The Last Day of Vacation

Sundays are never, for me anyway, any kind of a vacation day.

It has to do with the death march of choir and Sunday School and the awful hour at which they occur. And the fact that LB's parents always lunch with us after church.

We do not get home from said obligations until after 2PM. While I shouldn't complain about honoring the Lord, I would like it to occur at a reasonable hour like my Catholic brethren. I walked into the Starbucks to grab a quick cup of coffee before starting my Sunday vigil. One of my friends was there with his family - already finished with Mass and enjoying some coffee, looking forward to the day. I was more than envious.

Today, however, is more than an average Sunday. In addition to being the last day of Christmas vacation for me it is also the evening of the Mistletoe Ball. Seniors are going to the Christmas formal tonight. You would think this wouldn't have much to do with me - but how wrong would you be? In addition to having a daughter getting ready for her last Christmas formal, I also have to go to the annual Picture Party this evening and mingle for an entire hour (AN HOUR) with my camera, ready to take pictures of any adorable moment my oldest daughter might be engaged in.

She has asked Brown Bear to come along with her camera in case Lawyer Boy and I can't handle it.

So, yesterday was a marathon in readying myself for school on Monday. Not ready at all. Won't be ready today and won't be ready tomorrow. We were told that report cards had to go home on the 8th three days before Christmas vacation. Unexpected and ridiculous in my district because elementary report cards are done by hand.

Yes, you read that correctly! In the 21st century, I am doing report cards by hand. Without a computer program to average grades provided by the county. I bought into a service, but teachers who don't opt to do this average grades on a calculator.

Ninety days, people. I'm looking for a new job. Any suggestions?

Gird Your Loins

• Week long Thanksgiving vacation just makes me antsy for Christmas break.
• Principals have to have walk-throughs started and completed for the semester in the next three weeks. (Are you kidding me? They always do this stupid crap in the month of December.)
• Our lesson plans have been re-invented so many times, I just don't know what is up anymore.
• Our students are taking benchmark tests next Friday. I'm nowhere near finished with the curriculum, but we're going to test them anyway. Because the county says so.
• Our boys made it to semifinals: Prep is thrilled! The game was almost six hours away Friday night - so close to Jacksonville that you could see the airport if you stood up on the top of the stadium seats. My dad went to the game and kept calling us here with updates. He had a great time - Prep said he sat right in front of the cheerleaders, but the game was so exciting, he nearly forgot to watch her and stood up and watched the football game instead.
• One of the boys in the upper school died Saturday night. He had Ewing sarcoma and had suffered for several years. This has really hit me hard - I don't know why - but this boy was the baby of his family and I keep looking around at BrownBear and wondering what I would have done if this had been her. He was a 10th grader. Just keep him and his parents and his big sister in your prayers. And the entire upper school. Tomorrow is gong to be a tough day at school.
• Fifteen school days until I can return to this perch on the couch.

More Rumblings Heard 'Round the Building

We had a flood around these parts not long ago, and this is what happened to one of our schools. Conditions were so bad, people couldn't get out of their neighborhoods. Homes were destroyed, roads washed away, electricity was out for days.

School was cancelled on the Tuesday after this disaster - take a good look at this building, people. It didn't take long for the flood waters to fill this place up. Teachers lost everything. Knowing me, I would have lost my damned car keys. However, being one of the lucky ones, I didn't teach in this building.
The Wednesday after this disaster, we were called in for a teacher workday. Mind you, roads were still out, people were still homeless and there were still those who had no power. But, "if conditions warrant safe travel, get your smarmy selves to work." Well, thanks Superintendent Dumbass, who took that raise and then decided to decrease our salaries 2%! We reported for duty!

Today we heard that we were going to be furloughed for that Tuesday or we were going to have to take a personal day - the act of God Tuesday- conditions were so bad that the GOVERNOR said that people should not be out! The county has days built into the calendar for crappy days like this? Does this now mean that for every snow/hurricane/ice day, I'm gonna have to call in a personal day? What were the flooded teachers supposed to do? My own husband didn't go to work that day... what the hell is this superintendent and his board think?

If the school board lets this stand, they are all going down in the 2010 elections. Mark my words. The teachers are ready for a fight.

Just a Quick Question

Why do men think Extreme Home Makeovers are a good idea seven days before I have to report back to school? When we are expecting houseguests in a day? When both of our children are leaving on trips - one of whom is leaving the freaking country by herself for the very first time ALONE? Could I be any more bothered by this? I understand he means well, but for heaven's sake, he's had all summer. Couldn't he have bothered me in June instead of the last week of July?

Just asking...