France is a country
I now, thanks to this expressive icon by jchalo, have 49 icons. I'm taking suggestions as to what the 50th should be.
In other news--that list of stuff I had to do last weekend? Ha. Most of the weekend was spent trying to assemble the Bowflex, which resulted in several strained muscles, one mostly assembled Bowflex, and a hole in my ceiling. Being the optimistic person that I am, I'm looking at it as an opportunity to learn how to patch textured ceilings and not as a huge freakin' pain in the butt. Really.
However, repairs will probably not get done this weekend, as I have to leave mid-afternoon tomorrow to go to a workshop in Austin. There's this woman, Margaret Kilgo, who's made a buttload of money off analyzing the TAKS tests and telling people that if they focus on the areas their kids have traditionally done poorly, they're more likely to get results. Which, yeah, not exactly rocket science. On the other hand, she's obviously pretty savvy, given the fact that she gets payed, as I said, buttloads of money for bringing this gospel to us, the sinners. Personally, I would find it more useful if she analyzed the Writing test, but as far as I know, she hasn't. So I'm going to learn all about the Reading test. Which I don't teach directly, because I have from August to February to bring kids from a 4th grade writing level to a 7th grade writing level (partially because the 5th and 6th grade teachers can't be bothered), and I don't have time to focus on reading skills that they're getting in their reading class anyway. And then there's the whole "going with people I barely know, including my former principal who's now the personnel guy who controls my salary and whom I like, but who's never, ever in the four years I've known him gotten my sense of humor, so that's going to be loads of fun" factor, coupled with the "sleeping in the same room and probably the same bed with people I have to work with but don't know particularly well, but thankfully not my former principal" factor. And the "sub when I've only had my kids for five classes" factor. Why, yes, I'm just thrilled about going, can't you tell?
In other news--I think I finally have a grip on how to start my Soap Opera Challenge story. Where it's going to go from that starting point, I can't say, exactly, but at least I can get it moving. Finally. I also have papers to grade, but I think I'm going to do that tonight after Will goes to bed while watching movies that Will is a bit young for.
This just in: Will will argue about *anything*. He just came out of my bedroom (the washer and dryer are in my bathroom, and he's doing his laundry) and asked if he could read my Fake mangas (or is that also a plural noun?). Anyway, I said no, thinking they're a bit adult for him, and he does his usual, "Why *not*?" in that outraged tone that implies I'm always and forever unreasonable. My answer at first is, "Because I said *no*, and *because* I said no, and because I *said no*, and because they're too old for you." (Yes, I'm mature, can you tell? But since this is the 98938293473928734th time I've had this conversation, with only a variation in the original question, I feel like I can cut to the chase.) But midway through his counter-argument, I said, "Fine, go read them, then." (Because there's nothing in them that's *really* that adult except the m/m factor, and I don't want to have a double standard about m/m vs. m/f.) So I say he can read them, and now he's telling *me* no. AAARRRGGGHHHH.
And now he's trying to argue that Italy isn't a country. His assertion: *France* is a country. Because obviously France is the only place that can be a country. *beats head against wall*
In other news--that list of stuff I had to do last weekend? Ha. Most of the weekend was spent trying to assemble the Bowflex, which resulted in several strained muscles, one mostly assembled Bowflex, and a hole in my ceiling. Being the optimistic person that I am, I'm looking at it as an opportunity to learn how to patch textured ceilings and not as a huge freakin' pain in the butt. Really.
However, repairs will probably not get done this weekend, as I have to leave mid-afternoon tomorrow to go to a workshop in Austin. There's this woman, Margaret Kilgo, who's made a buttload of money off analyzing the TAKS tests and telling people that if they focus on the areas their kids have traditionally done poorly, they're more likely to get results. Which, yeah, not exactly rocket science. On the other hand, she's obviously pretty savvy, given the fact that she gets payed, as I said, buttloads of money for bringing this gospel to us, the sinners. Personally, I would find it more useful if she analyzed the Writing test, but as far as I know, she hasn't. So I'm going to learn all about the Reading test. Which I don't teach directly, because I have from August to February to bring kids from a 4th grade writing level to a 7th grade writing level (partially because the 5th and 6th grade teachers can't be bothered), and I don't have time to focus on reading skills that they're getting in their reading class anyway. And then there's the whole "going with people I barely know, including my former principal who's now the personnel guy who controls my salary and whom I like, but who's never, ever in the four years I've known him gotten my sense of humor, so that's going to be loads of fun" factor, coupled with the "sleeping in the same room and probably the same bed with people I have to work with but don't know particularly well, but thankfully not my former principal" factor. And the "sub when I've only had my kids for five classes" factor. Why, yes, I'm just thrilled about going, can't you tell?
In other news--I think I finally have a grip on how to start my Soap Opera Challenge story. Where it's going to go from that starting point, I can't say, exactly, but at least I can get it moving. Finally. I also have papers to grade, but I think I'm going to do that tonight after Will goes to bed while watching movies that Will is a bit young for.
This just in: Will will argue about *anything*. He just came out of my bedroom (the washer and dryer are in my bathroom, and he's doing his laundry) and asked if he could read my Fake mangas (or is that also a plural noun?). Anyway, I said no, thinking they're a bit adult for him, and he does his usual, "Why *not*?" in that outraged tone that implies I'm always and forever unreasonable. My answer at first is, "Because I said *no*, and *because* I said no, and because I *said no*, and because they're too old for you." (Yes, I'm mature, can you tell? But since this is the 98938293473928734th time I've had this conversation, with only a variation in the original question, I feel like I can cut to the chase.) But midway through his counter-argument, I said, "Fine, go read them, then." (Because there's nothing in them that's *really* that adult except the m/m factor, and I don't want to have a double standard about m/m vs. m/f.) So I say he can read them, and now he's telling *me* no. AAARRRGGGHHHH.
And now he's trying to argue that Italy isn't a country. His assertion: *France* is a country. Because obviously France is the only place that can be a country. *beats head against wall*