One More Sleep

Only one more sleep til the big day! We here at the Knapp house are ready to go. Which is a surprising turn of events this year. It has only taken 27 years that I know of to get everything to a science to enjoy this day of expectation. Which is why I can sit, lazily drinking cocoa, telling you about my time in the mitten state.

We arrived in the great 2007 snow storm and had a snow day the first Sunday here which meant no Knapp Christmas :-( but a great day to relax and get the Christmas cards written. Monday was playing elf as was Tuesday. Wednesday brought the flu for me and bed all day. Thursday mom, Sarah and I headed for the windy city and had a nice dinner with cousin John. We took in an evening showing of the Broadway show Wicked - phenomenal!

Friday I had a check-up at the Diamond Headache Clinic, I am going back on blood pressure medicine which makes me dizzy so we will see how long that lasts but other than that they will see me in six months. We picked up John, had a nice lunch at the Weber Grill and made the long trek home (John goes to Columbia College and we were his ride home for Christmas).

Saturday I was still not feeling great so I laid low, there was busyness going on around me but everyone has been low key.

Sunday we lit the advent candle at church and saw many friends that we only see a couple times a year. The snow has melted but the wind has come in strong and is not going anywhere.

Now it is Christmas Eve morning. The time has flown, I am so thankful to be feeling better. I am having dinner with one set of grandparents today and a great-grandmother and then tomorrow will be another family. The Knapp family Christmas has been rescheduled, weather permitting, to New Year's Day.

May you all have a wonderful, love filled Christmas day and welcome the baby Jesus in style!

First Step

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, or at least it is at AA. I am not sure if it qualifies for everything. Yesterday I had to admit that I have a problem. I am not going to be able to save all of the students I have had, have and will have in the future. I have been pretending that I could all this time. Well, maybe not pretending. I have been doing my best. I have worked hours past my salaried time, worried constantly, called parents and counselors, written letter after letter, and yesterday I went on my first home visit.

As I went back to school after talking with the mom and student I did some heavy thinking and realized that I have been trying to save them all. All of this is to say that I am really considering going to a prep school next year instead of a public school. I am so exhausted that I fell asleep with a bad migraine at 8:15 and slept until 8 this morning. I was so out of it last night I fell asleep in Sarah's bed (the small one) and she couldn't get me to move.

So I think after this year I am going to take a break from saving all the children I come into contact with and take a less stressful gig if that's possible.

Anyway, at least I have admitted I have a problem. Now when I go over board I can name the reason why :-)

Holiday Preparations

I have been trying not to get too excited about the holiday's yet, it seems a little early, not even being Thanksgiving yet. But I have given in. Yep, I'm in. All in. Let's do Christmas :-) We are elbow deep in Christmas cards, so everyone should be expecting wonderful creations from us this year!

I am making Christmas CD's for the kids to listen to for the next three weeks and we started designing posters for the door decorating contest today. There is tons of Christmas shopping being done online and shipped to Michigan for the big day and lots of secret phone calls that leave one of us whispering or e-mailing and frantically shouting "don't read my e-mail!"

Yep, we are all in for Christmas and don't forget the carols Sarah has been playing all weekend to get me in the mood to make the cards.

Christmas has come early to Yuma this year and we are making the most of it so Happy Holidays everyone!

Constantly Learning

I am always learning new things in my profession. I haven't written about teaching in a while because there have been so many other things going on with my health and vacation and now Christmas fast approaching. But this week I made an improvement in an area of my job. Parent contact. Those of you who have ever had to do this especially for the not so good reasons or have been on the receiving end of a call know just how awkward it can be.

Parents can be stand-offish, they can yell at you, they get pissed off, they blame you and my favorite - the ones that just say ok, ok, thank you. And nothing. Sometimes the parents are more of a battle than the students which is why we teachers hate calling. we threaten a lot but we hate following through.

I made a list this week and just started dialing. I got a couple of disconnected numbers, a couple of not homes, one mom who was wonderful and talked for almost 40 minutes (I love her!) And I had to have two calls made for me in Spanish. One is coming in for a conference and the other came in and withdrew her child the next day because evidently taking her child to another school will fix the problem.

Yes to all parents reading this: The teachers are the problem. We spend all day picking on your children and thinking up things to call you about just to bother with at home on our breaks.

Regardless of all this I realized that I didn't learn how to do this in school, college can't teach you how to toughen up when calling parents or to be relentless when trying to find a phone number and not give up calling until you are satisfied. To not take it personally when that student withdraws because you picked on him.

I made those calls to benefit my kids and I it wasn't easy, I still get that weird feeling in my stomach and will for a while but I was proud of myself for sticking to my principles an following through this week.

The San Francisco Treat

The idea of going to SFC appealed to me because I like to travel, I had read a little of the guide book and knew about the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street and that it was the birth place of Lee jeans. But really that was the extent of my knowledge of the place. I intended to be very dependent on Susie and Sarah for tour guiding. We all know what happens to the best laid plans...

We picked Sus up at the airport in Las Vegas and headed west for 9 hours. It turned out not to be a long trip as we all had lots to talk about, naps to take, Harry Potter on CD and music galore. It was by far one of the best road trips ever and I have been on quite a few. After settling into the Hostel (quite a deal by the way) we found some food and decided to call it a night after the long car ride. Sarah and I were sharing what was comparable to a twin and a half bed (I like to think the same size as beds at Shrute Farms!) so I noticed when she half rolled on me to get up around 3 and was sick. Very sick. She was still sick the next day so Susie and braved the big city on our own.

We had a good time, took a tour of Boudin's sourdough bread company, who knew sourdough bread can really only be made in SFC? I didn't. Or that Cosmopolitans and popsicles originated there! There is so much history in the city, it was incredible. We also saw Pier 39 which is famous for sea lions. Susie said we were going to see sea lions. I was not sure exactly what to expect but by golly there were hundreds of them, loud and stinky and adorable! They moved into the pier after the earthquake and never left, now it is a huge tourist attraction.

Monday we visited Alcatraz for an incredible tour and lots of souveniers for my kids. Sarah was feeling better so she got to go on the tour too but she got sick again in the afternoon so it was back to bed while Sus and trekked all over Union district. I know we all see the hills on TV but let me just tell you, they are not enhanced for dramatic effect, they are amazing and incredibly difficult to walk up!

Tuesday Sarah was feeling more like her old self so we took her to the Exploratorium, a hands on science museum and across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was very cold so we did not walk it like we had planned. I think we got the better end of the deal judging by the way the bikers and walkers look. I was the designated driver with Sarah out of commission so I drove us down Lombard Street and I parallel parked on one of those crazy hills, no small feat for me. Just the parallel parking is challenge most of the time :-)

Wednesday we loaded Sarah up with motion sickness medicine, and headed back to Vegas early in the morning. That evening we checked into the luxurious Bellagion Hotel and Casino for two nights of fun for Sarah's 30th birthday. We started the fun immediately and never stopped. We shopped, ate, drank, danced and celebrated the big day in style!

Friday morning, Sus caught her flight home and we headed out, stopping in Lake Havaseu to see the London Bridge before making the last leg of the trip home.

On our shopping excursion I bought a Macbook so I can say goodbye to the desktop that drives me crazy and only half works. So now I am a Mac and Sarah is a PC, we want to do a commercial!

All too soon we had to return to our regular lives, but it is never boring!

Las Vegas Part 1

After leaving the Grand Canyon, we retraced our steps to Las Vegas and checked into Bally's for the week. It was a good week, we saw many of the sights, shows and ate at some very fine restaurants. Here is a synopsis of the Strip:

$ Shows - We were able to see Blue Man Group which was fabulous and I am not sure why, but it was. It is hard to explain but it is a must see if you ever get the chance! We also had great seats to "o" - the Cirque de Soleil water show. It was phenomenal, and fun to get all dressed up for. One night we went to a dueling piano bar at the Paris casino with some highly talented musicians.

$ Restaurants - I have been to Vegas on several other occasions but never have I had the opportunity to sample the fine cuisine the city has to offer. We went to some very nice restaurants and ate food that I didn't know could taste so good! If you are going let me know and I can steer you in the right direction for some tasty cuisine. My personal favorite was the dessert at Bellagio Buffet.

$ Miscellaneous Adventures - The girls tried out the Bally's spa complete with massages, hot tubs, showers and a vanity area to do your own hair and make-up while dad tried out some different casino slots. We found a small shoe store off the beaten path that catered to hard to find sizes and got mom some nice work shoes that she loves! We had about 15 fireman outside our hotel room one morning and the alarm went off for about an hour but they wouldn't let us leave. I had a minor panic attack and even with the earplugs in almost attempted to climb out the window! I also dislocated my thumb somehow, that was painful for a few hours. Dad got to get his picture taken with Pete Rose, which I thought was really cool until he told me that he is more infamous than famous but oh well, I guess a celebrity is a celebrity!

It was an incredible week and another vacation for the Knapp hall of fame, our vacations are never boring that's for sure!

The Wild West

As most of you know Sarah and I went on a crazy, whirlwind vacation for our two week intercession, we traveled just over 2200 miles in the car and saw some amazing things. I am going to start at the beginning, a very good place to start. Believe it or not this is the first opportunity I have felt I have had enough time to sit and give you a good accounting of what a marvelous time I had and all the things I saw.

We left Yuma on Friday afternoon (October 5th) in a dust storm. I drove us to Las Vegas to meet up with mom and dad. Mom was asleep, though very happy to see us through her eyelids! The time change is a killer! We spent the night at the Golden Nugget Casino on Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas so they could see the light show. We hadn't made it in in time because of parent teacher conferences. The next morning we got up an checked out early as we were headed for the Grand Canyon.

This is something I had vowed to see before moving out of Arizona and as my time here is coming to a close it was time to make the drive. It is about a 5 hour drive from Las Vegas. It was a good time for us to catch up and talk in person. We got the National Park around 5 in the afternoon, checked into the hotel, and headed to the Canyon. I am not sure what I was expecting but I got a whole lot more. If you haven't been there, it sounds weird to say that people come from all over the world to stand and stare at a big canyon but that's what you do.

We just stood there. Staring. It's amazing. I could use a bunch of fancy adjectives as I am an accomplished English teacher but it won't make it any more real. It's big, and different colors and amazing. It's almost like you go into a trance and then everyone has to take 500 pictures, We did and we had 3 cameras going at once. That was just the first day and we only stayed for an hour because it was freezing. I had my winter coat on and gloves and I thought for sure I was going to die from hypothermia in that hour. So back to the hotel and then we went to the local IMAX to watch the movie of the Grand Canyon, much warmer!

The next day dawned warmer and we spent the whole day exploring the south rim of the park. It was very exciting, we saw elk and more rock and had lunch looking at the rock and then we went into a tower to look at the rock from above and then we watched the sunset over the rock. I know this sounds like it might get a little boring but believe me it was worth every second and every photograph. I will attach a couple for you to get the idea. Overall, I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to visit such a marvelous place and see a place that has remained untouched by technology and development and still has the wild west feeling. I do believe it was the highlight of the trip. But remember this was only stop 1. Check back
for Stop 2!

There's a lot going on in my head right now. I want to blog, to catch you up on my life and tell you everything that has been going. Except that I can't seem to get it out right now. All the words are stuck somewhere between the brain and the fingers. Here's a few things that are going on and I will fill in the rest later:

* I have an appointment at the Yuma Sleep Clinic Wednesday to see if I have sleep apnea, which can cause migraines, it is a long shot but I am up for anything these days.

* I have a new mysterious pain in my leg but I am pretending it isn't there and hoping it will just dissipate on it's own after a while. It is the knee I had surgery on so it is nerve-wracking.

* I get to go on a huge vacation over the next two weeks and I can't wait!!!! San Francisco, Vegas and the Grand Canyon - Life is Good!

* My students are wonderful, I love them and I couldn't have asked for a better group this year, they are working so hard, they are already so mature it's amazing.

* I read a whole book this weekend! An adult novel called Sammy's Hill - if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Sarah and I both thoroughly enjoyed it which rarely happens when it comes to fiction.

* My bonus came last Friday which was such a blessing, I was able to pay my bills and actually have some money for the trip. We only get one bonus a year and it was perfect timing.

* A million things to do at work and the mail order prescription company lost my meds AGAIN!!!!

* I had a panic/anxiety attack last week and one over the weekend. The triggers are not for sure but I have a pretty good idea of the cause and I am taking steps to remedy the situation. I am so fortunate to have Sarah, she is so helpful and calm and understanding when I get all worked up.

I have to go, my mind is going ten ways if it is going one, hope everyone is having a good week!

Hibernation

We are done hibernating! It is a very exciting morning here in the Knapp apartment in Yuma, Arizona. I woke up this morning to the sounds of outside noise and the fan and it was fantastic. I wasn't cold from the air conditioner, I was cool from the breeze outside as nature intended! Yes, that's right summer is officially over.

For us that means it will no longer be 115 degrees 24 hours a day. It will be nice and warm during the day and cool down to a nice sleeping temperature at night. This is, what I believe to be, the only reason people live in this town. The winter temperatures are fabulous. And now that it has begun we are very, very happy!

Out of Commision

In more ways than one! The last few weeks have not gone well for me health wise. I have been to urgent care twice, the emergency room twice, the neurologist, the ear, nose and throat doctor and had two cat scans and been in antibiotics for a month. Apparently there is nothing wrong with me. Except that I am dizzy and nausea all the time, have bad headaches and am having some blurred vision. But hey- as long as the doctors say there is nothing wrong, I guess I am alright. I have had several plans but so far they have been shot down by my family. My previous post outlined the "check myself into the mental ward" plan and I also had the "go cold turkey" off my meds plan. So if anyone has any ideas for a new plan let me know.

The ENT had a fabulous idea, he knows of this place that people can go to who have debilitating headaches and get any answers from their doctors, it's called the Diamond Headache Clinic. I laughed, I know he was being nice but I was expecting some great answer to come out of his mouth and he came out with Diamond, I was like yeah, I've heard of the place....


Now, to the other reason I am out of commission. I am blogging to you from Sarah's computer. Mine has died. I tried to get it fixed a few weeks ago but no, sadly it's life has ended. I have realized over the years that computers, much like people, have a life span. Mine has reached its lifespan. I have been wanting to save for a laptop. The goal was to get one when we move next summer. So I am going to start saving and use Sarah's for now I suppose.

Anyone that wants to send donations for a new computer for a poor teacher is more than welcome, I have no pride when it comes to asking for money!

Have a good weekend everybody!

Rumor Mill!

It has been a rough couple of weeks. I am sick. Two trips to the ER, one cat scan, one neurologist, one ear, nose and throat specialist and several antibiotics later I am still dizzy, nausea's and having blurred vision. But none of that even remotely equals the hilarity of the situation that happened at Walgreen's on Thursday night. Yes, that's right Sus, I said Walgreen's!

Thursday was not a good day, I was supposed to take the entire week off to rest which I did not do because according to my loving friends I am trying to kill myself but I did take Friday off out of exhaustion. I had a horrible group of 18 detention kids that night and had to stay at work to write sub plans so I put in a 10 and 1/2 hour day and still had to hit the pharmacy on the way home to pick up a new medication. As I was waiting for the said medication I was browsing and needed to pick up something for a yeast infection courtesy of all the antibiotics I have been pumping into my system.

Picture this: You teach 7Th grade, are trying to buy something for feminine itching and from down the aisle you hear "Hi, Ms. Knapp" and it's a boy! A 13 year old boy coming at you. So I put the box on the shelf and turn discreetly hoping to protect my privacy a little. Chatted wit the boy for a moment and then as he turned to leave he looked at me with this little grin on his face and said don't worry, I won't tell. This is when I noticed I had turned to move away from the products I was buying only to stand in front of the home pregnancy tests!

Now, this combined with the fact that I was MIA on Friday should make for an interesting Monday. I can't wait to see what rumors will be flying - should be interesting!

At least it was something to laugh at in the midst of all the rest. It is all pretty much a mystery right now, the ENT can't agree with the neurologist and has ordered a new CT and the neurologist thinks I am dehydrated and my coworkers think that is absurd as I drink more than a camel on any given day.

I came up with a brilliant plan last night to go to the hospital and check myself into the psychiatric unit and tell them I am making myself sick to force their hand into making a diagnosis. It was perfect, until I realized we don't have a psychiatric department in this hospital. Yeah, that's Yuma.

Royalty

I was treated like a QUEEN this weekend! It was so fun, I love birthdays! I know some people don't but it has always been a celebration in my family and even with being so far away it is still special. Saturday I got a massage and Arcy (the best massage therapist in the world!) gave me a certificate for a free massage in the future as a b-day gift! Sarah took me to the movies Saturday afternoon and then surprised me with dinner at Chili's with some friends and coldstone after - perfecto!

Sunday - the big day - She made me chocolate chip pancakes, turkey bacon and OJ in bed, I didn't have to get up at all! Then we goofed around most of the day watching T.V., grocery shopping and such.

There were so many cards, phone calls and gifts, I was beyond grateful for everyone's good wishes, it always makes the homesickness better.

I am off to dry me hair - a la Sarah's post of loving water and then I will get ready to sleep a little, it's only Tuesday but it feels like next Thursday!

Love you All!!!

Search and Rescue

Devotion to duty, patriotism and selflessness are hallmarks of search and rescue crew
members. They were outstanding members of this command and as a close-knit family
we mourn their loss.

This was part of the statement made by the commanding officer of the 4 search and rescue crew members that were killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday afternoon here in Yuma. There were 5 men on board (4 Marines and one Naval officer) doing a routine practice flight when they lost radio contact at 4 p.m. A second search and rescue team found the crash site 20 miles north of Yuma, near the Colorado River around midnight Thursday. One Marine is in fair condition at the hospital. All the names have been released now, meaning all the next of kin has been notified. I realize this may seem like an awkward post but tonight I was with some Marine wives whose husbands knew these men, one had served over seas with one. My friend Jules is getting her group together to take meals to the families. One of the widows has two small children and is pregnant with her third.

As we sat there tonight I new what they were thinking. It could have been me. It could have been me making the arrangements, fielding calls and accepting condolences. It could have been me facing the thought of burying my young husband. All were 35 and under, the one in the hospital is 21 years old. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for them to face that reality, I see it from afar but I too am affected. I know these men, I spend time with their wives, children and them. I have gotten to know them over the last couple of years and to realize that they could be gone in an instant is a very terrifying thought.

I never dreamed this would be my experience in Yuma but it is. I am thankful to have my friends. To know them and love them and spend time with them. It has and will forever change how I view the military service in this country. It is a duty that many are called to but it is just as much a sacrifice and for those that sacrifice their freedom, families and sometimes their lives - I am forever in debt and thankful.

God Bless the families of the 4 soldiers killed Thursday in Yuma, Arizona.

Blown Away!

That's how I feel right now, blown away! I spent the weeks leading up to school figuring out all the things I did wrong last year and how to be a better interventionist this year. I had centers ready and progress monitoring stations and all kinds of systems in place. It was going to be great. It needed to be because I had seen the scores, I knew these kids were low and it was going to take blood sweat and tears to get them ready for AIMS.

Turns out, all it took was one week, some discipline and a pre-test to determine that they were, in fact, at or above grade level, great writers, good listeners and ready to learn everything they could. So over the weekend I changed everything out to grade level reading, created new systems and plans and reset my expectations. These kids are great, they are respectful, quiet and nice. Now, someone will have to remind me of this on the off days as there are bound to be some but for now I am enjoying my new found super kids.

Today they actually worked independently for about 25 minutes and didn't get out of their seats, it was a true feat. I have had a pretty nasty sinus infection the last week or so but the kids have been troopers about keeping up with me. I am truly looking forward to the day when I go in now, I couldn't have said that before, it's a nice feeling.

Movie Mania!

I am not one say "hey - let's watch a movie" or "Want to go to the movies?" Sarah is the one that loves movies and I am usually caught up in her excitement. But this summer we have been taking in lots of movies old and new and it has been lots of fun. One day we even say two in a row at the theater and I don't think I have ever done that! So here is what we've seen recently and what I thought but please see them and form your own opinions, never take my word for it because I don't get out much:-)

Inside Out: Indie film with big names, strange, dark and not my cup of tea. I do like Steven Webber though.

Music and Lyrics: Very cute. Hugh Grant is so funny! It is worth it just to see him do the 80's music video.

The Holiday: Second time I had seen this, very enjoyable although I did nap through most of the second half. oops.

Breach: S...l....o....w... I guess it is hard when you know going in what the ending is but some of the details were sketchy and I wanted to know more about why he sold secrets.

Over the Hedge: Again, second time through but it gets me every time, they are so darn cute!

Evan Almighty: This was funny, I liked it better than Evan Almighty, it had a great message and lots great one liners.

Harry Potter 5: What can you say - it's Harry Pottter.

Hairspray: I highly recommend this one - great songs and the cast was amazing!

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: Hilarious! I was skeptical going in but Kevin James is really funny and Adam Sandler seems to have grown up a bit. The movie was definitely worth sitting through it with two of our former students in the theater (which at first was a little uncomfortable)

Live Free/Die Hard: Very funny, Justin Long is hilarious and Kevin Smith plays a funny guy too. Lots of action and suspense!

Summer School: Sarah had never seen this so we netflixed it and it is good summer fun all the time plus Mark Harmon is good all the time too.

National Treasure: Again, a repeat for me but I wanted Sarah to watch it and I enjoyed it again. I like the history part.

Daddy's Girls: Very moving story, quite sad when you realize that this happens in real life all too often. Tyler Perry is a great film maker.

That's it for now, we have three new ones down stairs awaiting us. Work starts this week so our free time will dwindle a bit but I am sure we will keep our netflix subscription busy. If you have any recommendations let me know!

Afraid to Jump?

I was very fortunate this past week to visit my cousin and her family in Texas for a week. She has a 4 year old, a three year old and an 11 week old. It is a very busy house but so full of love you hardly notice! As a teacher and someone who questions whether they want children or not of my own it was refreshing to see what I did. My cousin is a wonderful mom, she cares more about her children than whether her house is spotless and her husband takes on the role of dad and husband in a way that many men choose not to. He is there for everything, he cooks, cleans and puts away the bad guys during the day. The family is not perfect but they worship God with all their hearts and are wonderful examples to all those around them.

Now, as to the title of the blog:

While in Texas we went to the mall, no small feat with 3 little ones to eat in the food court and play in the indoor playground. After we ate, I sent mommy and Sarah away for some shopping and took it upon myself to watch the little ones play and wear the littlest one in her sling around my neck (this is the only way she likes to travel). I was sitting there watching about 25 little people run around, bouncing, jumping and climbing with no hesitation. I don't interact with young children as much as I used to anymore.

One child was standing on a slide and jumped, straight down to the floor. I was ready to pounce when the screams started, as were many other adults I noticed around me. But there were no screams, no hesitation at all. She stood up and ran off to the next activity.

I sat there thinking about how much the bottoms of my feet would sting if I had hit the floor like that and how it would reverberate up my legs painfully. How I would have hesitated at the top, looked for an alternate route down and then taken the safer way. I would have at least bent my knees and tried to soften my fall somehow.

It got me thinking that I miss that about childhood. The no hesitation to do anything. The ability kids have to go at warp speed and not have to think about the consequences until later. Not one of those kids was worried about being abducted but every time one of my little ones ran behind the big play structure I was on my feet looking to make sure they came back around the other side.

I wonder where it starts, where do we get the innate fear to question everyone and everything around us? Where does that come from? At what point did I think it was more important to be careful and not get hurt than to jump or take a risk to be happy. It seems like when a situation presents itself we think of 14 ways it can play out before entering the situation. Children see one and walk into it. I teach problem solving as a teacher I am not sure if that helps them or if it hinders them. So, are you afraid to jump?

FOUND

FOUND:

Small wooden puppy on red string. It was mysteriously zipped into my suitcase when I unpacked this morning from my month long trip. It must have been put in when I was in either Michigan or Texas - (unless some stranger at the airport thought I needed a puppy!) My guess is some little bricks were involved...Anybody have a theory?????

Family Fun

While you all have been waiting with bated breath for a new post I have been having a terrific vacation. My parents were able to take some time off and we visited some family, ate out (to avoid dishes), shopped (which resulted in too much stuff for suitcases!) and had fun.

We took in a Lugnuts game on July 3rd which is always great fun. For those not familiar, it is a farm team out of Lansing. It is a small stadium but baseball just the same. I for one love baseball games. In fact, it is the only sport I really enjoy watching. We ate there which meant hot dogs and nachos and pretzels. We threw in some Twizlers and popcorn too. Then the evening ended with fireworks!

The fourth of July was a planned day at the lake on the Roxberry's boat. This had been planned for quite some time so when the weather looked as if it wasn't going to cooperate we were not deterred in the least. Even when everyone else bailed. The Knapp's and the Roxberry's have been doing the lake thing for years and the threat of rain would not stop us! Sarah and I were dropped of at 10:30 a.m. to guard the picnic spot at the beach in case other crazy people decided to venture out. Then the boat was launched and the supplies arrived at 12. The day ended up perfect. The lack of sun was a good thing for me as I had been burned the weekend before and was not looking forward to that again. We spent the day in the boat and eating our massive picnic for 30 because again, everyone else bailed on account of the weather. We went tubing - I got thrown off once with bruises to prove it. The sun did come out eventually making for a very fine 4Th.

That's just two days of the many I have been gone, I will fill you in on the rest later gators.

Staples rocks!

$12.55 on debit card. Four trips to two Staples stores in two cities in two days. 115 pencil sharpeners, 114 bottles of glue and 114 packages of pencils (912 pencils = one for every kid in Crane Middle School). WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Vacation!

It's Thursday morning, I haven't been here for a week yet and it feels like we have been here a month. Things are crazy as usual, here's a glimpse:

Saturday-

* Haircut at barber shop
* Mom and dad to wedding
* Sarah and I took grandma and grandpa to Kara and Katie's grad party for day

Sunday-

* Church at 9
* Reception to say goodbye to Jeff and Julia
* Catered brunch for wedding participants (got moved at last minute when air conditioner broke)
* Crashed and took nap
* Fathers day with grandpa
* Vacation Bible School kick off, helped crew for hot air balloon

Monday-

*On the road for Chicago - two traffic jams added 2 hours to our trip
* Dinner with John and stayed at his apartment

Tuesday-

*Located Betsy and hit Starbucks
*Appointment at headache clinic - happy with progress, my favorite Dr. is leaving :-(
* Field Museum - great exhibits - highly recommended!
* Lunch at Hard Rock Cafe (who can resist their valet parking in downtown!)
*Dropped Betsy at friends work and headed back to Michigan

Wednesday-

*NOTHING - I stayed in my pajamas all day until dinner. We took Jeff and Julia out for a see you later dinner so I showered and such but when we got home it was right back in my jammies and we finished tying a quilt they had been working on.

Thursday-

TBA Sarah and Dad headed out to the links this morning but I opted to stay home and relax a little. I need to get back on a schedule. I hope everyone is doing well. Drop me a line and let me know what's going on!

Big Bang

Last Thursday I completed my second year at Crane. I am celebrating it as a success because seep down I like my kids and my job. The day was good, we saw them all for a little while, said our goodbyes. I sorted through some boxes and got rid of some stuff etc... Then the day ended. It was a half day and the kids were all crying, because, let's be realistic, this is the now for them. For a lot of these kids who move around and have very flexible families, school is the one constant in their lives. So everyone is crying and hugging and all the teachers are out for bus duty trying to herd them to the buses when all of sudden I am in the middle of a fight trying to pull one of my students off of another. They had a hold of each other's hair in death grips and refused to let go. I was pulling pretty hard on one and my fellow teacher Mrs. M was pulling equally hard on the other. The math teacher jumped in and the gimpy social studies teacher and police officer (who is on crutches at the moment) also tried to get in. It took some doing but we untangled everyone and I had to physically pick my student up and remover her from the area. We got them separated and calmed down pretty quickly because the 8th grade promotion was starting so there were parents milling around. Sarah in the mean time had been across the yard, seen what was happening and run to our aid. She went for the principal who was outside with us but oblivious to the whole thing.

I am still not sure what the whole thing was about my my student got pretty scratched up from fingernails and she was upset, she didn't start it and was apparently caught off guard. We also learned that another girl had been involved and slipped away during the commotion so we called her house and her mother brought her in immediately when she got off the bus.

It certainly ended the year with a big bang!

Extravaganza

I am exhausted! But it is good, today we had fun, I was in charge of the jousting matches at the carnival this morning and I took a few hits but overall I had a winning record. We had boxing, water slides, a rock climbing wall, a giant slip and slide, an obstacle course and more. All set up in our parking lot. It was great and the kids behaved great, it was hot so we are sunburned and tired. Now we have had lunch and are watching "Akeelah and the Bee" until it is time to go home. Then tomorrow it will be the last day. This was a positive way to end the year.

Especially since there hasn't been alot of positives lately. We are in huge budget crunches and we are being forced to lose a teacher to the elementary. My boss put it to us to decide as a staff, which I think is unfair, but that is the way it is. I offered to go but they said no. They can't afford to lose an English teacher. They want a social studies teacher to go.

One of my students is in lock up because she assaulted a police officer during a domestic disturbance last weekend and has to stay there until July 6th. Another is under house arrest and yet another is in in school all week for coming forward and admitting he took part in a crime. Things are messy for my kids. I teach the low ones so their lives are a little harder than others. Sarah got a huge gift basket from one of hers with a gift card and scrapbooking stuff in it. I felt bad at first knowing I wouldn't get anything from my kids. Then I remembered that I don't need anything. I get satisfaction every time they get a good grade on a test or learn the meaning of a new word.

I am a tree!

I am a tree, I did it! Sarah and I started going to Yoga class during spring break so it has been about 3 months and my goal has been to do tree stand without falling over. I did it tonight, twice! I was so excited - the instructor kept telling me to keep going that the strength work would pay off and it did. For anyone that doesn't know what tree pose check this out:

http://www.santosha.com/asanas/vriksha.html

It ain't easy bein' green

I try to be conscious of the world and my impact on it. When the scientists said to stop using aerosols I did, when they said to stop using lead in products we did, when they said to stop drinking so much bottled water because the bottles were stacking up and not biodegrading fast enough I did, even though I miss it.

So now, even though I am trying to do what they say it's not enough and I have to wonder if it will ever be enough. Newsweek reported this week that male fish in the Colorado River are turning into female fish thus causing a reproductive problem and it is being caused by non other than anti bacterial soap being washed down the drains.

So now I am going to stop using anti bacterial soap as well. The scientists are investigating the link that this finding has on humans. They are seeing a connection to puberty starting earlier in girls and lower sperm count in men. The results could be devastating to our future. All of this from fish! And people wonder why I don't sleep.

Gone Green

Mary Kay has gone GREEN! No, your make -up will not be green, we are still MK Pink and proud of it but we have jumped on the environmentally friendly bandwagon. I got an order yesterday and it came with new packing material. Peanuts. OK, peanuts are not new but we usually get brown paper. These peanuts are special. They are made out of some crazy biodegradable stuff and they are OK to throw away because they will break down quickly or, are you ready for this...They dissolve in hot water. It really works. I poured them in the sink and soaked them in hot water and they disappeared down the drain. It was fantastic.

So now you have one more reason to buy MK, we're not just pink anymore, we're green too!

Good Things

This is a good week. There are bad things, there always are but today I will tell you the good things

1. We had the golf party for our little city champions and it was fun, we golfed, ate pizza, took pictures and hung out.

2. We had a long weekend and got to do lots of things without feeling super rushed all the time.

3. My shoulder is still feeling good (knock on wood)

4. My purchase order was approved to buy the team championship shirts and the guy is designing really cool ones for us!

5. I didn't have to write and behavior referrals today

6. Only 16 more days until we fly home!!!!!!

7. I am content, not frustrated or angry or headachy just content. and happy being so.

Sadness

Anyone who works with children will tell you the same thing: it is bittersweet

This like all my other jobs have been is difficult. It is an ongoing mess of misbehavior, stress, upper management mismanagement exhaustion and fun. That's right I said fun. We wouldn't do it if deep down it didn't give us a sense of joy we couldn't get anywhere else. Oh we complain, you should hear the teachers lounge on Fridays! But let someone outside of our profession say something about our kids and watch how fast we come to their defense. We are protective mother bears - they are our babies for better or for worse.

The year is almost over and like every job I have ever had I am getting sad. It is hard to get so attached to these little ones and then have to watch them grow up and leave you. I have finally gotten to a place where I don't cry thank goodness. I remember my first day care job, you would have thought someone had died and I hated that job!

This has been a tough year. I have had intervention all year and they have drained me. I have asked not to teach intervention next year. I need some time off. They are so needy and dependent on me for everything, I am not only their teacher but their counselor and their cheerleader and sometimes their mother. It has been a year and I have been looking forward to the end. But this morning it hit me as it aways does that I will miss them terribly and that I love my job for better or for worse!

We Win!!!

Today I got the biggest trophy ever! Okay, I didn't get it, the golf team did and it probably isn't the biggest one ever. But it is big! We are very excited we won the city championship and took first and second in the individual places also!

The kids have really worked hard and practiced a lot more than the other teams to get as far as they did. I am really proud of the effort they put in. We had a lot of parent support this year too which is really helpful.

Only 14 days left and 15 until we fly home yaaaaaa!!!!

The Switch

One day last week I called a student over to my desk and asked him to read me something. What I had was something written in Spanish that I had taken from another student and I wanted to know what it said. He gives me this confused look and says "I don't know". I said, "OK, no big deal. I just wanted to know what it said because I can't read the Spanish" He shook his head and said "Oh, it's in Spanish, let me see" and he read it to me and explained it to me perfectly. I laughed and said do you have a switch?

It's so true though, most of my kids are bilingual and I have never spent much time thinking that it may be confusing for them. But it's true. They have to tell themselves which language to think in and speak in. To me it looks so easy for them but the more I think about it the more I think it must be difficult at times.

On a happy note - My shoulder didn't hurt one time this week thanks to yoga. I went to get a massage on Saturday and had nothing to complain about so I got an overall massage. Arcy said there was no inflammation in my back for the first time on almost 2 years! Such good news! Yoga seems to be the cure for right now at least.

19 Days

That's how many days are left of school and we here at the middle school couldn't be happier. I still have not signed my contract - I have until the 2nd of June, a full 30 days after I got it. They keep sending these e-mails asking that we turn them in. I think they are fearing the worst - that we will all walk out on the last day and not come back. I will sign mine and I will come back for one more year because I said I would and I am too poor to move right now.

I will keep hoping that next year will be better and in lots of ways it will. I will have one more year under my belt and be that much better of a teacher. It will give me time to figure out where I want to go next and to really research some districts. There is so much that is different between districts. It is weird because the federal government expects so much but the accountability really isn't there across districts.

Anyone, the point is I am looking forward to summer break and a new start in the fall!

A long time!

I know it has been a long time, sorry, time has really flown these past few weeks! Here are the highlights:

1. Jamee had Olivia who is beautiful and healthy!
2. Grandpa is finally starting treatment and getting out of the house a bit more
3. Two good friends have arrived home safe from Iraq
4. My students are fidgety and ready to be done for the summer, as am I
5. We bought plane tickets for summer break and get to be in Michigan for 23 days!!!!!!
6. I took my first online class, unofficially through Sarah, it was hard!
7. I found a new neurologist here in Yuma and he is very knowledgeable which is fantastic!
8. I have been continuing with Yoga and I really enjoy it - especially the dead bug pose:-)
9. My friend Shannon is moving to Tuscon and that makes me sad:-(
10. I had to break up a bloody fight and got blood on my pants, which got me thinking about going to self-defense school
11. It is HOT in Yuma now, summer has arrived!


That's what I have been up to, what about you? I will post more frequently now that things are winding down.

Shock and Awe

Monday was an exciting day in my room. One of my students almost killed them self and tried to kill the rest of us. Two of them, a boy and a girl, came up with a fantastic idea to put a gum wrapper in the electrical socket and see what would happen. What happened was a big burst of light came out and almost started a fire, there was a loud noise that brought other teachers running and my kids screaming and Daniel got a shock that knocked him out of a chair.

This was very scary but I had my calm teacher persona on and seemed very unrattled on the outside, inside it took me 2 hours to get my heart rate back down. Thank God no one was injured and nothing was damaged. Daniel learned a big lesson and now his mother is coming to school with him to make sure he is making sure he is behaving.


Today was another exciting chapter in my book as a student brought a joint to school and concealed it in her makeup case. Some students ratted her out and I tipped the police officer who searched her and found it. She was subsequently arrested and taken to juvenile hall where whe will be held until her parents pick her up. I won't be seeing her for a while that's for sure!

Animals Fighting

Yesterday Sarah and I went to get a pedicure. We only budget this in once and a while but it is a lot of fun and it is nice to have pretty toes seeing as though all we wear are sandals. There are many, many places to go in Yuma but we have our favorite at the mall. This is not that convenient because the mall is always packed and we inevitably see kids there but the people there are great and they know us so we go there.

Back to yesterday, we go in, choose our colors and sit down. Ready to relax from a long day of studying and homework from Sarah's online course. Just as my feet get wet the yelling starts. I am used to not understanding what is being said by the family. Everyone that works at the nail place is related, I have known them since they opened the shop. All of a sudden three people are screaming at each other and it just kept getting louder and louder. They didn't take it outside or in the back, they were standing right in front of us! Sarah later described the sound like animals fighting in the forest or something. It was awful. The women working on our feet just kept going like nothing was happening. Apparently they thought if we couldn't understand them it was OK.

Then this one girl starts crying and another has red marks on her arms. I recognize these marks because I have seen them when girls fight at school. There was obviously some kind of physical encounter before we arrived. The screaming lasted a couple of minutes and then it was very awkwardly quiet for a few minutes.

All the while a new person to the shop is sitting out in the waiting area. I have never seen him before but it is obvious he belongs to the family as he is Vietnamese and doesn't appear to speak English. The weird thing was that he started talking very quickly and didn't stop for about 20 minutes. He wasn't talking to anyone in particular. At first I thought maybe he was on a phone or ear piece. But no, he was staring into space speaking very loudly and the women helping us kept laughing at him. Although it is not clear at this point, since my Vietnamese is limited to a student we have a school that I have heard speak on two occasions and my time in the nail salons, I am led to believe he is a crazy cousin they have been forced to take in. This could be where the fight stemmed from.

It was a very surreal moment and we got out in a hurry. I felt like I was watching a "story" on Telemundo but at least there I can understand the plot because I can pick up some of what is being said.

Homesick

Today I found myself feeling a little homesick. This doesn't happen much since Sarah moved here because whenever I need a lift she's right there to be sarcastic in person:-) But today we went to lunch at Julies and had a great afternoon with her, her husband and her two kids. Now, I know this does not seem connected but it is. Some of my best memories are of sitting at my parent's or my grandparent's or a friends or relatives home and sharing a meal, conversation, laughter and checking in.

That old saying of when it rains it pours is really true. There has been so much going on lately and now to hear of a friend who has been going through a terrible couple of months on top of everything else, sometimes I really ask why?

It seems like the bad is never ending, there is always something worse coming our way. Someone else is sick, someone else has died. Someone has been fired, is moving, is is is....But then today on a quiet Sunday afternoon with friends. Sharing a simple meal and good conversation I was reminded that no matter how much bad is thrown at us it will never be more than the good because there is always someone to make you feel at home.

My homesickness will go away, it is only 8 weeks before I get to see everyone so that is helping. But beside that I know that God is taking care of things.

I know that was a bit rambly but it is what came out of my brain tonight. Have a great week!

A Monday to be remembered

This is a Monday that will not soon be forgotten. We have too many days like that now. Too many days that people do unspeakable things to other people for a bad, wrong, or no reason at all. The people who were sitting in class today didn't ask to be remembered but they will be. By cell phone cameras and recordings, by eyewitness accounts. By pictures we will undoubtedly see on television in the days that follow. These people will be remembered because one person wanted to be seen and heard. How sad. That the many should suffer at the hands of one.

We have become such a desensitized society that numbers don't haunt us like they should. The number of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan the last few years alone should be enough to incite riots and protests to bring those left standing home safely to their families. But those numbers are too big. We are used to the big numbers. Strange how it is the smaller numbers that get us. When the death toll kept rising today people got more and more upset and outraged and wanted action against the university. The fact is the university couldn't have stopped what had happened. It was tragic and it happened. I don't think placing blame and pointing fingers will help. The families need to feel love and support and to know that their child will be remembered however tragic this incident.

I thought back today to the night of the fire in my dorm in college and how we stood outside and watched it burn through the windows. We knew fear that night. But not life and death fear like the students today. That night, at 2 a.m. I called my parents collect to tell them what had happened and that I was OK. I have never heard more relief in my mother's voice than I did that night when I had made it to my aunt's safely. I kept thinking today how horrible it must have been for every single person who knew someone at Virginia Tech University today to have that moment, minutes, hour or hours of not knowing that relief.

My prayer tonight is that the families know where their children are and that this violence that seems to sweep across our world and desensitize us to horrible things will end. That it will become so intolerable that people won't stand for it anymore.

Summoned

I have been summoned to appear before the Superior Court Clerk because I did not return my jury selection form. I did. They say it must have gotten lost in the mail so I have to go on April 26th and fill out the paper work again. The good that came out of this was that I was forced to call the courthouse and ask them about postponing our month of service and they were very flexible. So now we can go home and then go to Texas to see the baby Brick #3 and the others Bricks of course! Now we are getting really excited, 8 weeks to go!

Wednesday

Today is a big day, the most important day of 7th grade for the students. We started the AIMS test. Today they are writing an essay to prove their writing skills. This is a challenge for many of them as they are second language learners and they have to sit still for 2 and a half hours to do it. But I was optimistic. Emphasize the WAS.

Because of new security regulations we have to have the students sign in each morning and I explained this and showed them where to sign in on the sheet next to their name. Then I passed around the paper. When I got it back every single student, all 21 of them had signed next to their name, under the right column the word Wednesday. I am no longer optimistic. I am sure one day I will look back and laugh. But today as I sit quietly pondering wether or not to return to this job in August I am not amused.

:-)

Vacation ended well, in fact so well I have been devising ways to not have to go back to work. I know it is inevitable but maybe just a few more days of fun... I finally got the insurance mess straightened out and they sent me my medicine, thank God! Grandpa's sickness has a name. We are all a little frightened about the future but I know God is taking care of him and I am remaining positive that the treatment will progress well.

We started taking Yoga and I sprained my wrist, not my fault really. It is the same one I broke last year when my bicycle was hit by a car. The urgent care Dr. said it is not broke and needs rest so I have a brace and it will be fine. Other than that I loved yoga and I only fell once. The instructor said I was flexible! I even bought a yoga mat to take with me. It has extra padding so my knees won't be so angry with me now.

Not alot of other news to share. AIMS test is this week so the kids will be on edge but lots of planning time for me! I hope everyone has a good week and those of you having bad weather, take solace in this. We are supposed to have a sand storm during golf practice Wednesday which is when we are supposed to take the team picture, see our weather isn't perfect either!

So you've had a bad day

I had a bad day. Yep, even on vacation it happens. Things have been going well but today I had to do real world stuff like deal with the insurance company and the fact that my right arm was going numb and hurting really bad all at the same time and other various unpleasant things like going to the post office for the second day in a row ( we all now how fun this is for me).

I got into my massage therapist who is recommending yoga and whatever else I can do to relax because she is afraid I am going to explode or something soon. Then I had to go to Walgreen's for a prescription that my insurance company is holding hostage. All the while I am calling the insurance company's special injection service to get my injections sent out that they are saying I can't have. This is all very stressful and before you know it I am in tears yelling obscenities at the Walgreen's pharmacist who doesn't speak English very well. Let's add that to the list of places I should no longer go without Sarah.

I know this all underlying stress because we are waiting, something we are not good at for my parents to call. They had a meeting with my grandpa's Dr. today to find out about the biopsy and the bone cancer and all that. I guess maybe I should take up yoga.

So now I am going to scrapbook some pictures that I have had since I moved to Yuma, that always de-stresses me. Love to all, keep the prayers going up.

What's New With You?

There is all kinds of news to share so I will share and then you share back!

- Palm Springs is perfect, I want to live there, as long as I can live at the Calla Lily Resort and be pampered everyday!

- Always take cold weather clothes on vacation. I know this from living in Michigan my whole life but I forgot. The lapse in judgement meant no trip up the tram in Palm Springs because they had 4 inches of snow at the top and it was 20 degrees.

- I ran over a sink with Sarah's car, thank goodness only the sink was damaged. Had we taken my car a very different outcome would have been likely. The guy was actually mad because the sink flew out of his truck and I ran it over instead of swerving into the other lane where there was traffic.

- There are way better malls in California than Arizona

- California also cares more about the environment than we do here in Arizona. In Palm Springs there is a large wind energy project that is a pretty cool and they have sun buses.

- We are cat sitting for our boss and we don't know when he is coming home and his pool has turned green. I am pretty sure this has something to do with the bad windstorm we had last week but I am choosing to ignore it and say my job was just to keep the cats alive. If they don't come home soon that could be in jeopardy as well. This is day 11 that they have been gone with no word.

- My massage therapist has found damaged nerves in my right arm and shoulder and if I don't do something I may end up with permanent damage. The Dr. has upped the anti-depressants and the anxiety meds and gotten me into the best Dr. around in Yuma (which isn't saying much) the appointment isn't until May though.

- We still have one week of vacation! Tomorrow I am getting a cavity filled and having golf team practice. The hot weather has started so there will be a lot of laying by the pool and sleeping.

- The insurance company is holding my injections hostage just because they can. Tomorrow I have to use my wiles to get them back:-) Or maybe just yell a lot at someone on the phone.

- We went to Trinity United Methodist Church this morning and it was a nice Palm Sunday service with good, old fashioned communion. It was nice to have a familiar service even if we were the youngest people there by 40 years. It was the 8:0 service and I am guessing it is not real popular with the young crowd.

- My grandpa is in the hospital with a blood infection caused by pneumonia and in diagnosing this found a tumor on his rib that appears to be bone cancer. We would appreciate any prayers you want to send up for him and our family.

Broken System

It's been a few days I know and I will get you caught up on the kids and the test scores but first I have to findmy soap box. Okay, there it is :-) Friday night Sarah and I went to Mexico to hang out with our friends and it was pointed out to us that there was a bus parked by the border. This is apparently the deportation bus. What happens is the U.S. government saves up a bunch of people who have been caught in this country illegally and then they bus them to a point of entry and drop them off. I was aware that this happened because my friend's husband was deported. What I was not aware of was the process.

There is a gate that the people get off the bus and walk through and then they walk through this long fenced in area to a turnstyle where they give a border patrol agent their name and they are released into Mexico. That's it. All they have is what they are carrying. No family, no plane ticket, no money, nothing.

Since moving here I have come to understand a whole new side of immigration and the debate over our borders but let me tell you, what I witnessed Friday night should make any American ashamed of our government that this is how we treat anyone, citizen or not. There were children in that line. Young girls. Who are now, this very moment at risk to be raped, sold, murdered and God knows what else. Border towns are dangerous places because people get left there without anything and will do anything.

I don't know the answer but I know treating people like they don't exist is not right. Next time you get a chance to vote on an immigration issue please think about all sides of it. There are two sides to everything and just because one side is expensive or difficult doesn't make it wrong.

Migraines I like

Believe it or not there are some migraines I like. I know that sounds weird coming from anyone, especially me being hospitlized and injected wit things and taking all the pills that I do. But it is true, I guess after all these years I have grow accustomed to the little guys. Yesterday I had one I like, very sharp pain in one place and the shot took care of it nicely.

Today however, is another story. Lots of pain all around, constant, makes me grumpy. I had bad dreams, didn't sleep alot and jsut want to go to sleep. It has to go away beause we are going to Palm Springs in a few days and vacation starts at 3 today. I think it is weird that I have some migraines that I like, what do you think?

Big Day

Today is a big day for me. I am an interventionist. What this means to the outside world is that I take kids who are two to three years behind in reading and writing and try to bring them to grade level in one year. What this means in my everyday life, chaos, referrals, nonstop talking and evergy, judgement and oh yeah, chaos. But today is the day.

My babies are taking the test. Not the AIMS test, that's after break. This is the test for the end of the level of intervention. To see if they have made growth over the months that they have been in my care. I think I was a little freaked out this morning about it. There is a mystery stain in my new shirt and we have conferences today. I actually ran in the building looking for somone and I have a migraine, tell tale signs that I was freaking out but I don't notice until after of course. I am nervous for them. They have worked hard to patch the holes and move up.

Now, they are nervously sitting there trying to take there test like it is the SAT's or something. I keep saying they are doing great, but are they really? Did I really do well by them. I took two leaves of absence and yelled at them alot. So many things that I could have done better are going through my head. Time will tell. I will update when I know.

Blood in Blood out

This is the title of a film that was released in 1993. You may not have heard of it, don't worry, I am not sure many peopl have. It is a 3 hour long epic of gang life in east L.A. set from the early 1970's to the late 1980's. It follows 3 cousins who grow up together and end up taking very different paths. You may wonder why I am telling you this. It has to do with lesson 489 of being a teacher. Never say yes to a student without knowing for sure what you are getting into. One of my students asked me if I had seen this movie and I said no, I had never heard of it. He raved about it and said I had to see it, it was great, his favorite movie. I figured this was the end. But no, he brought the DVD to school. The unrated directors cut. Fantastic.

This movie had some very bad acting, some very bad violence (but no worse than the Sopranos), and I was sure it was never going to end. There was one surprise at which I was mildly interested and Sarah (who watched in protest at first and then in the way that you can't stop watching something horrific because you might miss the most horrific part) wants me to bring it up at parent teacher conferences this week as to why they let their son watch this movie and if they want him to emmulate the behavior. The movie was pretty true to real life. Much of it takes place in San Quentin and I have seen several documentaries on it and it did not seem overly dramatic for the movie.

Anyway, my review is thumbs down because frankly it is depressing, especially if you have never been to L.A. and never spent much time with hispanic people, it only shows the negative side of gang life (no there is not a positive). It is late, I am going to sleep.

Morning Mayhem

Something fascinating happens every morning at our house. As we rush around getting ready, so do our neighbors. We have fallen into a very predictable pattern of getting dressed, making lunch and then eating oatmeal. While we are eating our oatmeal we usually see our neighbors going through their predictable morning routine. Dad comes out of house, runs down sidewalk with backpack in hand. If you count to ten slowly a young boy will follow (very slowly). He is usually carrying a glass of milk or eating on the run. If you then count slowly to five or seven you will see a teenage girl likewise with some sort of food and hurrying down the walk, trying not to get left behind. Occasionally a teenage boy is there as well but he manages to get out before the crowd most mornings.

This is fascinating because one, it gives us breakfast fodder and two, it seems crazy that so many people live so quietly nextdoor and are so late every morning!

Monday Funday!

Monday dawned early this morning. Not as early as it should have though! My alarm went off and Sarah said, are you getting up? and I said, yes. Then I promptly fell back asleep. Hard. for almost 30 minutes and evidently so did Sarah as I heard her stumble toward the shower later. We made it to work on time but it has been one of those days where you always feel behind. And seeing as those I didn't have my lesson plans done it was interesting. But now all is well. We have started essays and wrote odes.

Two more periods and then a parent meeting and then home for more sleep! Hope everyone had a good Monday.

Happy Thoughts

I usually blog about things that upset me or that are ironically not funny so today I'm going to blog about happy things instead (or actually Sarah is going to blog, I am dictating as my head hurts - but that is the only not happy thing I'll blog about now).
Happy Thought #1 - One of my students had an almost perfect essay after a whole year of behavior and academic problems. We were very proud of him!
Happy Thought #2 - My students were perfect for a huge observation yesterday therefore my observation was nearly perfect and my boss is very happy!
Happy Thought #3 - No one judged me last night when I chose to eat 2 chocolate milk shakes for dinner because I could not share in the alcohol that was being used to celebrate our great observations!
Happy Thought #4 - I am being recruited by the local high school to teach there next year. It will not happen but it's nice to be wanted and sought after.
Happy Thought #5 - I got up and cleaned the bathroom this morning and I may even fold the laundry later.
Happy Thought #6 - Today is a pedicure day and it's also going to be 95 degrees! Perfect weather for the pool party at 2pm!
Happy Thought #7 - Sarah gave me a shot of pain killers, saving me the trouble.
Happy Thought #8 - I got to sleep in this morning! (I put my sleep mask on so the sun wouldn't bother me.)
Happy Thought #9 - I lost 2 pounds this week!
Happy Thought #10 - I saw Little Miss Sunshine this week which was a really good film. It was the first independent I've ever liked, according to Sarah. It was very funny, I highly recommend it!

Random Thoughts!

* I have made marked improvement in my scorekeeping ability for middle school!

* Support groups are dangerous - I belong to one online for people with migraines and one of the members wrote today about wanting to commit suicide. I suddenly realized how much we can influence other people.

* My students are actually excited about writing poetry and making poetry books. Personally I think it is more about not wanting to write essays than anything but I will take what I can get.

* I spent over 14 hours at work this weekend and still didn't get all caught up - and people say being a teacher is easy, please!

* Good news on the tax return front, I came out about 600 dollars ahead which is great, now I can pay my car insurance next month

* I tried to exercise this morning and the same thing happened as the last time I went to the gym, my head almost exploded. Apparently I cannot handle the blood flow so I have to think of somehting much slower to make me lose weight, any magical tips???

* We are no longer boycotting Wal-mart, but our relationship is tense. Our grocery bill more than doubled when we stopped for a month so back to the large, horrible, noisy store we go. I went shopping yesterday all by myself and I wore Sarah's ipod. It helped cut out the noise and make the experience more tolerable.

* Only 3 more weeks until vacation and one more observation for the year, the last one was terrible, I really don't know why people bother telling you when they think you are bad at your job, I think they should just fire you. It would be easier. There is a new Wal-mart opening in Yuma, the 3rd one! I was thinking about applying, I thought it would be less hassle than my job but then I went there and remembered how much I couldn't stand it.

* Had a great time with friends Friday and Saturday, it was nice to kick back and laugh about nothing for a while.

Good night (it's only ten but I am sleepy!!)

Service with a Smile????

Today Sarah and I were out running errands and we stopped into Olive Garden for what we thought was going to be a quick lunch. It seemed like a no win situation, Sarah wanted salad and that is one of the only places around to get good salad. There was wait, even at 2 in the afternoon and then we sat...for almost 10 minutes before anyone came to see if we wanted water or anything. Then we waited some more and some more, we dodn't order much. Soup and salad and water and it took us like an hour to get it and eat it because of the very sloooooowwww waitress. By the end of the meal we were both pretty preturbed and I did something I have never done before, ever. I didn't leave a tip. I always tip, over tip even. I strongly believe in paying for good service. But not today. I left exact change for the bill and walked away.

As we were walking out I saw the manager so Sarah and I stopped him and told him what we thought of his service. He was very apologetic and offered us a gift card to come back and try it again sometime. We accepted. He gave us a card worth $40! That's alot of money considering our bill for lunch was only $15.12 we were pretty impressed and now we can afford to go out to dinner with friends some time. I don't like to complain at restaurants but this was truly bad service and I felit we were justified. So next time you feel like your service was subpar, make your grievance known, you never know what you will get!

Cupid's Craze!!!

School was crazy today! Down here Valentine's Day is the biggest holiday of them all, bigger than Christmas and Halloween put together. Our principal was out today and her office was used as storage for all of the bears, balloons and candy that were delivered to school. They couldn't be passed out until the last hour of the day because they are distracting in class, go figure! Her office was full, there were bears that were bigger than me!

The day went well, the kids were a little crazy but since we were all letting them eat candy I guess we had only ourselves to blame:-) I subbed for P.E., that was fun. We played Love Ball, otherwise known as dodge ball with the twist of whomever you hit is your Valentine. It was cute to see the boys try to hit the girls as hard as possible and then turn away sheepishly.

In other news, we were learning how to use our thesaurus' today to write descriptive essay's and I asked my class to come up with synonyms for the word hot. One student said pimping hot. I thought this was weird but we take all answers in my class so I wrote it on the board, it wasn't until later that I discovered the entry actually read piping hot which is entirely different and doesn't fit with the sentence we were working on at all. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

I know I have been out of the blogger seen for a while but Sarah was sick, then I was sick and my headaches and anxiety are not cooperating. I am now taking adavan which is pretty heavy duty because I had a major panic attack last week and had to be relieved of duty from my room because I was having chest pains. I then spent the next 36 hours in bed with Sarah periodically giving me shots in my butt. My doctor wants me to get counseling I cannot imagine why.

Let's see...I have started taking Flintstone vitamins because Sarah's doctor said that was still good even if you didn't take real adult vitamins. I remember them tasting alot better. I am trying to give them to a person who has children but Sarah says I have to eat them, yuck!

Right now I am working on a presentation for Friday. There is a big professional Development Day on Friday that the whole county attends. There are lots of workshops and all the teachers show up and go to three. I am presenting at one with a colleague about vocabulary. We started working on it today, nothing like waiting until the last minute.

Jewel Qwest! If you don't have this game for your computer you have to get it! It is fantastic. My mom got it for Christmas and I loaded it on my computer here in Arizona and it is addicting. I love it, seriously you have to play it!

Tax Time!

It's that time of year again, the time that I have to collect every document to take to the tax people. Most people my age do short form but because I supposedly own a small business I have to itemize. This has its advantages because I can now file my school expenses and my medical expenses. This past year after insuarance I paid a total of $962.95 for prescriptions, that is out of pocket. And people thought I just didn't know how to manage my money, it turns out I don't have any to manage!

Yesterday I got this paper from the Michigan Department of Treasury inquiring about last year's refund, this makes me VERY nervous because last year all my tax documents got lost in the mail and I filed anyway so if audited I can prove nothing. Oh well, what are they going to do? Take my car that's not paid for?

It is Sunday night and it has been a crazy weekend, worked late Friday because I was behind on grading, class all day Saturday and the gym today. That's right we went to the gym today, our first time. I am so proud of us and it was fun. There is a weight room just for women and these fun machines that are like skiing. Tomorrow we are going to aerobics class. Then we went to Target and bought pedometers. Tomorrow is the first day wearing it, I will let oyu know how many steps I go, I am issuing a challenge to anyone out there to try and beat my steps so we can all be healthy together. They are fairly inexspenive, mine was 6 dollars. night!