My sweetie got me my monster.Me: How did you know which one I wanted?
Him: C'mon!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Whew!
I just got home from the bank. I had to deposit my sweetie's share of the rent so that my check would clear.
I was feeling a little panicky because I cut it a bit closer than I thought. On the drive home, I was busy doing the math. By February, things should be fine again, but a big move, followed by my holiday party, followed by the actual holidays, and complicated by the fact that the beau had a full week unpaid this month due to two bad illnesses was making things look a little scary.
I checked the mail when I got home and in it was a check from being the supervising practitioner for a coworker who just finished her degree.
I can breathe again.
It's the little things.
I was feeling a little panicky because I cut it a bit closer than I thought. On the drive home, I was busy doing the math. By February, things should be fine again, but a big move, followed by my holiday party, followed by the actual holidays, and complicated by the fact that the beau had a full week unpaid this month due to two bad illnesses was making things look a little scary.
I checked the mail when I got home and in it was a check from being the supervising practitioner for a coworker who just finished her degree.
I can breathe again.
It's the little things.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
So This Is Christmas...
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper with pretty bows and ribbons, but I'm usualy not with it enough to do hat.
2. Real tree or artificial?
We don't have a tree. I had a real tree once and loved it, but they are messy. I like the mini plant trees.
3. When do you put up the tree?
See above.
4. When do you take the tree down?
See above, but if I had one, it'd have to be down by New Year's.
5. Do you like eggnog?
Yummy!
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A Julie doll.
7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, I have several.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
Everyone. I'm not good at gifts.
9. Easiest person to buy for?
My daughter, I guess. I buy the same stuff every year.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got?
A hideous ornament.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail, of course.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
I saw Elf for the first time last night and loved it. I'm also a fan of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever even though it hasn't aged well.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Not until December and I try to do it all online.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Probably.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Fudge. And French Meat Pie.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear, definitely.
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night.
Least favorite? Barking Dog Jingle Bells.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I rarely need to travel and I'd prefer not to. School gets out so close to Christmas and I want the vacation, not more chaos.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
Of course. All you have to do is sing the song.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Whatever is prettier. I've done both.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Growing up, the presents were at night and the stockings were in the morning. Since then, I've just adjusted to whoever I'm celebrating with.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The crazy drivers.
23. What I love most about Christmas?
The music.
Your turn.
Wrapping paper with pretty bows and ribbons, but I'm usualy not with it enough to do hat.
2. Real tree or artificial?
We don't have a tree. I had a real tree once and loved it, but they are messy. I like the mini plant trees.
3. When do you put up the tree?
See above.
4. When do you take the tree down?
See above, but if I had one, it'd have to be down by New Year's.
5. Do you like eggnog?
Yummy!
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A Julie doll.
7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, I have several.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
Everyone. I'm not good at gifts.
9. Easiest person to buy for?
My daughter, I guess. I buy the same stuff every year.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got?
A hideous ornament.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail, of course.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
I saw Elf for the first time last night and loved it. I'm also a fan of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever even though it hasn't aged well.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Not until December and I try to do it all online.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Probably.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Fudge. And French Meat Pie.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Clear, definitely.
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night.
Least favorite? Barking Dog Jingle Bells.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I rarely need to travel and I'd prefer not to. School gets out so close to Christmas and I want the vacation, not more chaos.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
Of course. All you have to do is sing the song.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Whatever is prettier. I've done both.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Growing up, the presents were at night and the stockings were in the morning. Since then, I've just adjusted to whoever I'm celebrating with.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The crazy drivers.
23. What I love most about Christmas?
The music.
Your turn.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Always Exciting
My beau and I have lived in our beautiful new home for almost two months now.
We've had two fire alarms and a long power outage.
It's like living in the dorms.
Happy Christmas Eve!
We've had two fire alarms and a long power outage.
It's like living in the dorms.
Happy Christmas Eve!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Hot and Cold
It's been stormy around here.
It's also been really cold.
There are piles of snow and sheets of ice everywhere. Nothing melts during the day. There is nowhere to walk or park. Everything is frozen.
I do my smoking on the deck and there are many times when I wrap up in a blanket along with my coat to try to keep out the cold.
We've hit the single digits quite a few times.
And yet....
We haven't turned on our heat once since we moved here and the coldest it has been in our apartment is 71 degrees.
Having lived mostly in 100 year old buildings since being on my own, I'm amazed.
It's also been really cold.
There are piles of snow and sheets of ice everywhere. Nothing melts during the day. There is nowhere to walk or park. Everything is frozen.
I do my smoking on the deck and there are many times when I wrap up in a blanket along with my coat to try to keep out the cold.
We've hit the single digits quite a few times.
And yet....
We haven't turned on our heat once since we moved here and the coldest it has been in our apartment is 71 degrees.
Having lived mostly in 100 year old buildings since being on my own, I'm amazed.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
It Will Be Okay
I've just started reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
It had been on my list for awhile, so when I saw it on a store shelf, I picked it up.
It was on my list because one of my students was reading it. I often pick up their books to see what they're reading. I read the Uglies trilogy because of this, and now I've picked up another. (Next on my list is the horrifying Anatomy of a Boyfriend.)
I teach in an economically disadvantaged city, one that is only getting worse; during the past year, our last major industry closed their doors.
Our kids come with all the problems you would expect in a city like mine.
And yet, they read. All of them, all the time. Something about my school turns kids into readers. Last week, one of our toughest students (and one with a textbook case of ADHD) begged me to let him go to his locker so he could get his book. He just had to keep reading it. When we ended up with a few extra minutes somewhere in the day, he parked himself in a corner and opened his book. Last year when you walked into my homeroom, you would find every kid reading- not because I asked them to, but because they wanted to. Whenever a kid finishes an assignment early, they immediately pull out a book. My biggest problem at the beginning of a lesson is getting all the kids to put their books away so I can teach.
It's wonderful. I think it may be one of the most wonderful thing about our school. I wish I knew what the formula was so we could bottle it up.
And as an aside, last year 100% of our grade 6 students passed the state assessment in English and all but one of the seventh graders passed theirs.
It had been on my list for awhile, so when I saw it on a store shelf, I picked it up.
It was on my list because one of my students was reading it. I often pick up their books to see what they're reading. I read the Uglies trilogy because of this, and now I've picked up another. (Next on my list is the horrifying Anatomy of a Boyfriend.)
I teach in an economically disadvantaged city, one that is only getting worse; during the past year, our last major industry closed their doors.
Our kids come with all the problems you would expect in a city like mine.
And yet, they read. All of them, all the time. Something about my school turns kids into readers. Last week, one of our toughest students (and one with a textbook case of ADHD) begged me to let him go to his locker so he could get his book. He just had to keep reading it. When we ended up with a few extra minutes somewhere in the day, he parked himself in a corner and opened his book. Last year when you walked into my homeroom, you would find every kid reading- not because I asked them to, but because they wanted to. Whenever a kid finishes an assignment early, they immediately pull out a book. My biggest problem at the beginning of a lesson is getting all the kids to put their books away so I can teach.
It's wonderful. I think it may be one of the most wonderful thing about our school. I wish I knew what the formula was so we could bottle it up.
And as an aside, last year 100% of our grade 6 students passed the state assessment in English and all but one of the seventh graders passed theirs.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Can you Imagine?
Despite an early dismissal, students in a local city did not get home from school until 11PM last night. Their school buses were stuck in traffic.
Eventually, the police were sent to get the students off the bus and transport them home.
Eventually, the police were sent to get the students off the bus and transport them home.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
What's On Your Feet?
I have two "cool" boys in my homeroom who are best buddies. I'll call them T and D. T walked into homeroom the other day and the following exchange took place:
D: What's on your feet?
T: Shoes.
D: Those things are hideous!
T: Dude, these are rare.
D: I can see why.
I totally cracked up.
D: What's on your feet?
T: Shoes.
D: Those things are hideous!
T: Dude, these are rare.
D: I can see why.
I totally cracked up.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Is It Over Yet?
The weekend: Preparing our house for next weekend's guests. We got a beautiful new dining room set. I'm very excited about how nice it looks, but all that work took the entire weekend. We didn't even go out to do anything fun.
Monday: I taught a science lesson in one of the sixth grade rooms so I can model some strategies for one of the teachers I'm mentoring. Report cards need to be completed by five. I didn't work on them at all during the weekend.
Tuesday: I'll be working late at school, and I have a major project due on Wednesday for my final graduate course. I haven't touched it in weeks.
Wednesday: Another late day at work, this time with no periods off all day. During two of the day's periods, I'll (hopefully) be scattering my students throughout other classrooms so I can do some more modeling in the science class. At night, I have rehearsal for the community chorale I joined in the fall. Our concert is in a couple of weeks so I definitely can't miss it.
Thursday: I can start to breathe again. I need to go to the post office right after school (who sent me an insured package?) and then to an appointment, but after that I can start thinking about our house again.
Friday: School, get my hair cut, pick up food for the party (I'm not cooking this year), think about the house a bit more.
Saturday: The party.
Whew!
Monday: I taught a science lesson in one of the sixth grade rooms so I can model some strategies for one of the teachers I'm mentoring. Report cards need to be completed by five. I didn't work on them at all during the weekend.
Tuesday: I'll be working late at school, and I have a major project due on Wednesday for my final graduate course. I haven't touched it in weeks.
Wednesday: Another late day at work, this time with no periods off all day. During two of the day's periods, I'll (hopefully) be scattering my students throughout other classrooms so I can do some more modeling in the science class. At night, I have rehearsal for the community chorale I joined in the fall. Our concert is in a couple of weeks so I definitely can't miss it.
Thursday: I can start to breathe again. I need to go to the post office right after school (who sent me an insured package?) and then to an appointment, but after that I can start thinking about our house again.
Friday: School, get my hair cut, pick up food for the party (I'm not cooking this year), think about the house a bit more.
Saturday: The party.
Whew!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
All I Want for Christmas
These are the cutest dolls ever. I want one.
You can buy them here.
While you're there, feel free to buy me everything from that site.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
A Fresh Start
Never before have I felt like more of a pathetic blogger than this November.
I managed three posts. Yikes!
Surely, I had more to say. Prior to this month, I was starting to take my blog more directly into education. There is always something to say about teaching, and I found a whole bunch of interesting and thought-provoking education blogs. Just responding to posts on those would keep me busy for awhile.
Yes, I moved. Yes, I've been dealing with some other issues. I thought about posting, but I never had it in me.
It's time to get back on track. It's too embarrassing to look at my yearly post totals right now. I've gone from daily posts to twice a month posting.
So I'm going to try to post every day. I need to justify my addition to a few blogrolls out there.
Questions are welcome.
I managed three posts. Yikes!
Surely, I had more to say. Prior to this month, I was starting to take my blog more directly into education. There is always something to say about teaching, and I found a whole bunch of interesting and thought-provoking education blogs. Just responding to posts on those would keep me busy for awhile.
Yes, I moved. Yes, I've been dealing with some other issues. I thought about posting, but I never had it in me.
It's time to get back on track. It's too embarrassing to look at my yearly post totals right now. I've gone from daily posts to twice a month posting.
So I'm going to try to post every day. I need to justify my addition to a few blogrolls out there.
Questions are welcome.
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