Galveston for the New Year

K and I are in Galveston. We decided to spend the last week of 2011 here and ring in 2012.

It has been an interesting week for the end of a long year. This year was a year of firsts and a year of loss. The hope is that 2012 brings  sense of renewal with it. Maybe a sense of purpose or a sense of belonging.

The view from our hotel balcony.

K and I have been talking that we both feel unsettled where we are. It can be summed up that we are where we are for now, but it doesn't feel like it is the right place. We aren't in a horrible place, it just not where we feel we fully fit. Sound strange? I know. It makes us both feel a bit awkward, but it helped to talk about it. The school I teach at is great about us. Fully accepting and all, but the state we are in doesn't allow us to feel relaxed about being open. We are in a bubble and the fear of going outside that bubble to find a place we really want to be is something we are both wrestling with.

We have a senior and junior in college, a senior and freshman in high school, and then our youngest is n 5th grade. We have realized there is never a right time to uproot and move, but how long do we have to wait to feel home? To enjoy our surroundings even when we aren't vacationing? Is that possible?

I guess it can be summed up that we are going to be looking for our place in the world this year. Where we fit into the puzzle and aren't trying to figure the puzzle out. I plan to be healthier at the end of the year than the beginning of the year.

Merry Christmas!

It is hard to believe that it s already Christmas 2011. This year seems to have flown by. However, I know at times it crept by.


This year brought the loss of a good friend. I had known her since high school. She was taken fast and unexpectedly. She is missed by many.

I have had some good moments this year as well. I have been very lucky in terms of getting supplies provided to my classroom. I feel very fortunate for that. We are in the process of selling our house. We had hoped it would be finished by now, but due to some problems with the buyers, it has been dragged out for some time now. Our realtor hopes to have it done by the end of January. We can only hope.

As I look back on this year I have many things I can say I have been blessed with. I was very blessed to have such a good friend in my life for as long as I did. Her passing has had an impact on my life that has yet to be truly measured. I know life is much shorter than any of us want it to be. I don't take it for granted. I spend as much time with my family as I can and make sure to tell them I love them often.

I love you guy!!

Another flood claim, great.

Back in October we learned that the slope of the driveway here at our rental is not conducive to rain. I know, sounds a bit strange, but it turns out that the drive slopes, well the concrete pad that is in front of the garage, slopes in the wrong direction. When it rains it sends the rain toward the garage instead of towards the street and drainage openings. Great right? No, not really.

The first heavy rain we get guess what we learn, all about this sloping issue. When does this rain occur? While I am at work. What is in the garage? What isn't? So many things got wet and ruined. Things we hadn't been ablt to put up yet or decide where to put them. The worst part is the appliances. Our washer and dryer is there and so is the deep freezer. I am glad we don't own the hot water heater.

We are now in the process of putting in a claim for these things. I didn't think the water had destroyed to many things, but now our washer is having some electrical glitches. Not cool. Have to put a list of things together that were destroyed and prepare the paperwork and hope to get reimbursed quickly. Must admit we are fortunate that our insurance company is pretty decent about this stuff.

Holiday Vacation Begins

I have the next full work week off. What will I do? Honestly, I don't know what I will actually get done. I am hoping to get the grading I brought home done and some small projects around the house done as well. We want to get the decorating done, so that is on the list for sure.

I would also like to get some lesson planning done. Hoping to get a few weeks of lessons put into the system so that I have less to be concerned with later.

Relax? What is that?

Classroom Changes

I have been very fortunate to come across a website that is helping teachers in their classrooms. Yesterday I received 30 brand new desks, that really make my classroom pop. Every single student smiles when they walked into the room and saw them. I heard many students say woah, what the, and oh wow. They definitely notice a difference in the feel and look of the room.

Thank you to anyone who take the time to help out teachers. Spend a dollar... it helps. www.donorschoose.org

Life continues...

It is November. Hard to believe it. I have been really bad about updating the blog. I have been very busy.

We have been in the new place 4 months now. Being in a bigger city has had its blessings and it downfalls. K and N, our high school age kids have had only positive impacts from what I can see. They can walk home if the need ever arises. K moved over to the bigger high school and hasn't looked back. She doesn't feel like she sticks out, she is taking courses she wouldn't have had access to at the other school, and she eats lunch with me every day right now. I know that will change as she gets older, but it has been nice to spend extra time with her.

C on the other hand has had a little adjustment problem. The classes are bigger, the school is bigger, and he doesn't know anyone. Well, he is getting to know people now, but he is the new kid at an elementary and that has been tough. It will be easier for him next year when every one is new at the middle school.

Big K enjoys being closer to everything. She has been able to be more involved with what I have going on, has been able to come up to meet me for lunch, and the biggest thing, I am getting home earlier than I ever have. That is a nice thing.
The neighborhood we have landed in seems really nice too. There are community parties, parades, and a neighborhood feeling we haven't ever had before. It makes me feel bad that our kids really did miss out on things by us staying over in the smaller town for as long as we did. Can't change the past, can only look forward.

Our house hasn't sold yet, we do have someone living in it paying rent. The hope is that the loan will be approved later this month and we will be finished with that mess soon. Having to worry about 2 houses has been tough. I really want to be done with the other house as soon as possible.

School is keeping me busy. Teaching AP US History has really been rough.

This whole school year has been rough. I don't think I have met a single teacher that has said they are having a great year. We just seem to be surviving it.

It has been a year in which I have tried to balance helping others and yet keeping to myself. I have a cousin who is also a teacher, in another state I have helped her. Would help her when ever I could. I have a teacher in the class next to me - she's on her own.

It has been an odd school year.

Another year, starting it off right

School is getting ready to begin. At times I find it hard to believe that classes begin in just over two weeks.

I have been busy trying to make sure this year starts off on the right foot. The APUSH class is going to keep me busy, reading and staying ahead of the students. If I get things done now, like making copies, preparing the calendar, getting things up on the websites, then I have less stress when classes are going on.

All of this is happening when we are still trying to get settled into the house and sell our other one. The youngest kids have been with their Dad for the past month. We leave for Houston tomorrow to bring them home on Monday. So this week is going to be be a busy one and possibly a little hectic. Getting them back home and back into a routine will be a little tough, but it will be great having them home again.

C is registered for school, K will be registered next week. Life is about to get busy. I can't believe she is going to be in high school. Its going to be an interesting year of transition.