Spring Break

It's about darn time. Today is a workday until about noon, then we teachers get to officially start our spring break. I love my students, but I need these ten days away from them. We even had an episode of angry spitting on Wednesday. No, I don't work with llamas. I've been spending the morning getting things cleaned up in my classroom so that I'm ready for school to start fresh in a week.

I have a good bit of stuff to do over spring break, so don't worry about me getting bored. I just can't believe I'll be completely finished with school and grad school in less than two months. I've also been adding to my summer schedule by offering to work with more kids over the summer. I'm up to four definitely, one tentatively. Five kids should keep me busy.

Wednesday I learned that I can have my students mop the floor if they spit on it.

Better Day

We got so much done today! I'm very proud of my students. Behavior was much better after talking to another teacher and coming up with a plan. The kids, thank goodness, will buy into just about anything.

Tonight should be busy. I'm meeting a professor, baking cookies for a "spring table" at school tomorrow, and grocery shopping to bake aforementioned cookies. I guess busy is good. No chance to get bored. People keep thinking I'll be bored this summer. First of all, I don't think I will get bored. Second, is there anything wrong with being bored?!? I happen to think it might be welcomed to wake up with an empty day ahead. I know Henry would like that very much!

Today I learned that I'm going to have to raise a stink if I don't want to play golf this weekend.

Forever

I'm feeling the need to vent, so I figured this would be the place to do it.

I'm FED UP with my job right now. I'm desperately hoping that spring break (next week) does something to alleviate my suffering. The kids are nuts. The teachers are nuts. The administrators are nuts. I'm (you guessed it) nuts.

The weather is beautiful. Henry is great. Troy is wonderful.

Today I learned that measuring with beans is easier than using water.

My Special Valentine

One of my students gave me a valentine story.

"Once apon a time there was a girl and boy named Olivia and Darius Smith. They was going to the beach and they kept staring at each other while they were hanging with there friends. They were about to get a divorce but they madly couldn't resist each other and happily married each other and she became a smith."

You should see the drawing of Olivia and Darius that came with the story.

One Month...

...Left until comps. Fourteen weeks left in school. Only a small ounce of sanity left in my body.

School and school are going well. I'm busy with studying and paperwork and educational testing. The kids are ready for some snow days, but I don't know if we'll actually get any. This weekend I intend on studying and sewing. That always makes for a funfilled, exciting break from the daily grind.

Nothing new... Henry's fine, Troy's fine. I'm fine. Today I learned that kids can be hateful and then best friends and cruel and sweet- all in thirty seconds.

Long Time

I know, its been simply FOREVER since I posted. Right now I'm avoiding work, so I figured I'd do this. I fell down the stops last night due to ice, so my back is hurting. We got about six inches of snow on Saturday, which was beautiful. It was unfortunate that it happened on a Saturday. We had a one hour delay this morning, but I want some full days off. We still have six.

I've been dieting well, and I'm down to 180, ten pounds lost since returning from the cruise. I'm four pounds shy of where I was when I fell off the WW wagon. I'm proud that I'm doing it my way, and my way is pretty easy to stick to. Mom- have you found what your goal is yet?

Henry still has runny poo. He's also being a booger by wanting to sit on my lap in my orange chair. Its hard to do a crossword puzzle with him on top of me. We're waiting for the results of his latest fecal film.

Not much else is going on. Four months of grad school left. It seems like that's forever away, but I know its a blink of an eye. I just want to finish up so that my time is my own again.

Today I learned that every couple of months, you simply have to throw stuff away. Otherwise, your classroom becomes a junk pit.

Work Day

Today there were no students at school. I don't think I accomplished as much as I'd've liked, but I'm ready to teach again tomorrow. Its pretty boring at school with no students. I'm not really looking forward to going to class tonight, but that's one class closer to graduation, so I'm up for it.

Menu for January 22:
Frosted Cheerios 1.5 1 serving 165
Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat free or skim) 0.75 1 cup 64.2
Chicken Club Panini 1 1 serving 320
Luna Lemonzest Bar 1 1 serving 180
Margherita Pizza 1 1 serving 320
Sandies Snack Bag 2 1 serving 200
Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A (fat free or skim) 1 1 cup 85.5

Today I learned that sometimes, there's no good way to arrange furniture in a room. Sometimes the room is just bad.

Food

I've lost eight pounds since Christmas. I'm doing it by keeping my claories at 1450 per day, give or take. I have 1 1/2 cups of frosted cheerios with 3/4 cups skim will for breakfast. (About 225 calories) I have a Luna bar for a midmorning snack- 180 calories. I have a Lean Cuisine meal for lunch- 240-280 calories. I have a Pria shake for a midafternoon snack- 170 calories. I have another Lean Cuisine meal for dinner- 240-380 calories. Then, I have skim milk and cookies (90 calories and 100 calories- I use the prepackaged cookies) for an evening snack. I haven't had much trouble with the hypoglycemia.
My favorite Lean Cuisine meals: any of the new paninis, the margherita pizza, four cheese canniloni, beef portabello, basil chicken, chicken with peanut sauce, thai style chicken... I really do like them. I've gotten used to eating the smaller portions. I used to be okay with them for lunch but not dinner. It seemed so small!
Tomorrow we're going to a Chinese restaurant for a coworker's birthday. I'll be having egg drop soup, thank you. The least unhealthy things there have cooked veggies in them, and I can't handle veggies. So the soup is pretty low calorie.
This weekend has been pretty slow. I've gotten lots of work done for teaching and grad school, which is nice. I'm working on doing lesson plans far in advance so I'm sure to get the VGLA done. However, tomorrow I'll be getting a new student on my caseload- woo hoo! Another eligibility meeting!
Today I learned that Henry thinks I'm a jungle gym when I'm lying on the sofa. He has no inhibitions about climbing all over me.

Marlarkey

The week is... sigh... over. I'm pooped! Things are really starting to get crunched here with classes and assessments and behavior and IEPs. However, I'll get plenty of rest and do lots of work this weekend. That will help a lot, I think.
Henry is feeling better. He's pretty well back to normal, so he's just obnoxious, instead of stinky and obnoxious. Boy do we love our dog! He'll have a good weekend- he likes it when we're both around to keep him occupied.
I think that's about it. I can't think of anything interesting.
Today I learned that you should never teach children the word "malarkey." They will use it to describe EVERYTHING.

Cold Day

Today I've been so cold!  When we arrived at school, we discovered that the power had gone out Saturday, causing our heating to stop working.  The school was freezing!  They had to get a part and fix it this morning.  It came on around 10:30.  At 11:00, our power went out for about 45 minutes.  The heat worked after that, but my fingers still haven't thawed yet.

 

I got a letter from the school administration building today informing me that I'm highly qualified in all areas of elementary education.  I knew I was, my coworkers knew I was, my principal knew I was.  Now I have the official paperwork that secures my title as "highly qualified," one of the biggest loads of bull#%$& to ever hit public education.

 

Now Troy and I are just spending a quiet evening hanging out with Henry.  I'm still cold.

 

Today I learned that its nearly impossible to schedule meetings with some parents.  Especially divorced, antagonistic parents that travel all the time and leave raising their emotionally scarred children with other people.

All is Right

In my little world.  Troy is home, Henry is being treated for worms (thank goodness for our new vet- we're switching permanently), and classes are starting.  I'm on the road to graduation!  I'm not too nervous about this semester.  It'll be a lot of work, but I'm prepared.  I've been scared of Dr. Polloway, but now I know how he is.  No surprises.  Work will be hard with IEPs and assessments coming up, but I'm in good shape, I think, to handle it.

I've lost 7 pounds since returning from the cruise.

This weekend was pretty uneventful.  I went to Walmart and Target just to get out of the house, watched 8 hours of Jane Austen movies in two days, and crocheted up a storm.  The one thing I didn't do as much of as I'd like was sleep.  Henry got me up between 5:30 and 6:30 every day.  (I do love him.  I'd love him more if he wasn't sick all the time.)

Today I learned that someone is passing a petition to reinstate the pledge in public schools.  I was very surprised- we say it every morning at my school.

Long Week

This week felt like it lasted a year. Nothing too bad, just so much work and stress already. I'm nervous about grad school starting because I don't know that I can handle something else. However, I've done it three semesters before and I'll do it again. This weekend is devoted to comps and crochet. I want to finish this afghan I'm working on. Hopefully Henry's tummy will be settled and he'll sleep through the night. I swear, I love that dog, but he's always got an upset stomach. If its not coming out one end, its coming out the other.
On a more pleasant note, I feel like I got a lot accomplished at work this week. The kids are starting to get worn down from the work of the year, even though we just came back from winter break. I'm motivating them with marshmallows. We're also reading about marshmallows, writing about marshmallows, and throwing them around a lot.
Today I learned that Friday afternoons are not a good time to do educational assessments.