The rest of the week. Somewhat literally.
How'd it get to be October??
It's been a surprisingly quiet week, or, at least, the past couple of days have been. Wed involved my usual midweek laundry and grocery run, but, I swear, I have no idea what I did with the rest of my day, aside from continuing to beta a friend's Big Bang fic. Not only that, but these days I can drop BOTH girls off at religious ed after school and suddenly have another hour to myself that I never used to have. Weird! And yet, I distinctly remember filling that time. With something.
Thursday it rained. A lot. I've heard anywhere from 3"-4.5" (~7.5cm-11cm), but I suspect that's not counting all the rain we got overnight last night, so the final total will likely be higher. I made sure I had things to do inside all day, and thus beta-read some more, made ham and bean soup in the crock pot (ridiculously easy), knit up an entire baby hat (sans ears) and talked to Scott on the phone for over an hour. However, all that close-work (including some reading) and incredible humidity meant I had a severe case of cabin fever by mid-afternoon, and felt like I'd had a discouragingly unproductive day. Gah. It was good to walk to the bus stop (pause in the rain), even if it was incredibly humid out.
Of course, early on in the day we had a wee bit of adventure. :-P I drove to the bus stop yesterday morning since it was raining so hard. After we'd been there a few minutes, Two realized she'd forgotten her backpack, so we turned around and raced back to get it. Usually, our bus runs on the late side but - you guessed it - today it came right on time and we missed it. Only just. So, I followed the bus and drove the girls to school, dropping them off at the curb and letting them zip through the rain to the front door. (Later found out that MiniPlu got reprimanded because I hadn't walked them right to the door. *eyeroll*) Then, around 10:15, I get a call from Two asking if she'd left her "Guided Reading" book (which she was given for homework) at home - because, of course, she was supposed to bring it right back to school. And she really, really had tried. I found it on the floor right where her backpack had been. Apparently it had fallen out of her folder when she was loading everything in, and since the backpack had fallen on top of the book, I didn't see it when I grabbed the bag.
Anyway, she gets out her request, and then starts crying on the phone and couldn't talk. I think she just felt bad for not doing something she was really supposed to. (Two's funny about screwups - she'll either laugh it off as nothing, which can be infuriating, or she'll blow it all out of proportion and start crying. No middle ground.) I tried to reassure her that it was okay and I'd bring the book right away, and she managed to get out that she wasn't in trouble, but she really really wanted me to walk the book down to her classroom so she could see me. At this point the teacher noticed M was crying and took over the phone, assuring me that I didn't have to bring the book in - she just needed to know where it was. End of conversation. But, between that, Scott and a call from my gastroenterologist assuring me last week's bloodwork was normal, my phone was hopping way more than usual.
It's been rather challenging for me to help both girls with their homework, especially when they both have spelling tests to practice for, MiniPlu had a math test to practice for, Two needed to re-do a classroom assignment because she'd been too rushed and sloppy, and I like to double-check both girls' work when they finish. Maybe I shouldn't do the latter - is it hovering too much? Or better to get an idea of what they understand and what they don't? Anyway, that often takes the full period until it's time to go to TKD.
Speaking of homework - remember how I was talking the other day about Two and how her individualistic streak is being weighed down by school standards and expectations? It means a fair amount of juggling and adjustment at home, too, to make sure she DOES get time to do her own thing, while making sure she still complies where she has to. This week, when she was arguing with me about reading her Guided Reading book EXACTLY AS WRITTEN (rather than "close enough" or "her way" because the regular way is both stupid and boring), I did some negotiating with her. (Thanks,
adjudicated, for the suggestion/reminder.) She has to show me the page, either as she's reading it, or before she reads it, so I can help her. Of course, she doesn't like that, because she insists she can do it herself, and doesn't need me, thankyouverymuch, but I'm putting my foot down on that. However, after reading the EXACT words on the page, the RIGHT way, she can then narrate the picture however she wants before turning to the next page. And for each book she reads to me (not counting repeat reads), she earns a small reward, like 5 minutes on the computer, or I'll read to *her*, or something like that. Today she picked a game, which we haven't finished yet given the hecticness (hectivity?) of mornings, but I'll be sure to sit with her once they come home this afternoon.
We'll see how long she's willing to stick to the plan. The first Bridges books (what I went to Tuesdays lecture for) come home todayw so ... it could be a long year, depending on her willingness to conform when necessary. :-P
As I mentioned, we got rather wet yesterday. Last night the school librarian called me, saying her basement had flooded and she was probably going to stay home today to deal with it. I normally work Fri afternoons, but I said I'd go in for the morning instead, to help her sub get oriented. And then, this morning, I decided I'd just stay for the whole day, and take the girls home with me, as usual. So - dressed, packed my lunch, etc etc, arrived at school only to be met by the principal at the office going, "You do know there's no library today, right?" Turns out, they hadn't been able to get a last-minute sub for her so there was nothing for me to do but turn around and go home.
It's times like this that I give serious consideration to getting an emergency sub certification, so I would be able to take the librarian's place on such occasions. The problem is, Subtitute Teaching training is held by the regional Intermediate Unit, which encompasses a wide multitude of districts in the area. I therefore suspect they would likely to treat my certification as a means to send me anywhere as an emergency sub and ... I just don't think I would cope well with that. I might be able to fake my way through a regular K-5 class at my own school, where I have at least a little idea what goes on and also know most of the kids, but another school? Erk. That's not why I want to do this.
But, anyway - instead of being gone all day today, I ended up being home all day. I confess I was a slug in the morning but I've been doing some tidying, organizing, bill-paying, etc, in the afternoon. You'd still say my house was a disaster, but it's less of one. :-P Will came home early because he's voluntarily fixing a co-workers car. She's going through a messy divorce and doesn't have the money to pour into a regular garage, and he likes her (even though she's just accepted a job elsewhere, sigh), so he's trying to be a good friend.
MiniPlu's been nursing a sore throat without any other symptoms (yet) all week; I'm hoping she can either throw it or just feel ill and get it over with this weekend. Two's sumac rash by her eye is noticeably better, although not gone yet.
Any plans for your weekend?
It's been a surprisingly quiet week, or, at least, the past couple of days have been. Wed involved my usual midweek laundry and grocery run, but, I swear, I have no idea what I did with the rest of my day, aside from continuing to beta a friend's Big Bang fic. Not only that, but these days I can drop BOTH girls off at religious ed after school and suddenly have another hour to myself that I never used to have. Weird! And yet, I distinctly remember filling that time. With something.
Thursday it rained. A lot. I've heard anywhere from 3"-4.5" (~7.5cm-11cm), but I suspect that's not counting all the rain we got overnight last night, so the final total will likely be higher. I made sure I had things to do inside all day, and thus beta-read some more, made ham and bean soup in the crock pot (ridiculously easy), knit up an entire baby hat (sans ears) and talked to Scott on the phone for over an hour. However, all that close-work (including some reading) and incredible humidity meant I had a severe case of cabin fever by mid-afternoon, and felt like I'd had a discouragingly unproductive day. Gah. It was good to walk to the bus stop (pause in the rain), even if it was incredibly humid out.
Of course, early on in the day we had a wee bit of adventure. :-P I drove to the bus stop yesterday morning since it was raining so hard. After we'd been there a few minutes, Two realized she'd forgotten her backpack, so we turned around and raced back to get it. Usually, our bus runs on the late side but - you guessed it - today it came right on time and we missed it. Only just. So, I followed the bus and drove the girls to school, dropping them off at the curb and letting them zip through the rain to the front door. (Later found out that MiniPlu got reprimanded because I hadn't walked them right to the door. *eyeroll*) Then, around 10:15, I get a call from Two asking if she'd left her "Guided Reading" book (which she was given for homework) at home - because, of course, she was supposed to bring it right back to school. And she really, really had tried. I found it on the floor right where her backpack had been. Apparently it had fallen out of her folder when she was loading everything in, and since the backpack had fallen on top of the book, I didn't see it when I grabbed the bag.
Anyway, she gets out her request, and then starts crying on the phone and couldn't talk. I think she just felt bad for not doing something she was really supposed to. (Two's funny about screwups - she'll either laugh it off as nothing, which can be infuriating, or she'll blow it all out of proportion and start crying. No middle ground.) I tried to reassure her that it was okay and I'd bring the book right away, and she managed to get out that she wasn't in trouble, but she really really wanted me to walk the book down to her classroom so she could see me. At this point the teacher noticed M was crying and took over the phone, assuring me that I didn't have to bring the book in - she just needed to know where it was. End of conversation. But, between that, Scott and a call from my gastroenterologist assuring me last week's bloodwork was normal, my phone was hopping way more than usual.
It's been rather challenging for me to help both girls with their homework, especially when they both have spelling tests to practice for, MiniPlu had a math test to practice for, Two needed to re-do a classroom assignment because she'd been too rushed and sloppy, and I like to double-check both girls' work when they finish. Maybe I shouldn't do the latter - is it hovering too much? Or better to get an idea of what they understand and what they don't? Anyway, that often takes the full period until it's time to go to TKD.
Speaking of homework - remember how I was talking the other day about Two and how her individualistic streak is being weighed down by school standards and expectations? It means a fair amount of juggling and adjustment at home, too, to make sure she DOES get time to do her own thing, while making sure she still complies where she has to. This week, when she was arguing with me about reading her Guided Reading book EXACTLY AS WRITTEN (rather than "close enough" or "her way" because the regular way is both stupid and boring), I did some negotiating with her. (Thanks,
adjudicated, for the suggestion/reminder.) She has to show me the page, either as she's reading it, or before she reads it, so I can help her. Of course, she doesn't like that, because she insists she can do it herself, and doesn't need me, thankyouverymuch, but I'm putting my foot down on that. However, after reading the EXACT words on the page, the RIGHT way, she can then narrate the picture however she wants before turning to the next page. And for each book she reads to me (not counting repeat reads), she earns a small reward, like 5 minutes on the computer, or I'll read to *her*, or something like that. Today she picked a game, which we haven't finished yet given the hecticness (hectivity?) of mornings, but I'll be sure to sit with her once they come home this afternoon.
We'll see how long she's willing to stick to the plan. The first Bridges books (what I went to Tuesdays lecture for) come home todayw so ... it could be a long year, depending on her willingness to conform when necessary. :-P
As I mentioned, we got rather wet yesterday. Last night the school librarian called me, saying her basement had flooded and she was probably going to stay home today to deal with it. I normally work Fri afternoons, but I said I'd go in for the morning instead, to help her sub get oriented. And then, this morning, I decided I'd just stay for the whole day, and take the girls home with me, as usual. So - dressed, packed my lunch, etc etc, arrived at school only to be met by the principal at the office going, "You do know there's no library today, right?" Turns out, they hadn't been able to get a last-minute sub for her so there was nothing for me to do but turn around and go home.
It's times like this that I give serious consideration to getting an emergency sub certification, so I would be able to take the librarian's place on such occasions. The problem is, Subtitute Teaching training is held by the regional Intermediate Unit, which encompasses a wide multitude of districts in the area. I therefore suspect they would likely to treat my certification as a means to send me anywhere as an emergency sub and ... I just don't think I would cope well with that. I might be able to fake my way through a regular K-5 class at my own school, where I have at least a little idea what goes on and also know most of the kids, but another school? Erk. That's not why I want to do this.
But, anyway - instead of being gone all day today, I ended up being home all day. I confess I was a slug in the morning but I've been doing some tidying, organizing, bill-paying, etc, in the afternoon. You'd still say my house was a disaster, but it's less of one. :-P Will came home early because he's voluntarily fixing a co-workers car. She's going through a messy divorce and doesn't have the money to pour into a regular garage, and he likes her (even though she's just accepted a job elsewhere, sigh), so he's trying to be a good friend.
MiniPlu's been nursing a sore throat without any other symptoms (yet) all week; I'm hoping she can either throw it or just feel ill and get it over with this weekend. Two's sumac rash by her eye is noticeably better, although not gone yet.
Any plans for your weekend?