leaving the country for the first time. 

Harrison had a great first semester at IU. Finished up with a 4.0. He loved his biology class.  I'm really happy for him. 

Stormy is 9 years old now. She's such a sweetie. 

All 3 boys said that this was the best Christmas they've had in a while. These rankings are based on quality of presents. 

We spent part of our break re-watching the Star Wars movies.  Tomorrow is the big day!!  Can't wait to see the new one! 

Back to the hotel

So while I was running sprints at the hotel, the MLB first female pitcher commercial came on.  http://youtu.be/4FjOXVWtES0

 It froze Henry in his tracks and he gasped. He thought it was real and he got so excited. I told him that it wasn't, but it would happen one day. 

We talked about the girl that pitched in the little league World Series last summer.  Henry remembered that she said baseball was her least favorite sport. She said she loved basketball. 

Henry just tried out for the Cutters travel soccer team. I'm not sure if he's going to make it, but he also wants to run cross country again while he's playing soccer and oh, by the way, can I sign him up for climbing camp and track and field camp...  Pleaseeeeee.... 

The kid is wearing me out. Meanwhile, I just bought Hayden a new gaming mouse. What the hell is a gaming mouse??? Whatever. He's pretty happy  about it though. 

Harrison is in Tennessee at the Bonnaroo Festival.  He took his best friend with him. I hope he has the time of his life. 

Color Run

Season 3 is Friday!

Henry and I did the Color Run over the weekend.  This run is called the happiest 5k on the planet.  I'm gonna have to agree with this statement.  I had so much fun.  I ran about half of it  because I was in a Fitbit challenge to the death the night before the race.  I ran sprints in the hotel for about an hour trying to win a workweek challenge.  I lost.  And then my legs barely worked on Saturday morning.  

We are definitely doing another color run.  Maybe in a different city next year.  Indy is cool, but it's Indy.  

Mom!  Stop taking my picture.

the school year ended

This school year was so weird and awful and great all at the same time.

Weird -  I didn't feel any intense pressure at the end of the year like I have in the past.  No reports due.  No intense testing to finish.  (ISTEP was really late in the year) No big project.  We did have a debate between the 2 classrooms.  That was really fun.  The students learned a lot and so did I.  They were so engaged that next to last week of school reading articles and looking at graphs.  And the discussions were fantastic.  I cleaned my classroom, which didn't take long at all.  Also weird, not knowing if I was going to be asked back to teach there next year.  I signed a contract on Wednesday and school ended on Friday.

Great -  My teaching partner was awesome.  She was constantly praising me and telling me good things.  And OMG, she is the funniest person I know.  I have never laughed so hard in my life.  We didn't have to compare scores or have any crazy competitions to be better; we just taught together.  I told her that working with her had been like an extension of my therapy.  It felt like I was still in my support group a little every day and she was there to cheer me on.  I met some really nice kids.  And 6th graders are funny!  I also love teaching math.  Reading has been the focus at my school for years and it was nice to get into the math.

Awful - I left a school that I love.  Students that I love.  Parents that I care about.  My whole world was ripped apart.  14 years in that school district.  subbing, coaching, aiding, and teaching.  Gone.  I had tons of people telling me to stay and suck it up and be strong.  I also had a bunch of people telling me to get the effff out of there.  It was destroying me as a person and then my body started to break down.   Panic Attacks.  High Blood Pressure.  High enough that I could feel it in my neck.  My skin was crawling.  I still don't know if I made the right decision.   Other people made it out alive.  Why couldn't I?  I don't get to see my boys as often now.  That sucks. Really sucks.  I'm not really looking forward to the 3 hours in the car everyday either, but I guess I can do it for another 187 days.
And the worst part.  My teaching partner did not get asked back.  She is teaching at a different school next year.  I'm going to miss her.

Clothes

I've written about this a few times.  I'm sick of clothes and laundry. I'm going to move the twins to a nudist camp.  I wash their clothes and tell them to put them away and they just take them upstairs and throw them on the floor. Hayden is not allowed to have clothes in his room ever again.  

I took his dresser downstairs and put it as close to the dryer as possible. We are moving Henry's tomorrow. No more clothes upstairs! No more! 

Hayden did clean up his disgusting room and he rearranged his bedroom. He moved his bed and now he wants to paint his room.  Maybe.  

Recess Duty

I have recess duty every single day.  My teaching partner doesn't like to go outside and I love to be outside.  She has cafeteria duty every day.  I would die if I had to be in the cafeteria every day.  So today I was outside monitoring the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders while walking and talking with my Fitbit buddy.  He's pretty cool.  We took a pic today.

He has a pretty fancy Fitbit.  Way cooler than mine.

I think we were on our third lap around the playground when I saw a parent of one of my students talking to our Playwork's coach and another teacher.  I walked over to the fence and asked what was going on.  This parent has caused a few problems in the past and she's not even allowed in the building anymore.  Her child had left the playground and was in the street with her mom.  The mom told us that she had called the police because she was sick of all the bullying.  I told her that the student that her child had been complaining about the most had been with me for the entire recess.  She was walking with us and telling me all about how she used to live in New York.  The mom said, "of course you are walking with her!  You always take her side!"  I was like, whaaattttt?  And then got a hold of myself.  We somehow quickly got 150 kids into the building before the police arrived and went on lockdown for about 30 minutes.

Super stressful day.  The morning was pretty awful as well.  One 6th grader and I battled to the death over an assignment.  I called his mom twice and then he stomped out of the room.  

I've been reading a ton of articles on charter schools lately.  One of the biggest complaints that I have read, is that they are taking money away from the "real" public schools and also that they are only for the rich and famous.  Our school is no where near rich or famous.  I think we are about 95% free and reduced lunch.  I also think that giving parents the opportunity to fill out an application to get their child accepted somewhere is pretty exciting.  I bet these parents enjoyed the process and I know that our K-3 program has a waiting list.  I'm still on the fence about Charter Schools even though I work at one.  I'm going to spend some more time this summer reading about the pros and cons.  

In other news, I saw this Lamborghini driving around Bloomington today.  I wonder if the driver went to a public or private school?  

Fitbit

I made it to 10,000 steps tonight around 6 and then Hayden wanted to wear my Fitbit for awhile.  I tried to stay with him because I'm in a few challenges and I didn't want to cheat.  So for every step he took, I tried to take one.  My mom and Kelly have won almost every single challenge that I've been a part of, but today was different.  Hayden wanted to win and he went crazy.

Henry had a track meet tonight.  He ran the first event and the last event, so we had a lot of time on our hands.  At first Hayden was just walking around with my mom and I.  Then I showed him the challenge on my phone and how Granny was way ahead of me.  He took off running and my mom chased him down.  I was dying laughing and trying to video tape it all at the same time.  Every time Hayden would take off running, my mom would sneak up behind him and he would scream and run the other way.  The 65 year old lost to the 13 year old tonight, but that woman is determined to win tomorrow. I love it!!

I ended up giving Hayden my Fitbit and went out and bought another one.  I needed a new one anyway.  The one that I bought was too tight.  There's a 5th grader at my school that has one.  He asks me everyday how many steps I have.  He always has more than me.  My legs are screaming in pain from all of the walking that I've been doing.  It's a good thing.  I need to get moving.

Biking and Hiking

The weekends are too short. I never have enough time to get everything done. Henry and I went on a short bike ride yesterday.  He wanted to bike around campus. I'm always up for that.  IU has a beautiful campus.   We biked by the new Ernie Pyle statue.

Someone put earbuds in his ears. 

We saw Hoagy and also biked by the Art Museum. 

Bloomington is amazing, but I'm done with this place. I went out of here.  I really want out of Indiana.  Harrison is going to IU in the fall and I'm pretty happy about that, but it doesn't mean that I have to be here. 

Speaking of Harrison, he had a great day in track yesterday. They broke the 4 x 1600 record.  Smashed it really and then he won the 3200 in 9:51. Super awesome. I missed the whole thing because I stayed in Bloomington to coach the twin's soccer team.  They won and it was fun, but Harrison is a senior and he's almost done with this running thing. I need to make it to more of his meets. 

Super stinky feet after the soccer game. 

The twins and I stomped around in Leonard springs today.  It rained the entire time, but it was super fun. Hayden grumped and complained for an hour and then he said, I can't believe that I didn't want to come!! This is so fun!!!  I want to take them to the butterfly exhibit next to the zoo in Indy next weekend. I just need to make it through this week first. 

Big Changes

Two of my closest friends moved this weekend.  Katie moved about 10 hours away.  I'm so happy for her, but she has lived 5 minutes away from me for about 4 years now and I haven't quite processed all of this yet.  You know that saying, "friends come and go in your life," well that's crap.  She might have moved, but she is always going to be with me.  She's one of my forever friends.

Hayden's soccer game 2012

Mother's Day 2012, Indians Game

Thank goodness for technology because now she is just a FaceTime away.  June 6th is the last day of soccer and I'm throwing the twins in the van and we are going to Washington D.C.  We've never been there, so the list of things to see and do is growing.

Goodman just moved a little closer to Bloomington.  Luckily, I get to see her once a week.  She's getting married soon, so that will be another big change.  I'm so happy for all of my friends.  Life is good and like my best friend says, the Universe is in charge, so just enjoy the ride.

I bought a Fitbit

I've been walking some lately because I bought a fitbit. I like when I get to 10,000 steps because the thing starts going crazy. Buzzing and beeping. It's like my coach is there giving me high fives. 

So one day I found 5 dollars and yesterday I found 10!  So these walks are paying off in more ways than one. I've been slacking off for the past 2 days, but today I'm gonna get to 10,000.  

My fall from grace

I visited a former student today at lunch. The secretary at her new school asked me if I had a background check on file. I said, well, how updated does this check need to be?  I just resigned from this district 3 months ago. She didn't know what to do with me. I offered some more information and told her that this was more than likely going to ruin this kid's day if she didn't let me see her.  Then I asked her where the cafeteria was and walked out of the office. About 10 minutes later, i had to go back to the office because I couldn't find the kid!   The secretary had to walk me around the building. I ran into a few teachers that I knew and about 5 former students, but still no luck with the actual kid that I was supposed to be visiting!  

I finally met up with her about 20 minutes into the ordeal. I talked to her teacher for awhile and then chatted with my little friend. We caught up on all of the big life events and promised to hang out at the upcoming Tri North track meets. Her sister is running track with Henry. This kid is unique. She identifies herself as two spirited which is an amazing way to describe her. I feel pretty special that I got to spend time with her. 

I went to dinner with a friend tonight and ran into 5 or 6 more teachers and administrators.  This is nerve wracking. Unsettling. I don't like it. I guess I just need to stay home or something. 

Senior

Harrison has a severe case of senioritis. I wish there was a shot for this or something. He's refusing to go to graduation. He said, "we can have a fantastic day with that $250 you are going to spend on a cap and gown."  I'm not going to make him go.  I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see what fantastic plans he comes up with for us to do on that day.  He did have an amazing run last night.  1st place in the 3200  10 minutes flat. 

In other news, I saw a ton of former students tonight at Tri North track practice. I also saw a few at soccer practice. I almost started crying when I saw Russell. He was one of my faves. He came running over to give me a big hug and we were both so happy to see each other that we just stood there smiling and laughing for a minute.  I finally asked him about school and his little sister. I promised to come early and watch some of his Saturday games.  I'm going to have lunch with a former student tomorrow and visit another one after school.   The healing process might start after this week. Ouch.  

Dentist

I went to see my dentist today. He's a great dentist. He's put up with me and my crazy boys for almost 16 years now. Henry is terrified of needles and he's had more cavities than all of us in the past 5 years. The dentist was nice and calm through all of the crying and freaking out. 

I found out today that our dentist has a new toy. It can detect oral cancer earlier than ever!  Pretty cool right?  I asked to see the brochure so that I can read about this new toy and what all it had to offer. I was taken a little aback by the pictures they chose to put in this brochure. This is the front of it. 

Ok. I wear that to bed at night... 

This is on the inside. 

 Three trustworthy males to verify that this is the product for you!! 

Back side. 

Why isn't this patient in a skimpy shirt?  I bet he has big muscles or something to add to the brochure. 

This is the very back. He looks like a nice guy. 

I told the girl that cleaned my teeth no thanks and maybe they should talk to their brochure people. This is 2015 people. I think there are some female dentists out there. 

I showed this to my boys and pointed out all of the flaws. It's just not very persuasive!  They both laughed at me. Hopefully they will remember this little mini lesson. 

Spring Break part 2

I have another week of spring break. I'd rather be teaching in Bloomington next week, but I'm not, so I forge ahead in life.  I've spent a little time reading articles about teachers who inspire and teachers who are succeeding. I want to be one of these teachers.  I watched this video today and I really like this guy's message.

 

http://youtu.be/LdF5ry5g5-w

So this week I'm going to read a lot of articles, go to the library, clean my classroom, and get ready for the next 9 weeks. 

I also get to take Henry and Hayden to school every day this week and that makes me happy. I miss taking them to school every morning. 

Big Hero 6

We watched Big Hero 6 out on the patio of the hotel next door. We sat under the stars and I only had to wear a hoodie. I'm still begging my kids to move to Florida.   They humor me and say yes every once in a while. The movie was super cute.  I was getting a little bored with it and then they introduced Baymax.  He totally made the movie worth watching. 

I've had a very relaxing spring break minus the cough and cold that I picked up on Wednesday.  I'm ready to go back to work on Monday and start my second spring break on Wednesday!  

Top 4 crazy things that happened over spring break 2015

1.  Ben got attacked by fire ants

2.  Henry got to play with lemurs

3.  No one lost anything! 

4.  Hayden hit the jackpot 3 times in the hammer game at Dave & Busters and won over 4,000 tickets

Driving

I'm sitting in traffic on 37 and I don't even mind it one bit.  My new principal observed me teaching yesterday and wrote me the most amazing note today.  

She asked me if I would be coming back next year and I said, heck yeah!!!

Quick Lunch blog

This is the view from my classroom window. 

That's I-65, but you can't hear any of the traffic inside of the building. 

            Typical Streib desk.  

I got a text from Allan.  Henry accidentally hit Hayden in the face with his hockey stick. One shot and 2 stitches. 

I really love using this book. We are making books about consumers, producers, and decomposers today.

The students wear uniforms and they are pretty cool kids.  They can chew gum in class and that makes them super happy. 

Bridge ball for indoor recess. 

This is my life right now and I'm pretty damn happy about it.