In this Blog you will hear and see some of my families' boring and interesting moments. I have 2 girls that are 10 years apart and a wonderful husband. Of course we have the gorgeous, 6 year old, Sam the Dog. Today I want to share a few traits of our sweet (untrained) dog. He drives me crazy and I'll NEVER admit that I love him to death!

Is this real our Sam? Here are some personality traits I found online about Labs.

One of the most popular breeds in the USA, the Labrador Retriever is loyal, loving, affectionate and patient, making a great family dog. Highly intelligent, good-natured, very willing and eager to please, it is among the top choices for service dog work. Labs love to play, especially in water, never wanting to pass up the opportunity for a good swim. These lively dogs have an excellent, reliable temperament and are friendly, superb with children and equable with other dogs. They crave human leadership and need to feel as though they are part of the family. Labs are easily trained. Some may be reserved with strangers unless very well socialized, preferably while they are still puppies. Adult Labs are very strong; train them while they are puppies to heel on the leash, and not to bolt out doorways and gateways before the humans. These dogs are watchdogs, not guard dogs, although some have been known to guard. They can become destructive if the humans are not 100% pack leader and/or if they do not receive enough mental and physical exercise, and left too much to their own devices. Show lines are generally heavier and easier going than field lines. Field lines tend to be very energetic and will easily become high strung without enough exercise. Labs bred from English lines (English Labs) are more calm and laid back than Labradors bred from American lines. English Labs mature quicker than the American type.

Yes, Sam the Dog is loyal- so loyal it drives us crazy at times. Poor Steve is followed all day long. As I type this now he is barking at the door to go out to his daddy. Easily trained?  Not in our case; well maybe that was our fault right? Sam used to be destructive puppy  but I put an end to that! Yeah I just keep buying him toys!  Sam is a laid  back (lazy) baby

Thanks for reading my first post and please come back again and bring a friend!

Tying Shoes Part II

Here is a nice write up about helping your child tie shoes. 

Though most kids' shoes now feature Velcro closures, learning to tie ones own shoes is still considered to be milestone that children should master by 5 or 6 years of age. But, teaching a child to tie his own shoes can be frustrating; kids can lose interest quickly if they feel the task is too difficult, or they may seem to "get it" one day only to completely forget the next.

Have no fear, I've got a few tricks up my sleeves that can make teaching a kid to tie his own shoes a bit easier. All kids learn differently, so try a few of these methods and see what works best for your child.

1. Bunny Ears

Probably the most common method for teaching kids to tie their own shoes is the "Bunny Ears" method.

• Tell the child that he needs to make his shoe laces into "bunny ears."
• First, he needs to secure a knot for the bunny's head. Take the laces and cross them over to make an "X". Then, pull one ear through the bottom of the "X" and pull tight.
• Say, "Now we need to give bunny some ears." Loop the laces into "bunny ears".
• Tell the child that now we need to "make the bunny ears tight so they don't fall off". Then make another "X" using the "bunny ears", slide one "ear" under the "X" and pull tightly

2. Bi-Colored Laces

This is a great tip that can really make learning to tie much easier. Take two laces in two different colors and cut them down the middle. Then sew them together to make two bi-colored laces. Lace a pair of old shoes with these funny shoes strings. Using bi-colored laces can really help a kid who has trouble remembering his right from his left. You can use any learning-to-tie method in combination with your bi-colored laces.

3. Cardboard Cut-Out Shoe

Take a cardboard box and cut out an over-sized shoe shape. Have your kid decorate the shoe in any way he wishes. Using a pen, poke holes for laces. Use the bi-colored lace tip above, but instead of cutting the original laces in two, use two entire laces sewn together to create one long, bi-colored shoe string. Lace the shoe and use any teaching method, using this cut-out. Some kids find it easier and more interesting to practice on an over-sized model.

4. The Squirrel and the Tree

This is a fun method that utilizes a kid friendly story and movements that help kids understand and remember the basic steps to shoe tying.

• Tell the child to create "tree roots" by making a starter knot.
• Make a tree with a long thin loop; hold the loop in the child's right hand.
• With his left hand, take hold of the lace and tell him that a squirrel runs around the tree and jumps into the hole under the tree and comes out the other side (he'll need to switch hands at this point which can be difficult for some kids).

Many parents prefer this trick because it teaches the kid to tie shoes with the single loop method.

Simple idea! Encourage students to be part of the Shoe Tying Team. Write your name in the shoe has soon as you get! I love how the poster has real ribbon or laces to make it pop.

To Tie or Not to Tie

Should teachers teach young children to tie their shoes? Should parents be responsible for this teaching their child to tie their shoes? While teaching first grade I have heard a few kindergarten thru second grade teachers saying that they have enough to teach beside wasting time tying shoes. I don't feel the same way. Teachers have the painstaking job of modeling and teaching a lot of what can be done at home. How to meet and greet a new friend, how to stand next to someone without touching them, how to knock before going into restroom etc. We teach all kinds of things that are not CORE curriculum! Tying shoes takes time but can be so rewarding. Everything is not so black and white- let parents know there is goal in the classroom and I'm sure they will help. Tying shoes can be a simple math center, a writing or reading center and a simple social activity among friends. This week I will develop 2 centers that focus on Tying shoes for Kdgn and first graders. Tying shoes Stay tuned.

The Shoe-Tying Song

Teach your students this catch song, and not only will there be lots of singing going on, but lots of

shoe tying too! This is sung to the tune of “Mulberry Bush.”

This is the way we tie our shoes, tie our shoes, tie our shoes.

This is the way we tie our shoes in kindergarten.

Take the ends and cross the laces, cross the laces, cross the laces.

Take the ends and cross the laces, as we tie our shoes.

Take one lace and loop it through, look it through, loop it through.

Take one lace and loop it through, as we tie our shoes.

Next, you pull the laces down, laces down, laces down.

Next, you pull the laces down, as we tie our shoes.

With one lace we make a loop, make a loop, make a loop.

With one lace we make a loop, as we tie our shoes.

Take one lace and wrap it around, wrap it around, wrap it around.

Take one lace and wrap it around, as we tie our shoes.

Grab the tip and pull it through, pull it through, pull it through.

Grab the tip and pull it through, as we tie our shoes.

Then we have to pull them tight, pull them tight, pull them tight.

Then we have to pull them tight; we can tie our shoes!

Pamel Kilrain—Gr. K

Helotes Elementary

Helotes, TX

Happy New Year

Blogs have taken over my online experience. Home, saving money, school, and children are topics that intrigue me. I am very interested in sharing ideas and special interest with the world. I have found a new site- Pinterest. It allows individuals to post pics/sites of their favorite pages on the web. I notice that many of us moms like the same types of things. Home improvement, crafts and cooking however  many of us will barely find time to complete in our busy lives. Well  today, The New Year is a great day to get started! Let's try this again. I will post something new my family has tried every week. will my daughter try her hand at cooking more this year? Will my husband wear out his new crock pot and will I write a fantastic book for children or adults? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
Happy New Beginnings Blogging friends~  ANG!

What was your summer reading? Summer reading can be for professional development or personal enjoyment, and maybe even both. This summer I read  Mindset by Carol Dweck. It discussed expectations that we have on our children and students. It looks at how our thinking, our comments and our actions play a part on how others will react and value the need to do their best. One idea that I took from the book was that My words and actions will affect how my daughters view themselves and their worth as a learner. It makes me think about the words I use with them daily and if I had said something that has hurt their precious soul. Carol Dweck used the examples of a Fixed mindset ( this is all I got, I can't learn anymore, I am as smart as I can get) vs. the Growth mindset (you can always learn more, I am not smart today but can always continue to learn more). This simple but profound thinking will help Me, My students and My family- We are forever learning-I have a Growth Mindset!  Speaking of help...I read the Bestseller book, The Help, by a new author, Kathryn Stockett. There is a social debate about this book--It did not honestly show the pain and struggles that the black maid endured in Jackson, Mississippi, and it is racist in its depiction of white and black woman and how it holds no value in the life of woman today. Well all I know is that  I enjoyed the book! I felt the pain of the characters. I resented the treatment and prayed a thankful prayer for the job I have today and for what women endured in the past. A lifestyle that was only because of the family they were born to and their skin color. Stockett readers to see a life that we don't talk about in books during the civil rights movement. It hopefully shows how future generations have moved beyond the cycle of being a maid or the ignorant thinking of the wealth family. I honor the pride and devotion to do what is needed to be done for their family and their own survival. I enjoyed both books. I have grown as a mom and a teacher. I have grown as a black woman. I can appreciate what I have, where I came from and how I want to steer my beautiful daughters to go in the future.  I think I chose two books that were professional and personal growth for me. What reading journey did you take this summer?