I am a Wallerich!

Yes, I married into the family sixteen years ago. I had troubles at first signing my "new" name. At first I signed Lori Mayo Wallerich. That was helpful when I forgot and wrote Lori Mayo by mistake, I could add Wallerich and be okay. I am not sure how it happened, I can not name the day or the hour, but I am now a true Wallerich! Tonight I went shopping with Momma and Emma. We went to Kohls' department store. I wanted or needed a new purse, let's say needed. Mom wanted to buy it for me for my birthday, but I thought it was too expensive. We worked out a deal, Mom paid part and I got the rest. Well, when we paid out the purse cost more than the sign had said. It said 40% off on one side and 30% off on the other side. It made a ten dollar difference. I mentioned the difference, but misspoke and said 30% off. I corrected myself, but thought "Boy I sound like a liar!" I thought this is over. I look at Mom and tell her that I am not paying that much for a purse. Well, the girl overrides the price and give it to me at 40% off. I am a Wallerich! I did not even try! I even told the girl not to do it, I said that I did not want her to get in trouble. It is the last name, Wallerich. I never would have gotten that done as a Mayo, I would have apologized for stupidly misreading the sign and offered to reshelve the purse. Alright, Wallerichs! By the way, I love my purse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved school! Will I continue to love it?

I always loved school. I loved elementary school. I loved my teachers, the books, writing my own rebus stories. I wanted to be a teacher. I loved the book part of junior high. I hated the social stuff because I never fit in, but I loved reading and writing, etc. I loved high school, again the book part. I loved Shakespeare even though I never had a real part (the teachers knew I would listen even if I didn't have a part). I loved writing stories in creative writing, answering questions in history. Well, to be honest, I did not love math. I never really got it. College was wonderful. I loved the classes. Everyone there wanted to learn and I was in the fine arts department. A new world opened up for me, I learned about painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, classical music, art museums, etc. But, now as a mother, I am beginning to understand how children hate school. I fear that my child will soon hate school. She has stomach aches on Fridays and so do I. Cleveland is calling as soon as he can to see how Emma did on her spelling test. I wanted to work on the reading test more at home, but we never got to it. We are spending some much time on spelling that I could not add anything else. In many ways, Emma is learning and things are better, but I fear that this spelling test will not be good. She doesn't have it. At least not tonight. Who knows about tomorrow.

Worse than that, today on the way home, she told me about another girl in her class not wanting to work with her on spelling flash cards. I fear this is the beginning of issues if something doesn't change for her soon. The other kids know something and Emma is beginning to notice something, too. She asked me for glasses tonight so she could learn better. She wants to do a good job. I don't know what to do for her. I don't want my baby to hate the place where I spend my most happy times growing up. How can I help her if she hates the only thing I know? I don't know sports, and she is my daughter. She may not be athletic. I hated cheerleading, hair and silly girl stuff. My head was always in a book. I want Emma to be herself, but what if she becomes someone that I don't understand. How can I help her in the bigger things, if I can't help her with this spelling test. This stupid spelling test. Emma would have a fit because I said (wrote) stupid. But stupid is the nicest word I can think of right now as I sit here crying.

Spelling Joys Again!

We got Emma's spelling test back today. She got 8 words right. She almost got 10 words right. She reversed the D's in dig and did and wrote big and bid. So close and yet so far. She has been working so hard and doing such a good job. Cleveland and I are so proud of her. There is so much she needs to continue to learn to be successful, but she is trying and learning. Slow, but sure we will fight our way through. I pray that the Lord will guide Cleveland and I through this process as we try to help Emma. I pray that the choices we make are the right ones for her. It is our job and responsibility to ensure that she has the best life we can give her. Heaven give us patience and wisdom!

Pioneer Parade

Emma and I went to the Pioneer parade in Clay County today. This event was big in my family when we were growing up. We went to the Rodeo every night and the parade each day. When in high school, I marched in the parade with the band and my sister Jill rode in the parade as a cheerleader. Jill was even the class favorite her Sophomore year for the class float. Tradition continues for our family. Jill's daughter was the freshman favorite and rode on her class float today. They did not win, but it was fun. Emma was so excited to go to the parade and see her cousin, she wanted to ride on the float, too. The floats are a lot fancier than ours were back in the day. The theme this year was Through a Child's Eyes. The freshman created a little boy's dream of flying a plane. Alaina and the other favorite were flying high in a plane of some kind with a little boy flying a toy plane behind them. Check out the slideshow near the bottom of the page.

Spelling Test Joy (at least this week) & Computer Woes

Emma got eight words correct on her test! She has worked so hard and I am so proud of her. This is by no means the end of the road, but hope aids in the journey. Em earned her reward. Her daddy promised her a white board so she can play school. Sometimes, I cannot believe she still wants to play school. Is seems like her life is school. I hope she can keep the joy in playing school for a little longer. It is hard to be a teacher's kid. She is at school by 7:30 in the morning and stays until 5:00 or 5:30. But Fridays are much worse I have been leaving at 7:00 or 7:30. But I made a promise to Emma and to myself that I will leave by 5:00 on most days and 5:30 on a few finished with work or not. She needs to be a kid not just a teacher's kid.

Computers. . . We love them and we hate them. Or maybe we just hate new computer programs. I have been struggling to learn the new grade book system at school. Tonight, I got locked out. Usually, I can solve my own problems, but not this one. I tried and tried, but I could not help myself. I hate asking for help! But I finally did I emailed the help desk and handed my problem to someone else. Did I say I hate new programs?

What Family Really Means

Thank God for my mama. She always loved us no matter what we did or didn't do. But equally important, she taught us that family is always family. Family members may mess up or make choices that you do not agree with, but they are still family. I have never stopped speaking to a family member. Sometimes, I did not agree with them, but . . . I have tried to bring the "black sheep" back into the fold. But sometimes only the good shepard can help. Prayer is my only hope now in some family situasions. As I type this, I am thinking that prayer should be my first choice, not my only choice. I pray that some broken relationships can be restored before too much time passes.

When our parents divorced, our mother or father never said a bad word about the other. They never allow us to use the divorce as a way to gain control as a child. They always supported each other. I now know that they did not always agree of course because people don't. But they were always the parents and we were the children. Now as an adult, I understand how family can fall apart no matter how hard we try to hold it together. Things happen that you never would have imagined. But I want an open door, family is always family.

Thanks Mama for loving us and teaching us to love unconditional love! Thanks for never cutting us out of your life when we made you angry. Thanks for being the best mother ever. I hope that someday, Emma looks up to me half as much as I look up to you.

Spelling Test and Grandparents' Day

Well, We got four words correct. Yeah for Emma. Unfortunately there were 10 words. Well, we all learned some and we worked hard. I am proud of her. She worked so hard and she learned four words. Moving on. . . to next week's spelling words. Fun, Fun, Fun.

Grandparents' Day was today. We got up early, early. We had to be at school by 7:10. That is early for my baby. She was dead to the world. Nanny came for lunch and brought pizza for Emma and Momma. Thanks, Nanny.

Hat, Sat, Can, Pan, Man Do I Hate Spelling!

I have never like spelling. I remember working and working to memorize the words. I didn't hear the sounds of the letters until later in life. Now as a mom, I am taking spelling tests again. Not that I have not been giving spelling tests in my classes for the last fifteen years, but my child is now taking spelling tests. I have tried to think about spelling, really I have. I usually choose words with a pattern to help the children learn chunking of basic sounds. I have spent days working with Emma on her words. She has written them and drawn pictures to go with them. She has written them in shaving cream and jello (not together, separately). She has written them on the white board at school. We have taken spelling tests at home. I am scared to death, my baby cried tonight and is afraid of not doing well on the test. I feel like I am failing her as a mother. I am a teacher, but I am at a loss. Emma prayed that God would let her do good on her test tomorrow. I pray for her to listen carefully, look at the teacher when she speaks and remember the sounds. How do I explain things to her if she is not successful tomorrow. Cleveland and I have done all we can do. She is on her own and she is six. The parent side of the teacher's desk is difficult. God help me help my daughter and help me help the babies of others which are in my care at school.