Taking Charge ~ August!
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August First!
YIKES!
August already? When did that happen?
I've got a dentist appointment at 11:30, then I'm going to pick up my almost-15-year-old-niece who will spend today and tomorrow with DD15.99. We'll probably go to the pool since its TOO DARN HOT to do anything else.
I spent yesterday morning cleaning, organizing, and generally snooping in the (classroom) office at school. (In addition to a wonderfully large classroom/foods lab of 6 kitchens and teaching space, we have an office and a work/equipment room with storage, counters/cupboards, washer and dryer and work table!) I'm hoping to get back at least one more afternoon this week. (Still much to do.) The classroom itself is in really good shape: clean and organized. The office was a mess, though, and I haven't even spent any time in our workroom. There is a mountain of stuff that needs thrown away, but with schools being what they are, I just made a pile until I find out the protocol for getting permission to toss it! (I'm talking boxes containing film strips and record albums. Sheesh!)
Zillah, we are planning a party for DD~almost 16 on Saturday the 19th. (Her birthday is the 20th) I need to get the stuff to make the invitations and get them ready to mail by Friday. She is inviting the entire marching band as well as assorted other friends and family of course. We are requesting that the young people bring a food donation and/or school supplies for our local food bank in lieu of gifts. DH and I are giving her a charm bracelet and a certificate for Drivers Education. My parents are giving her a trip (to be taken next summer with my mom and my niece, too)...possibly Eurpoe, maybe Hawaii; they get to choose!
The house is trashed, the laundry is overflowing, and I have no idea what's for dinner!
I love summer!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Gracious!
"The house is trashed, the laundry is overflowing, and I have no idea what's for dinner!"
Lenora!
You sound like me!
I feel so much better just seeing you say that.
-Jo
Glad to be a Role Model!
I've made a dent in the laundry tonight and fed the kiddos (mine plus two more) at the pool. DH was driving home from Indiana and ate on the road. The plan for tomorrow is to tackle the worst of the main living spaces and the kitchen in the morning while DD15.99 is at marching band practice and then get the girls to help with the bathrooms and floors. We need to do a good hour-or-so in the basement tomorrow, too....at least its cool down there!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Thanks
for the new thread Lenora. Your DD's party sounds like a handful! Good idea to ask for donations instead of presents, keeps down the clutter level as well as doing good. D'you think I could move into your classroom? It sounds lovely
Kerri, I'm afraid the chances of getting DD to sleep on the train are absolutely nil! She doesn't sleep for very long in the car, and the only public transport she's slept on is the tube, hypnotised by the passing blackness on the journey out to my mum's
I've got some fuzzy felt, those crayon things sound good - I'll investigate, lots of stories and a big list of all the stations we stop at to measure our progress. DH commutes quite often on a cross country train, and he's amazed by the number of people who bring their children on train rides of several hours with NOTHING to do. Then they get surprised when they play up. (Need that rolling eyes guy here!)
Now, I've got some washing to hang out while its still sunny.
Zillah
Packing Day!!
I have my PhD day tomorrow, so today is packing day. I've made some gingerbread for the journey, and I'll start the process going for the Cornish pasties later.
Because we're going by train and we want to take the child-carrier backpack for DD, so we can go walking while we're there, we have to pack into one big rucksack (including the nappies!). This will be a big challenge, as I usually like to pack extravagently
We think that when our present car eventually gives up we might not get another, so this summer we're having a trial run of holidays without a car. Could be interesting . . .
Zillah
Thursday Morning!
Well, we may have severe storms for the next couple of days, but we're expecting a break in the heat/humidity so I say "storm away!" We live here on the North Coast to avoid triple-digit heat! Geeze!
Today is "project" day with the DDS's closets being on the top of the list. Also on the "must-do" list are: finish DD15.99's party invities and get stamps, at least one trip to Goodwill (after finishing the closets), and remember to pick-up the dry cleaning, as the top I need for tomorrow is there!
My good friend and I have tickets to Cirque du Soleil~Delirium tomorrow night. We're going up to the big city early for dinner, too. I can't wait! We've had our tickets since, oh, about March! At some point I need to paint my nails...probably late tonight as I have a bit of outdoor work to do later. It's been so-darn-hot that anything more strenuous than walking from chair to water at the pool must wait until late evening...last night I almost asked DH to put up a flood light at 10:00 pm so I could do a bit more but I was sweating so much even then that I figured it was time to quit!
I'm getting an arbor for the front flower bed...well, we got the arbor and DH stained it last night. I'm working on a perennial bed, but the space is 37 feet long and 7 and 10 feet deep and since it is between the sidewalk and the house (from driveway to front door) I can't make it smaller! Complicating things even more...there are really only a couple of inches of good soil and the rest is clay.
It was full of subruban-development-regulation shrubs (overgrown) and I really should have pulled everything out and amended the soil but didn't have to $$$ at the time. SO, over the past several years I've yanked most of the shrubs, starting with the THORNY ones (What dufus landscaper would put thorny bushes in a family-home border....you're just asking for a frisbee/soccer/kick-the-can induced trip to the emergency room! 
)
Anyway, the new arbor will stand right between the two windows in the garage with enough space in front for a small flagstone area where I intend to put my little bistro set (small table and two dainty chairs).
I've been working on making the space level and scraping the old mulch into the top several inches of dirt. I'm working with a list of long(er)-blooming perennials that thrive in full-sun and clay soil because the GOAL is low-maintenence, with plants blooming from April to October! There are two more evergreen shrubs that I am planning to pull (and replant in the back) this fall. I'm hoping to replace them with shrubs that bloom in the spring...azaleas and rhodedendron don't really like the amount of sun the front gets, so I'm looking for something else!
My instant gratification self doesn't really love my multi-year plan to the perfect perennial border but my budget-conscious hubby does, so I'm going slow.
YIKES! Look at the time!
Love to all! Have a great day!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Lenora, I think your house
Lenora, I think your house is very similar to mine. I remember seeing a picture once I think. Anyway, I have that same size garden in front of the garage and butting up against the front porch. We used to have those same lovely shrubs, but no thorns. Anyway, it's all perennials now and some low shrubs and is pretty low maintenance! I'll send you a picture sometime if you want.
Andrea
we've had a break from the heat too
makes you appreciate the odd rainy day here and there because at least it gets cool enough to sleep at night!
Zillah, sounds like you need DD's train activities to be disposable somehow!
I've got an unspecified number of children playing sardines in my tiny house at the moment. I think it's probably 5 but it could be more. I'm not sure they've even got the hang of it yet because I can hear them all charging up in one go and finding the hider all at once. I just had a word, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves anyway so they may see this as a variation and the whole thing might last longer. It's a little bit warm to be outside so they were looking for indoor fun. Thank heavens for that pack of rainy day activity cards which reminded me of sardines when they were tarting to play hide and seek. My kids are much less sophisticated than most of their friends are used to, but they seem to have fun anyway because my kids so obviously don't give a monkey's about doin fashionable stuff, so the pressure's off and they can act like real kids for a change. With the front door open half the time it seems like others are joining the fun. Saves me finding ways to occupy my two n their own though, so I'm okay to work. It's getting a bit noisy but the phone's been quiet so it's not too bad.
Kerri.
Queen of Sardines!
...or I was for many years! We used to play with the youth group at church...both when I was a youth and when I was leading them! It doesn't seem to matter how old kids get, either: even the high schoolers were always "game" for sardines!
Pictures welcome Andrea! I'm ready for some new inspiration! lgunnoe@neo.rr.com Thanks!
Blessings,
Lenora
Blessed Peace!
Both DDS's spent last night away from home and I've been completely alone since DH left for work this morning! AAAHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh! It's nice.
We never did get to the closets yesterday although DD15.99 purged a good bit of hers and made a bag to donate. I'm going to let that slide today, too since I just don't feel like starting without enough time to finish!
The house is back to a respectable level of chaos (mostly mine) and since I've done another load of laundry this morning I'm almost done with that, too. I'll have the DDs wash their sheets this afternoon and remake their beds but that's all the housekeeping that is critical. whew!
I'm totally excited about going to the show this evening. It's easily the most extravagant evening I've had without DH in...well...decades! I painted my nails, fingers and toes, last night while watching DVD's of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. (Season 6, if you're interested. We own all seven seasons.) My toes are a fabulous deep fuscia (which matches the lip color I'm wearing tonight) but since my fingernails are long I used a lovely, almost sheer, neutral pink which has just a bit of shimmer. DH likes my nails painted dark/bright but they look so....dramatic...that I'm not comfortable like that. I'll probably cut them back just before school starts.
Well I need to get that laundry out of the dryer and get dressed to go to the post office on the way to get DD11.5.
Happy Friday, freinds!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
I painted my nails last night too!
but mine are more of a coral, so I might put the lipstick on that goes with them. I had a superbly disturbing day yesterday and was totally frazzled by the time I hit the supermarket when the kids were in judo. So in addition to the obvious chocolate treats and some gummy laces which I shamelessly enjoy, I also bought myself some other sensory treats (I'm back to reading Sarah ban Breathnach again - Romancing the Ordinary - thanks again Honey!). I bought nectarines which smelled lovely and which I rarely indulge in, as well as three nice green apples, etc. Then I sniffed all the handsoap looking for something utterly divine... and failed. I went looking for nail polish, and found something which turned out to be a totally different and far better colour than I expected. Then I saw socks... found a gloriously impractical pair of hot pink socks which were calling my name - they have an appliqué snail on and say "take it easy"... plus they were reduced to less than a pound. All in all it was a wonderful experience and I still feel better for it. Shame the hot pink socks and the coral fingernails don't go, but who cares - I'll be enjoying them both today anyway!
OH... nearly forgot the bunch of flowers I bought myself. Ok, I went a bit over the top and even the cheap socks would have been hugely beneficial. I'm off to find clothes which will go with my socks...!
Kerri.
which reminds me
I need to buy some nail varnish remover! Every time I go shopping I forget, and my toenails need to be redone. I can't keep putting another coat on indefinitely
I applied for a job today as a museum assistant. It's local, and I am interested in local history so it's quite ideal for me really. Probably I won't even get an interview. It's quite rare around here for someone to have stayed home and raised their own kids, so the fact that there is a 15 year gap on my CV doesn't look great
I am probably the only applicant without recent work experience. We'll see, anyhow.
Tuesday!
I'll keep my fingers crossed, Honey, that you get that interview. Even if you don't, having applied is good practice (and good discipline!) Good for you!
I've been thinking about "sensory experiences," myself, Kerri. since seeing Cirque du Soleil last Friday. It was gloriusly visual and auditory. I needed that! I've neglected things like that for a while now and want to get back to lovely scents and sights and sounds and tastes in my home.
Speaking of tastes, I made a KILLER seafood pasta in pink vodka sauce last night using some of my fresh Roma tomatoes...delicious!
Lots going on this week....well, from here on out, I guess! DD15.99 is at marching band this morning. This afternoon we're headed to GS camp where I'll be taking a training class and the DDS will be in the activities program. I have another class there on Tursday evening. Tomorrow and Friday I'm planning on working at school for a couple of hours; I need to find out about getting another bookcase in the room for my cookbooks and the books I have for students to borrow. Thursday the band is going to Cedar Point. I'd love to go, too, but it's not happening this year.
I do need to do a couple of loads of laundry today....I may wait until evening since DH won't be home tonight.
I start "new teacher" workshops next week (Wednesday-Friday), too! EEK!
All that, and I'm still prepping for DD's Sweet 16 party on the 19th!
The next two weeks may require large quantities of adult beverages!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Garage Sale!
Good luck Honey! And good luck Lenora, too, with the new teacher stuff! I'm sure you'll be wonderful!
We've finally bitten the bullet and put an ad in the paper for a garage sale--this Saturday! Turned out this is the only Saturday we're not having a Bradley class until late September, so this is the time to have a garage sale. And we desperately need to have a garage sale! It's amazing how much stuff we're finding to sell just looking around. My husband has already checked and cleaned off 4-5 old computers that were just lying around (not that anyone's going to want them now, they're so old!) I've found boxes and boxes of things we've had for an age and not used. I know there's an old yellow fondue pot up in one of my cabinets that needs to go, too. I'll have to do a quick sort in the kitchen this afternoon. And there's still plenty left in the garage, closets, spare bedroom...everywhere, I think. I may not get through it all, but I keep telling myself that's OK, we can always have another sale later if we need to and at least this stuff will be gone! Now, if I can only get my head and back to cooperate. They haven't been happy with me since this weekend, for whatever reason.
Panic ~ The Great Motivator!
...and I'm not kidding!
I was on the phone last night with my mom, reviewing details of the next few weeks and BOOM! It hit me: not only am I GOING BACK TO WORK next week, but I'm having a party for about 50 people, too.
What was I thinking???????
As a result, my kitchen cabinets are scrubbed, the stove is spotless, all the knick-knacks have been washed, the canisters are clean and my countertops have been bleached! I wiped down the walls and scrubbed the kitchen table legs and the kitchen chairs, too.
I tried to focus on tasks that would stay done and/or at least need much less effort next week. I still need to wash the woodwork and scrub the floor today. Next week, then, a simple "sweep and swipe" will get the kitchen back to clean!
Today's tasks:
Kitchen floors/woodwork
Pick-up DD15.99
To school for a couple of hours w/cleanser to scrub the desk in the office and take a box of books
Have DDS empty, clean, and reorganize their desks while I'm gone
Pool
Dinner
Clean this front room (computer desk, Bob's tank and stand, filing cabinets, etc.)
Finish requirement info scheets for student portfolios/binders
Work on/think about student feedback/evaluation sheets (Their assessment of me!)
Collapse!
Think that's enough for one day?
Good luck with the Garage Sale, Sparrow. I meant to have one in May, but then MIL got sick and plans went right out the window! I finally gave up on the idea and have been systematically sorting for GoodWill, Good Neighbors, garbage, etc. How do we accumulate such a quantity of "stuff?" It really is horrifying. I wish I could get my DH to get rid of all the misc. computers/parts here....he's currently "building" us a designated server for the internet with one but...... (between you and me I let it go because it gives me a comeback when he's fussing about the number of shoes in my closet!
)
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Computer junk
Believe me, even with these old computers on their way out, there's still no shortage around here! It should free up a lot of shelf space in the garage to get rid of them and their assorted monitors, though. I really don't know why they're all still here. Inertia, maybe. My husband did the file server thing, too, only he bought new for it. It really has been nice to have a backup of everything (especially as often as his computer seems to break!) He also likes to take things apart and save bits of them for future projects. He does actually do at least some of the future projects and is very handy at scavenging parts, but it does mean that there are boxes and bins of wires, motors, capacitors, and far more unrecognizable parts lying about in the meantime!
Lenora, you're amazing! Come help with my garage sale?
Bedroom Done
...mine anyway! This morning I'm going to finish up, tidy up my closet, and scrub the bathroom.
I have a party to go to this evening and need to do something with my fingernails, too. I cut them back the other day after breaking two cleaning at school.
Sparrow, I can't wait to hear how the big sale went! I'm sending you good "sale" vibes, accented by thoughts of the exit of much junk and in influx of many $$$$$
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Garage sale went well!
Indeed, many random things left my house! We made a little over $100 on the whole thing after the newspaper ad, which is not bad for a bunch of stuff I was going to get rid of anyway! And we had beautiful weather--Saturday was one of the nicest days we've had all summer.
Now I just need to get rid of the leftovers. I'll probably make a trip out to the local thrift stores tomorrow and donate whatever they'll take. None of the old computer stuff moved, so we'll have to see where that can go. I wasn't too surprised--it's really old. The futon sold right away, but the queen mattress set is still sitting in my living room. We need to decide whether we want to run an ad and try again to sell it or just offer it on Freecycle. Once everything is gone, we'll have made a significant amount of room. A very good thing!
Good luck with the day and the party, Lenora!
Back from holiday
We're back from our week in Cornwall with DFIL and his children (DH's half siblings). Had a great time - loads of playing on the beach, swam in the sea a lot (yes, we're that keen
), ate LOADS of seafood thanks to DH's generosity in the fishmonger, and generally chilled out. We were staying at www.prussiacove.co.uk/houses/willys.htm
Now trying to catch up again. . .
Nice work on the sale Sparrow
How's the prep going Lenora?
How's everyone else?
Zillah
"DONE"-geon!
The four of us spent about four-and-a-half-hours in the basement on Sunday afternoon and.......
We have a clean and organized basement!
That is no little feat, either, considering we still have about half-a-household of things that belong to MIL!
Today I have a dentist appointment after getting DD16-on-Sunday
from marching band. She is going shopping with my mom and then to have her birthday potrait taken. DD11.5 and I have a few errands to run: decorations, order cake, pick up DD~16's other gift, dry cleaners etc.
After dinner this evening is all about me! I need to cover my grey (!!!) and paint my finger and toe nails. I have a "Welcome to our School District" breakfast early in the morning and then meetings all day. Thursday is another day of meetings including all the "Entry Year Teacher" info and meeting out "EYT Mentors." Friday is orientation at our buildings and working in our rooms.
DD~16's party RSVP's are sitting right at 29 guests...with one day to go. That does include 9 adults so the ratio of teens-to-adults is pretty reasonable! These are nice kids, anyway, and there are only a few (guys) that I don't know more than by face and name.
Should be fun!
That's all from me now. Have a great day!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Taking Charge of Me
Hello!
Hope you enjoyed your 'me' evening Lenora
And that all your school stuff is going OK.
I've been thinking about taking charge of me a bit since we came back from our holiday. I'm trying to introduce a 'Mummy's quiet 10 minutes' first thing in the morning. It's to give me a chance to have a little moment of peaceful contemplation before the day starts. I've also recently bought Simple Abundance (thanks to a few recommendations round here!) and I'm reading my daily dose then. I thought it would be very challenging with DD not having much concept of 'Mummy's quiet 10 minutes', but she's doing very well with it, so far . . .
BTW, Honey, did you get my message about possibly meeting at the end of August?
Zillah
Yes!
Yes I did, Zillah. It would be great to get together if you're up this way
your geography stinks!!
I was round there just yesterday and it DEFINITELY isn't UP!!!
the only thing I'm taking charge of is... um... hell, I don't know. Shutting down that nasty horrible guy who has been cheating everyone. The mess in the 30hrs or so since we did that has been just unbelievable - I can't even come here to whine because it's just too much.
The house is a bit of a wreck, but DD kindly ran the vacuum over the downstairs the other day before we had someone come over for an informal interview thing. We' supposed to be having an informal party or her on Saturday. Lenora - did you say you're ordering a cake for your DD's birthday?? Maybe I can let myself do that if you can then. DD has been very understanding - the last couple of weeks have been a nightmare of biblical proportions, and I'm looking forward to retirement!
we did buy DD's present (BIG hamster cage - hamster will have to wait till we're back from SG) but it hasn't been wrapped, no food for the party guests (there won't be more than a dozen - salads, sausages and burgers, BBQ'd if the weather permits), the card is unwritten, there's no cake, and I haven't touched party games yet - DD is a simple naive soul, and I vetoed her suggestion of a cinema trip and Pizza Hut because I couldn't find a suitable film for everyone, so we need party games. I told DD I'd put the first layer on the Pass the Parcel item and she could do the rest, plus forfeits! Gotta buy wrapping paper and stuff.
This too shall pass... I know it will.
Kerri.
The only way is up
Kerri, I realised as soon as I'd posted, and couldn't be bothered to change it. So I'm just lazy, which is marginally better than thick surely?
Friday
I'm whupped!
Family:
MIL is back in the hospital.
My 92 year-old grandmother passed away on Wednesday evening. (We were prepared and it was a peaceful, non-traumatic time.)
School
Much workshopping, learning, organizing, meet-and-greeting, and planning happening the past three days. I SO love it!
Home
Now I must finish prepping for DD16-on-Sunday's party tomorrow.
Self:
I need a martini.
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
awkward timing for you Lenora
Hope the party goes well anyway. Ours was a little odd, with the kids invited for the party (all two of them!) buzzing in and out of the house at odd times - one turned up at 9am as he often does, then left at 11am, and the other sort of drifted in about midday. I have a feeling his parents didn't even know there was a party, since he only agreed to come on Friday - could have been explaining away the party bag!!
Ah well... casual works for me and the kids had some fun. DH and my dad both disappeared for over an hour, which made DD a bit upset. We also had a bit of a contretemps because she was about to bite a chunk out of DH's arm later in the evening in a game of piggy in the middle. I blew up because it was the second time that day - I'd already seen her teeth marks on DS' sleeve in the morning - and she curled up into a ball and bawled. I eventually got her out of it by tickling and we finished the evening with a quieter family game. Whoever heard of a ten yr old biting!?!? I don't think she'll do it again after yesterday though! 
glad you're having so much fun with the work stuff Lenora. You've certainly earned it, and it's nice that you're going to work at something you enjoy, rather than something you have to do.
I've got a second interview tomorrow morning (fingers well and truly crossed he'll accept because we desperately need the help of someone like this), then I'm taking the kids to the campsite, staying through the planned BBQ in the evening (could be rained off!). I have Tuesday currently clear, but might have to squeeze in meetings or a flying visit DOWN to London. Wednesday morning I need to collect the kids, Thursday DH has a doctor's appointment and we may have a meeting with our lawyers, then Friday I'm flying off to Singapore.
I'm not a martini fan, but I think Lenora, that I might be toasting your daughter's 16th with something 'medicinal'... perhaps the rib sauce!!
Kerri.
Didn't have that martini....
...but once the teens all left I did have a glass of a nice chardonnay.
The party seemed to be a rousing success with teens EVERYWHERE. Thank goodness we had cleaned the basement since it rained most of the evening. DD16 was glowing and a good time was had by all.
We are not going to Maryland for the services for my grandmother. I'm sad for that.
LOL on the "Up vs Down" vocabulary. That's something I seem to be sensitive to, as well.
Today will be spent in "recovery" mode. The house is in pretty good shape. I've a bit of kitchen rescue to do but that is the worst of it.
I'll visit MIL for a while a bit later. They were doing a lower GI scope today and since she'll be sedated, I thought I'd wait and go this evening.
I'd like to get my "second week" handouts done and activities planned. Now that I have class counts I can get copies made. I'm not a fan of worksheets so there won't be tons, but early on there is quite a bit of stuff they need to get.
I'm off to a slow start today. I think I need to get moving!
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Scared Spitless
In case anybody was wondering how it feels to start a mid-life career teaching high school!
Send me non-panic vibes please!
Love to all
Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
You'll do great Lenora -
You'll do great Lenora - take a deep breath and smile! Huymor helps too - hopefully you will be aorund people you can laugh with...
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Those are some nice calming vibes coming your way, Lenora! You'll be fine
Let us know how it goes.
Waves hello to everyone! No time to take charge this week, and we're off on holiday (again!) with my Mum this time. Going on Monday, back Sunday. Six days later off to Cornwall again with DMIL for two weeks.
Zillah
Better!
Contrary to numerous warnings, my first three days teaching high school have been fabulous!
I remember on my wedding day thinking "OH! THIS is where I belong. I had a similar feeling on Wednesday when my second group of kiddos came into class. (I was too nervous during the first class to reflect on what I was feeling!
)
Thursday and Today went really well...I've already done my "correction of errors" notes (A throw-back to my retail-management days) for "first week stuff."
My mentor-teacher is terrific, my Department head is great, and my partner teacher in Family and Consumer Sciences ( a 27 year-old guy!) is unbelievable! His rapport with the kids is something to aspire to, he's a gentle soul with a great sense of humor and fun...and his recognition of the PURPOSE and the validity of our curriculum is right on target with mine.
Geez! Want me to go on???
DD16 (YIKES!) has a party after the football game and I'm letting her stay out until midnight. I know the parents of the guy hosting and most of the adults who will be there supervising...and we are good friends with the grown-ups driving....but even so....MIDNIGHT? MAN! when did THAT happen?
MIL is not good. (prayers welcome.) We're having her moved to Cleveland to one of the big research and teaching hospitals to see specialists. We wait. It stinks.
UM....house stuff....I've GOT to get a handle on laundry...but other than that we managed. DH was gone most of the week so meal planning took a back seat, but I think we'll do o-kay.
DH sent me a sappy, romantic e-mail card the morning of the first day with students....AND flowers to school, which got lots of attention from the female students and teachers both. He got home last night and I thanked him very profusely!
I'm woking my way through a bottle of a lovely Reisling so I think I'll say good night!
Love to all!
Blessings,
Lenora
" The teacher is just a boat to take the student over the river."
Gautama Buddha
GO LENORA!!!
Sounds like you were made for the job, though of course you had to wait till you'd had the 'life-learning' course for such a subject. I'll bet it makes you a much better teacher than any singleton coming straight out of college with no experience of what life is all about.
teaching hospitals are the BEST!! I've ranted about them on and off for years, but basically if I've got something more than a cold wrong with me teaching hospitals are where I want to be. Good luck to your MIL - let's hope the doctors really get their teeth into solving the problem. They're so much more enthusiastic at teaching hospitals, especially with unusual cases.
not really taking charge of anything this week, but I've got more time now than I've had for a couple of months. DH was taking care of sending out several hundred letters to customers the day I left. He figured out how to fold for window envelopes, which solved the problem of how to make the addresses readable!!
did I mention that we finally managed to hire someone?? Well it's the guy I was hoping would take the job. He's a far more useful guy than we could normally afford, but this situation should suit him perfectly too, and save him embarrassing interviews where he needs to explain a nervous breakdown from overwork and memory troubles which date back to a car crash about 15yrs back, and also saves him the awkwardness of being rejected because of his age (55 - a year younger than my dad). Hopefully it will all work out as smoothly in practice as it does on paper. Oh yes, and we never even asked for his CV. Very strange kind of interviewing technique!!
and right now all I need to do is SHOP, and make my in-laws happy of course. For a week that's still a holiday. I have a couple of meetings this week at headquarters, but compared to what DH and I have been going through for the last couple of months it's pretty much akin to a spa week for most people.
oh, and I get a bit of time come and say hello. Honey was right when she said recently that she saw me and heard from me a lot more when I was here in SG than when I'm in the UK! So pathetic.
Kerri.
Getting a head start
I'm just about to wrap up lesson planning for all of next week. It takes me lots of time to do eash one, because I'm writing detailed lecture notes for myself. I'm also trying to keep note-taking (for the students) to 15 minutes (or less) and then have a student activity of some type and since the whole "time" thing is challenging....I plan, then review it, then research activities, then develop directions, then try it out...then replan...etc.
Once Teen Foods and Nutrition gets through all the "background stuff" we'll be into labs and I have most of that from last fall so it will be easier!
I'm having my Senior Life Planning class (On Your Own) set their own prioities next week, so I've done some basic stuff for next week but the "meaty" lesson planning must wait a bit.
My dds got off to a good start. DD11.5 has "the coolest teachers EVER!" and DD16 prounounced her schedule as "pretty good," which is high praise, indeed!
MIL is at University Hospitals of Cleveland and not at all happy to be facing MORE tests. Hopefully we'll have better luck and/or at least more information soon.
WooooHOOOO on your new hire, Kerri. I hope it works out well for all of you! Enjoy the rest of your holiday, too!
Waves to all of you!
Have a great day!
Blessings,
Lenora
" The teacher is just a boat to take the student over the river."
Gautama Buddha
Great!!
That's great Lenora - I'm so happy for you! No surprise to any of us that it is coming so easy for you though.
Andrea
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