Month: March 2021

Posted in Teaching & Education

My Students Need YOUR Help

Posted on by babbles&brains

I can usually handle everything with any materials I have in my classroom, but there’s a few things my student’s are not able to do their best without.

I’ve made a DonorsChoose project to get some Kindle Paperwhites. These are wonderful devices (I have one myself) and so useful for my students who struggle reading because of visual impairments or specific learning disabilities like dyslexia. We tried to get some for my students through the district, but we were rejected. So I’m here to ask for help getting these things for my students.

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

The features I find on the Kindle Paperwhite that are useful for my students are the ability to change the font style and size, high contrast mode, and the capability to listen to audiobooks. All of these cool features would be life-changing for some of my students who have a hard time reading and understanding texts. Though my district can purchase large-font texts of the books we are supposed to read, it’s just not enough to meet the needs of all of my students. The students do have Chromebooks, but with the limited ability to adjust many things on the Chromebook due to district settings and the constant glare of the computer screen, it does more harm than good for some of my students. Plus, the screens are so small, and even with changing the zoom or font size, it’s still to hard for some of my students. Kindle Paperwhites are small, but the font size can be set big enough for any of my visually impaired students to read.

Having Kindle Paperwhites for my students will help so many more than just one kind of special learning disability. All I need is five of them. The e-books to download are so much more affordable than the large font books, and often free. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good paper book, but for some of my kids, they need better options for accessibility.

If you find it in your heart to donate any amount of money for my 7-12th grade students to get these great tools for learning, please click on this link donorschoose.org and donate as soon as possible.

My students will appreciate it so much. I’m excited to see some of them finally enjoy reading instead of seeing it as something too difficult to do.

Thank you in advance and see you next time,

Babbles&brains

Posted in Miscellaneous Shenanigans

I have a FLOOF

Posted on by babbles&brains

I think I mentioned several times that during my tales of pain and suffering that I really needed a dog. Some sweet, fluffy cuddler that’s always happy to see me and wants to snuggle and play and helps me get out of my own head. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my cats, but they aren’t up for my wailing into their fur or forcing snuggles.

This is my sweet snuggle boy, Kenobi.

My big baby pup. Look at that helmet hair! So goofy.

I didn’t picture myself with an enormous breed of dog through childhood. But I fell in love with my in-laws’ “Golden-Aussie mix” puppy that grew and grew…. and GREW (I think their dog is a Leonberger mix or Great Pyrenees mix). That dog is a wonderful snuggle pup. So I’ve been waiting for my own gentle giant. and now he is here!

My sweet boy is a Great Pyrenees, and he is exactly what we needed.

We got him at 9 weeks old in January. He is now just over 4 months old and already 50 pounds. Very much in his velociraptor/destructive stage. All the stakes that held up trees and vines in the backyard are now his outside chew toys. He’s dug several holes, chewed up an extension cord to our fountain, unearthed part of our sprinkler system, and he sheds cotton balls EVERYWHERE. But, he stays within our fence, comes when called (mostly), leaves the cats alone to figure him out, and has so much love to give.

I love him, and he is perfect.

Someone once told me that I acted as if he is a placeholder for a child with the way I presented him to friends and family. He is not a placeholder. He is a big part of my heart. He is family, and came into my life at the exact time I needed him the most. Don’t ever talk like that about my baby dog son ever again.

He is going to be an excellent big brother to our future child. Some day.

Until next time,

Babbles&brains

Posted in Trying to Become Parents Journey

Trying to Become Parents Part 7: Second IUI Results and Reflection

Posted on by babbles&brains

New year, five months later, and not much changed for me.

Fourteen days after IUI and I’m not pregnant. Again. Ten percent chance, so I’m sure I’m just in the 90% that didn’t work out. Again.

I had some pretty intense cramping three days ago, which gave me a little hope and a lot of anxiety, and I bombarded myself with what-ifs: what if that’s implantation pain, what if that’s too late for implantation and I’ll have a miscarriage, what if this is all in my head anyway, what if I’m too stressed because of not being pregnant to get pregnant? I try not to do that, but sometimes I can’t help it. It’s awful though. How on earth does anyone get through this? There’s a part of me that wants to get a support group, but then another part that isn’t sure about hearing about other people’s successes if they happen sooner than mine.

Anyway, that’s the second of six IUIs I can do with my insurance. Apparently the 3rd and 4th are supposed to be the most “effective,” but then there’s also the crippling fear that even if I do get pregnant, I could miscarry. There is no amount of preparation I can do to not be devastated if that would happen. Again, with the what-ifs.

I’m feeling defeated right now. So I have to do some more reflecting on this whole thing.

I am going to do one more IUI and then decide if this is the path to motherhood I should continue on. I want to make sure I am mentally capable of handling terrible news for at least another year, or stopping treatments and looking into adoption.

Here’s what I want to do now:

  • Paint the entertainment center in the living room.
  • Paint the second bathroom.
  • Go on walks every day.
  • Practice mindful eating.
  • Do something just for me every day.

I think doing these things will help me get back on track to face the next part of this journey.

At least… I hope so.

Until next time,

Babbles&brains