Follower Gadget Problem Solved!

For a little while now, I have been wondering why my blog hasn't been growing like it once was then a friend told me that my follower gadget wasn't working right. So, I immediately set out to see what was wrong. Well, the header was there, but none of my blogging friends. How sad?!?!

After a couple of days of searching around on Google (I don't know what I would do without Google, ha ha) and found my answer. I found a sweet blogger at A Gathering Place that gave me the perfect solution! For those of you that are having the same problem, here you go!!

~HERE'S WHAT YOU DO~

1. Go to the SETTINGS TAB on your Dashboard

2. Make a teensy tiny change to your blog domain name, enter the security words and hit save.
(my blog domain name is

Rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com

and all I did was place an extra "a" after Rebecca {Rebeccaa} to keep the change simple!)

3. Enter your new address in your search bar (your old links won't work yet) and check to see if the faces of all your fabulous, gorgeous, beautiful peeps are back!

(They should be!)

4. Log out.

5. Now...go back and LOG ON again. Go into the SETTINGS TAB a second time on your dashboard and change your blogger domain name BACK to it's original name!

6. Go check your blog again. Everything SHOULD be back to normal!

YEAH!!!

High Test Scores = Teachers Get Pied

I think that it's been almost a month since my last post...such a LONG time ago! There has been so much going on that I just didn't think that I needed to carve out time to blog. With having to take care of my mother then deal with the loss of my father and try to get my school work done in between the craziness; blogging just wasn't the first thing on my mind.

The Lord has been taking care of my family during these difficult times in ways that I couldn't even describe. He has given my an amazing church family that is supporting me and my mother in this difficult season. I was so glad that I was able to take off a whole week of school during state testing week!! My lovely team took care of my kids while I was (well....still out until Monday) out so I didn't have to worry about anything. I have never lost anyone so close to me before and it's the most difficult thing that I have experienced in my life, and I know that it's worse for my mother. There has to be such a dependence upon the LORD to make it through these hard times.

I do love when  I get emails from parents telling me that the sub is making their children miss me terribly. He he he. It warms my heart, I just can't help it.

Before testing I planed on giving everyone an update on our ARMT Spirit Day. It was a huge success!!! The children LOVED dressing up and it got pumped about taking the tests. I think the best part was the pep-rally. The students that exceeded the state's standards the previous year got to pie their teachers in the face. What kid wouldn't want to do that?!? They let us have it too! They took those "pies" (really just whipped cream) and smeared them in our faces or at least making sure that it got us really good in the face. I never have so much cool whip all over my body as on that day. It was dripping from the top of my head, I had to constantly wipe it from my eyes, and remove lots of it from down my shirt. The kids couldn't have had more fun.

I am hoping that this really got them motivated in wanting to do well this year. Also, I am hoping that my absences don't affect them either. I sent my parents an email explaining the situation, so maybe it will be alright.

Break's Over and ARMT Pep-Rally

       I can't believe that my spring break is just about over. I have kept to my "no school" policy this week. It wasn't hard since I have been taking care of my stepfather in his battle against cancer. Next week, those smiling faces will be trampling through the halls with sleepy eyes and a fresh brain.

      I love it when we come back from a break because they are more eager to learn than before. It makes my job a whole lot easier when they have their brains turned on ready to go! What I love most is that testing doesn't start for a couple of weeks. This gives us all time to get back into the swing of things and have some fun before those dreaded tests.

What I am really excited about is our 2nd annual ARMT (Alabama Reading and Math Test) pep-rally that the teachers hold for the testing grades. The teachers usually become the cheerleaders, doing all those great tricks/tumbles (well, maybe not this year since most of the teachers are pregnant). The grade levels have a cheer contest to see who has the best cheer/chant. The winner gets the spirit stick. Ahem, third grade won last year!! Leading up to the pep-rally, the kids get to participate in spirit week. They get to dress up that are paired with different slogans (Army day is--"attack the ARMT", nerd day--"outsmart the ARMT").

This year the kids with the highest scores get to pie their previous teachers in the face! OM MY GOODNESS!!! I will have pie all over my face in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully my group this year will be motivated to do well so they can pie me in the face next year. I know that there are several that would LOVE to do it. Ha ha ha!!

All before this, I am going to have a restful week or so with my students which will be nice. It's time for the 4:30 wake up calls, the dire need for caffeine, and random stories form my students. I love my job!