Thursday, October 4, 2012

With a little grace

I went into work this morning at 7:15 and left at 9 at night.  I am sitting on the couch without one ounce of energy.  It was a rough day - students needing more from me than reading, writing, and arithmetic.  I have a young lady in my room who is fresh out of college, and I look at her every day and wonder what in her schooling prepared her for the real world.  Professors can talk about theory.  Professional development can offer up even more strategies.  
But no one can really answer why children are struggling.  Academics are not always the challenge. It certainly wasn't today.  People can often excuse behavior with a label.  The longer I teach, the more aware I become that children, regardless of intelligence or socioeconomic status, have no idea how to treat one another.  They can be so quick to point out the faults of others, but can offer up a multitude of excuses for their own behavior. I am standing in the hallway feeling sickened by their double standards and ask if anyone knows what grace is.  None of them did.  Grace, I tell them, is giving one another a break even when they don't think their classmate deserves one.  I turned to one boy and I asked, "Do I give you a consequence every time you blurt out?"  He sadly shook his head no.  I turned to another one and asked "Do I refuse to repeat the directions for a fourth time because you didn't listen to the first three times?" He shook his head no.  "That's what grace is.  Choosing to give someone a break even when they are on your last nerve.  Show each other some grace, please." 
I foolishly thought when I was that young girl fresh from college that I would change the world.  I know now that the world was too lofty a goal.  I'm just trying to change one child at a time with a little grace. 

Monday, October 1, 2012

Two Months worth of Hits and Misses



Going back to work may cramp my blog time, but thankfully doesn't interfere with us trying out new recipes.    

Hands down, best grilling recipe ever!!!!  It's now my favorite! 


Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
 

I am constantly searching for yummy crockpot recipes.  Sadly, this one was very bland.  If you are one of those people who can improvise on a recipe than this one would be a great starting point.  It needs a little umph.


Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

You can say what you want about his quarterback form or his beliefs, but this family knows pizza!  We've had this both months.  It makes the perfect Friday night meal!

Tim Tebow's Family Pizza
Tebow Family Pizza Pie Recipe

It always makes me nervous when pinners claim "Best recipe on Pinterest".  But this one lived up to the hype.  We added this to our Mexican night rotation. Ole!

White Chicken Enchiladas

I had a cold when we tried this one, but Parker, Macy, and Tony gave this one two thumbs up.  It took a lot of bowls, but it was relatively easy to assemble.

Stuffed Shells
Stuffed Shells Recipe

Another slow cooker bust!  Very dry hashbrowns and ham...Definitely a miss!


We had this when my family was in town, and all 9 people gave this peach version of dump cake rave reviews.  Don't skimp on the calories and skip the ice cream.  Vanilla ice cream is a must.

Peach Crunch Cake
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My virtual BFF, Ree Drummond, scored another hit with this one.  Tony especially liked that it makes a huge 9x13 so there was plenty of leftovers.

Chicken Spaghetti

Put Buffalo Chicken in the title and we are all over it!  Even the kids love the Buffalo kick.  This recipe would be perfect for a crisp fall night or a blustery, cold winter night.  You will warm right up!

Loaded Buffalo Chicken Casserole
IMG_3677e

This recipe was a big disappointment.  First, the description on Pinterest didn't match the link.  It was so gross that we pitched the whole thing...

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
chicken lasagna 6 450

A third crock pot bust!  The alfredo sauce was green and I couldn't get past it.  The kids thought it was OK, but I don't think they will be requesting it any time soon.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Happy Menu Planning!