Our eldest daughter graduates today. The ceremony starts in an hour and a half. She is finishing up one part of her life and starting a whole new chapter. She isn't quite 18 yet, so she technically isn't an adult, but she is one step closer tonight.
It is funny and hard to deal with the evolving teen. We have one that has been in college a year now and is independent in all ways except monetary. Something he seems to feel is ok and yet it isn't. He feels as if he can come and go as he please, eat, live, and use the laundry facilities without chipping in. He doesn't mow the lawn when he is home, doesn't really do anything. I refuse to allow this to happen with the second one.
The oldest one, I wasn't around for the foundation years. Well, his foundation was set before K and I moved in together. With K's younger 2, its a different story. I am much more involved with them than I am with R. I look back and wonder if I could have done it differently, but i realize that is is pointless to look back for to long because the only thing that I will accomplish is giving myself a cramp in the neck muscles.
L has some growing up to do still - most of that will happen in the college years. I am looking forward to seeing her mature, but will miss her too.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The school year is, now what.
The school year is basically over. All that is left is for me to go back on Monday, pack up and lock up some loose things. I am waiting until Monday because tomorrow our eldest daughter graduates from high school and I want to focus on the family.
This year I learned a little on the admin side. Yes, I mean a little. I felt like a babysitter most of the time. I resigned my administrative duties in order to go back to being able to focus on my teaching. That is what I am really there for.
There is a lot of change on the horizon. A very good friend of ours is retiring and moving out of state. She has found love on the internet and is retiring from her teaching position in order to mover a very small town to be with him.
Our eldest daughter is graduating and will be heading off to college in August. She has chosen to join the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in order to play in the band there. This is a very big step and will require discipline from her that she cannot even imagine at this point.
Our youngest daughter is going to be going to junior high in the fall. She is growing so fast. I have noticed a definite maturity emerging from her this past few months.
On a sad note our hair dresser, of 8 years, has suddenly passed. Lynne knew about our family and NEVER had a problem with it. She was more than a hair dresser, she was extended family. It was a blow to learn she passed and we missed the funeral. She was the only one to cut our families' hair during the past 8 years. We will miss you Lynne.
My mother-in-law is landing at the airport as I type this. K, L, and N are picking her up. I don't mind her visits, but its always difficult to watch K have to deal with her mom.
This year I learned a little on the admin side. Yes, I mean a little. I felt like a babysitter most of the time. I resigned my administrative duties in order to go back to being able to focus on my teaching. That is what I am really there for.
There is a lot of change on the horizon. A very good friend of ours is retiring and moving out of state. She has found love on the internet and is retiring from her teaching position in order to mover a very small town to be with him.
Our eldest daughter is graduating and will be heading off to college in August. She has chosen to join the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets in order to play in the band there. This is a very big step and will require discipline from her that she cannot even imagine at this point.
Our youngest daughter is going to be going to junior high in the fall. She is growing so fast. I have noticed a definite maturity emerging from her this past few months.
On a sad note our hair dresser, of 8 years, has suddenly passed. Lynne knew about our family and NEVER had a problem with it. She was more than a hair dresser, she was extended family. It was a blow to learn she passed and we missed the funeral. She was the only one to cut our families' hair during the past 8 years. We will miss you Lynne.
My mother-in-law is landing at the airport as I type this. K, L, and N are picking her up. I don't mind her visits, but its always difficult to watch K have to deal with her mom.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
No more student's dirty looks....
It is official - the 2008 - 2009 school year is in the books. It is history. As of today the classes of 2008 - 2009 are finished. The only things left to do before fully closing out the books is to tally all the grades, turn in my gradebook, clean up my room, and leave the keys with the front office.
I am trying not to take home anymore than I have to. This means only taking home things that I need to prep for next school year. I know - I sound nuts. This school year isn't even fully finished yet and I am thinking about the fall. Its part of the business of wanting to be a good teacher. I want to look back at what this year was like, evaluate it, learn from it, and change what I can to make the class better for me and for the students.
The summer will start off with our eldest daughter's high school graduation. My mother-in-law is flying in, should be a real treat. (if we only had some strong narcotics to give her) L will be heading off to college in the fall. The summer will be filled with.... well I am not quite sure yet.
I am trying not to take home anymore than I have to. This means only taking home things that I need to prep for next school year. I know - I sound nuts. This school year isn't even fully finished yet and I am thinking about the fall. Its part of the business of wanting to be a good teacher. I want to look back at what this year was like, evaluate it, learn from it, and change what I can to make the class better for me and for the students.
The summer will start off with our eldest daughter's high school graduation. My mother-in-law is flying in, should be a real treat. (if we only had some strong narcotics to give her) L will be heading off to college in the fall. The summer will be filled with.... well I am not quite sure yet.
Monday, June 1, 2009
National Lesbian Bog day
I may have the title wrong, but the reality of it is that there are more of us out here than the moronic ultra conservatives want to admit. we are every where. We are exemplary teachers in high school, middle schools, elementarys, pre school, public, and private. We are the parents dropping our precious children off for the first and the last day of school. We are room moms and PTA/PTo volunteers. We are in every financial level of society, in every state, in every city. (Yes, small towns too.)
For the most part you can't tell who we are unless you ask. When you ask we honestly do think you are stupid when you say "You don't look like it." We honestly would like to know what does "it" look like?
My children face the same challenges as yours. They want to make friends, excel in school and extra curricular activites. The want their parents to be involved in school activities without being pointed at. My children are possibly better off than yours in the fact that my children will accept diversity in stride and they value that everyone is unique and that everyone loves.
Treat us and you would want to be treated. Treat my children as you demand your children be treated. Children are the future of our country - regardless of who their parents are.
For the most part you can't tell who we are unless you ask. When you ask we honestly do think you are stupid when you say "You don't look like it." We honestly would like to know what does "it" look like?
My children face the same challenges as yours. They want to make friends, excel in school and extra curricular activites. The want their parents to be involved in school activities without being pointed at. My children are possibly better off than yours in the fact that my children will accept diversity in stride and they value that everyone is unique and that everyone loves.
Treat us and you would want to be treated. Treat my children as you demand your children be treated. Children are the future of our country - regardless of who their parents are.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Forced Vacation
Swine '09 - thats what the students have dubbed it. We are on vacation until March 13. Yes forced vacation. I have very mixed feelings. I feel like they have jumped the gun. There isn't this huge outbreak that they had anticipated and yet they are closing very single school in the district. Over 38,000 students are now out of school until at least March 13. We actually could be out of school longer.
After I get over the shock of not being at school I am hoping I start enjoing the time off. I would like to get some things done around the house, but what? I can't do to much, I will get tired and my hip will start hurting, So I am limited at what it is I can do. Maybe that is part of the downer for me. I am almost afraid of what my limitations might be. Afraid of finding them.
Sounds nuts, I know. Afraid of finding my limitations. I don't want to find them. I don't want to acknowledge they are there. I feel the arthritis will win. I am not ready to accept that.
There are some things around the house that I can get done. Maybe I should make a list. Then I can tackle them one at a time and see the progress I am making. I don't know. Right now I just have this I don't know feeling. I don't know what to do. I don't know why I feel blah.
I could take the time to write out some lesson plans. Then I stop and think why? Why should I write out lesson plans for classes I am not sure I am going to be teaching. We have been trying to move to Austin, which means I wouldn't even be working with the same district, let alone the same subjects. So my thought is why prepare when I am not sure what or where I am going to be teaching. I might not even be teaching.
Another update from our County Health Leader - what an idiot! He tries to make jokes that no one laughs at. 80 daycares have closed, the entire school district has closed, and he just mentions that the number everyone is flipping out about is a rolling number meaning it never goes down!
PANIC! MORONS!
After I get over the shock of not being at school I am hoping I start enjoing the time off. I would like to get some things done around the house, but what? I can't do to much, I will get tired and my hip will start hurting, So I am limited at what it is I can do. Maybe that is part of the downer for me. I am almost afraid of what my limitations might be. Afraid of finding them.
Sounds nuts, I know. Afraid of finding my limitations. I don't want to find them. I don't want to acknowledge they are there. I feel the arthritis will win. I am not ready to accept that.
There are some things around the house that I can get done. Maybe I should make a list. Then I can tackle them one at a time and see the progress I am making. I don't know. Right now I just have this I don't know feeling. I don't know what to do. I don't know why I feel blah.
I could take the time to write out some lesson plans. Then I stop and think why? Why should I write out lesson plans for classes I am not sure I am going to be teaching. We have been trying to move to Austin, which means I wouldn't even be working with the same district, let alone the same subjects. So my thought is why prepare when I am not sure what or where I am going to be teaching. I might not even be teaching.
Another update from our County Health Leader - what an idiot! He tries to make jokes that no one laughs at. 80 daycares have closed, the entire school district has closed, and he just mentions that the number everyone is flipping out about is a rolling number meaning it never goes down!
PANIC! MORONS!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Today I didn't do much, yesterday I did...
ALOT!
I didn't get out of the schoool until 8:50 last night. Why? Me and the other part time assistant principal had to delivering water and snacks to every room that is going to be used for testing this week. It took a hell of a lot longer to do than I expected and I was very tired afterwards. Today I have done nothing. Really... nothing. I was suppose to go to a fundraiser and I didn't wake up until almost 1.
In the past couple of weeks I have learned that my fatigue and pain is not caused just by the arthritis but by a severe Vitamin D deficieny. I am now taking 50,000 units of vitamin d a week for the next 3 months in order to raise my levels. I am hoping that raising my levels will help with the fatigue and joint pain.
They are narrowing down the type of arthritis I have in hopes of being able to treat it better.
I have also decided that I need to change some things at work. I can't be on both sides of the fence any longer. I need to be an administrator or a teacher. Not both. Its just too much to split your brain on both sides. I want to be able to focus on one or the other. I am planning on handing in my resignation as a part time assistant principal at the end of the year.
The fund raising has gone VERY well. The amount raise is nearing the $2500.00 mark. This is enough for all of the eligible students to go to Six Flags with transportation, ticket, and drink paid for. Their may be enough left in the budget for a meal, but I am not certain about that yet. I have to get the final count of eligible students on Monday.
I am very proud of the fundraising that they did. There were two successful bake sales and one McDonald's night that brought in a total of $1100 between the three. The rest of the money was raised through sales at school. We sold drinks and snacks during class to raise funds. Not bad for 3 weeks of fundraising.
I must decide if I am going to teach summer school. I have been offered a position, but we haven't had a chance to talk about whether I should take it. It is extra money, but it is also less down time. We shall talk.
I didn't get out of the schoool until 8:50 last night. Why? Me and the other part time assistant principal had to delivering water and snacks to every room that is going to be used for testing this week. It took a hell of a lot longer to do than I expected and I was very tired afterwards. Today I have done nothing. Really... nothing. I was suppose to go to a fundraiser and I didn't wake up until almost 1.
In the past couple of weeks I have learned that my fatigue and pain is not caused just by the arthritis but by a severe Vitamin D deficieny. I am now taking 50,000 units of vitamin d a week for the next 3 months in order to raise my levels. I am hoping that raising my levels will help with the fatigue and joint pain.
They are narrowing down the type of arthritis I have in hopes of being able to treat it better.
I have also decided that I need to change some things at work. I can't be on both sides of the fence any longer. I need to be an administrator or a teacher. Not both. Its just too much to split your brain on both sides. I want to be able to focus on one or the other. I am planning on handing in my resignation as a part time assistant principal at the end of the year.
The fund raising has gone VERY well. The amount raise is nearing the $2500.00 mark. This is enough for all of the eligible students to go to Six Flags with transportation, ticket, and drink paid for. Their may be enough left in the budget for a meal, but I am not certain about that yet. I have to get the final count of eligible students on Monday.
I am very proud of the fundraising that they did. There were two successful bake sales and one McDonald's night that brought in a total of $1100 between the three. The rest of the money was raised through sales at school. We sold drinks and snacks during class to raise funds. Not bad for 3 weeks of fundraising.
I must decide if I am going to teach summer school. I have been offered a position, but we haven't had a chance to talk about whether I should take it. It is extra money, but it is also less down time. We shall talk.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Fundraising
I have been very fortunate to get approval for a field trip that will allow me to take my students to Six Flags.
We now have to raise the money for it. We have been raising money a week now and its off to a good start. I think. LOL
We have begun selling snacks out of my classroom to raise the funds and are taking donations. As of yesterday we had just shy of $500. We need to raise near $1800 by May 1. The students are commited to raising the funds. Today we are going to a local lumber store to set up a bake sale/donation table. One of the other clubs at the school I teach out did the same thing, but without the baked goods to offer, and raised $1100. We are only hoping for half of that. If we get more, that would be AWESOME! However, half of that would be just fine with me because it would boost their moral and get us closer to our main goal of paying for the tickets and the cheaper form of transportation (school bus).
Fundraising isn't fun - but it does teach them to work together for a common goal.
We now have to raise the money for it. We have been raising money a week now and its off to a good start. I think. LOL
We have begun selling snacks out of my classroom to raise the funds and are taking donations. As of yesterday we had just shy of $500. We need to raise near $1800 by May 1. The students are commited to raising the funds. Today we are going to a local lumber store to set up a bake sale/donation table. One of the other clubs at the school I teach out did the same thing, but without the baked goods to offer, and raised $1100. We are only hoping for half of that. If we get more, that would be AWESOME! However, half of that would be just fine with me because it would boost their moral and get us closer to our main goal of paying for the tickets and the cheaper form of transportation (school bus).
Fundraising isn't fun - but it does teach them to work together for a common goal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)