It could always be worse!

It was a non-school day for me today - the last day of the semester!  

I had it all planned out - a late swim at 7 a.m. was first on my agenda.  I arrived at the Y at 6:40 a.m. and the pool was closed.  The lifeguard was out sick and there wouldn't be one on duty until noon.  I asked if there were any other open times to swim today.  Nope.  Not a one.  But then Kathy smiled at me and said, "Just sneak in.  You know we won't be full to capacity.  If you can find someone to share a lane with, share it."  I went back to the Y at noon, walked in with my friend Kerri who had a lane reservation AND said I could share her lane with her AND had a great swim!

I came home ready to launch my on-line Red Cross Basic Life Support Instructor course only to discover I did not have a launch button.  It only took three phone calls and two different computers and I now have a launch button that should work from any computer.  Once I hit "publish", I'm going to see.

The icing on the cake today was when my new shoe arrived from Dick's.  I had ordered a pair of shoes, but I only got one and it didn't fit.  That was a fun phone call to make, but I got a $10.00 credit toward my next pair of shoes and they promised me that the swimsuit I ordered would come in its entirety!  Sure hope so!  Now I just need to return that shoe to Dicks . . .  

Graduation!

Micah's graduation information came to her today in the form of an email.  She will be graduating from North Central University on April 30th, but she will only get four tickets to the event.  She has forever wanted our family and Allison's family to attend together.  So I told her.  Write North Central.  Tell them that you are adopted and would like to have both your adoptive family and your birth family attend.  If they say 'no', you still have four tickets.  If they say 'yes', you have eight tickets.

Then I sent a text to her birth mom, Allison.  "You WILL be attending Micah's graduation on April 30th and we're trying to get tickets for your whole family to attend."  To which she replied, "I'm in."

Then I told Matt after work tonight that we only got four tickets for the event - Sam, I, Allison and Matt.  His girlfriend did not make the cut, unless he got engaged before then . . .😁 Or unless we can get those other four tickets, and providing little brother Lincoln doesn't come  

South Metro Manna Pack

Micah and I volunteered to be hosts at the South Metro Manna Pack for Feed My Starving Children on Thursday afternoon.  It was held at Berean and allowed us to serve both our church and our community at one time.

Just before the pack started, I caught two girls waving at me from across the foyer.  I knew they were in fifth grade at OHE, but I had no idea who exactly they were until the next day.  Tegan came up to me and said, "Mrs. Zupke, I saw you at Feed My Starving Children last night!"  To which I replied, "I saw you, too.  Who were you with?"  "Nora."  I ran into Nora at recess.  "Nora, why didn't you come over and say 'Hi' last night?"  "You were busy working."

Well, let me tell you, that didn't stop one of our third graders from OHE!  He came running up to me, "Mrs. Zupke, do you work here?"  We chatted for a bit, but with a face mask on along with a hairnet, I had no idea who I was talking to!  Until lunch the next day . . .

By the time I got over to his table, everyone at it knew that Brody had seen me at Feed My Starving Children the night before and they all thought we were pretty cool!

And to think, all I saw on Tuesday night were neighbors . . . 

 

Thankful Thursday!

Our entire building was so thankful on Thursday when both the windchill AND temperature were above 0ºF on Thursday and we could go outside for recess in what felt like the first time in FOREVER!

Dakar, Senegal!

The countdown is on! Mercy Ships is overjoyed to share that the Africa Mercy® is about to return to a beloved port – Dakar, Senegal. By invitation of Senegal’s government, Mercy Ships will continue this partnership and return to bring hope and healing to the people of Senegal.

(Aliou, patient and joy-bringer, after his surgery in Senegal in 2019). During this field service, Mercy Ships will provide surgery to patients from across all 14 regions of the country. Many of these patients have been awaiting their opportunity to receive life-changing care. With the help of our local partners and volunteer professionals from around the world, Mercy Ships is honored to fulfill that hope and complete our promise to return. The decision to return for a new field service comes after much research, planning, and prayer. Mercy Ships is committed to making a safe return for all patients, caregivers, crew, visitors, and partners in Senegal.

“Mercy Ships is committed to ensuring we can return to Senegal in a COVID responsible way. Whilst we know all missions involve some degree of risk, there are multiple measures we have put in place to reduce that risk whilst still being able to bring hope and healing to the people of Senegal.” (Dr. Miriam John, International Chief Medical Officer) As we countdown to our return, join us in prayer for a safe and impactful return for everyone involved. This season comes with much excitement and anticipation for what this historic year will bring -- let's savor every second!

See where Mabouba is now, five years after her lifesaving surgery.

 

On the way to a MILLION!

Berean is hosting the South Metro Manna Pack for Feed My Starving Children this week.  Our goal?  To provide one million meals!  The pack started on Monday and goes through Saturday.  Last night, our Tuesday Night Bible Study from Trinity, went up to help:

 

You gotta love those hairnets!  I'm with Diane and Carrie.  We were chosen, not to pack food, but to label the bags for the food.  It was a wonderful time of chatting and getting to know one another better . . . while still working.

Our 7 p.m. Team packed a total of 337 boxes filled with 72,972 meals!  You can always try to beat us because there are still openings to pack.  Good luck!  

SWARM!

We have one first grade room at OHE that has either more opportunities, or more challenges, depending on how you look at it.  We had finished ALL the FastBridging in the ENTIRE building (except for students who were out sick) save for that ONE room.

We swarmed it yesterday!  Four tutors, twenty children (six out sick), one and a half hours . . . DONE!  RELIEF.  JOY!

At Just -7º F . . .

. . . if you stop at the gas station to get gas at 5:30 a.m. on your way to class with wet hair, said hair will freeze in approximately thirty seconds or less . . . so Micah tells me!  

The good news is, the ice melts rather quickly.  It was thawed by the time she crossed the river bridge! 

Best Way to FastBridge

Upper-level FastBridge testing gets old real fast.  You have kids reading the same three stories over and over and over.  Then you ask the same questions over and over and over.  But yesterday, I got a break . . .

We have a new fifth grader who's on a five month "holiday" here in the States with her dad.  She's from Australia.  Just listening to her read "Apples", "Mark" and "Dee and Floppy" was so delightful!

Thankful Thursday!

 Some days the list of things to be thankful for grows longer and longer, like today!  At work alone, I was thankful . . . 

• That while the kinders are extremely cute and sweet, I only had to FastBridge three of them;
• That I was put into second grade MAP testing and missed out on first grade FastBridge;
• That at whole school BINGO, I was able to go with the music teacher who kept saying to our kinders, "There is no crying.  Everyone will get a prize or a 'Gotcha'", especially when Jen told me later ALL of her kinders WERE crying!
• That when Stacy called in sick and I got to take her lunch duty, I got indoor recess with kinders and NOT lunchroom duty with fourth graders!
• That when my supervisor asked me to take her lunch duty for the second day in a row, I could smile and say, "No can do.  I'm Stacy today!"
• That the fifth graders miss me!  Even though the sign says I'm testing, they still smile and wave as they walk by!
  

MAP Testing

My eyes were opened to a whole new world this week when I did second grade MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing this week.  I was giving a girl to work with one on one, not knowing when we went to my space to do her testing she COULD.NOT.READ.  Not only could she NOT read, she couldn't even sound out the letters.  It was heart-breaking and heart-wrenching.  She has academic learning struggles, not brought on by Covid as much as dyslexia and who knows what else.  It took us three sessions to answer 42 questions and two of those sessions were over an hour long.  I feel for her . . .    

BIG Whoops!

The American Red Cross asked me to verify my instructor certifications this week, so I checked them out this afternoon.  Water Safety Instructor - current.  Check.  First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor - current.  Check.  CPR/AED for Professional  Rescuers - Missing.  Say what?  

So I went to my personal "Certifications" folder on our home computer and found my  CPR-Pro instructor cert dated for May 8, 2017.  Which means it would have expired on May 8, 2019.  Whoops!  I called the Red Cross.  Sure enough - I had never renewed my "CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers" Instructor Certification!

Micah asked me if I had taught any CPR-Pro classes after my cert had expired and I'm pretty sure that I had just taught one.  Fortunately, it was in December of 2019 so whoever took it from me would have expired last month.  Whew!

Now I'm enrolled in a "Bridge Class" that I get to take on line to re-renew my "CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers" Instructor Certification.  Fortunately, my current "First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor" cert let me get in to the class.  Unfortunately, I downloaded the WRONG card - it's still current, but it's not the new stuff that just came out last month.  Fortunately, the class is free and I have all next weekend to get it done - provided they approve the wrong card I downloaded!

The stories you just can't make up . . .   

Bedtime Stories . . .

When you do fifth grade FastBridge, you meet with a student one-on-one and have them read three stories to you:  "Apples", "Mark" and "Dee and Floppy".  We were laughing so hard last night as Sam said, "I can recite 'Dee and Floppy' to you word for word I've heard it so many times!" to which I replied, "Me, too!".   

Our New Year's Resolution . . .

Almost fifteen days into the New Year, I think it might be safe to share our New Year's resolution!  

Last April when Micah and I did North Central University's "Run for the Unreached", we each received a copy of the book, "Missionary God, Missionary Bible" by Dick Brogden.

They laid on our kitchen counter for eight months, totally ignored.  Then one day in December, I said to Sam, "Want to read through the Bible in a year with me?" and he said, "Yes."

So we're reading "Missionary God, Missionary Bible", a one year daily devotional based on a chronological reading of the Bible.  Each day we read Scripture, a devotional connecting the reading to God's great missionary plan, and pray for an unreached people group. 

Seriously, who knew Job was a contemporary of Abraham's?  Not me!  Or that what is written in Job 19 might be what a Muslim-based believer might say today?  Not me!  So far, it's been an amazing read . . . and we'll have two copies to share come January 1!

Thankful Thursday!

Our washing machine is on the fritz again!  If you were to listen to it run, you'd hear it's moans of agony.  Death is imminent.  That was confirmed by the repairmen on Wednesday.  There is no hope.  Now, there is a possibility we could call the company . . . 

After living without it for a month this summer, and after having just fought the "Battle of the Dishwasher", we didn't even talk about it.

Sam ordered a new washing machine yesterday.  It was $75.00 more at the place he bought it from, but it will be delivered on Monday when we are all home in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  They will remove our old washing machine at no charge.  Getting it in three days, on a day we're all home, and removing our old one for free?  Definitely worth the extra $75.00, right?

I am ever thankful that Sam did this for us!  Thank you, Sam!  

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse . . .

In the sixteen months I've been working for Lakeville Schools, my supervisor has never come into my space and sat down.  Key words:  sat down.  I knew something was up!

Sure enough, Karen, our fourth grade tutor and my lunchroom/recess partner, who also holds a current teaching license, was being pulled.  For the next thirty days, she is going to cover Cristina's maternity leave.

McKenna had been hired to cover Cristina's leave, but she just graduated this fall and her license hasn't come through yet, so she can't be alone in the classroom, even as a sub.

That means that in addition to doing FastBridge with all of the Title 1 fifth graders, I was now going to be doing FastBridge with all of the Title 1 fourth graders, too.  And, I am now doing MAP testing with second, fourth and fifth grades.  

Plus without Karen there to help with recess and lunch, whenever someone is absent from the first hour, I get to do that, too.  I'm not sure there's enough chocolate in the world . . .      

The Cookie Fairy

This has been a hard week in fifth grade - and it's only Tuesday.  We have no idea how Rich is doing after his traumatic brain injury last month and if/or when he'll be back.  To add to it, his long term sub was supposed to begin yesterday, but she got exposed to Covid and is definitely out for this week.  There are no subs currently available so Rich's class got divided up - Aimee got half and Julie got the other half, bringing their class sizes up over thirty-five students each.  Susie, the fifth grade Ignite teacher, has been helping where she can, but she has her own specialized classroom and isn't always available.  They were fried after one day . . . and they had four more to go this week.

Enter the "Cookie Fairy".  Micah agreed last night to bake her "Better Than Sweet Martha's" chocolate chip cookies last night.  She wrapped them individually and put them in a box for me.  I got to work early today.  

The look on Julie's face was priceless when I walked in to her classroom with cookies.  Aimee was equally overjoyed.  Susie began to cry.  Every tutor who busted her bum yesterday was so happy.  It was great!  Thank you, Micah!  

My Newest Speaking Gig

We weren't just short tutors yesterday - we were short staff in every department and multiple classrooms.  It was also the day of our "PBIS Tours".  We had third, fourth and fifth graders touring all the different areas in the building, with different staff going over what our expectations were for them in each area.

Mo, our supervisor, met with the tutors first thing in the morning.  "Are any of you willing to take an area for the tours?  I'll let two of you go together."  

Angela and I said we'd do it and we were given the lunchroom. As we walked over there, Angela said, "I'm really not much for public speaking, but I'm a great support.  Do you mind taking the lead?"  

Sure.  No problem.  At the end of five speeches, we were doing pretty good and Angela swore I was a natural!  

Fast forward.  I had just walked into the building this morning and Angela met me.  "I talked to Mo and we can do the lunchroom again!"   Awesome.  Kinders.  First Graders. Second Graders.  Nine speeches.  No worries.  

I've now met every student who was in attendance so far this week.  And, I no longer have a voice!   But the best part was - we really truly did have fun!    

Long Noon Sup Hours . . .

We knew going in that yesterday was going to be a long day for the noon sups!  We had Randi and Jen out with Covid and then Kari joined them!  We had gone from seven to four in a flash which meant we were all going to pull double duty and miss our regularly scheduled classes.  I became Kari from 11:05-12:05 and Margo from 12:05-1:10.  

Today, Karen was also out as her college-age son was having surgery.  My boss did lunchroom duty with me and her boss (a.k.a. the principal) came outside with me!

Tomorrow we should only be down by one - that being Kari - so I will still be pulling double duty.  Bummer.     

The Dean's List!

Micah shared with us today that she made the Dean's List last semester and now knows she didn't do anything wrong!

The first time she made the Dean's List at North Central was her first semester.  In high school, when you made the Dean's List, it wasn't a good thing.  It generally meant you were in trouble, so she was afraid to tell us!  When we finally finished laughing, we explained to her the difference between a high school Dean's List and a college Dean's List and that we were very proud of her! 

Imitating an AED

 Wouldn't you know?  During CPR/AED class this morning at the Y, not a single one of our AED's worked!  We have ten AED's, from four different companies, none working.  

After the second one told us to "replace batteries", I said, "I've taught enough classes, I can be the AED" and we went for it!

Eve

After almost thirty-three years, we needed to replace our most used wedding gift!  Two children, coupled with life, had us down to three tablespoons and six teaspoons from an original set of twelve each.  Now that we have a working dishwasher and don't get to wash our dishes three times a day, we decided it was time to replace the silverware!  Here's a bad screen shot of "Eve":

While we're going to enjoy having more silverware available to us, we will miss our wedding gift from our dear friends Bob and Cookie!  We've been blessed by you!    

Thankful Thursday!

Honestly, I have no idea what I was thankful for yesterday!  I'm sure I had planned to write about something . . . until this afternoon!  Which took the cake!  Which has made me so happy and so thankful, that I haven't stopped smiling yet - and it's been five hours!

I met with my rheumatologist via video this afternoon regarding my PMR.  After the usual questions, he said to me, "Your labs are so good that I'm going to drop your medication."  TOTALLY.UNEXPECTED.  

I said to him, "You told me to not even ask for a decrease in medication until I've been on methotrexate for two years and it's only been eighteen months.  You can't do this."

But he could. And he did.  And I am thrilled because I really hate taking medications! 

"The Last Time I Saw You . . ."

My first supervisor in Aquatics in 1982 was Gayle.  I ran into her this morning at the Y.  I was going in to swim and she was teaching a cycling class.  The last time I had seen Gayle was almost a year ago when she was in my CPR class AND fighting breast cancer, bald as bald could be.  It was so lovely to see her with hair today and feeling good.  We ended up in the locker room at the same time and said a quick good-bye.

Imagine our surprise when we both showed up at the same retirement party this afternoon in Apple Valley!  It came out in front of every one there, "The last time I saw you, we were both naked!"  

We had a bit of explaining to do . . .  

Looking forward to . . .

Our next planned meeting with the FOO's!  It's going to happen on Matt's twenty-fifth birthday.  We sat around McDonald's yesterday and planned it, down to birthday hats and birthday presents (while Matt was taking his little brother to the bathroom).  And it hit me today - this will be Allison's first time EVER celebrating Matt's birthday WITH him on HIS birth date.  It's going to be special . . . 

Holiday Baking with the FOO's!

Our original game plan was to bake Christmas cookies with the FOO's (Matt and Micah's family of origin) on December 11.  Then it was moved to December 18.  Our next scheduled date was December 27.  Finally, on January 2, it happened!

Allison and the kids arrived around 9:30 a.m. with the girls ready to bake and Lincoln wanting to play trains with Matt.  We had a wonderful morning, followed by lunch at McDonald's (can't ever call McDonald's wonderful!).  Check it out:

 

New Year's Eve Party!

For all of you who are wondering how late I actually stayed up last night, I'm proud to say "10:20 p.m.!" 

However, our New Year's Eve party was held on Wednesday afternoon!  We were all up at Raff's by 4 p.m. and I honestly think we ate the entire evening away!  Seriously, we managed a good four plus hours of non-stop munching and dining!

What made the evening so special is thirty-seven years ago, three of us at Raff's - Ann, Mark and I - had all celebrated New Year's Eve together in Haiti.  That was long before any of us had met our spouses . . . we were there on a missions trip helping to build a hospital, the same hospital that Ann's husband Mike brought electricity to many years later!

 

2021 - Adapting and Innovating in the Face of Adversity