Hoping it's not in VAIN....

So, I've officially written 6 weeks worth of lesson plans. I am talking real, intense, good lesson plans... Not just something written down to pass a "lesson plan check"!

This year as I am planning, I seem to be more organized, more concise and including all of my resources in an effective way. I know I sound like such a nerd when I say all this - but I am really excited to get the year going. As much as I hate TAKS testing; it has become almost a game to me. I work really hard with my students all year and then the "Final Score" of the game is determined by those TAKS results. So right now, my little troops are about to go into FALL TRAINING in hopes they have the endurance to win the race!

As I was looking over my lesson plans today, I got to thinking there are several days I do not have penciled in yet -- simply because I do not know them. I also got to thinking, I hope my careful planning was not done in vain... I hope my eagerness to be efficient this year does not cause extra efforts later -- ya know, like erasing a lesson plan book and rewriting lessons. Oh yes, I am still using a hand-written planner - nothing electronic. This could be interesting... Ahhhh the joys of being a teacher :)

Project CLEAN

In addition to getting my classroom ready, I have been organizing and rearranging the house... Sort of a "Feng-Shui". ha! I'm beginning to think that Project CLEAN around the Magers casa is taking on a life of it's own... Just when I think I have finished cleaning, I start to find more things that I think I can purge. Forget the fact that I've over-purged already and accidentally threw away my 2009 Tax Return (thank goodness the CPA was able to email me a second copy - whew!) But I keep thinking - do we really need all this stuff? Aside from our bedrooms, the other rooms in this house are actually pretty large - so why have I had the overwhelming desire to fill them up with STUFF? Recently on Facebook a friend posted a video about a guy who lives in and builds these "Tiny Houses". This man is taking a minimalist approach to living - his house is 89 square feet and looks like a storage shed! The website for these houses is www.tumbleweedhouses.com As I was watching the video, I got to thinking - What's wrong with this? Nothing. His life is pure - he takes time to enjoy the little things... He probably spends more time outside, he has time to reflect, maybe more time to read and he probably has a stronger relationship with God (if he believes). Wouldn't that be nice? Another interesting tidbit in the video was the cost - this man spends less than $100 a year for utilities - how awesome is that?!?!?! My last month power bill paid for the next 4 years of this guys power expenses.
I told John someday I want to live in a "TINY HOUSE"... He laughed at me. I'd have to give up jewelry making and all other hobbies - but wouldn't that be some pure and awesome living? I think it would feel like being on vacation all the time because all you have is your clothes and a few momentos, just the same as when you check into a hotel. Something to think about...

**These pictures are of a larger TINY HOUSE... I'm being realistic - John and I might need a little more than 89 square feet. We might go insane in 89 square feet.

To clean or not to clean - that really is NOT the question!

This summer I've really been working on getting things cleaned up and organized. I am wanting a smooth teaching year, so I am working on lesson plans and getting materials ready - etc. Well, a lot of my friends are giving me a hard time because I am spending a lot of my summer break in my classroom... HOWEVER, I am so horribly un-functional with clutter. In fact, here is an example of what my classroom desk usually looks like:

Definitely not the poster for classroom perfection. In fact, I prefer to run like a well-oiled machine... and when my desk is like this I tend to run more like a jalopy that backfires. ha! I do prefer to have a much more clean desk - but without well-planned lessons it doesn't seem to work out that way. Here's my class when it is clean and ready to go :)

So, I don't get too offended when everyone gives me a hard time about where I'm spending some of my summer days... Because I figure I need the preparation to keep receiving messages like this - where "Mrs. Magers Rox" (: haha!

Mushrooms

So, everyone gives me a hard time about disliking mushrooms. The typical reactions is "Really? You don't like mushrooms?" And then I get this shocked look, you know the one. It's not that I dislike mushrooms, in fact, I do like the flavor of them - It's the texture and the very idea of them that bugs me. In 7th Grade Science Class we were studying fungi, and our teacher wanted us to grow our own mushrooms. Naturally, since I was the only cowgirl in a Carson City science class, I was elected to bring in the horse poop to grow the mushrooms... After that experience, YES, mushrooms bother me a bit. Next time I over chop mushrooms, don't give me a crazy look - I'm just pretending they are not in my food and trying to forget yet another one of those weird childhood experiences. ha!

Let there be Zzzzzz's!

Speaking of cleaning... The realtor called on Saturday to say they needed to show the house today. So all weekend I kept thinking about how I needed to get the place spiffed up. Well, in true Keta fashion I waited until the last minute - but since I've been organizing all summer long, it didn't take as much time as usual... However, I didn't get to sleep in because they were showing the house this morning.

ANYHOW, the realtor called back about 1PM today to let me know they were not showing the house because the people had already made an offer on another house. Well, Yay for them - but Boo for me because I didn't get to enjoy my summertime sleeping in! I don't mind this realty stuff - in fact, I think it's good for us to get those sporadic calls because it kicks our cleaning mode into high gear... But on the other hand, it can be a pain too when it comes to sleep -- because you can't really nap waiting for them. I'd hate to be laying on my bed taking a nap and have a realtor and some random people bust through the bedroom door... Talk about awkward. Do I overthink things or what? haha! Well, since there wasn't sleep this morning - there will be tonight! Let there be Zzzzzzz's! Goodnight :)

Room 8

Forgive me as I jump right up on my soapbox for a moment... I was feeling a bit "teachery" today as I had a ton of things I was wanting to get done.

So I made my way to Room #8 to work on a few things. I was just going to stay a couple hours... well a couple hours turned into 6 hours - and I just got to thinking -- Isn't this my summer?

Then that got me to thinking how annoying it is when some ignorantly assume that all teachers leave work at 3:30 every day, have weekends and summers off. Ummmmmm, I don't think so! I work most nights until well after dinner, if not late into the night... And so far during the summer - I have spent a ton of time preparing for the next year. So for those that comment "What are you complaining about - you get the summer off?" hahaha! I smirk and laugh at you.

Stirring up some Faith!

I have made it my summer goal to get the house organized. Now, if you know anything about me you know I tend to be a little bit OCD. HOWEVER, I am a unique kind of OCD - I'm an all or nothing kind of OCD person. If I am going to clean, I am going to really deep clean every detail... and if there isn't time for that - then I abandon the project altogether. Horrible habit I know! Anyway, trying to find the friendly middle here - I decided to de-clutter my life and clean up! PLUS, this jewelry business has taken on a life of it's own and I am storing some clutter in some prime closet/storage real estate.

Anyhow, in my organizing I came across this notebook. When we lived in Leakey and attended Living Waters Church in Utopia, I used to take a notebook with me. I'd jot down notes during Pastor Robert's sermon and even write down prayer requests. As I was thumbing through this notebook I came across this note about FAITH!

The means to our success is Faith. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith" 1 John 5:4

As I was reading that, I got to thinking - when I am focused on my Faith, everything else just seems to fall into place. Now, I am not being ridiculous and saying that when I say I'm faithful and proclaim how much I love Jesus, that all my wishes come true... NO! I am saying that I receive a comfort from my faith that helps me get through whatever turmoils this world tosses at me. It was just a comforting little reminder that I needed!