Lesson 420: jOURney

Happy Memorial Day weekend, Readers!

It's a beauty here in Erie, PA.

Probably one of the best we've experienced in many years.

Soak up every minute of it, locals.

I'll be out there, right along side of you.

We are forever indebted to the fallen soldiers.

I thank you for your heroism,

so that I might enjoy the freedoms I have today.

Life is a journey.

It's OUR journey.

And in that great trip you are taking,

you can tell YOUR story.

The Harborian 2016 edition,

sports this reminder on its cover this year.

Daughter Ellen Louise is on the yearbook staff,

and friend Fionnula Flanigan Kelly is the advisor.

Excellent job, yearbook team.

You have received Eloise's stamp of approval.

2016 marks the first year that the Junior High has its own yearbook,

so there was room for lots of extra photos in the senior high edition.

Sections of Harborcreek maps appear behind the photos and stories.

Capturing the moments along your journey are important,

and the main reason this blog exists.

Congratulations, Seniors!

2016 marks the first year of the Senior Walk--

and idea inspired by social media posts 

that my school district quickly made good use of.

Graduating seniors returned to their elementary schools

donning graduation caps and some gave us hints of what lies in their futures.

They gathered for a recreate shot of their Kindergarten playground,

equipment that was once too big and scary for them to climb on.

A former student headed to Pitt found Mrs. Eloise and gave her a special surprise.

We purchased Smencil Pencils (scented pencils)

for a school sale and a lesson on Business several years ago.

The company claimed the scent would hold for five years.

This boy stuck his Smencils away since the fourth grade, 

hoping to prove the company had exaggerated claims.

Guess what?

They still smell.

And guess what else?

My student is pursuing law.

No matter where your jOURney takes you,

you are never alone.

It's always good to have the support of an endearing crowd send you off.

Rousing "good lucks"

are as important as tearful "good byes."

I caught Mr. George Humes in a tender moment during the Senior Send-Off.

Harbor Creek's beloved teacher will be retiring in June.

Go paint the world, Mr. Humes.

You will be missed.

As I pack things away for the year,

and shuffle supplies from school to school,

the students help me bring boxes to my car.

I let them autograph my back window,

and showed them the pink, sparkly E I painted on my bumper in 2013.

My science experiment was a success.

There ain't nothin' that can remove American Eagle Kiss Me Pink! nail polish!

Not even four Erie winters.

In the education world, 

we get very used to movings-on.

Every year one class leaves,

and every year another enters.

After taking time to cherish the memories with one group,

you look forward to what's next with the upcoming one.

 Mrs. Eloise is most excited about the June 1st Space Balloon launch.

It is a STEM project some of my older students have been working on.

STEM stands for 

Science

Technology

Engineering

and

Math.

Schools haven't seen such a push for the maths and sciences since the Sputnik.

Science equipment for experiments will be launched into space,

then retrieved for scientific study.

We will inform the FAA of our intentions,

and watch our balloon's travels through GPS and GO Pro technologies.

We have to warn the aircraft because we don't want to run into this guy.

He frequently flies over my hometown 

and I caught him this week over the little league fields.

Our jOURney is adapting to maturing children.

We sold the play set this week!

I once feared the empty space would leave a hollow in my heart.

Instead it's left me excited about what I want to put there next.

Sam's main play equipment no longer is swings and a sand box.

It's balls

and bats

and bikes.

The girls playthings have moved from toys to people.

Hanging out

with the people they love

has become the most important thing.

Natalie's Prom was wonderful.

The Erie Art Museum was the perfect venue.

They danced all night long.

I can't wait to see what is the next step on their jOURney.

As for Old Eloise,

I'll be doing what I usually do this holiday weekend,

Lesson for your holiday weekend:

Let's make our jOURney the best it can be.

ELOISE

Lesson 419: Pink

It's the weekend, Readers 

and Eloise is

tickled pink!

Got all the ball games in this week.

Any predicted rain just proved to be a passing shower.

Sports are such a valuable part of education.

There are so many lessons to be learned from

winning and losing.

The most well known lesson is this:

You win some,

and you lose some.

Lesson learned from these cute tots:

When the score isn't going your way,

just play with your trucks in the dirt pile.

And when the game is done,

pick up your stuff and go home and come back another day.

Ellen's skin has been a bit pink this week--

well, purple actually.

Golf season is approaching and she doesn't get quite so many bruises--

unless I try to play with her, that is.

Never claimed to be much of an athlete.

Natalie brought these to the games on Thursday to pass out for a treat.

May 19th was Natalie's 18th birthday!

She grew from this

to this

in a pink blink.

Natalie got lots of gifts.

She's actually very easy to buy for.

You wouldn't think so, given her autism,

but she is a very typical teen.

A pink basketball from Sam

and a pink fishing pole from Dad.

Grandma met her at the bus stop

and planted a kiss on Natalie's rosy, pink cheek.

Grandma surprised Natalie with her favorites.

Binkies and baby bottles!

Natalie is the Queen of Quirky.

I wonder what it is about a pink binky swinging from a string that fascinates her so.

Why is it that she still loves to line up her bottles in a line and look at them?

Perhaps those are the mysteries of autism that we will someday unlock.

And if we never do,

I like having something to wonder about.

You are an adult now, Natalie.

Here is some good advice from Audrey Hepburn.

And here's a piece of advice from your mother:

I was tickled pink over some good Bird News out of the Lamp Post this week!

I found a flamingo!

OK, that was a little pink lie.

Truth:  We did lure an Oriel.

They like grape jelly!

The birds on my back porch nest flew away when I was at work.

They always sneak and do that when I'm gone.

They were sure fun to watch.

To Sam's delight,

in all the bird watching we've done,

we discovered that the babies poop seconds after they ingest a worm.

Look to the right of the photo.
That is a baby robin's butt hole.

I wouldn't be surprised if you can hear Sam roaring with laughter.

It was his favorite part of the two week growth period.

Another bird has built her nest on the front porch.

It's a high-rise nest this year--

it built on top of the nests from the past two years!

I'm looking forward to this hatch.

My brood was tickled pink with this clever teacher gift I received.

Thank you, Brianna!

Sam and his buddy were tickled pink that they 

got to be part of a softball team scavenger hunt.

Ring! Goes the telephone....

"Mom! Send Sam out to the end of the driveway with the garden gnome!"

It was a fun scavenger hunt that involved taking photos of a list of objects

without getting out of the vehicle.

Ellen's team won!

I was tickled pink that Sam learned about the workings of the human body,

but still trying to figure out how to display it for a week.

Too big for the refrigerator,

so he gets my nest chair.

I'm tickled pink that lawn manicuring time has come

and that hubby mows the banks.

We put on matching pink oxfords this morning.

He paired his with camouflage shorts to balance out the pink.

I found a tiny daisy.

I love tiny daisies!

I'm tickled pink with Coca Cola's marketing campaign this summer.

Song lyrics!

If anyone finds a Tim McGraw song lyric,

contact Eloise right away.

I'll be more than willing to make a trade.

I like trades more than I do purchases.

They are more interesting and require more thought.

It will be a fair trade for sure...

He's a real good sleeper

and likes goldfish crackers and yogurt.

You'll never even know he's there.

Sam's as quiet as a church mouse.

One can for Sam.

Fair enough.

The biggest pink tickle of the weekend is this:

Natalie is going to the Seneca High School Prom!

This was something we never expected for Natalie,

but has brought us all great joy.

Check back next week for a full Prom Report!

And it's at the Erie Art Museum--

Mother Eloise will be in heaven!

Enjoy your weekend, Readers.

ELOISE