Wobble Wednesday: Feedback from the Field!

"My kiddos love their Wobble Seats!"  {Click-the-pic to go to our Site to order}

WEDNESDAY! WOBBLE-ON WEDNESDAY! 

I know that it is at this time of year that dreams morph into plans for next year. I know that for 'large' decisions and investments, you need plenty of time to start your formulating. I know that EVERYONE who has seen and test driven 'our' Wobbles, starts brainstorming how they can get them into their classroom. No. I didn't invent them, we distribute them, knowing that for some children they are THE answer! 

Just in case you needed some more insight, I thought I'd ask a few of our early-adopters for their two cents. 

How cute is that little kinder-glasses-guy above on our Wobble Seat? LUV'd getting that image on Twitter not too long ago! So clever moi -- I asked his teacher to share her impression, since she was one of our first kindergarten teachers to order some! Shelley was more than happy to give me her thoughts. Makes my heart happy that she thinks of her Wobble Seats as blessings in her classroom! 

[LUV when my cyber-Twitter friends are so supportive. Can't wait to meet IRL! Must plan trip to Nebraska! We have already SKYPED my author/illustrator presentation successfully: whoop-whoop! Feel like I know my #TeacherFriends!]

I also asked Mary from the ubber popular blog, Sharing Kindergarten for her thoughts. You may remember that it was Mary who started the avalanche to our site due to her ordering 16 of our Wobbles over time! TY TY TY Mary! 

"....They see engaged students who are gently rocking and constructively moving as they work." 

Mary puts it right out there: "Many visitors are surprised to see LESS disruptive movement in the classroom over all with the Wobble Seats. Instead they see engaged students who are gently rocking and constructively moving as they work.

People are always asking me what size Wobble to get for the children they teach. This ten inch size is 'called' the Toddler size. YET. Here you will see a kindergarten boy (at the end of the year) on the 10" Wobble-as-he-works. 

Obviously a lot has to do with the height of the table tops in your rooms, and the specific proportions of your students, too! I kinda wish they didn't call them 'Toddler' .... you do the math. 

By all means, if you need some personal assistance in making your order, you're welcome to call my husband Allen and have him walk you through the Purchase Order process. His cell phone number is on our sister Website: 

www.WOBBLESEAT.COM

I made a new 'banner' for my Twitter-Wobble account. 

#TeacherFriends 6/16 BOYS and Literacy: Making Connections

TUESDAY TUESDAY TUESDAY! 

Time to dive into the Twitter Pool and EXPAND your EXPERTISE! 

We continue marching along on Tuesdays, building our PLN weekly! Perfect opportunity to contribute to your personal AND PROFESSIONAL Development by joining in on the Twitter conversation. TONIGHT promises to be utterly brilliant! 

We welcome Dr. Jeffrey Wilhelm as our #GuestEduCelebrity and I am so excited to have spoken to him directly in preparation for our cyber-visit-among-friends. We have had LOTS of brilliant folks take the spotlight, but tonight is a topic that can benefit EVERY participant: BOYS, BOYS, BOYS, BOYS, BOYS and more about BOYS! 

Dr. Wilhelm will be giving away two of his books to a couple of our lucky participants! Plus there are always some extra goodies from our hostess crew. Get your name onto our Google doc (which will begin being tweeted at 8:30 PM EST.) 

Things you need to know! 

1. EVERYTHING IS FREE! 

2. You need a FREE Twitter account! 

3. I suggest you open a FREE Tweetdeck account to simplify your life. Create a 'column' for our chat {find the magnifying glass button.}

4. You are welcome to lurk and 'not participate' BUT you will learn more by jumping in! 

5. You 'MUST' use our hashtag: #TeacherFriends in every tweet sent to the group (so your thoughts are visible in the stream of conversation.) 

6. In order to win any of tonight's prizes you need to enter your name and contact info on our Google Doc that will be tweeted through out the evening. 

7. The 'real' chat starts at 9:00 PM EST -- but you are welcome to come whenever you are able! 

8. We always have an EarlyBird/Newbie ramp-up PreChat that begins at 8:30 PM EST to help you get the ghist of all of the above, before the chat gets FAST and trust me, it gets FAST! 

9. Unless you are a tech savant I'd suggest not necessarily following every link that will be shared, in real time. Stick w the conversational aspect of the chat. 

10. All of our chats are 'archived' so that you can read back through, follow links, follow participants and respond to all of the brilliance being shared. 

THAT's IT! Just ten little doo-dahs to make for an enjoyable first experience. 

Praise Report: God's Provision and My Half-Birthday Present!

Today is my half-birthday. Grab half a cupcake and a cup-a cuppa cuz I need to talk.
Something beyond the largest superlative has happened. My heart is full. 

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

I am convinced more than ever that God has a sense of humor. Or maybe it was my own personal angel committee sitting up into the wee hours around their angelic northern lights campfire, that decided miracles aren't just for arcane scriptures, and that every now and then prayers REALLY should get immediate attention in a clearly incredible way to keep the faith-filled jubilant and the sinners ducking for cover and looking over their shoulders for pillars of salt. Send a faithful lightning jolt with flair. Get people's attention. Raise a Hallelujah ruckus.

Whether an act-of-God or a committee of angels, I'll let you be the judge. In either case, I am going to tell you the most amazing chapter to date in my pretty-amazing-life-so-far. This may end up sounding something like a cross between a Disney tale and a schmaltizie Halmark movie, but I promise to stick to the facts. Just the facts. No need for exaggeration or embellishment. The naked facts in this particular episode of my story are just too staggering in their own right. No need to conjure. My imagination is not that well developed anyway. I couldn't have made this up with a whole crew of fiction writers. So let's get right to it. Cupcakes anyone?

For seventy two hours I've been writing these coming paragraphs in my head attempting to figure out how to weave the narrative for my faith-filled Saturday readers into the latest "Praise Report" installment. The only approach that I have come up with, is just to plow on.

Setting the stage. In case you've missed some of the recent back-story. I have been calling 2015 the year of austerity. Writing this year's goals with promise and hope, I never in a gazillion years anticipated that our oldest daughter would within weeks of the disco-ball-auld-lang-syne sing along at the Elks club, be hurtled into a divorce and custody battle over our three WonderPeeps. The toll that would take. Literally. In mid-January we gave her roughly 25% of our 2015 ear marked retirement funds intended for our daily living expenses, to launch her 'legal battle.' Those dollars were spent oh-so-quickly. Agony compounded by reality. I asked for your prayers. I asked, even begged for your support. I've asked for your prayers some more. Let's continue with what I know. I have literally been surrounded by your prayers from all corners of the globe. People that didn't even know what to pray for began the praying anyhow. So it began. The beseeching of heaven. Heaven has been back on speed dial for me this year. And I'm convinced heaven listens. Read on and you'll be convinced. 
Ask and you will receive.

7"In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears." 2 Samuel 22:7

ALL through out this spring amazing serendipitous out-of-the-blue speaking invitations were extended and grant dollars received. We cut every extraneous bit of discretionary fluff to be prudent and stay out of debt. We have never been down to our last can of baked beans or sustained ourselves with Ramen noodles, that was the year of 1993, that was the year of my unanticipated divorce and single parent saga. I do know about Ramen noodles first hand, but I digress. In 2015 new dollars came to us from new adventures. And the Clements rejoiced. And the peeps were fed during the winter of '15 and the utility bills were paid, were paid all around, all around and the utility bills were paid all around. And the people sang Amen.

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Then as is our tradition, we began our snowbird migration from palms to pines, following last month bunking in with the peeps, working back and forth across the Buckeye state/Detroit, we then continued north. {Most financially viable month in recent recorded history: Amen-corner holler now! AMEN!} We made a pit stop in Chicago at a Catholic elementary for me to sing and dance and I left with a zip-lock baggie FILLED with single dollar bills. Makes me giggle. They had literally passed the hat, when they learned I would be passing by. We continued north on the turnpike waving good-by to the Windy City, noting that we should be pulling into our humble home in less than four hours. I could envision sunsets to come.....and we had just passed that final gas oasis when my cell phone rang. 

It is noteworthy to point out that A.) my phone had a charge B.) it was turned on and C.) I was able to locate it mid-sleep stupor TO ANSWER IT. People that interact with me at all on a regular basis can vouch for those details being in alignment, is the certain cue for the opening curtain, during the overture, which officially marks the fairy tale part of this retelling, can now commence, in earnest.

Not recognizing the voice on the other end of the line while being somewhat asleep I had a hard time fathoming the single question from Bill. Bill who? "Would we be willing to sell our place?" Bill where? Bill what? What place? Huh? Seriously? Our sweet spot? Where we are mere hours from arriving to spend the next 4.75 months? Sell it? What? It's not on the market.

I wipe away the sleep drool and mumble some sort of response, from sleep stammering, "uh, let me talk it over with my hubsbund."

What? sell our place? Our haven-on-Earth? What? Bill WHO? So hubs and moi attempt to have a conversation without having any shred of insight as to who I was even talking to. All I can honestly tell you now, is that I can truly recall saying to my hubsbund, "I think you have to call him back. This has to be a God-thing."

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

He hit redial after our lunch break. We said yes. Our haven could conceivably become Bill's daughter's haven. Bill who exactly? Yet to be determined.

So we went about the first week of our Door County Season 2015, cleaning the winter grime from the windows with the thought that this might be our last seasonal de-griming of our little place that we love. It was in the course of that 'interim week of not knowing what was to unfold' that we learned that we are just a few heartbeats short of owning this little place of ours for ten years. {My hubs is a planner. We married with the stipulation that we would live together in the Worthington-garden suburban home extraordinaire for ten years. At which point the colossal home would be sold for two small humble places: one north and one south.} How could it already be ten years in this place? Really? A whole decade? Time flies. 

Back to real time. This week. And so on Monday of this week, Bill's daughter arrived from the south and came to look at our place. She kinda luv'd on it immediately. On Tuesday, she made us an offer to buy it!!! She wants to buy our place. Our place that is not on the market for sale. AND she wants to take occupancy at the end of THIS month!!! In like two weeks. This has to be a God-thing-fur-surZ.

Where would we go? Back to the palm trees? We JUST got here! I haven't even seen the first daisy. The tulips are still blooming! Iris. Daisies aren't even scheduled for a couple weeks.

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8 

On Wednesday morning we met a realtor to see a place for us to lay our heads, just behind the Green Gables off of 42, kinda edge-of-Ephraim-ish. While this theoretical 'mother-in-law' suite was quasi-suitable as long as we didn't expect to do any entertaining, it did come with the noticeable shortcoming that the three room space has no kitchen. Not even a college dorm sized microwave. How hungry can you get in four months time? By Wednesday afternoon we got a call to see another property with contiguous rental availability and driving out to the north edge of the world we were met with a perfect little cabin on Water's End Rd, with the only noticeable drawback that it is so remote, there is no internet service possible. Ever. Never. Nada. Zilch. Given the choice of no kitchen or no internet, guess which way I was leaning? To be sure, we had options. Options are good. Options are our friend. 

And finally at 6:30 on Wednesday we all convened: Bill's daughter and mom, and brother and sister-in-law and nephew and we signed on an internet-downloadable standard WI real estate contract and our little haven was sold. No realtors involved. FSBO. SOLD! 

Wow. Bettcha didn't see that coming. God did.

For another two weeks we will live in Timber Ridge on Timber Ridge Circle... so funny when the village elders named our parking lot. That happened during our ten year ownership. Funny story that one. There are 36 condos here. A block from the marina sundown, just behind Al Johnson's goats-on-the-roof eaterie and butik, handy dandy to the library and just a few steps to weekly Zumba: sweet spot. Of those 36 condos, two units have been on the market FOR OVER TWO YEARS! For over two years realtors have brought prospective buyers to look at units owned by two sets of our friends. Friends we dine with. Friends we share a wall with. Right beside us!

Bill's daughter has had dual knee replacement and prefers a single floor unit like ours, so she doesn't have to climb stairs to lay her head on a pillow. Our place is easy to LUV: now. Gone are the original pink fluorescent bath tiles. Gone is the boxed in kitchen. We gutted the place, actually we had it gutted. Opened it up. That was construction project number one. The following year we had the same contractor build a four season room on a foundation that had been our unit's slab-patio. Wowza! Ten years of me planting hostas and dividing them every spring. Ten years of harvesting the ferns up by the trash/overflow parking area and transplanting them with tender loving care. Ten years of building a lawn.Ten years of adoration. 

Times up. I guess you'd say that she made us an offer we couldn't refuse. 

The moral to the story. Yes. What is the moral to the story? When you ask for heaven's help, you'd better prepare yourself for the unimaginable. How many people do you know that have sold their place, that was not on the market? I'm sure it happens. It is NOT like we were handed the last known unicorn wearing a rainbow harness. We just never in our wildest saw this possibility on the horizon. In this market. Out of the clear blue. We suddenly have access to ten years of equity and our down payment dollars. Or we will have. The i's are not dotted. The t's not crossed. We have to close on the deal. I thought about keeping the cat-in-the-bag until everything was inked, but why become superstitious at this point? The point is God has provided. 

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Romans 8:31

Don't get me wrong. This is wildly BITTERSWEET. Like every juncture leaving something you love for the unknown is bittersweet. There will be tears. It is a transition. That four season room is where I made the quilts for my latest picture book. Crocodile tears. Hubs and I have each other. We have other plans on the drawing table to conjure. Dreams do come true with divine timing. I know in my heart that Saint pulled some strings to make this happen. At this exact juncture. The juncture of need meets prayer. For my half-birthday present. How was your cyber cupcake?

God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good. 

Now you know why this quotation means so much to me on the occasion of this season's first sunset.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." Ephesians 3:16

P.S. That takes the pressure off of our side of the equation. Sarah on the other hand, is very much in every way, still up against it. Her back is to the wall. Her efforts with building her own business with Younique cosmetics continue. As in every new business, she has much to learn. Currently. She is in gen-u-ine, desperate need of cyber-hostess folks willing to host a party, so she can share her enthusiasm for the products she demonstrates so well. Those in her immediate circle have risen to the call. Now she needs new blood. She needs you!  

This just also happens to be the week that I was introduced to the amazing life-survivor, writer and humanitarian, Glennon at Momastry. LUV that little before and after glamatization she shared from her blog. Such a heart warming, behind-the-scenes look at the real self and the portrayed self. I suggested that Sarah follow in these footsteps for a before and after insight, of how Younique has transformed her. 

Yes. She knows the image on the left is less-than-drab. Kinda mug-shot worthy. {That was the whole idea.} The unvarnished and the pretend. If you follow her on FB or Instagram, she is really pretending so very hard that there will be a silver-lining emerge in the aftermath of the destruction and vaporization of her marriage. She is attempting to fake-it-till-she-makes-it. She is working diligently at learning all that must be learned. At warp speed. I'm so incredibly proud of her. She needs the support of the village. Literally. 

I know that you might consider it easier to send a check. She also wants to keep her dignity. That old saw about giving a man a fish versus teaching them how to fish. If you would work with her on hosting a cyber-party, she will learn the art-of-fishing, with the potential for genuine growth ahead. That's the learning curve at hand. If you are willing to help support her and the WonderPeeps, please just let me know and I will connect the dots. Now that school is out for many of you -- this could be the perfect time. Gather ye berries as they bloom. 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  Romans 8:18

So many things to focus on and rejoice over. This was the week when my parents celebrated their SIXTY-FIRST wedding anniversary. Quite an example to set for the rest of us. A reason for rejoicing. You may now eat the other half of your cupcake. So much to celebrate this week! 

I just went to see that I have had 10 sales at TeachersPayTeachers so far in the month of June. From ten brand new people. People that I don't know. Oh, happy day! For me, that's good. There must still be a few people in school, because these two standards were nine of the ten purchases. Thank you Thank you! Thank you! 

By far the 'winner-at-income-generation' on a week-by-week basis is our distributorship of the WobbleSeat.com effort! I made a new Twitter banner for my Wobble Seat Twitter account. 

The interest is real! The orders are real! The enthusiasm is real! Our gratitude is the most real of all! Your telling others about our efforts at Younique or Wobbles or TpT or all-of-the-above are indeed amazing. 

We serve an awesome God. One capable of dreaming up a solution that wasn't even on the radar screen. Can't wait to see how the next chapter unfolds. 

#TeacherFriends Twitter Chat Teaching with Today's Technology!

TUESDAY!!! TUESDAY!!! TUESDAY!!! 

Come join your #TeacherFriends 

and let's support and encourage each other! 

WHAT? 

You haven't joined one of our Twitter Chat's? 

You haven't acquired a taste-for-Twitter? 

Look no further! 

What started out as a "PRACTICE" chat over eleven months ago, 

has grown and morphed into an amazingly sincere group of educators!

We've learned so much! 

We've shared a whole lot! 

But our main focus is supporting newbies-to-Twitter! 

Think PLN {Professional Learning Network} in your p.j.s! 

If you must lurk for a while, that's perfectly acceptable. 

If you must arrive late, that completely fine. 

If you must leave early, we totally get that. 

If you must multi-task and miss some of the chatter, we've got your back. 

Tonight we have one of our 'own' weekly participants taking the spotlight! 

Dr. Jonna, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire is going to lead us further into the conversation of 

TEACHING with TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY! 

How can you afford to miss that conversation? 

Especially when it is FREE! 

PLUS WE HAVE PRIZES!!!

Praise Report! "I Love Debbie Clement because She Loves Me!"

"I love Debbie Clement because she loves me." 

Can it be as simple as that? 

Love them and they will love you?

Is it really as simple as that. Is it? 

How can it be that simple?

They know when you love them...... 

even when it is just for an hour. 

I have received this piece of original art from a child that I do not know. A child I am in no way related to. A child I could not pick out of a line-up under the brightest of lights. A child in a sea a puddle of children. A child whose class I visited for an hour. 

How is that possible exactly?

Children SEE the love that is showered on them. They feel it. They know it. They sense it. They show it. That they can articulate it in kindergarten, even at the end of their kindergarten year is nothing short of a miracle to me. 

That I can come into a new classroom and share my songs and books and floogle-woogle-bugle horn and puppets and dance my polka dots into a frenzy and lavish rhythm and rhyme and affirmation and crossing the midline and sequences and patterns and the strong beat and proprioceptive choreography, only to emerge fifty-nine minutes later being loved, is nothing short of miraculous. 

And that is EXACTLY why I LUV LUV LUV working with children. Young children. Tiny children. Maturing children. Tall children. Growing children. Cynical children. Adoring children. Hyper children. Broken children. Creative children. Hurting children. Capable children. Adult children. Love them first and they will love you. 

33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer....

34 a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:33-34

I honest-to-goodness promise you, I don't think I have ever said, "I love you little girl with the pink legs and orange arms and chartreuse hair" in the middle of an author/illustrator presentation. Honest. I haven't. Yet. She knows that I love her. I have indeed been able to convey that and she has been sufficiently receptive to grasp it. {If you look closely you will even see the evidence that we are BFFs: SERIOUSLY!} 

The children in our world expect the adults to be true. True to their word. True to their promises. Congruent. True. Honest. When they see that truth they recognize it. 

Have you ever been to church camp? 

You KNOW I like big endings!

SING-A-LONG WITH ME: 

PRAISE YE THE LORD. HALLELUJAH. 

PRAISE YE THE LORD. HALLELUJAH. 

PRAISE YE THE LORD. HALLELUJAH. 

PRAISE YE THE LORD! 

This has been an amazing week, filled with reasons to rejoice! 

Door County is pretending to thaw out. 

Look what I found! Today!

It is hard to imagine that such an image is possible on my telephone!

I have literally had something amazing happening on a daily basis. 

Today's email included an invitation to create an Artist residency in Colorado. 

Earlier in the week was a similar inquiry from South Carolina. 

My FB profile seems to be blowing up with EOY communication. 

Video snippets from far and wide.

"I love Debbie Clement because she loves me." 

Being congruent is something that even the youngest of children can SEE. 

Living out the truth. 

Walking your talk. 

Being honest. 

Following through on your responsibilities. 

It has been a good great amazing week. 

Hearing from corporations that they have PLANS that include me.

Hearing from India about a whole new concept.

Hearing from friends old and new............ 

THANK YOU HEAVENS!

I have learned that I can upload photos here directly from my phone.

How had I missed that memo? 

Am I the only one that gets sentimental over the 'personalized' cans?

I am so fortunate to have my parents at the helm! 

When these two cans rolled out of the carton I had a little moment. 

My parents are celebrating their 61st anniversary this next week. 

How amazing is that? 

SIXTY ONE YEARS!

Mom and dad. 

Now that I know I can put things here directly from my phone..... 

This little snippet is for you. 

It was created 'accidentally' on Sarah's phone. 

That's me on the BIG stage at OAEYC. 

Yes. That's Mimi in the hat and ZB Kathleen, too!

Plus my sign language interpreter. 

So many reasons to be grateful! 

YOUR support and encouragement means the world. 

The Wobble Seat adventure continues to grow!

Orders are arriving from across the country! 

Did I mention that we take Purchase Orders? 

This has been a whole new heaven-sent enterprise. 

It generates new dollars all month long. 

Our daughter Sarah made her manager's bonus last month on Younique! 

Whooop! Whooooop! 

She's figured out how to open a YouTube channel. 

She is searching for folks who can host a Virtual Younique Party.

The lip stains are crazy cool. 

As you can see from her brill-demo!!! 

If any of you teachers have time this summer it would be great to have your support. 

Of course, you can always join my team, 

which is joining her team. 

And that way you support the whole extended family. 

#TeacherFriends: Refresh, Renew & RE-energize! Twitter Chat

TUESDAY TEACHER TWEETING: TWITTER-CHAT 

For me personally, summer has arrived. 

Since last Tuesday, we have completed our snowbird migration. 

We have arrived at our haven-on-Earth and I have witnessed incredible sunsets. 

This one is one of my Top 10 favorites of all time! 

To me. Summer is indeed a time to unwind, breathe, reflect and RENEW! 

That is indeed the topic of our ongoing weekly Twitter Chat tonight: June 2nd. 

As we approach the first anniversary of our weekly chatting, 

I reflect back on how far we have come as a group, as individuals and as a forum. 

WHAT? You don't "get" Twitter? 

You don't know how to navigate? 

You don't see the value? 

Yes. That is my advice in two words.

In a hashtag. 

Twitter is ALL about the hashtag!  

You'll just have to trust me. 

Twitter is indeed an acquire taste, 

but so-very-valuable once you invest some effort to learn the language. 

What better place to learn the lingo, 

than in the midst of your very own #PLN. 

{Professional Learning Network}

Yes! We have prizes! 

That should be enough incentive right there! 

Tonight the grand-prize winner will receive a year of ESGI software. 

That's a $200 value with the potential to change your world!

Just in case you don't win tonight, 

you're welcome to use my Affiliate code B1215 and save $40 on your membership! 

I will give away my two "end-of-the-year" digital files, 

that work surprisingly well to LAUNCH a new year, too!

These are available on my TpT store!

Our guest tonight, Michaele Sommerville, is a renowned Kinder-teacher, blogger and crafter and has

has promised us cyber-cookies and a great conversation. 

How do you use summer for your BEST season: 

reflection and preparation! 

She is giving away a hand-crafted patriotic charm!

 

Come join us! #Bebrave and learn with us! 

You'll find yourself amid amazing peers from across the country and around the world! 

Folks who will encourage and inspire you. 

Teachers who will hold you to high standards. 

Tweeps who will share their experience and support! 

9PM EST!

If you're brand new, arrive at 8:30 for EarlyBirds. 

The pace will be slower + we will support you!