Let's Discuss What Sucks, Shall We?

I Got Tagged

Six Random Things About Me:

Angie tagged me and wants to know six random things about me. So here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry. If you are reading, consider yourself tagged.

And here goes:

1. I used to play the violin.
2. I would rather go to the beach than any other place in the world.
3. I count things. Steps, stairs, seconds and minutes, (testing kills me), beats to music (choir kills me), just about anything.
4. I love to cook. And I will cook just about anything.
5. I am already beginning to get empty nest syndrome, even though PrepGirl isn't going to college for two years and BrownBear is going to be hanging around for another six; the fact that they are talking about going away is making me anxious, to say the least.
6. I need a new car. My Suburban is older than BrownBear and has 201,000 miles on it. I am waiting for GMC to call and offer it a place in its hall of fame.

Testing, Day One

One of the ones fifth graders have to pass. Enough said.

Now What Am I Going to Do on Sunday Nights?

Because, you see, everybody died tonight. I don't believe that is any kind of spoiler alert, because it did, after all, happen 200 years ago. And yes, I did cry. For people who died 200 years ago. But, I was crying when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were writing letters to each other, too.

Now, I've been reviewing my John Adams biography as we've been going along (nerd alert) and Tom Hanks did take some poetic license, especially with that bad father thing. However, if Tom wants to make another $100 million HBO biography on another Founding Father, he can feel free. I'll probably be there.

Only Because I Collect Office Supplies...

You Are Paper

Crafty and creative, you are able to adapt freely to almost any situation. People tend to underestimate you, unless they've truly seen what you are capable of. Deep down, you're always scheming and thinking up new plans. Your mind is constantly active. You are quite capable of anything you dream of. You can always figure out a way to get what you want. You can wrap a rock person up in your sheet of trickery. A scissor person can sneak up and cut you to pieces. When you fight: No one can anticipate your next move If someone makes you mad: You'll attack them mercilessly when they're unprepared

Are You Rock, Paper, or Scissors?

Volcano Day

Yesterday, the volcano project was due. My teaching partner-in-crime had our students present their projects and then we all went outside to watch them erupt.

I sat in the back of her classroom and tried to listen to as all 35 of them talked about how they put their volcanoes together and.... well, I don't know. Because, faithful readers, I had the beginnings of a migraine and I laid my head back on her chair and closed my eyes. And the whirring of the air conditioner... well, I don't know. Maybe I drifted off. Maybe I didn't. But when I did open my eyes, the Assistant Principal was sitting in a chair in front of me.

Alrighty, then.

Thank goodness it was Friday. Thank goodness it is the weekend. Twenty five days and counting.

Two Weeks from Today

Fifth grade overnight camping trip. Fourteen days away. Includes swimming, canoeing, archery. Sounds great in September and once it is over. The sheer dread is weighing me down. It is as bad as testing.

Democracy In Action

Our school has spent the last year rolling around with the IB program. We sent representatives to the initial training (me, included), we trained faculty members, we have read about units, we have written units; we have immersed ourselves in the stuff. Our parents were in love with the idea, but our principal said that she would let us vote on whether we would continue to pursue IB status.

There is a very vocal opposition in our school (VERY) who fear change and hard work. They managed to scrounge together one more vote than those of us who supported pursuing the IB certification. One vote, people.

My fear is that our principal will leave over this. And trust me, people, we have it great at our school. I have been places where I have had to eat with my students, sign in and out of the building, turn in lesson plans two weeks in advance and other such nonsense. Our principal does not believe in this kind of craziness. These people who voted this plan down have not looked farther than their own noses - they don't have any idea what could be coming down the pike for them. They may have cut off their noses to spite their faces.

And in turn, they may have ruined my perfect world.

I Can Do Anything For Twenty-Nine Days

Back in the classroom with a room full of geniuses who were mad they had to come back to school. I had a week's worth of review to do today for the Big State Test and they were, well, luke warm to the idea. Sorry, guys, but, I've got a week's worth of work for you every day. EVERY DAY until next Wednesday. And that's when the rubber meets the road.

Sharpen up those Dixon Ticonderogas and get another eraser.

And today, it felt as though it were the middle of January and not the middle of April. It is supposed to sleet and frost tonight. And then I read that it may get as high as 61 degrees tomorrow. Please.

Twenty-nine days and counting.

Of Course I Am

Welcome South, Brother

You Are A Peanut

You are popular, even with people who tend to have picky taste. Kids love you, as do dogs. From rednecks to snobs, most people have a place for you in their hearts. As popular as you are, there are some people who can't be near you. Don't take it too personally. There's just a few people you rub the wrong way.

What Nut Are You?

Thanks, Cupcake.

This Isn't Going to Turn into a Training Blog...

However, I hauled my lazy butt out of bed this morning, made breakfast for the senior youth girls and their leader, and :

WENT TO THE GYM WHERE I TREADMILLED FOR 30 MINUTES AND DID 1.6 MILES. ON THE VARIETY PROGRAM SO THE INCLINE KEPT CHANGING.

Of course, I came home and ate two Oreo cookies (senior girls fault for leaving them in my line of vision), but WeightTrainerGuy said to reduce my food intake by 25% and all of you know that I could have easily eaten the entire package of Oreos on my kitchen table and then finished off that bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos that I didn't touch. So, there. Not that I didn't want to.

That container of yogurt didn't go very far, I can tell you that, and it is lunch time and I am starving. Not a good combination, if you ask me (and that bag of Doritos, which is cowering on the table). Must shower and get out now.

Training Day

I met with the trainer today. My church has a huge "family life center" that I have used in the past (read: before children) but since I have fallen slam apart, I decided that during this spring break week, I would hit the treadmill everyday and then I made an appointment with one of the weight trainers.

Well, how do you do, WeightTrainerGuy. Let me just start by saying that he said that food was not our enemy.

Tell me more. Much, much more.

And then he wanted to know how old I was...like in my thirties?

Please. I haven't seen my thirties for ages.

I believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship. Now, he did bust my ass today. I used muscles I didn't realize I had. My hands are even sore. And he told me to try to drink more water, hold off on the processed foods, and eat 25% less. And get in some aerobic exercise 3 - 5 times a week.

Girls, I might be able to do this. After going carbless for three miserable days and counting points (please, I don't want to hear about counting all those freaking points), I have found someone who is speaking my language. I am no longer a stranger in a strange land.

I've Got Nothing

Except This:

People. Chris Evert and Greg Norman are getting married. Where the hell have I been? I wanted to be Chris Evert when I was growing up. A two-handed backhand? I practiced the hell out of that and never got the hang of it. (I never got the hang of that blonde ponytail, either.)

And I have watched Greg Norman self destruct more times than I can count; one memorable Sunday at Augusta comes to mind, when he had all but won the Masters and still managed to watch someone else get a green jacket. I hope he can win this one.

My Fascinating Day

My first day of Spring Break has just flown by. The stay-at-home part of me fluttered around this morning because we are going to have a house guest this week (long story short: private school girls aren't having spring break; public school moms are. One of my friend's is going to take her husband to see his father. I don't have exciting plans like that, so we offered to keep her daughter for the duration.) and I had to chisel the grime out of PrepGirl's shower. (OMG. I thought girls didn't like crud. I guess she doesn't like cleaning more.)

I left the house after that.

I've baked cookies and started the laundry and read (The Romance Reader's Book Club), did a little shopping and a little exercise.

Yesterday, I didn't think the choir was singing, so I dragged myself up to the balcony and proceeded to watch in surprise as they dragged themselves into the choir loft. Color me stupid. I'm on Spring Break.

You Call This A Drought?

My part of the country is suffering in the middle of a drought. This past winter, the lake levels that supply our water were down by huge amounts; so much so, that we were on lake alert. The local news would let us know nightly how many inches our lake levels were down.

Our local intown park is host to several festivals in the spring and the local government decided that the drought, coupled with thousands of festival goers, would devestate the grounds of the park. They moved all the festivals to the parking lot of one of the malls inside the perimeter.

Fast forward to Thursday, the opening day of the first spring festival: a deluge poured down from the heavens, which continued through Friday and Saturday.

I believe it has rained more during this drought than at any other time in our state's history. The lake levels are all up; the only one that isn't up to capacity is the one which the Corps of Engineers continues to release with no forethought as to the consequences for the people of this state.

Either way, I am still on spring break: I can just sit around in my pajamas for all I care.

SPRING BREAK

I wish I could say that I had magnificent plans for this week (Antigua, Disney World, New York City) but I will settle for Starbucks, the book store and a good massage without having to grade, plan or think about the geniuses (thank you, Cupcake) for ten whole days. That may be break enough. I only have to get to May 23, people, and I will let this group go. Can I get an amen?

And next year, for some of you who aren't following, including you, LawyerBoy, I will only be responsible for one class of Math and four classes of Language Arts - departmentalization. Our principal agreed this week to let us give it a go. So, the other three teachers are going to split up the rest of the subjects and we will send the children around to get a taste of middle school. They don't believe us when we talk about how difficult it really is - so we have decided to ratch it up a notch. All I can say is buckle up, fourth graders. We're getting ready for you.

Teacher Stuff

I just finished a huge 5th grade meeting with our principal initiated by the 5th grade team. We made a huge presentation to our principal concerning next year and departmentalization. With all the dumping of new standards, testing and whatnot, we asked if it wouldn't be possible for us to departmentalize - and lo and behold, she, after much give and take and discussion, said yes.


I am thrilled. I think this is an amazing thing.

Apparently, 5th grade is golden this year.