Thursday, October 14, 2010

When Ladles Attack

"There was a man, lived in the moon,
and his name was Aitken Drum.
And he played upon a ladle,
and his name was Aitken Drum."


And old song that goes on to describe a hat made out of cream cheese, a coat made out of roast beef, and other random items of clothing made out of food. My kiddos created some new versions of this song.

They are the funniest children alive.

Highlights: Tim Burton-like face, gingerbread coat,
3-D banana moon, pufferfish-inflamed hands and bean pants.

"Honey, what's that under your Aitken Man?"
"Spaceship #1, Ms. G. How else do you expect him to get to the moon?!"
(duh)

Surfer Aitken Drum

Ukelele Aitken Drum, with cheddar cheese-block pants.

Just chill-axin' on the moon.
Now, there's a stick man with some personality.

I'm a bit concerned about the wings on the eyes.
Though, the cow skin shoulder pads were a nice touch.

Edward Scissorhands lesser known brother,
Aitken Pizzahands
.

Knock-knees and a grape skirt with Cool-Aid.

When ladles attack.

You've heard of ten-gallon hats...
Well, the ten-gallon pants with matching shoes are now available.

I asked this child what food group he used to create his Aitken Drum.

His reply?

WOOD.

Love these kids.

Hall and Oat(meal)

Jen and Matt got married! Mr. and Mrs. Hall!
Beautiful ceremony at the Catholic Church! 9/25/2010
Lovely reception at the Inverness! SO pretty!
And, those flowers are GLOWING. Super cool.

Table 14. Waaaaaay in the back.
Jen knows us well.... :)

Out of nowhere, the little flower girl comes over to our table for a hug - she's one of my first graders! Didn't realize that during the ceremony! Her dress had flower petals in the hem and she was just as cute as could be!

Ann and Kim

Kelly and Van
(We were laughing at their name card - the flowers actually told the waiters which entree to bring to our table. We just thought they got a special card for being such a special couple... HA!)

Bren and Nicola

Little MAN! Here's Beth's little guy, Evan, who came to visit us during the meal! Beth was a bridesmaid and we were happy to give Evan's dad a little break. Such a happy little man!

Okay, I admit it: I was just as enthralled (if not more)
with the bubbles as Evan was.

Joy!

Sweet pea.

Time for some Oatmeal.
(what's with my tongue?!)

Really, now. I couldn't be happier.

Again with the bubbles...

Okay, seriously...my favorite picture of these two!
They were worse than Hollywood PAPARAZZI!

Laughing so hard we were crying!

We simply cannot speak without the full use of our hands.

JEN! Dance time.

Her dress was beautiful!

Teammates together again!

Priceless.

Evan and his mama

These two were a hoot!

Why, pray tell, do I look so pensive?!

Finally figured out what was making the flowers glow!

There's the whole gang! Congrats, Jen and Matt!

Piece Out

Choir time means CD time. Whoa.

The next time my kiddos ask me what I did on THEIR day off, I'll be sure to pull out this photo and tell them THIS is what I did while they slept in and their teachers went to work! The saddest part? This is the in-depth work for ONE grade only. ONE. Oy.

Dear Creepy Creature,
I am not a fan of things with skinny legs that crawl into my room.
Please go sing somewhere else. My bouncy ball is not a singing place.
Thank you,
Ms. G.

Seriously? Creative cupcakes at 3:35 pm ROCK.

Honestly, I have no idea what this was supposed to be. However, anything with marshmallows and green colored sesame sticks gets my full support.

LAST year, I was asked if I wanted to be part of a Birthday Party Scavenger Hunt. Sadly, I was out of town, so I had to say no. THIS year, however, I was home and said a hearty YES to being part of the hunt!

Emily and her buds were to follow this clue to find me: "Now this place you've never been to before, so you'll have to stay alert and follow directions closely to not get lost. Use the GPS and plug in 1100 Plum Creek Parkway. Once you pull in by the flags, find building #4. Somewhere on level 3, you'll find a colorful striped door mat in front of a red door. Sneak up quietly, then all together do your best and loudest Tarzan impression. (Practice in the car to get it right.)"

When they got to my place, we made some crafty stepping stones.
Ooey, gooey FUN!

Miss Emily's beads.

I. Love. These. Kids!

They were so funny - they loved the colored walls and had to see each room. Twice. Pretty sure I didn't go to my music teacher's house when I was a kid! HA!

The stepping stones, as they dried. Fun times!

Asked Barb, our lunch lady, for Cheese w/ my Salad.
Somehow that translated to a Cheese Salad.
Which somehow became a Ms. G. Cheese Salad.
Love it.

I spy....
Velma from Scooby Doo
Chili Pepper
Surfer Dude
Mustang
Tweety Bird
a Submarine

Ah, my crafty little people.
A Silly Band that doubles as a fix-it for a xylophone.

More t-shirts from the kiddos.




Friday, October 1, 2010

Live By Faith

It's been a long time since I penned new lyrics to a hymn. Well, this song has been under my fingers and in my heart for a while now, so it was a joy to put it to paper. I'll be able to share it with my congregation this coming Sunday, October 3rd, but here's a sneak peek.

(Please keep in mind I was an exhausted elementary school music teacher who had taught 40 classes of little people this week when I recorded this at 9pm on a Friday night. Hoping my faith will outweigh my fatigue!)



live by faith
music: david haas
lyrics: brenda lynn greenwald

SERVE. Serve those in need.
Serve as disciples, as Jesus decreed
You’ve been called,
With the help of the Spirit,
So others may hear it,
Your service of love!

Live by faith, blessings abounding
Live by faith and know it’s God’s will,
Live by faith, seeking your purpose,
Give thanks, God’s gift of grace!


TRUST. Trust in God’s love.
Trust that the faith you’ve been gifted’s enough,
Put your trust
In the Word, wine, and water
The bread from our Father,
The seeds of God’s love!

LOVE. Love by your faith!
Love, with the hope and assurance
That God will be there
As our guide and companion,
To fill, warm, and strengthen
As we journey on!


Biblical texts referenced:
  • Habakkuk 1:1-4 and 2:1-4
  • Psalm 37:1-9
  • 2 Timothy 1:1-14
  • Luke 17:5-10
  • ELCA prayer of the day (Oct. 3, 2010): Benevolent, merciful God: When we are empty, fill us. When we are weak in faith, strengthen us. When we are cold in love, warm us, that with fervor we may love our neighbors and serve them for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Bethany Lutheran Church
Join us for worship: 8, 9, 10:30 am