Chuggin' Along...
Summer is moving at break neck speed for me and I don't feel like I'm getting enough done. I feel like I spend all my time cleaning, this is due to the fact the new 19y/o living in the house does even less than her father when it comes to helping out. To add to the chaos, 8 of her friends from Utah are coming to town tomorrow afternoon, for a week. And last night I was told I was wrong because I was upset that the ballroom dancing night AT THE HOUSE wasn't run by me first. I was told it is her house too. Fine, then maybe she should do some stuff around here. Now, would I have said no, probably not, but it would have been nice to have been part of the conversation that said it was okay.
The rest of what is going on and how I am feeling about it is a long, long, long story and makes me very, very, very upset, so I shall not talk about it and update the to do list...
1. Scan family photos - haven't started this
2. Scan heritage photos - haven't started
3. Paint iron patio furniture - thought about starting
4. Landscape the tranquility garden - did work on this for a couple of hours a couple of days ago
5. Read - I continue to read as much and as quick as I can.
6 Funding - Got an email from an organization that has two grants that I might qualify for, of course they have already given them out for the coming year. I can apply in March. I need to call Rotary Club again, they never called me back.
7. AVON WALK - I need to raise $1000 still in order to do the walk. Right now I am making spare change jars for people to collect their change in for donation. Now, I just have to get people to agree to fill the jars.
Okay, off and running. I need to clean a doggie pool so I can return it, the dogs want nothing to do with it.
dropped off
School let out and summer vacation started and I dropped off the face of the earth. I have been enjoying my time off. Reading, working around the house and visiting with friends. It hit me yesterday that I only have 5-6 weeks left. It is going by super fast, mainly because summer is almost 2 weeks shorter this year. Our district in an effort to save money has eliminated our year round track for elementary schools. To keep those parents happy they adjusted the traditional track schools to have a longer winter break and a longer spring break. I'm not so sure about the change, but I'm willing to give it a shot with an open mind.
So, with my remaining weeks I have a lot of stuff I want/need to get done, with that here are a "To Do" list.
1. Scan family photos - several years ago I became the self professed family historian. That basically means I stared scanning 30-some-odd years of family photos and moving them to acid free albums. I never finished, so that needs to get done.
2. Scan heritage photos - on the same lines of the family photos, I have 3 albums that belong to my grandmother that I need to scan.
3. Paint iron patio furniture - when R passed away 3 years ago I took some really cool patio furniture from his house. I have never gotten around to painting it, although I did buy the paint. I want to paint the furniture and make it functional.
4. Landscape the tranquility garden - okay it's really not a tranquility garden, it's just the garden on one side of our backyard, but I want to make it a place where we can relax and enjoy the evenings with some tea or a glass of wine.
5. Read - the reading list for the summer is HUGE. I am changing English levels next year and haven't read most of the stuff on the reading list, so I have some catch up to do. Not to mention I need to find my fall play.
6 Funding - I need to find funding for my online class. The school informed me at the end of last year that they will not fund me next year. I don't get it, we are one of 18 schools in the world that do this project and they don't want to fund it.
These are some of the major things, there are lots of other little projects that keep popping up. The paper to do list is much longer, because I add to it as I discover things that need to be done. I also want to make a trip to Phoenix to visit my grandmother and and possibly to Colorado to see my sister (this is the trip M wants me to make).
In the middle of all of this I want to find some beach time, I'm looking a little pasty right now.
So, what are your summer plans? Anything exciting going on?
Only
DAYS LEFT!!!!
The weather here continues to be June Gloom. I'm tired of overcast, chilly weather. If it's going to look like this I want rain (rumor has it an El Nino is headed our way).
School continues to move along and is proving to be a big disappointment for next year. I recently found out that one of the projects I do with my students will not be funded. The cost is relatively minimal, but the school says they can no longer pay for it. If I find my own funding I think I can still do it, so I am on the search for a group or several groups who will help me continue to participate in this project. I will tell you more about it once I know if I can find the funding (lest someone try to steal the project out from under me, I mean, come on, I'm one of 18 schools that get the opportunity to do this).
The students get more and more out of control each day. Today I am administering a district final with my English students and I would say at least half of them did not bring pencils. Who doesn't bring a pencil to a final? I really could throttle them, but it's against the law.
Things at home do not seem to be improving. L has moved in, which is going okay, we are all working on making the adjustments. I don't think she likes the fact that I don't just let her do what she wants. I'm sorry, I think going to the spa with a boy she knows likes her (and I know wants to get into her pants) at 10:00 pm is a good idea, even if she explained that she will only be his friend. If there was going to be a group that would have been different.
B continues to be a thorn in my side. I think D is beginning to realize that maybe I'm not the complete and total problem. M is doing a better job at standing up for me to her. The issue this time is that I hurt her feelings because I teased her about braces not hurting as bad as she makes it out to be whenever she gets them tightened. She won't even talk to me on those days. Oh she can talk to everyone else, but not to me, it hurts to bad. So this last time I called her on it. I wore braces, I know what it feels like. When D expressed concern about what I might say when I see B again M told her that my take on it is to treat her the same way I treat my students (I only tease the ones I like) and they all seem to be okay with it. And he explained that when we are together at the house I usually go into the craft room or play on my computer, that B and I say very little to each other and he only sees that as getting worse now. D couldn't say anything to that.
I could go on and on about the situation there. But let me leave it at this, I don't hate B, I hate her behavior. I know for a fact she hates me because she has told people that. (M called her on that one, finally). It's going to be a fun filled summer, I can feel it.
Now, off to grade some more papers...
Today's programing is brought to you by the number...
Because that is how many days I have left of school.The days are moving by at break neck speed, so much to do and so little time. I have lists and lists of things to accomplish and I don't think there are enough days to get it done. Not to mention I can feel myself getting overwhelmed and when that happens I mentally shut down and don't get anything done.
Here is a list of things that make the end of this year especially nice:
1. I won't have to deal with the group of senior boys that have been terrorizing my theatre 1 class all year.
2. I will have a second theatre 1 class next year.
3. The theatre will be completely, spotlessly clean before I leave for the summer.
4. I may not have to teach sophomore English next year (I might have seniors).
5. I'm ready for a fresh start.
Here is a list of things that make the end of this year a little sad:
1. I am losing two of my favorite students EVER! (there are a at least 4 other students in my 13 years that I feel this way about, so that says a lot about these kids).
2. One of my favorite kids doesn't like our department or school anymore and wants to go live with her dad. It's killing her mom's spirit, I feel for her. I consider the mom a good friend.
3. I don't know what my fall play is going to be.
What's keeping me going right now is the fun of completely cleaning my theatre. The head custodian got me a big dumpster and we are throwing stuff out right and left. The hard part is never knowing what you might need. But I can only store so much. I will take pictures tomorrow for your viewing pleasure. I really wish I had thought of that before I started cleaning out our storage bin. But better late than never. I am so excited to rummage through the bins and bins of costumes that were found, decide what is worthwhile and what is trash. I am looking forward to photo cataloguing all the major furniture pieces and unique prop items that way when we have a show we can shop effectively "in-house". And I am looking forward to being able to move around the theatre without having to constantly move things out of my way. Wait until you see all my "junk". I know several of you might break out in hives with the mess and clutter that you will witness.
And with that, I am tired of being at school. I am going to pack up my papers to grade and do that at home with a nice glass of ice water.
only...
13 days to go!
The kids are getting antsy, I'm getting tired and everyone is getting lazy. I can't wait until we're done.
Aside from that my life is running a break neck speed as always.
Here are a few lists and then I'm off to grade papers while my students silent read for a bit.
Things I am trying to do
1. Plan a family summer vacation. If only the "ex" would give us the dates that B will be with us. I am pretty sure she withhold's this information so she can maintain control over M's life. I mean he divorced her, she doesn't have the ultimate power any more, she has to do something to control his life.
2. Plan a trip to New Mexico in August for a wedding
3. Find a job so we won't go bankrupt over the summer.
4. Schedule dog training for the pups.
5. Get caught up on grading papers before school lets out.
Places I want to try visit this summer
1. Phoenix - to see my grandmother again
2. New Mexico - for a wedding
3. Carpenteria State Beach - for some relaxation
Projects I want to complete this summer
1. Finish scanning the 30-some-odd years of family photos and get them back to my mom's house.
2. Scan the historical photo albums I borrowed years ago from my grandmother so she can have them back.
3. Get my "secret" garden back in shape. It's not really a secret, but that's the feeling I want to create.
4. Finish the quilt my grandmother gave me to the topper to.
5. Make a baby afghan for my cousin who is going to have a baby.
Things I want to add to my bucket list
1. An African Safari
2. Go down in a shark cage
3. Act in a professional production of something
And now I am off...got to run, got to teach, got to try and mold the youth of today into the production adults of tomorrow we hope they will be.
Count Down...
more days of students!
Parents don't fool yourselves, teachers look forward to summer vacation just as much as your kids do. It's not that we don't love our jobs or love the kids, it is the shear fact that they wear us down by June.
I for one have several I would love to give a swift kick in the pants as they leave me for parts unknown. But, then there are the ones who I love and care for as if they were my own. They are ones that make it all worth it.
Like JC, who has been in my program for 4 years, worked long, tireless hours for me and has made every attempt to make my life in this job easier.
And JD who in her sweet (yet sometimes neurotic) ways always makes me smile. I have taken this one in under my wing and have vowed to make sure she is okay no matter what. She has a rough home life (no abuse, just a case of local poverty going on here). At one point M and I were days away from seeing what paperwork would be involved for me to have living with us.
And little AR, she isn't as active as I would like, but she is a joy to have around and always has a smile for everyone.
And sweet, sweet CV, who came in to my theatrical life just last year and took the department and my heart by storm. She is a tiny dynamo of talent and is going to blow everyone away as she goes off to college to pursue an career in musical theatre.
And AM, my highly motivated, highly talented techie girl. I don't know how 90% of the set work is going to get accomplished next year without her. She would do anything to create an awesome set (including painting 3 ginormous canvas backdrops).
As happy as I am for this group to be graduating, I am going to miss this bunch immensely. They are my hope for the future, my sanity, my students...
My kids.
Why do rules change?
I often wonder about this. I have worked at my school for 5 years and in the district for 10, and the rules are constantly changing. I understand the concept that sometimes rules need to change, but don't tell me that something has always been a rule when I have never been asked to do it.
I have run into this situation numerous times this year. All regarding paperwork. This year I have been told I am supposed to submit my show posters, program and tickets for approval because they are seen by the public. I have to submit my insurance to drive students (which I actually knew but haven't done in years, and have continued to drive students with the administration's knowledge).
I am compulsive rule follower, I like to follow rules, I like structure. But don't tell me things have always been a certain way when they haven't. Don't treat me like the scum of the earth and scold and reprimand when you haven't enforced the rules that have been broken. Don't be reactive, be proactive. It is actually to the point of being ridiculous.
