My dog is so sick.  She has a spontaneous closed pneumothorax that I've had treated one time, and didn't heal.  Turns out that what she has is rare and hard to treat (open chest exploratory surgery is one of the tests recommended and that doesn't even get in to the treatment portion - I had a second opinion today with no good news).  Basically, ( Read more... )

1. i'm teaching at a new school this year and i love, love, love it.  it's an old haunted looking building that used to be an orphanage.  it's surrounded by woods and statues and grottoes and orchards and rose gardens.  i have mixed feelings about teaching at a private school, but the economy landed me hear and i love it and don't plan on leaving ( Read more... )

this month in 3rd grade, we are studying greek mythology.  today we read the myth "Apollo's Tree:  The Story of Daphne and Apollo".  In the story, Cupid shoots Apollo so that he falls madly in love with Daphne and then, to punish Apollo, shoots Daphne so that she will never love him or want to marry him.  hilarity ensues when Apollo chases Daphne ( Read more... )

well, school is out and i've been on summer vacation for an entire week already.  so far i've managed to pack in:  a fabulous girls night at chez mom and dad (hooray for hot tubs and outdoor fire pits!), a lovely day hike at Steven's Pass, some quality time with nieces, nephews and sisters, a lunch and movie date with a good friend and a 3 day ( Read more... )

today my third graders wrote in their journal about how they would like to spend their summer break.  one of my students wrote ( Read more... )

my third graders are working in groups on small research projects.  they have been reading about various native american tribes and are making posters and writing presentations to teach the rest of the class about the tribes they researched ( Read more... )

last weekend my family went to mass together, and then celebrated the baptism of my cousin Zoe's, new baby Lucy.    i happily get to be the sweet new baby's godmother, and the day was great.  baby Lucy was tranquil and calm and wide awake during the entire ceremony which was very sweet ( Read more... )

low points today ( Read more... )

I found a new sport.  I used to be an avid downhill skiier.  I was an instructor and was at the mountain every weekend.  The last few years though i've barely skiied at all.  It is too expensive and too crowded and you spend half of the time sitting on a chairlift, or worse, waiting in the chairlift line ( Read more... )

I just passed back spelling tests from last week.  One of my students just walked up to me with a goofy grin on his face and said,

"Teri, i'm such a loser.  I made a mistake on the word mistake!"  (On his test he spelled it 'mistaike')

He usually gets 100% so it was pretty ironic that that was the word he missed.  I'm glad he found the humor in it ( Read more... )