I wish I had a picture of this.

This thing that stopped me today. 

Slowed me down.

Made me marvel at the creativity of children.

The kids (my first graders, not my own personal children) came in this morning and developed a little competition among themselves building houses out of snap cubes from the math manipulatives corner. They started off in pairs and quickly settled into constructing their own unique homes for the barrel of monkeys who also live in our room. They convinced me that I should reward the best builder with a Hershey's Kiss.

What I hadn't expected was the sheer creativity these kids put into their little homes. They had fireplaces, see-saws, vines for swinging, even a prison for the naughty monkeys in the community. I sat, perched on the tiny chairs and cushions in our classroom and listened. Each of the four participants in this game of Flip This House To Mrs. Richert explained how their house worked for the monkeys and why their house was, indeed, the best. I was honestly just taken aback and filled with joy for them. For the fun they had making these and the friendly competition it spawned. 

In the end. I couldn't decide, so I awarded everyone a Kiss. And I popped one for myself for the sheer enjoyment of stopping to listen to these awesome kids.

cough

cough

cough

When you watch the news this weekend,

I want you to remember just

one

thing:

I am 

one of the

ones

who had the 

flu

this week.

I am an 

official

number

in the grand flu count.

I

am

one

of

the

epidemic.

today

in the dining room

which is my crafting room

with a couch 

and a way cool lamp from the

salvation army

that came with a light bulb

that still worked,

i made this little collage 

of birds.

That's the grand and 

wonderful

thing about a

Prompt # 6 ~ Lists Lists Lists

 Latest purchase: thrift store lamp

. 

Originally uploaded by wendirichert

List No. 1: What I did today in chronological order
5:30 - Rise and shine. Well, just rise.
6:00 - Make sure the boys are risen and shining.
6:30 - Drive to school.
7:10 - Morning devotions at school
7:30 - The first graders are coming!!!!!!
8:15 - Gym. Time to breathe.

8:55 - Library. More breathing  time.

11:00 - Fantastic writing workshop minilesson on general vs. specific.
11:30 - Lunch ~ tomato soup and grilled cheese.

12:30 - Finish Horrible Harry and the Goob. Glad this is over. Not terribly interesting, although the kids love it. Tomorrow - Junie B. Jones!!!

2:00 - While the kids make their art project, I reorganized my Reading Workshop notebook.
2:20 - Dismissal
2:45 - Staff meeting
4:00 - Back in my room, gather up my stuff and the boys and come home.
5:30 - Cook supper.
6:30 - Talk to Mom
7:00 - Read Wind and the Willows with Camden
8:00 - Boys "should be" asleep.
8:51 - Now. I'm on the computer. Blogging. Making lists.

List No. 2 - My day in order of time spent on tasks
The school day - 10 hours
Staff meeting - 75 minutes

Reading with Camden and Benjy - 45 minutes
CSI - 60 minutes

Talking with Curt after school, between dinner and his karate class - 30 minutes.
The rest of the stuff I did today - tiny minutes squeezed in between everything else.

List No. 3 - My day in order of what was most important to me
1. Reading with Camden and Benjy. Camden and I are loving Wind and the Willows. We got through 3 chapters tonight. That crazy Toad!
2. Stolen hugs from Camden and Benjy during the day when they see me at at school. These happen in the hallways between lunch and recess, in the mornings before the opening, in the afternoons when on the way to after school care. Love these impromptu moments, these hugs and kisses.
3. Talking to Mom on the phone, catching up on her day out with Charlene and how Dad's doing. He has 9 more radiation treatments left.

4. Reading and Writing Workshops - I just feel so blessed that God has called me to teach children how to read and write and love doing both. This class absolutely begs to read and write. That love of literacy is just amazing. Who couldn't love that?!

Land of the Lost 1 and Prompt #5

Dear Blog,

Today's prompt is to write a letter. To anyone. So I'm writing to you. After all, I write to you more than anybody else. You're easy. And have you seen the cost of a postage stamp these days? You're easy and free.

I've spent a couple of odd minutes searching Youtube for ancient stuff. I've happened upon old movies of Puff the Magic Dragon, which my first graders LOVE. I've watched old School House Rock videos. Wow! Interjection! And I just found this gem. 

This used to scare the pants off of me. Every Saturday morning found me and Shell in front of the TV. This was before remote control, so we were pretty close to the set. She loved this show. I was hesitant. I watched it because I am the older sister and I had to be brave. Yikes! Interjection! Do you remember those sleestacks? Jeepers, they were a fright! 

Anyway, Blog, if you want me to look up something for you, like, say TaeKwondo forms or Scooby Doo episodes or video footage of Elvis, just lemme know. I'm your girl. Yeah!

Journal Prompt #4

The word is

maniacal.

It's a fun word to say.

It's not a fun thing to be.

Not that I would know.

It's just the way that it 

slips off the tongue

sort of at the back of the mouth.

Maniacal.

Say it.

Maniacal.

That's my word for the day.

the W project - Journal Prompt #3

W

in the big blue van

at Suds carwash

on route 66

during Benjy's snooze

beside itself

at its first outing

in its lifetime

Journal Prompt #2

Shimelle's journal prompt tonight was to take some words you hear often and interpret them. I've been hearing Emma's words since the spring of 1995, so I think I've got a bit of insight into what she's saying. Click on the image to read it. 

Journal Prompt #1

This boy likes to wear suit jackets and ties, but he usually just wears his pjs.

This boy is the loudest child on the planet, but he has the softest and sweetest singing voice I've ever heard.

This boy fusses when it's time to go to TaeKwondo, but he kicks and punches and yells with the best of them once he's there.

This boy reads everything, but he doesn't pick up his clothes in plain sight.

This boy wants to go to fancy restaurants, but he hasn't quite learned to chew with his mouth closed.

This boy runs and talks and GOES all day long, but after he says his prayers, he's still, quiet, and positively dreamy for 9 hours.

I'm so excited that Shimelle is starting a free journaling challenge tomorrow. I've missed the daily December prompts that I used to put together my Advent art journal. Most of the February prompts will make it to the blog, I'm sure. But I'm also hoping to do some more artsy pages for my scrapbook, too. Here's my response to today's pre-February prompt:

i love vanilla, vintage, and free.

i love yellow, itunes, and sleep.

i love Ws, daisies, and magazines.

but i can't stand a runny nose.

camden.

curt.

blue

belt.

red

belt.

two

steps

away.

one

step

away.

from

black

belt

excellence.

so

proud.

First Tae Kwondo class

Benjy gets his first High Five!

I hope you enjoyed those videos. We have LOTS more. But I didn't think it right to hog the blog with video footage of every move Benjy made in his first Tae Kwondo class tonight. Cute as he is. :)



Tiny Tiger Benjy had his first TaeKwondo class today. So proud, we are, of him.
He was the shortest tiger there. We rolled his pant legs up and his sleeves up and he still looked positively swallowed in his uniform. All in all, he did a great job. He broke a board. Twice. He bowed and said "ATA" at the right times. He threw some great knife-hand strikes. Now, he also faced the wrong direction a few times, but really, what's so wrong about that anyway? And he punched his brother who was holding a punching bag about 14 times instead of two, but, hey, can you blame a bro?

As of now, the whole darn family does martial arts. Curt outranks all of us. Then there's Camden. Then Benjy and I are equals at white belt status. Even black belts used to be white belts, though. So we're not hurtin'.

Have you seen this badge around?
Claudine Hellmuth posted it a few days ago for her friend who has a no-kill non-profit shelter in Tennessee. You can read all about it by checking out the badge posted here. I've sent my $10 donation over, and you can, too. It's as easy as pie. Just click on "donate" and you'll be walked SAFELY and SECURELY through Network for Good. And, the best part is, the top four charity badges with the most unique donations through America's Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause. America's Giving Challenge runs until January 31st.

Here's what Claudine, my favorite artist in the whole entire world, had to say: 

Let's help Bernie win this! She has saved 500 animals from death all by herself just last year alone, imagine what she can do with a grant!

About A Place to Bark:
"A Place to Bark" is a private no kill rescue run solely by Bernie Berlin. All animals come from high kill shelters in the south and are on death row. Combining health care, rehabilitation, and working with animal welfare organizations A Place to Bark provides a true no kill vision. Registered 501c3 non-profit. Visit A Place to Bark's web site.

It gets better!
All donations made to A Place to Bark's Six Degrees Badge, will be matched by the "Zoline Foundation" up to $25,000.00!!! All donations up to June 1st will be counted for the matching donation from the Zoline Foundation. It's a win-win!

OK, what are you waiting for? Go and save a dog!

Do it for Ellie. :)

As of today, the whole family is enrolled in Tae Kwondo.

Wish I had a pic of all of us in our uniforms. 

I don't even have a picture of ME in my new white beltness.

But we are all in as of today.

Benjy signed up for Tiny Tigers today.

Cute thing has a size triple-zero uniform. 

I can't believe my once-timid non-talker who now will not shut up for one solitary minute will be screaming and kicking and punching and yelling his way into a future black belt. 

Oh, he's into it. Even before he tried on the uniform, he was psyched. He stepped up and kicked at me. Oh, I say he's a natural. 

Go Benjy, Go.

15 ~ January

15 ~ January
Originally uploaded by wendirichert

Inspired by the need to use my monthly kits from Jenny Bowlin's Studio on a more consistent basis, I've come up with a little project to work on this year. Each month, on the 15th, I'll snap a few pictures of what's going on around me. These were the few I took last week. It was a stay-home sick day for the boys and me. We filled our day with Star Wars Episode II - twice, making new tie-up shades with my old tie-back curtains, building elaborate train tracks around the living room, taking a warm bubble bath for no other reason than to play Star Wars in the tub, and practicing our quick draws. Who said sick days are no fun?

After reading Mom's blog, I'm finally ready to post this: 

My dad has cancer. Yes, it sucks. 

Throat cancer. 

Right next to the vocal chords.

the big 

C.

He started his chemo and radiation therapies about 3 weeks ago. The chemo wears him out, and he does have a couple of rough days afterward. But the radiation, so far, seems to be just a few minutes of his weekday afternoons. His energy is waning, but his spirits seem to be up. 

Funny how God works. 

I've always loved my mom and dad. Adored them. I often just praise God that he gave me THEM for parents. Especially when I think of the alternatives out there today. 

But the big C has forced me to reconsider how I show them I love them. So I'm making it a new priority to call more, mail more, pray MORE.

Here's a picture of Dad taken the day after he learned of his cancer. 

He loves his dog, Hokie. 

And I think he does indeed find hope in the small treats of life. His puppy. His family who loves him more than ourselves. His garage. :) (You should see this place. A garage with central air, a few rugs, a couple of recliners, a TV/DVD/VCR set-up, the old kitchen fridge. And who knows what else.....) 

I pray that Dad continues to relish the small treats he's dealt during his therapy time. He's about half-way through it, so he may indeed have a loooong way to go with more downsides than ups. But God will provide him the strength he needs to endure the recovery; the eyes to find the small treats and grasp them, hold onto them and relish them; and the faith to believe that he will get better. Yes, Dad, I do believe that with all my heart. You're gonna be just fine.

how cool is this???
how 'bout this one?



If you wanna make a name for yourself :)
then you should go here.

It's Friday. A short week at school. I pulled my back out at tae kwondo on Wednesday, so I'm especially glad for a few days of rest this weekend. However, I really MISS karate, so I may try to go in the morning, depending on my back. If I can't bow, I won't go. That's my litmus test. You have to bow in and out at karate, so if I can't do that much, then I have no business doing the in between stuff. 

Should be a quiet weekend around here. With Christmas decorations put away and my van smelling fresh and clean (thank you, Curt!), I'm ready for some regular weekend house cleaning and hanging out with the boys. Curt and I will watch the Bourne Ultimatum tomorrow night. Santa brought it for him in his stocking. Good old Santa! 

I leave you with this:

This is the absolute best reason for snow. Dad's snow cream.
I made this in photoshop elements for my Christmas art journal. Man, I'm gonna miss this journal once it ends on Jan. 6, Epiphany. Guess I'll have to get back into my regular scrapbooking in a big way. :)

Happy New Year!
Here's #1 in what I hope will be 366 days of photos for this year. (Hey, it's a leap year, ya know?) I love this pic because my favorite candle in the entire world is here - a Candleberry Candle Co. candle bought in Virginia during the Thanksgiving holiday. This scent is praline dreams. And it's really dreamy. Plus, the shot of my Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine really energizes me. I want this year to be about creating. Creating art. Creating inspiration for my family and my students. Creating spiritual connectedness for me with God. Creating. Creativity. For ME. For my family. 
This brings me to my word for the year.
Energy.
That's it.
Energy.
Spiritual.
Physical.
Mental.
Energy.

I'll need plenty of it to keep up the artiness I've had going on for the past week or so. I have risen each morning completely energized with a sense or art. Art with a lower-case a, mind you. I just can't wait to sit down and create. I visit Claudine's blog every single day for inspiration. And then I do my art journal entry from Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class. Then I just surf for inspiration. And I create. That energy is just amazing. I pray that I can sustain it during the school year when I have to rise before the sun and begin a day with first graders and papers and books and noise.

Energy.

Yes.

I think it's a fine word for 2008.

We actually went out for New Year's Eve last night. Yes, really.
We went to the Kuhns where we met up with the Pouliches and the Urams. What fun. We mostly hung around Staci's kitchen where the food was, eating her chicken salad and countless other dishes. We tried dancing with the dancing machine thing that hooks up to the TV, but apparently we're too old to figure that out. And we watched the kids - 7 of them - run around the house with empty water guns and Star Wars light sabers and Barbie dolls and happy screams. It was a good ending to 2007.