Crazy days
Perhaps all my new duties are starting to wear on me or, perhaps, the days have just been unusually busy. Either way, Sunday rolls around (usually my day of work without students) and I just can't make the trek to Santa Barbara and all that it entails. My weekends have become sacred. Which is good, for a teacher. It's too easy to become wrapped up in the job and deny the other parts of life.
Last week was brutal. I started my new hour-a-week duty as part of a student study team. I meet with principal and others to brainstorm ways to help a struggling student. It's an honorable, interesting and beneficial process, but it does now add one more 7-4 workday to my week (I teach homework center after school on the other days). I also stayed at school until nine on Thursday for our annual astronomy night. It's a really fun night with telescopes and scientists, but missing my bedtime proved rough for me the following morning. On Saturday I had a science conference in Carpinteria from 8:30 to 4. Like I said, long week.
This week I'll stay until 8 or so on Wednesday for a meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. I'm the grade level representative, which is great... except for the fact that my Spanish is mediocre, at best. I'd love to keep learning, but for now I can barely get my point across. I'd seriously like to go back to Mexico and study for a year. Until then, I'll keep on embarrassing myself with my broken sentences.
Things are good, though, all things considered. Reading the newspaper reminds me how good I have it. Times are tough for a lot of people. I keep thinking back to my high school years, when all things looked rosy (except for that dose of teenage angst). What a mess we have created.
I hope fall is coming soon. It's been hot in the classroom, and it puts my poor students in a foul mood.
I love my house, still. They are preparing the resurface the road outside, and that will be nice. I wish I could find the energy to decorate the house for the season. I doubt that Halloween decorations will happen this year. Maybe a pumpkin outside. Christmas has always been more interesting to me, and I'm sure that I'll never be too busy to gussy up the place for that holiday.
I sure want an elliptical machine. They were on sale last week, but reading up on them showed that the models on sale were seriously lacking. The kind I like are majorly expensive. I think a mediocre one would be fine for the time being. I will try to jump on one soon if the opportunity presents itself. Obviously eating reasonably-sized portions does little good for me.
Studies show that people who have a dog walk twice as much as those without. At any rate, racing after kids is not exercise enough (even if it does leave one feeling as if they've just finished a marathon).
So far I have not gone and seen the chihuahua movie. Aren't you all proud of me for that? A couple of years ago, the temptation to see a talking-dog movie would have been too much.
My parents' house has seen some recent delays, but hopefully it will be done soon. I will visit in two weeks in the hopes that it will be all finished by then! Wish us luck. We are approaching the fire anniversary, I think.
I still dream about the old house. And of plane crashes and death. I have had my share of nightmares as of late. I hope that eases up soon.
Last week was brutal. I started my new hour-a-week duty as part of a student study team. I meet with principal and others to brainstorm ways to help a struggling student. It's an honorable, interesting and beneficial process, but it does now add one more 7-4 workday to my week (I teach homework center after school on the other days). I also stayed at school until nine on Thursday for our annual astronomy night. It's a really fun night with telescopes and scientists, but missing my bedtime proved rough for me the following morning. On Saturday I had a science conference in Carpinteria from 8:30 to 4. Like I said, long week.
This week I'll stay until 8 or so on Wednesday for a meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. I'm the grade level representative, which is great... except for the fact that my Spanish is mediocre, at best. I'd love to keep learning, but for now I can barely get my point across. I'd seriously like to go back to Mexico and study for a year. Until then, I'll keep on embarrassing myself with my broken sentences.
Things are good, though, all things considered. Reading the newspaper reminds me how good I have it. Times are tough for a lot of people. I keep thinking back to my high school years, when all things looked rosy (except for that dose of teenage angst). What a mess we have created.
I hope fall is coming soon. It's been hot in the classroom, and it puts my poor students in a foul mood.
I love my house, still. They are preparing the resurface the road outside, and that will be nice. I wish I could find the energy to decorate the house for the season. I doubt that Halloween decorations will happen this year. Maybe a pumpkin outside. Christmas has always been more interesting to me, and I'm sure that I'll never be too busy to gussy up the place for that holiday.
I sure want an elliptical machine. They were on sale last week, but reading up on them showed that the models on sale were seriously lacking. The kind I like are majorly expensive. I think a mediocre one would be fine for the time being. I will try to jump on one soon if the opportunity presents itself. Obviously eating reasonably-sized portions does little good for me.
Studies show that people who have a dog walk twice as much as those without. At any rate, racing after kids is not exercise enough (even if it does leave one feeling as if they've just finished a marathon).
So far I have not gone and seen the chihuahua movie. Aren't you all proud of me for that? A couple of years ago, the temptation to see a talking-dog movie would have been too much.
My parents' house has seen some recent delays, but hopefully it will be done soon. I will visit in two weeks in the hopes that it will be all finished by then! Wish us luck. We are approaching the fire anniversary, I think.
I still dream about the old house. And of plane crashes and death. I have had my share of nightmares as of late. I hope that eases up soon.