Momma is Back to Work

It has been 5 months since I last blogged! That seems about right. We are all adjusting to my return to the workforce this year, and updating our blog has certainly slipped. I have been privileged to stay home with my sons for 14 years, so my return to work has been an adjustment for all of us.

This school year has brought many changes for our family. For the first time in 8 years, I am not teaching any of my own children. Our local school district made a number of important staff changes (including the school nurse - think Nathan heart condition) and because of this Caleb and Nathan are now at the local public schools. David is mostly virtual schooled with some in building courses at the local middle school. He will be attending our local high school full time next semester. These changes were a game changer for our family, and in August and I spent a lot of time reviewing our schooling options.

I requested and received my college transcripts in September, and in October I began the process of testing with the State of WI Department of Education.  In October I received my DPI licence and began 2 part time jobs at nearby schools.

I took a position with the Oregon School District at Rome Corners Intermediate School. I was placed with the 6th grade Special Ed. students. I was privileged to be assigned to 6 of the most wonderful kids (mostly boys).  Most of my students are Autistic, ADHD, or have severe behavior issues, but some have physical limitations as well. I began as a limited term employee covering for a teacher on maternity leave. After 6 weeks, I was given an offer to stay on for the remainder of the school year. I was just about to accept this position but within 24 hours I was offered additional opportunities at my other part time job, which I accepted instead. I concluded my employment with Oregon School District in February, but I am still a substitute on call.

Also in October I began a part time afternoon position with our local virtual school.  For them I telecommute, as all of my students are working from their homes. I work with 6-12 grade students who are needing alternative education to achieve their diploma. During the first semester I had a small case load of students who were all at risk in some way. (expelled for dealing drugs, self harming/suicidal, home arrested, pregnant, physically handicapped,etc) After Christmas break, I was offered the opportunity to increase my student load and I took an additional position involving gifted and talented students in 4 other school districts.

Now I am working at home 4 days a week. I had the opportunity to weekly volunteer at Nathan's school to assist the 1st grade remedial readers (I LOVED this!) and go on Caleb's field trip and still effectively manage my student load. This is a dream job for a mom! I now have 22 full time students and I report on 4 school districts' gifted and talented students in addition.  This is such a pendulum swing! Everyday is a new adventure. I have seen many kids blossom with alternative education and I have also seen kids abuse the opportunity.  Life is full of choices isn't it?

I am still the Cubbies Director at our local Awana club. I am about to conclude my 16th year with Awana in just 5 short weeks. Oh how the years go by. In fact one of my former kindergarten Awana students is now one of the gifted and talented virtual high school math students gaining college credit thru one of my districts! THAT makes me feel really old. (and proud!)

All of this post was just the changes in Jenny's life. I am hoping to get back to posting more about the boys and their soccer, swimming, baseball, guitar, piano, and camping adventures. All of those things have continued as well, but have not been documented here. I desperately need to move 2015's photos and videos off of my phone!  :)

David plays in the band

Today was a moment for the record book.  David has been taking guitar lessons for a few years. Today, they got put to good use. 

We helped lead a worship service at the Manor here in Evansville at the last minute. With 1 day notice, we agreed to come and sing and play. 

David played guitar, I sang solo, his best friend played piano, and his best friend's brother played base guitar. The 3 boys have been rehearsing for leading worship this coming Sunday.  I had never heard them all together. Then at the last minute, they decide to do the service for the elderly at the Manor. They had no singer as the teen girls who sing with them were not available at the last minute. So they asked me to sing.

We never rehearsed and I never heard them together before going in the door. 15 minutes later magic happened.  They played and I sang and David and I shared the best moment. We preformed Hallelujah by Cloverton. It will  be a treasured memory for years.

John and Jenny Celebrate 20 years of Marriage

I made a little video slide show of our last 20 years.
I noticed a number of things while putting it together:

• We have very few pictures of our years prior to having children (there were 7 of those)
• We don't have many pictures of all of us together 
• We have almost no winter pictures

Click on the link to the youtube video below to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMiwd_ABkYI&feature=youtu.be

911 Emergency

Just another day at the Baierls, except this one ends in an ambulance ride to University of WI Emergency Room. Nathan was totally normal all day and evening, no signs of illness or distress.  But when I went up to go to bed at 12:30 AM, I hear him breathing  and I know there is a problem. I get him up and downstairs and I know right away this is serious. We have seen/heard this before. This is Croup.  Nathan spent a night and day in the hospital for Croup 5 years ago.  After he tries to talk he tells John he can't breathe and feels like he is choking.  I get the shower as hot as possible for steam and John calls EMS.  The steam helps some, but he isn't getting enough oxygen so off to the hospital we go.  He was given oxygen in the ambulance and steroids in the ER.  He was monitored for several hours.  Finally he is discharged at 5:30 Am.  We had a few hard nights, but all is better now. Thank you Lord for modern medicine!

Corn Maze - Help, This is NOT the Way!

This is a relatively new tradition for us Baierls.  We have always gone to get pumpkins and decorated them, but about 3 years ago we discovered how much fun a corn maze can be.  Now that all the kids are old enough to be "lost in the corn" for a short time, it is really fun.  This year we took a few buddies along.  This is so much more fun when you have 8 kiddos getting lost in the corn. Incidentally, look at the picture below.  They all look like they could be my children! See if you can decipher which 3 are Baierls. :) It was especially fun because you could always here one of the kids in the group exclaiming:"This is not the way!" LOL

Here are a few pictures:

Nathan Turns 7!

Superheroes united for a fun filled afternoon of birthday party action at the Baierl house.  Inspired by David's 7th birthday party Ben 10 pizza's, Nathan requested his birthday dinner be unique pizzas also.  This was actually fairly easy (and awfully cheesy!)  I used food coloring to make red, green, and blue cheeses.  Then I used aluminum foil to cover the areas I didn't want colored.  Here is the final product: Captain America's shield, Green Lantern's ring, and Iron Man's arc reactor.

 

Nathan enjoyed having 6 buddies over for pizza, games, cake, and ice cream.  It was a loud and roudy 3 hours, but we enjoyed the last Baierl boy turning 7.  Nathan is such a blessing. Here are pics of the party celebration.

Nathan' s orange glasses

Nathan's favorite color is orange. We have always told him that we love him the orangest. Why not get an orange pair of glasses.