See Key West! It's the Best!

I have now been to the Southernmost Southernmost point in the continental United States and I am incredibly proud to say so!

Elaina, Mel, and I went down to Key West for the day and had a delightful time. The drive down there was beautiful...through all of the Florida Keys, over The Seven Mile Bridge, past the various beaches, and with a spectacular view the entire drive.

I love nice weather.

We pretty much just wandered around Key West. The day could not have been more perfect. I could to experience Elaina and Mel's first time eating Key Lime Pie! Mel's face was great... "Oh my! This is tart!" Yes...it is lime pie.

Here is the point that marks 90 miles to Cuba. I have to say this is pretty swell! I would love to go to Cuba. It is on my List. Other places on my list are Israel (Jerusalem), North Korea, raising a child in a foreign country, and buying a family a goat.

Definitely go to Key West. It is wonderful!

Lyrics I'm Humming

Key Largo, Montigo, Baby Why Don't We Go to Jamaica or the Florida Keys?!

Adios Miami... for a while...

After throat infections 6 times since October 2007, I am finally getting my tonsils out.

The surgery is Wednesday, April 9th with Dr Greiman (a friend from Valley Church).

I will be in Des Moines Friday, April 4th to Thursday, April 24th. 

I am going to miss my students, but it will be good to take care of my health.

Last week, my Lenora B Smith Elementary School morning class got their Flat Stanley project back in the mail! Flat Stanley is a character from a Jeff Brown book that you send out to friends and family in the mail to experience those locations. After Flat Stanley visits the destinations, he comes back in the mail with postcards, pictures, brochures, and items from his travels. 

My kids were so excited to get Flat Stanley back! We had a blast with him! We made a class display with maps, pictures, brochures, and my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students even wrote persuasive letters persuading me to visit one of the three Flat Stanley destinations.

So, thank you for those of you who helped! My Miami classroom has now visited Des Moines, Tulsa, and Phoenix! If you want one of my other classrooms to visit your city, please let me know and we can send you Mr Stanley. 

Lyrics I'm Humming

Love Today by Mika

Snow Snow Snow Snow

My winter wonderland backyard in West Des Moines, Iowa.

What is it about snow that is so magical?

...Maybe it's the moment the snow falls and the anticipation of a snow day.

...Maybe it's the morning after a fresh blizzard where the whiteness graces everywhere one looks.

...Or, maybe it's the opportunity to play around with this white wonder.

Well. my students and many of the teachers I work with are fascinated with snow. Most of them have never seen snow in their entire life! Now, for me, a girl of West Des Moines, Iowa, snow is a part of my childhood and youth. Snow is lovely, but snow is also depressing and a pain! My memories of snow are not all magical wonder.

I do have some great snow memories!

So...I want to bring **snow** to my students somehow. Any ideas???

My back porch in West Des Moines, Iowa! So pretty!

Snow Fun Facts!

**Believe it or not, snow is actually clear or transparent. Snow appears white because the crystals act as prisms, breaking up the light of the sun into the entire spectrum of color.

**The largest snowflake recorded was fifteen inches in diameter!

**All snowflakes have six sides.

**No two snowflakes are alike.

**The fluffiest snow falls at temperatures around 15F.

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Let it Snow!

Love Because He is Love

Christians are called to be God's love and light on Earth. We are called to show love, peace, and grace to not only our friends, but our enemies. The Bible tells us that even the wicked show love to their friends! Christians are challenged to go deeper and show Love to our enemies and those difficult people in our daily lives.

Well...that concept hits home for me. Jeremy and I have been doing a Doug Fields Bible study since Christmas, and the past few days have been on being peacemakers, mercy-ful, and love-flowing. I am feeling a strong conviction to apologize to people in my life to whom I was disrespectful and unkind. In particular...a certain woman at my school deserves my sincere apology, and I would love your accountability challenging me to apologize to her.

God is incredible! I mean really...incredible!

Tuesday, February 12th at Lenora Braynon Smith, I had the best day teaching since August! It was a wonderfully refreshing day for me.

We were learning about poetry, colorful writing, metaphors, similes, nature, Maya Angelou, and finding your voice in your own writing. We talked about oppression and change...seeing how words, pictures, and a single voice can spark international change! It was so great!

And, then I realized. Wow. God really loves the children in my classroom. I mean...really loves them. As simple as this sounds, I think I looked at my children in a different light. I took some great pictures of their smiles and eyes yesterday. I wish I could post them on this blog to share with you. I'm going to send an email for you to see some of them!

God's love is dependable.

Deuteronomy 7:7-11

God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend on. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments.

God's love is impossible to hide from.

Romans 8:35, 38-39

Absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us!

God's love is believable! It's believable because it is real!

1 John 4:16-18a, 19

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us... There is no room in love for fear.

Love someone today!

Love someone who is hard to love,

because sometimes that is the person who is

most in need of Godly love!

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Unchained Melody by Robson and Jerome

My voice is back

I've come to the realization (with the help of a caring soul) that the reason I haven't posted since November is that I am unsure of what I can say on this blog.

I guess I don't know the purpose of this blog right now, so I kinda avoided it.

Is this blog a place to speak honestly about my experiences in the schools I work in? Oh no... that would not be okay.

Is this blog a place to explain about what I do with my kids in my classrooms? Maybe...

Is this blog a place to share funny stories and daily insights? Yes...most definitely! But...without any proper nouns!

New/Old News! : ) I've been teaching gifted students at 4 different schools in inner-city Miami since October 8, 2007. The day of my liberation! : )

I work at Phillis Wheatley Elementary School in Overtown on Mondays.
I work at Lenora Braynon Smith Elementary School in Allapattah on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I work at Kelsey Pharr Elementary School in Allapattah on Wednesdays.
And, I work at Little River Elementary School in Little Haiti on Fridays.

So, this is hopefully the rebirth of my blog "grace a" Jeremy. ; )

Funny Story: I went to a Christmas tree burning cook-out last night. Christmas trees are really fun to watch burn! Very dangerous, but wow...they sure catch on fire quickly and makes lots of noise.

Daily Insight: The poor and the middle class have incredibly different mentalities.

Lyrics I'm Humming:

Brown Skin by India Arie