The Things I'll Miss the Most

Even though I've known for eight months that I would not be returning to school this year, today is the first day of school for the kiddos and I've been feeling a bit left out since the teachers went back last week. How does that happen? Oh goodness. Someone could have told me this would happen. The things that blindside us, eh? 

So, what will I miss by not coming to school every day this year?

• Friends. I have had the privilege to work alongside some of the weirdest, nuttiest, craziest, most wonderful educators anywhere. I will miss chatting, sharing stories, venting, laughing, crying, and solving the world's problems with them. Whenever I criticize anything related to education, it's never about our school. That's always about the school district because, as far as I"m concerned, that's where most of our problems originate and thrive. Our school is full of the best people I've ever known. Innovation and creativity is encouraged. Support and encouragement was freely given on a daily basis. I am honored to be considered one of their numbers. There are a few parents that I include in this category too. Some of those loving people are getting this whole parenting thing right. 
• The students. Oh my goodness, y'all have no idea how much I will miss those kids. Anyone who tells you that they won't miss the students when they stop teaching is a fibber. You can't help it. I had each grade level at our school for special area so I didn't even have them all day long and I am still going to miss them. There is no way to avoid getting close to students. And, in some cases, their families as well. 
• Afternoon duty. Yep, I'm going to miss my afternoon dismissal duty. The location of my lab made a great place to corral the 4 and 5-year-olds every afternoon. They are dismissed early so teacher kiddos and the ones with older siblings came into the lab with me. This was my zen at work. No matter what kind of day it had been, those little sweet loves made it better. What a truly wonderful age. My afternoon duty also gave me the opportunity to get close with the younger kiddos of a few of our teachers. What a bunch of delightful tykes they are! I shall miss them dearly.  
• Working with the youngest lovely! We have been a family in that school for decades! It was so much fun working there with DoodleBug. The teachers at WES were the very people who inspired her to become a teacher.  
• My Monday/Friday Facebook posts. I had quite the following for those and we all enjoyed laughing at them. Seriously, who loves getting up on Monday after a fun weekend and having to go back to work? No one I know. And we love our jobs. But we also love the relaxation of the weekend.

And that's it, y'all. There's nothing else that I"ll miss about going to school every day. I won't miss having to rush around and get up there and being on 'go' from the moment I walk in the building. I won't miss any meetings of any kind. I won't miss trouble-makers. I won't miss morning duty. I especially will not miss going to school a full half hour earlier due to bell time changes. Yikes!    

But I will certainly miss my friends and those sweet children. I know that they are all going to have a most wonderful year filled with learning, love, and laughter! 

Today is Day 15 of the August Happiness Challenge. If you want to join in, create an icon of something that makes you happy and head over to One Gal's Musing and let her know in the comments that you're on board! That's it!  
   

So, today, having leisurely weekday mornings make me happy! 

What's making y'all happy today?

Prancing and Fragging

It's time to wrap up the second week of school in the fragmented form with Friday Fragments! I am so in love with Friday. And three day weekends. Truly, they should both come around more often.

Most of you have probably seen the videos on YouTube all about Prancercising. Well, the other day, a most wonderful teacher and dear friend at school posted this video for me on Facebook:

I haven't laughed so hard in quite a while. Good grief. Several of us have had a lot of fun with this and I will spare y'all some of our comments.

However, I will not spare you this. Another teacher and dear friend entered the lab yesterday with her students doing this:

Our principal was standing right outside the lab doors. And it wasn't even Friday!

I told y'all we were exhausted. And now, delirium has set in. Or happy pills. Regardless, thank God for three day weekends. :)

Enjoy your weekend, y'all!

What I Discovered

I made a few discoveries at work this week and thought I'd share some with y'all.

I discovered:

• I am way more patient than I thought. I rediscover this every single time 5th graders come into the lab. 
• March is going to be a loooong month with zero days off. And 5th graders coming into the lab. 
• There are some wonderful teachers out there who are cut out to teach 5th grade. I am not one of them.
• I thought kindergarten teachers had the hardest job at school. I was wrong. It's the teachers of 5th graders.
• When a 5th grade teacher drops her students off and says to you, "Good luck," that's a red flag and it means, "RUN for you life!"
• It's disheartening when there is a field trip for 4th and 5th graders and you think they won't be back in time for 5th grade to come to special area but they are. 
• That thoughts of various uses for duct tape actually DO wander through my mind at times. 
• 5th graders develop a smart ass attitude during the second semester. It's not pleasant.
• 5th grade boys will laugh at anything and everything. Regardless. Literally.
• 5th grade boys are a little bit stupid. Not academically speaking. But in their actions. 
• Teachers of 5th graders look like they are teachers of 5th graders. So do parents. 
•  Public school originated by parents of 5th graders. 
• That I am not afraid to whip out my 'mommy' voice from time to time when 5th graders are present. It can be a lot more authoritative than my 'teacher' voice.
• I will stoop to saying to a 5th grader, "You realize that I know your mother, right?"
• Why teachers of 5th graders drink. 
• Teachers of 5th graders should be allowed to have vodka at school.
• Xanax should be shared freely and generously with teachers of 5th graders.

It was a four day work week at school. Every single minute lasted for three minutes. Couple that with 5th graders and you have a valid-legitimate-unequivocal reason to take up drinking.

As a matter of fact, they should lock you up if you don't!

What did you discover this week?

What Did We Do All Week?

Friday arrived! It's here! It's today! If it wasn't Friday, I would definitely have to call in sick tomorrow. We've been very busy in the lab this week working on hall displays for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The second graders have been learning how to manipulate Microsoft Office Word. They learned how to choose and change their font and the font size. And they created their own Thanksgivingy tongue twisters--they also know about alliteration now.

Here are few for y'all:

Yep. We've been very busy this week! :)

Have a fantastic weekend, y'all!

Can You Believe It?

Yeah, yeah. I get it. There are picky kids out there who control their parents don't like a lot of foods that are good for them. The parents are self-absorbed uniformed not in control busy or tired of hearing the complaining so they let the kids have whatever it is the kids will eat.

I have cafeteria duty on Mondays. It's only for thirty minutes but here's the food I was seeing. AND it's not just in the lunch boxes. It's on the cafeteria menu.

• Gatorade (otherwise known as sugar and sodium...though the sugar is not as bad as the next one in the flavor I saw at school which was 14 grams. The sodium is 165 grams. Other ingredients include: Natural Flavors (MSG), sucrose syrup; fructose syrup. And let's not forget Red 40 and Blue 1)
• Apple and Eve juice boxes (sugar range is 22-32 grams; one ingredient is listed as "Natural Flavors" which is another way to hide MSG)
• Lunchables (sugar 32; sodium 510; fat 8. The list of ingredients is so long that I'm not sure what the kids eating these are ingesting. But I'm pretty sure it's not food.One kid had a Reese's and a juice box with his lunchable. Good grief.)
• Smucker's Peanut Butter and Jelly--also on the cafeteria menu (sugar 13; sodium 330; fat 16. High fructose corn syrup? Check. Loads of ingredients that are really long and hard or impossible to pronounce but mean CHEMICALS galore? Absolutely)
• Del Monte fruit cups (sugar 12; sodium 40. Natural AND artificial flavors (MSG and other chemicals), sucralose...).
• Danimals yogurt (14g sugar and TONS of chemicals)
• A canned juice that claims 100% fruit juice (29 grams sugar)

These are just a few examples of what I found in the cafeteria during lunch. And more than one of those items and similar ones were on a tray or in a lunchbox. 

And THAT, my friends, is a huge contributing factor as to why the cafeteria is so freaking LOUD.

And part of the reason why so many kids are having trouble exhibiting behavior conducive to learning.

It's shameful that so many lunch options available today are fooling parents into thinking their kids are eating and drinking in a healthy way. It's shameful that big corporations are more interested in padded their already inflated pocketbooks at the expense of the health of our children. It's shameful that consumers are not paying attention. It's shameful that we let greedy corporations control what our kids eat.

What do y'all think?

Attitude

Sometimes going to school can make a day better.

Especially when there are people in the world who have a bad attitude..

Do you have days that you are surrounded by people with attitude? Do you feel the urge to smack them?

Somehow, and I really don't understand HOW this happens, there are people around me who often forget and mistake my patience for acceptance. Or understanding.

That can be a dangerous thing to do.

Because, after encountering these bad moods for a time, it ALMOST always results in the offenders seeing MY attitude which DOES always put their attitude to utter shame.

But then, a thought pops into my head of something a student said during the school year...something that is hysterical. Like one day during the last month of school---

Student: Mrs. Librarian, I know what it is!

Mrs. Librarian: You know what what is?

Student: It's your hair!

Mrs. Librarian: Oh, I got a hair cut yesterday.

Student: I like it! It makes you look almost pretty!

Mrs. Librarian: Why, thank you, sweetie.

And then I start laughing.

Yep, kids. You just never know!

How nice to be reminded that life is just too short to let the bad attitude of others ruin your day. I just hope I remember that as I venture out to Wally World this morning. Ha!

All Done

How funny is it that we get so excited about the end of the school year and then, once it comes, it's so bittersweet?

The school year is over and I've been home for about two hours now. And I'm bored. Ha! It's time to get started on those summer plans---

• clean this nasty house
• work in the garden
• prepare for putting up veggies, sauces, soups
• learn to ferment veggies
• make a decision on whether or not to join a CSA
• prepare for the next school year
• run sprint 8s at school on the stairways
• not break my neck running sprint 8s on the stairways at school
• lose some freaking weight

Loads to do! But first, we have to endure a tropical storm tonight/tomorrow. Joy.

I had my 5th graders work on an end of the year project called ASCII Art. I was truly amazed at their abilities--

Each picture was made using the only the symbols (letters, numbers, etc) on the computer keyboard---

Didn't they do a fantastic job?!

I miss them already!

There was a luncheon for faculty and staff on Wednesday. Let me just tell y'all that working with these people is nothing less than a total blessing.

Even though they are somewhat crazy--they sure do give good send-offs to retirees.

Even Albert made an appearance...LOL

They also give good send-offs to newlywed teachers who are off to Alaska--- but I can't figure out how to load the video.

What a great year with the best group of educators, students and parents anywhere!

Let the summer fun begin!

DoodleBug's trip to Europe is forthcoming!

Very Weary

First, let me say that I am VERY glad there are only 3 letters left in the challenge.

Now that I've dropped the ball, AGAIN, I am going to combine the letters 'V' and 'W' because, today, I find that I am VERY WEARY.

I won't go into my opinion on school testing. Mostly because it would be a tirade that would go on for quite a while. And I wouldn't use nice words.

I will say that, as the computer teacher, having to set up three labs five days a week for three weeks for MAP testing is a pain. I go in thirty minutes to an hour early every day. I stay at least 45 minutes late every day. And each lab has to be set up 2 to 3 times each day.

If you think I was not a fan of testing before this, you can imagine how I feel about it now.

The good news is that only two students (out of close to 600--kindergarteners are spared the grief) have to make-up their tests.

The even better news is that my regular schedule resumes next week and I get my classes back!

The bad news (cause y'all knew it was coming) is that after next week, we begin the state testing.

Perhaps y'all are getting a little glimpse into why I am not a fan of testing. And I didn't even go into the tests themselves. You know, how they are geared towards setting kids up for failure or used to determine teacher pay even though some of the tests are outdated and...Ok, I know. I'll stop. 

Remember how I am also NOT a fan of summer?

Well, that's changed.

I don't even care about the heat.

Yet.

AND, guess what I get to do about two weeks after we're back in school after summer break?

The very same thing. Cause students get to be MAP tested TWICE every school year. Sheesh.

I'm linking this post to the twenty-second AND twenty-third post of the April, A-Z Challenge!

Just click the badge below to visit other participants. 

Ok, let's see what y'all came up with for the letter(s) 'V' AND 'W'!

Take Five for Friday

It's Friday! Woot! And it's time for the Friday Five hop over at Jesse's Spot! Now there are two really good things about Friday. First- it's FRIDAY! Second- Friday Five! 

To link up, just click on the cuppa!

Four more school days 'til SPRING BREAK. One of the things that makes spring worthy of my love. LOL

I was thinking that I might rather get paid for every time I have to say, "Use your brain/no talking/listen/follow directions/read the directions..." Not only am I having to use my stern voice lately, I'm even starting to talk that way to other adults at school. At home. In the grocery store. On the phone. Sheesh. I definitely NEED a break.

HEY! Guess what I heard on the national news last week? I heard that our weather prediction service is flawed. I was SHOCKED. Ha!

Actually, winter has decided to show up. Now that it's spring. If I had known that shaving my legs was the cause, I would have shaved them weeks ago!

I'll leave y'all with this...these guys were so hilarious--

Two Snaps for Friday Y'all!

Friday Five!

It's Friday! Woot! And it's time for the Friday Five hop over at Jesse's Spot! Now there are two really good things about Friday. First- it's FRIDAY! Second- Friday Five! 

To link up, just click on the cuppa!

Seems that our students have come down with some serious cases of spring fever these last couple of weeks. It also seems, that when this particular ailment hits, it hits hard with students' ability to listen and follow directions. Holy cow, I'm not even kidding. Now I know that some of you look forward to and even pray for spring to come quickly. I do the same thing with fall and winter. But if y'all will just come by school and observe---honestly, for no more than 10 minutes---I'm sure you'll soon change your minds about the arrival of spring. Sheesh.

Another thing about spring. If you think for one second that 4th and 5th graders smell good after recess in the spring time, you are sadly mistaken.

There is at least one really good thing about spring, however. Deanie's birthday! Woot!

Oh, and, this year, there's a wedding to attend in the spring. My bestie's daughter is getting married in April. That's going to be fun!

Wait! Wait! AND, DoodleBug will be graduating from college on Mother's Day weekend!

Ok, so there ARE good things about spring this year. I stand corrected.

I think I would appreciate spring much more if I had had a winter from which to recover. 

It's been a long week y'all. Really long. And spring break is still two weeks away. I hope I make it!

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled beyond belief that FRIDAY has finally arrived! 

Friday Five!

It's Friday! Woot! And it's time for the Friday Five hop over at Jesse's Spot! Now there are two really good things about Friday. First- it's FRIDAY! Second- Friday Five! 

To link up, just click on the cuppa!

I moved my desk around at school so I could visit blogs because I was tired of only being able to see the computers and the Smart Board when I looked up. Now, I can see the office and a little bit of outside through the front doors which means- SUNLIGHT! I'm not thrilled with the position of the desk, but I am delighted to be able to see the sunlight! There is one downside- when the younger students walk by the window that faces the hallway, I can see them picking their noses. Ew. At least they don't wipe it on my windows. Double Ew. Though it is rather disgusting to watch them eat it. Triple Ew. 

Note to people in charge of sales in clothing stores: A. $2.00 off is NOT a sale and B.When you do mark it down for real, just call it what it really is, S#*T nobody wants.

Note to every driver in our town: If you cannot park your car within the white lines, STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE PARKING LOTS.

While I'm on the subject of annoying things, if I hear "I didn't do anything" EVER again in my ENTIRE life, I might have to shoot myself. It's particularly annoying when someone says that and KNOWS you were watching the whole time. Sheesh.

I have time before leaving for school so I usually turn on the local news for the weather (yes, even though they never get it right). During this time, there's a local commercial on for a bank that uses a kid to do something---you know, 'it's-so-easy-a-kid-can-do-it kind of thing. But I'm telling y'all right now, when it comes to electronics and technology, they should probably use an adult. Because kids know way more than we do when it comes to such things.

There's another commercial for some sort of local kitchen remodeling place and, at the end, they show a kitchen they've remodeled. They should really consider NOT using the remodeling that turned out UGLY. Honestly, it's just flat out hideous.

And then there's that woman with the voice that grates on my LAST nerve who speaks for Hudson Nisson. I wouldn't buy a vehicle from them if I wanted to just because of her voice.

I've obviously got way too much idle time on my hands in the mornings before school.

I know people who claim to not buy 'new' anything- clothing, household appliances, furniture, etc. They are also quite creative and make furniture and paint old 'found' items to look like new, or at least something quite desirable. I love it! And I often wish I had the 'eye' for these types of projects. But then I see where they will 'like' a place like IKEA on facebook and I have to wonder if that's not a sellout. Probably just me overreacting. Imagine that. Ha!

Ok. Seems this Friday Five turned into a full out bitch session. Sorry about that. I guess some things just need to be said. Ha!

Have a fabulous weekend! And, if you're getting snow, enjoy it a little for me please. :)

Friday Five!

It's Friday! Woot! And it's time for the Friday Five hop over at Jesse's Spot! Now there are two really good things about Friday. First- it's FRIDAY! Second- Friday Five! 

To link up, just click on the cuppa!

I realized this week that I sometimes speak of y'all (my wonderful bloggy friends) during the week and I'll say something like, "My friend (and I'll say your names) from (and I'll say where you're from) is so funny or so sweet or so creative," etc. and I go on and on... I just feel like I know a lot of y'all personally. And it's a quite nice feeling.

I'm not sure who puts something in the food or water at school that makes the students act like wild things but I sure wish he or she would STOP. It's not funny and makes for a long week.

There's a school in a neighboring county that is located in a dangerous area. Or is it? The problem seems to be the speeding cars being driven by idiots who refuse to slow down even though it's obviously a school zone flashing lights and signs and crossing guards. As a matter of fact, the stop signs that are held by the crossing guards are getting knocked OUT OF THEIR HANDS by the passing cars. AND at least 1 crossing guard has been hit and seriously injured. The drivers are also yelling obscenities at the crossing guards and you and I know that the elementary students are hearing all of it. This has been an issue for a couple of years and I recently heard on the news that the school district is tired of it. Really? All this time and you're JUST NOW tired of it. I just don't get it people. How this was allowed to continue for longer than the first time is beyond my level of comprehension.

In the newer schools, music is piped through the hallways. The classical tones are quite nice actually, but the rest of it is making me hate songs like What A Wonderful World because it's ELEVATOR music. And, when it's not those, it's Zen garden or something like that. Sadly, I'm getting used to the Zen garden. But if I EVER get used to the elevator music, I'm out.

My Friday Fives seem to be about nothing but school. That's a little sad too, isn't it? My life is now consumed with other people's kids. Good grief.

Hey! We have a wedding and a college graduation to look forward to! My bestie's daughter is getting married in April and DoodleBug graduates from college Mother's Day weekend! How's that for having a life? LOL

Anyway, I've gone over my 5 minutes (shocker) so I'll stop!

Have a fabulous weekend! I'll be praying that we get some winter weather!

In Case Y'all Were Wondering

Cause I know you have been DYING to know all about my job, I thought I'd show y'all my lab. Well, not MY lab, but the main computer lab at school where I spend 97% of my time.

I have windows in the lab but they just look out into hallways and the media center. So I have to provide my own sunshine---

I keep that collage of pictures behind my desk---

No. My desk isn't always that messy. It's usually a lot worse.

When I stand with my back to my desk, this is what I see straight in front of me. Dead ahead is the Smart Board. The bulletin board to the left is about internet safety.

 There are 30 computers in this lab. This is to my right---

Those windows peek into the media center(I still call it the library). Sometimes, when a class is in there and students are at the computers under those windows, I go over and make faces at them. They LOVE it when I do that. Don't worry, they don't get into trouble. The media center specialist (I still call her the librarian) is hip to my shenanigans and she approves.

This is to my left---

I don't like that stuff on the wall too much. Mostly because it includes the G and H keys for the home row and home row is really FDSA on the left and JKL: on the right. But it was already there so I used it.

That's our word wall. I use the white board for it since I never use the white board. If I need a board, I use the Smart Board. And that podium to the left of the chair is where I put my laptop.

When I stand with my back to the Smart Board, this is what I see---

This little desk is just to the right of my desk. It's where I have my intervention groups. See those little squares of paper on the cabinet? Those are the 4th and 5th graders' incentive charts. When they fill up a row with stickers, they get a piece of candy. I don't use this for the kindergarteners. Because there are 16 of them and that would be a crap-ton of candy and they don't need sugar anyway- their natural energy levels are OFF THE CHARTS. But they do get a sticker IF they earn it.

There's another lab downstairs that the kindergarten classes use. It's usually a train wreck in there but I'm not responsible for that one. Then, upstairs, is another lab with 32 computers in it. The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders use it with their teachers.

I made these guidelines to illustrate proper keyboarding position and they're on the right side of the lab. The lab is so big I had to make two- one towards the front and one towards the back.

I teach keyboarding to all 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. That's about 560ish students. I have small group intervention with 16 kindergarteners (in groups of 5 and 6) and then my 4th and 5th grade intervention groups. And then I have taken on a couple of students just because they need help. Intervention is the best part of my job.

We're about to begin learning to use Microsoft Word, make a Power Point presentation and a spread sheet in Excel. So I'll be putting up more boards with shortcuts and such on them.

And that's it. Not very exciting. But more fun than you would think. And not just because of the students. The people I work with make it worth going there every single day. They are so positive and funny and caring.

Yes, I miss my free time. Especially since I never get it anymore with the husband around here every weekend. But I like what I do so, it's worth it.

And it makes me appreciate not having to get up at dark o'clock and walk the dog by dark thirty. Instead, I get up at dark thirty and walk him by sunrise o'clock. Ha!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Something NEW!

One of my most favorite people in the whole wide world (yes, I know I say that about everybody. What can I say? I love all of y'all!) is hosting a new blog hop on Fridays called- Friday Five.  

Please hop over there and join Jessica in her new hop! She's so sweet and, more importantly, funny! Plus, we wouldn't want her to feel unloved! PLUS (again) she's got some tales to tell and a great family!

Here's the deal:  ..it's pretty simple and straightforward - you write a post on Friday - just 5 minutes or so.  It could be a wrap up of your week, it could be a miscellaneous ramble, a to-do list, a grocery list... anything really.  Maybe even be a weekly topic if people seem interested.  Then, you link up and that's it! It's also a nice way to meet and connect with other bloggers out there.  So come on guys... in the famous words of the Nike advertisers, just do it!  I even made an official button!  Because I am so official and stuff.  Feel free to share it anywhere on your blog.

 

School's out for THREE WHOLE ENTIRE GLORIOUSLY WONDERFUL DAYS! And I might be a little bit excited about that. Ha! "And now," cried Max, "let the wild rumpus start!"

Last night, I had the BEST Valentine's Day date I've had in quite a long time. Some of you might recall that our nephew and his wonderfully delightful wife had a baby in November. Guess who got to babysit him last night????? ME!!!!

Has he got some expressions or WHAT?! Such a cutie! And sweet too!

The weather outside SUCKS. There's just no other way to put it. Well, that's not true. That's just the way I see it. It's February (thanks, Sandy! LOL). People all over are getting winter. We're not. Again. HOWEVER, I am still hoping and praying that we will see winter this year and I might just see that this weekend. Of course, the weather has lied to me before about such things...

I am co-hosting a bridal shower tomorrow for Bestie's daughter. Stay tuned for pictures! I can't promise they'll be as entertaining as baby Jed, but you never know! 

Happy weekend, y'all!

Hope to see you over at the Friday Five HOP!

It's The Little Things

Oh goodness, the things you hear at school. At least, when it's an elementary school...

A kindergartener regarding the scarecrow contest:

"He winned! He winned!" (New word for won).

A fifth grader in response to my instructions that "These are the only two sites you may access."

"Are these the only two sites we can go to?"

A third grader when his computer shut down--

"I was just sitting here. I didn't do anything."

A second grader when her computer shut down--

 "I was just sitting here. I didn't do anything."

A first grader when her computer shut down--

"I was just sitting here. I didn't do anything."

I have finally come to realize that we have magic computers in our computer lab. They magically go to sites the students are not allowed to visit (nothing bad, we are protected in school); they magically shut down whenever they want to without anyone touching anything; fingerprints appear on their screens without anyone touching the monitor at all, ever;and, every so often, a mouse will just jump off the table without anyone touching it...Sheesh. 

A kindergartener who saw me in the hall--

"Ms. Wasson (oh yeah, in kindergarten I have many names but Mrs. Lofton is not one of them) LOOK! I lost a teeth!"

Another kindergartener who loves to chat on the way to intervention:

"Mrs. Woffun, I goed to my granny's house this weekend! And she gived me this!"

While my classes are sitting at their computers learning to keyboard, I often take an empty seat here and there and illustrate PKP (Proper Keyboarding Position). Last week, while sitting there typing away, when I finished, I nearly jumped out of my seat as the student sitting next to me shouted out---

"YOU GO GIRL! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT! THIS WOMAN IS ON FIE-AH!"

Yep. There's never a dull moment at school. There's also never a shortage of cute little kids making us laugh! I have so many more- but I didn't want y'all to bust a gut all in one sitting.

Who makes you laugh during the week?

Empty Nester- Back At Work

Well, not REALLY back to work because I was lucky enough to stay home and raise the lovelies for 25ish years. Though I did work as an interventionist for a few years when all the kids were out of the nest except DoodleBug.

But now that I’m tired of sitting in the house day after grueling day, I’m working. And I really do enjoy it though it has been an adjustment in and of itself.

Here’s the deal so far:

•  I still have to walk the dogs in the mornings. But now I have to get up at dark thirty to walk them by dark o’clock so that I can be at work by 7:15. 
• The school that the lovelies attended has been housed in its new building for about 3 years now. There are two stories in this building. I’ve been climbing the hell out of some stairs. 
• I’m back to paying attention to the school calendar. I wouldn’t want to show up on a day off! 
• I’ve discovered that my VERY FIRM authoritative tone of voice was not lost but merely dormant and made its reappearance speedy quick from the very first day! 
• I have to be flexible. Not my best quality. 
• I have to be patient. Again, not my best quality. 
• I immediately realized how terribly I have missed those wonderful educators at this school. They are, truly, the best of the best. And I have missed them. And I am delighted to be back amongst them. 
• Getting back in to the groove is exhausting but I’m getting there. And I must say that it’s good to be out of the house and around students, teachers, staff and parents again! 
• You’re never too old or self-assured to have that dream where you’re late for something very important. Like your first day at work. 
• Time flies everywhere. Some of the little kindergarteners I had in small group before are now 5^th graders. FIFTH. GRADERS. They look so grown up. 
• Big Brother is watching now. Kinda creepy if you ask me. 
• Elementary school aged kids move fast!
• I am too old to be in kindergarten every day all day but they are just the cutest things! (Their teacher fell over a month ago and hit her head---she still hasn't fully recovered so I've been going in there for two weeks now--NOT what I was hired to do but that could be an entire post all by itself).
• There's nothing quite like being greeted by two kindergarteners with: "There you is!" and "Where you were?"

All in all, it's been a good thing getting back. I do like getting out of the house for a while every day and it's not that big of a deal that I need to be in bed by 8:00 in order to survive the next day--there are no kids here to feed, check homework and get ready for bed! :)

But then, there is that broken toe issue....

I Thought It Would NEVER Get Here!

Hallefreakinglujah! Its Friday! FI-NA-LLY! I though it'd never get here. One of the really good things about Friday-besides being the end of the school week- is FRIDAY FRAGMENTS!

Did anyone else out there think that Friday would NEVER get here?! I fully plan to slow down time this weekend and enjoy the hell out of some football both days! YES!!!

Speaking of football, our high school team is undefeated this year. As I understand it, this is the first time since 1990. Go WARRIORS! Good luck boys!

It's been an interesting week of craziness but it all seems to be settling down. Though I will raise an eyebrow if the start of my true schedule coincides with the return of a certain kindergarten teacher. Funny thing about working- either things are crazy there or they're crazy at home or they're crazy both places but NEVER seem to be calm at the same time?

One of the lovelies' PHENOMENAL teachers in elementary school--the one who recently moved out to CA because she was going to be a grandmother soon? Well, she became a grandmother yesterday morning! Congratulations Suzanne on your lovely granddaughter! The baby is precious and Suzanne is beaming!

I spent two afternoons in a kindergarten class this week. Where I heard many urgent utterances such as:

• "He pushed me!"
• "I don't have any snack!"
• "I'M the line leader, NOT YOU!"
• "She kicked me!"
• "I think a bug just flew up my nose!"

 Oh yeah. It's been a week. Let me just say that kindergarten teachers ROCK and I do not know where in the world they have the energy to do this all day long, five days/week.

Our temps have gone back up. It's too dang hot around here. Mid to upper 80s do not equal fall. Sometimes, we have to wait until the end of October for the true cool down. I hope that's not the case this year.

Did you know that Big Brother is watching in the school now? I found out when a friend said, "Be careful. Big Brother is watching us now. You have to be careful if you want to flip somebody off." My but I have missed being at school! LOL I'm not really too worried about flipping someone off though. But what if I have a wedgy?!?! HORRORS! 

Hope y'all had a fantastic week but have an even better weekend!