School Update

I am very happy to announce that I have officially finished my Masters of Arts in Teaching program. I have spent the last four months student teaching as well as taking classes.  I spent eight weeks teaching in second grade and six weeks in kindergarten.  I have had so much fun as I have worked with the students and teachers in these classrooms.
Now I am working on obtaining my teaching license.  Since my program was based in Minnesota I have to obtain that license first in order to get my Iowa license.  It may take up to eighteen weeks or longer to get through the governmental process so I have taken a part time job through the end of the school year.  I will be working in the early childhood special education room in the Reinbeck Elementary.  The superintendent/principal stopped me one day and asked me if I would like the job while I was waiting for my license to come through.  It is always nice when a job it basically handed to you.  It is just in the mornings so I have the afternoons to volunteer.  I can also come home and workout and enjoy some quiet before picking the kids up from school.

It felt really good to say I GOT MY MASTERS FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!   

Cub Scouts

Jonathan has joined cub scouts this year.  They just started meeting in November and Greg is his den leader.  He is in the Wolf den and has already earned his bobcat badge. He loves being part of scouts and tells everyone he can about it.  He has enjoyed showing off his uniform as well.  Thankfully Greg is good with a sewing machine and was able to take off his badges that he didn't need and change his troop number.  He as also sewn on all of Jonathan's necessary badges.  This has been great for me since that means I didn't have to do it. The first big thing they did was to decorate a tree for Gladbrook's festival of trees.  Here are the pictures of him and his troop.

It is a young troop.  There are two older boys, one of which is soon to leave cub scouts as he advances to boy scouts.  This leaves three tiger scouts and two wolf scouts.  I do have to admit that he looks pretty good in his uniform.  It is also nice to see him get excited about something other than Star Wars.

Halloween

This year because of my student teaching, I didn't have the time to make the costumes for Halloween.  We got lucky and found Jonathan and Madison's at consignment shops, which just left us with Andrew's to buy.  Greg was able to help Jonathan make a gun for his storm trooper and a hose for the Andrew's firefighter.  The kids really enjoyed going trick-or-treating this year.  We had to pull the red wagon this year because Andrew and Madison were just getting back to school after missing two weeks because of pneumonia.  They really tired easily.

Zoo Trip

During the summer the kids participated in the Marshalltown Public Library's summer reading program.  After going to the library and getting their sheet stamped three times they received passes to Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  We took the opportunity to go over Labor Day weekend since the weather was so nice.  It was also the last day for a special exhibit on dinosaurs.  The kids always enjoy going to the zoo and for us it is even better when they get to go for free because they spent time at the library.

Jumping like a Wallaby.

Jumping like a Wallaby.

Riding the train.

Jonathan spent the day writing down things he saw.  What great practice.

 

Labor Day Weekend Bike Ride

Over the Labor Day weekend we took the kids to the nearby Comet Trail to ride bike and to do some Geo Caching.  The kids really enjoy riding their bikes and especially enjoy going out on the trails.  It was a short ride though since Andrew tires easily.  Here they are looking at the cache they found.

They stopped to pose for a group photo.  I of course offered to take the picture as to avoid being in the photo.  Andrew also seems to hate having his picture taken.  I guess I know where he gets that from.  It was a lot of fun to go out and be active as a family.  I have only ridden my bike maybe twice in the last eleven years and it was great to be on  it again.