Almost a Year!!

December 30 -- I can't believe it's been a year since I started this blog.  So much has happened in this past year -- I started a new job, my oldest went off to college, we started to PAY for college, our house had a series of "falling apart" dramas (which unfortunately seem to be continuing!) and many other things.  But mostly the year seems like a total blur.  Which, in a way, is a good thing about this blog.  Even though I missed some days (tired, out late, on vacation and, of course lacking power during the October/November power outage) there are lots and lots of entries which provide testimony to a year filled with many wonderful (and not so wonderful things.)

The older I get, the more I feel like a I am losing my ability to remember what happens in my life.  That makes me sad.  So I guess I am really, really glad I did this project.  Not sure if I will continue it...but i have to say that the one thing it does do is that it forces me to write.  Something that I really love to do.  So maybe I will push myself to keep on writing.  We'll see...

Lily Gets Attacked

December 28 -- Lily got attacked by the neighborhood dog again tonight.  Connor was walking her with his cousin who had just arrived for a holiday visit from PA.  The neighbor's white dog got loose and then their husky (who has attacked Lily before) quickly followed, breaking through the electric fence.  She pounced on Lily and on Connor who was hovering over the dog, yelling.  When he let go of the leash, Lily escaped and ran down our driveway to the house.   Unbelievable.  This is the third time this dog has attacked Lily but this was also the worst.  She ended up at the vet because we couldn't stop the bleeding.  She had been bitten eight times which required 10 staples to suture the wounds.  The poor thing has a cone on her head and is limping throughout the house, tail valiantly wagging.  Gotta love this dog.

But I am so mad.  I want to call the authorities.  Our dog was on a leash.  On our street.  What the heck, we can't even take our dog for a walk?!!  I know the owners are feeling badly and they told us they would pay for the vet (which I won't believe till I see the check.  Sorry, I am being realistic here.)

Lily just came in as I was typing this.  Her plastic cone just banged against the desk;  that's how I knew it was her.  This totally sucks.  Totally.  I feel so helpless.

Watching 24 with the kids

December 28th - corrected a couple of papers today, tookLuke shopping,went to a totally amazing spinning class and. NOw I am watching season 3 of 24. Oh yeah, Tessa made dinner for us tonight. As far as I'm concerned, this vacation rocks!

Watching a Movie...on a weeknight!

December 27 --  I watched Bridesmaids tonight with Luke and Connor and Brian.  On a Tuesday night nonetheless...and with Brian having to go to work tomorrow.  How radical!  Seriously, it felt so good to not have to worry about getting up early tomorrow.  I am doing nothing right now and it feels awesome.  Okay, not nothing.  Today Tessa and I cleaned out her drawers and closet and swept and vacuumed (she still has dusting tomorrow -- I'm not talking about miracle work here after all.)  But it was great to do something that I have wanted to do for a long, long, time.  We filled four shopping bags with clothes that either she wouldn't wear anymore or didn't fit into.  Four bags!    I know it seems weird but I feel so much lighter now...I even started to tackle the folders and piles of papers on my desk in my office.  (but I didn't get very far.  I can't rush all of this hard work;  it's exhausting!!)

I can just see myself standing in front of a class and telling the kids what a great week I had because I purged and cleaned my daughter's room.  Hey, I never said I was normal did I??  :)

My new smart phone

December 26 - I think that it's only appropriate that as this year of blogging comes to a close I would enter an even more adventurous realm of technology (for me anyway!)and so I finally gave up my ancient cell phone and got a smart one. Which I am now using to type this entry-yay me. There is so much to learn and I swear that as soon as I figure out one thing there is a new thing to learn! Oh well...at least I figured out how to do this on my phone. Kind of cool- or should I say smart?! Haha.

WInter Break Finally Arrives

December 23 -- I have realized that over the last couple of days I cannot complete sentences.  I start a comment and suddenly, mid-sentence, my voice kind of loses steam and suddenly, I can't even finish the sentence.  I am utterly exhausted and I honestly cannot remember ever being this tired.  I knew it would be hard to go back to work full time and maintain a somewhat firm grip on motherhood but wow... I am majorly out of shape.  For obvious reasons, this deficiency in stamina is highlighted during the holiday season which can tax the energy levels of even the most mellow and under-scheduled of moms.  

Tonight we finish wrapping gifts and then...tomorrow is Christmas Eve.  And my dad's birthday.  I saw him tonight when I went over to my parents to help set up for Christmas Eve dinner.  At one point I came downstairs and found him stealing some pretzels from the snack jar my mom has on the desk.  "Hey," I said, interrupting the theft. "I will see you tomorrow Dad."  And he looked at me, all confused.  "Why?  What's tomorrow?"  I just shook my head and smiled.  "Dad, it's your birthday."    He just laughed.  "Oh yeah?!"  he asked.   It's a fascinating concept to consider living a life where you have no clue you are getting older.  Not something I am living right now -- I am totally aware of my aging body and mind.  Now off to find the tape for wrapping...

Cookie Boss

December 22 -- I am so grateful to TLC (I think it's TLC) and its show, Cake Boss.  Tessa and RIley were addicted to it last summer and they are constantly watching the new shows when they get a chance.  The result is that Riley has decided he is a mini Buddy.  Except Riley's specialty is cookies instead of cakes.  I just knew my lack of baking interest was killing him, especially with the holidays approaching.  So for the last two days I have been determined to set aside time at night to bake cookies.  He is such a hoot with his "new concoctions."  I especially liked his butterscotch rice crispy morsels with a "ganache" (his word) topping.  Tessa was like, "ummmm hello Riley, that is NOT ganache."   He just grinned and quietly hid the Toll House chocolate morsel bag behind the napkins.

So now I have about 60 chocolate peanut clusters cooling on the counter.  Tomorrow morning I will pack them and put them into the freezer.  I feel like I am FINALLY getting into the holiday spirit.  Riley and I wore our Santa hats and cranked up the volume on the Christmas tunes while we baked and cleaned the kitchen.  Now I am sitting by myself in the office.  Luke is still at work, Brian is out and the other kids are in bed.  As I write this, Lily is lying asleep near my feet and the Mannheim Steam Orchestra is belting holiday tunes out of my one remaining (working) stereo speaker.  Ho, ho, ho.

Falling Apart Continues...Got Glue?

December 21 -- So I had a total meltdown tonight on the phone with my mother.  She called me all crazy about how I have to go over TOMORROW to help her set the tables for Christmas Eve because my sister can only go tomorrow and can't come over on Friday with works better for me.  I can't go on THursday.  I just can't.  Luke wants to go with me to help and he is working tomorrow night and so like, NO.  So she starts yelling at me and I start yelling back which is totally stupid because I am 48 and my mother is 83 and she still gets on my nerves like I am frigging 16 again.  Which is just pathetic actually.

But I am tired and she is a pain in the ass even if she does have to take care of a man with Alzheimer's.  Seriously.  She like, hung up on me.  I was like, ummmmm, hello?  Are you really asking for my help cuz it sure as hell doesn't seem like it.  ughhh.

Falling Apart

December 20 -- As the holiday draws closer and closer...my children seem to be falling apart.  (along with their mother.)  Tessa is stressing about "completely forgetting everything form her math chapter" and having to go after school to prep for a test tomorrow.  Riley is in melt down mode.  He went to bed and started to sob.  (Tessa came downstairs and gave me a heads up.)  I knew it...he just seemed off tonight.  Turns out he got an 84 on his math test in school and was upset because he broke his A+ streak.  (The kid is NOTHING like his older brother, Laid Back Luke.)

     Connor was pissed because at the United Way Youth Board meeting, the girl who came after him in the holiday Yankee Swap took his $15 iTunes gift card and left him with a $10 Dunkin Donuts card and a snowman Christmas ornament.  "I hate Dunkin Donuts," he said as he slipped into the car.  "Let's just go and spend this as soon as possible."  As I drove off, shaking my head in wonder at this newfound Dunkin Donuts animosity, he dangled the ornament in the air.  "And I got this ornament.  I hate Christmas ornaments.'   I was like, whoaaaaaa.  Somebody's gotta plan an intervention for this family of mine.  Little too much drama and overreacting to basically stupid things.  (Although I am totally grumpy about school right now.  I am thinking about what would happen if I quit...)

I think we all could use some R & R...  But really?  We have to learn to deal with this stress right now.  Starting with Riley not being upset about his math score.  (I think I helped him with that as we laid together in his bed and compared his 84 to the Packer's losing to the Chiefs last Sunday and snapping their winning streak.  Sometimes, ya just gotta take a hit to gain perspective.)  As for Connor and his grumpiness about the Dunkin Donuts gift certificate, I suggested that he use it in the family Yankee Swap at Christmas.  And as for my issue with teaching?  Not sure how to deal with that.  One day at a time, I guess.  In the meantime, I said to Brian tonight, " I don't care if I am not the best teacher with the most done.  My family comes first."  And as I held my crying son in my arms and thought about the papers waiting for me downstairs I held my resolve.  Family first.  For sure.

So Tired...

December 19 -- Mondays are notoriously bad but Mondays before a holiday break are the worst.  The kids were so off with their work effort and their behavior, it was nuts.  And I am no day at the beach either.  I am just exhausted and overwhelmed and cranky.  Tonight we went to Costco to pick up some cookies for Christmas.  I felt like a loser buying my tin of cookies and bags of chocolates.  I don't have time to bake.  Truly.  We have something going on every night this week.  We thought Luke would help us with driving but it turns out he has to work till 11pm every night this week.  Major bummer.

I am really looking forward to some r & r next week...but trying not to put too much excitement into it because I know it will go by in a flash.

Just want to sleep...

Lesson Plans

December 18 -- I spent the day today doing research and creating my lesson plans for this week.  I know the kids are going to be off the wall since it's the week before a holiday break but I want to know what I am talking about when I am up in front of them no matter what mood they are in.  And that requires doing research.  The weird thing is that today (earlier in the day) I felt like I had things totally under control...I thought I would be creating my plans faster than ever.  What a joke.  I never finish quickly.  There is just too much to juggle and I am slow, slow, slow.  For example, I might be looking for something to start Act II of the Crucible and so I do some research.  And oh, how cool, I find something to give the students even more information about the play and about the Salem Witch trials.  (Like the different ways they tortured people to see if they were witches.)  So I create a hand out.  But when I go back to my plans, I realize I have to juggle a few things to make it fit.  And so I have to re-do the plans, put the quiz on another day...and so on and so forth until whoa, it's another hour gone by.  Ughhhh.  But at the end of the night when I am done, it feels so good to have things in order, to be excited about the coming week.  (sort of anyway!)

I am doing something with my seniors this week that nobody has done before.  We are using the auditorium to show film trailers which they made and showing them to an audience of nearly 80 sixth graders.  (who will judge them!)  I am so excited and nervous at the same time.  But I think it will be a totally cool experience that they will remember... for a while anyway!

I read a quote tonight that made me think about this funky new project.   It has to do with laughing at new ideas.  Not that anyone has laughed at me but I have gotten a couple of funny looks.  Anyway,the quote goes like this:  “If people are not laughing at your dreams at least once a week, you are aiming too low.” Robin Sharma.     (Something to think about anyway!)

What Is The POint of Christmas Anyway?!

December 17 -- I do realize that I sound like a total Scrooge right now and I completely don't care because I am entirely disgusted with the whole Christmas gig.  I spent a ton more money today buying...I really don't know what I bought.  Since Brian's birthday was in November, I used up all of my creative gift picking strategies and I honestly have like, nothing left for Christmas.  I walked up and down the aisles of the store this afternoon literally throwing random things into my cart to give him.  It was stupid.  And I am stressed.  And that's why I keep asking myself, what is the point of Christmas? Yes, it's Jesus Christ's birth.  Then...why are we buying each other gifts?  Why aren't we just buying Jesus some gifts?  I'm pretty sure He could use a new wallet...or maybe an iPod.  Listen to some music and chill...

Seriously.  I am so anxious about what to buy for everybody.  This year, Connor and my niece both turned 16.  So they are off the kid gift list.  But Tessa heard that my sister bought Connor a "little something" so now, of course I have to buy a "little something" for my niece.  So today, I spent -- no lie-- nearly an hour searching for the right "little something."  I stood there, at Marshalls, in the Bath and Spa aisle trying to decide between a bottle of hair conditioner (a deep conditioning masque) and a soap from France with a built in loofah.  It was agonizing.  And a complete waste of time.  I ended up buying the damn conditioner and, fearing I wasn't spending enough, threw in some soap/mousse thing.   So crazy.  Woohoo, best time of the year.  Not.

The only thing I am looking forward to is having a nice meal with my family, hanging out with the kids, and not getting up early for work for a whole week.  Yayyyyy.    But now I have to think about Christmas cookies.  Crap.   I am soooooo not baking this year.  No way.

Late Night at Bookclub

December 16 -- Tonight was book club.  I really like our book club.  It's so fun to see everyone and catch up, a little at least.  I wish we met more.  But it's really late and I am tired so that's all I am writing tonight.

I Visit My Lukie...

December 15 --  I was missing Luke a lot these last few days as I considered how he was both studying for his first set of college exams and juggling his job at the same time.  When we called him (always our effort, he never called here!) he sounded okay, just tired.  But I didn't know for sure.  So we baked him cookies.   Brian thought he could drop them off during the week.  But he didn't.  Too busy at work.  So the cookies sat on the counter.  Fortunately, they were cake batter cookies which always taste better after a few days.  Then yesterday, Riley baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and I made an impulsive decision to drive out to see Luke and give him the cookies.  Riley and Tessa came along.

When I laid eyes on him I had one thought.  He needs a haircut.  Other than that, he looked and acted just like Luke.  Mellow, sweet, low-key.  I asked him if he was stressed and he shook his head no.  Paused, and then quietly said, "Yes.  Yeah, I'm stressed."   I have to say that I felt for him when we got in the car to drive away.  I tried so hard to be all laid back.  "You will be fine," I told him.  "Go study."   But then he tensed up.  Apparently he forgot to submit his timecard for work and it was due today.  I wanted to help him but he backed away and held up has hands.  "I got it, Mom," he said.  "I got it."  

Ughhhh.  I hope he does.  Even if he doesn't, it's all part of life.  He will learn.   In the meantime, I look forward to having him come home for winter break in a few days when the torment of finals is finally over.   I also look forward to giving him a haircut.  It's the least I can do.

Listerine on The Bathroom Rug

December 14 -- I had a revelation of sorts this morning and I have to say, it did not make me happy.  Instead, I guess it made me a little sad.  So I have to kind of process it a little bit...which will hopefully make me feel better.  (somehow.)

When RIley got out of the shower I stopped at the kids' bathroom door and knocked to give him a quick kiss goodbye before I bolted out the door for work.  He was mostly dressed so he opened the door and leaned forward to kiss me.  But then I heard the fan.  It sounded loud and rattlely  (word?)  So I went inside the bathroom and started to bang the plastic covering with my hand so the vibration noise stopped.  It didn't.  "Does it always sound that way?" I asked him.  He shook his head no.  "Ughhhhh.  Please tell Daddy," I said.  I had no time.  I couldn't stop to work on it longer.  As I headed out of the bathroom, I looked down at the bathroom mat and my heart sank.  Maybe a month ago, I noticed that (Tessa I think) spilled some green Listerine on the cream tufted bath rug in front of the sink.  It wasn't a huge mark, maybe the size of two quarters side by side.  But I cannot stand when the bath mats are dirty.  And when I saw the mark, I was like omg, I get nothing done around the house anymore!

As I ran down the stairs, my heart was in my stomach.  I do realize that it's just a small stain and not an earth shattering dilemna but to me, it means that my life at home is beyond my control.  The sad thing is I am so flipping tired I can't deal with it.  I ignore it.  And then...a month later, I notice it again.  And the quiet little voice in my mind says "what is the matter with you?  You used to have a clean house!"  My friend who is home full-time has a gorgeous house.  She is constantly making updates to make it more clean and more perfect.  My house is DEFINITELY imperfect.  That's a tough statement from someone who made money as an interior decorator.  But...I think this is my life lesson right now.  I think that the ability to ride the imperfection wave will make me a stronger and (ha) more perfect person.  Not that I am aiming for perfection.  Just a smidge more control.  (Which I am bright enough to realize is an elusive goal.)

Oh well.  Can't fault a girl for tryin'.  Maybe this weekend, I will do a load of bathmats.  The good news is we are getting company over the xmas break.  A good reason to bolster efforts at cleaning.  Well.  At least I will definitely go after the Listerine spot.  Soon.  Now onto the vacuum cleaning...

I've Got Nothing...

December 13 -- I truly have nothing to write about tonight.  I feel like my life is so complex right now, if I start thinking about it too intently, my brain freezes up.  And then if I talk about how I feel at the moment, I want to complain because I am so tired.  But I don't want to complain.  I am so sick of complaining.  Last week was a tough week at school.  This week is better.  But I still have my headache.  But I went to spinning tonight -- and it was great.  But then I came home and ate the coconut/walnut frosting on the German Chocolate cupcake one of my students gave me as an early Christmas present.  (The frosting was like the frosting my mom made when we were kids...it has evaporated milk in it.)  yeah.  So now I feel fat. Ughhh.  The pendulum swing of ups and downs!

On a good note, I went into my classroom tonight when Riley had basketball practice up at the school.  I asked Rich, the custodian, if he could let me in.  It was so quiet and I played my relaxing music on my laptop and I got sooooo much done!!  In one brief hour.  Psyched.  So that's a good thing.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I've got something after all.  :)

Pastitsio

December 12 --  Today I had a few hours after work where I truly didn't have anything pressing to do.  My grades were in, interim reports had been issued and I was done with my preps for tomorrow's classes.  So I did something I haven't done in a long, long time -- I cooked a really awesome dinner.  I don't know why I gravitated toward the amazing pastitsio recipe;  it's a fairly complicated meal that takes at least two to three hours to prepare and bake.  Maybe because it had been so long since I had cooked a meal that was both challenging and rewarding.  I just wanted to see if I could "ride the bike again."

Man, it felt good to be in the kitchen again.  I even celebrated and had half a glass of wine.  Until the headache came back...I don't know what is going on.  I was pain free for two days.  But at least I got the dinner in.  That's one great thing anyway.

Christmas Tree Shopping -- minus Luke

December 11 --   Today marked the first time we ever went out to pick our Christmas tree without one of the kids.  Since Luke comes home from school next Saturday and he is working on Sunday, we decided we would bite the bullet and head out for the annual tree selection trip without him.  Since there is always a drama and usually a fight (or two), we figured with one less kid, maybe it would go faster or, at the very least, without the usual sibling battles.

We were wrong.

On the way there, Tessa lied (she's extraordinarily gifted) to me in the car in front of everyone about something totally stupid and obvious.  Whatever.  Her choice.  My response was to tell her she was not going to lacrosse this afternoon.  Battle One.

Choosing the tree was nutty as always.  I found a good one right away but nobody wanted to take my choice.  It was too "quick."  Seriously?  Is there such a thing as "too quick" when it come to Christmas tree shopping?  As we trudged through the acres to assess the five hundred available potential victims, Tessa stepped squarely in the middle of a mud puddle and drenched her track shoes.  Why she was wearing them was beyond me but (as mentioned previously) she clearly was not thinking straight.  I was furious because she was going to need them for a track meet tomorrow.  Ughhh.

Lily was a maniac pulling on the leash and stress levels were rising so we suddenly decided to pick a tree which, quite frankly, had this massive gap between the branches.  But we all stared at it and, in desperation, firmly convinced ourselves that we saw no such gap.  Worst case scenario, we drill a hole in the trunk and jab a loose branch in there.  My dad taught me that one...

Connor quickly took a photo with a few of us standing next to the tree and sent it to Luke for his approval.  His answer came back later..."hard to say which tree I like;  I guess I will go with the one that shows half of my family."

And then we got the tree home but didn't have time to put it up.  On the machine was a frantic message from my mother.  So... an unplanned and sudden trip to my parent's house totally screwed up our schedule for tree trimming.   Alas, my mother was upset because in her zest to trim her Christmas tree (with clippers) she cut the wire for the lights.   Sigh.

Family Party

December 10 -- went to my brother Peter's house for a family gig.  It was nice seeing the fam but I always find myself wanting to leave after a while and ... never can.  So I am exhausted because it is really late -- nearly midnight -- and we just got home.  I don't know what it is about my family but I always have these moments where I just feel inadequate.  Whatever.  Tha'ts my "tape" and not the truth.  I can just as easily change the tape. 

Anyway...Thank God we didn't go in two cars because I would never have been able to drive all the way home without shutting my eyes...

Tessa's Concert Caps the Week

December 9 -- and the week...comes to a close.  Finally.  Between migraines and grumpy kids and even grumpier teachers (that would be me) I cannot even believe I have two days off before I have to go back to that classroom of mine.  Never mind the fact that I have to work on Sunday doing plans and have to correct papers tomorrow and log in the grades because interims go out next week but...it's in the convenience of my home.

What is killing me right now (besides the headaches) is that I watch the other teachers and I think that I am not working hard enough, not smart enough to come up with lessons to reach the kids.  I do know they are learning, I can see their enthusiasm, their effort in class and outside class (well...except for certain seniors who will remain nameless) but overall, I still don't know if I am pushing them hard enough.  If they will look back on this year and say, "yeah, my writing got better."  "I became a better reader."  See, one of the things that gets in the way is my very real desire to have them THINK better.  TO have them respect themselves and their abilities, to inspire them to believe in themselves.  That's what I want.  That's what I think of every day I stand in front of them.  Are they working to use their individual talents to make themselves better people?  HOw the hell do I know if I am helping them to do that?  I don't.  But I guess, for now, I don't stop trying.

And wow...Tessa's concert tonight was really nice.  It was cool to see my students up on stage with the chorus and the band.  Besides the fact that I almost passed out from exhaustion while we were waiting to hear them start, once the singers came on stage and the concert began...I was awake.  Appreciative of the talent.  It was, in fact, a perfect way to end a difficult week.

"Boring" Thursday...!

December 8 -- Thursday is over...yay.   What a ho hum day -- another basic day in the la la life of Tania the Teacher.   Let's see...I had a migraine during the second half of the day, I only got yelled at once by the librarian, I only had to yell at my juniors once,  (for the record, I yelled "shut-up" and it felt really, really good),  I only had to console one sobbing student (I was so sad I wanted to cry myself), only had to hold back one crowd of boys who wanted to follow a boy down the hall to view a pending fight, only had to call the nurse one time to re-program the defribulator that was activated during lunch by a student, only had to ask one student about his t shirt with Jaegermeister written on it (school rules = no booze tshirts.)  All in all...what a boring day. Yawn.

But tomorrow is Friday, thank God.    Seriously.   I am grateful to God and the world and to all who made the passage of time actually happen.  This week needs to come to an end.  Amen.

This Week is Moving Like Molasses

December 7 -- Yes.  I do realize that the last few blog entries (okay, maybe more of them then the last few) are all rather negative.  wtf.  I'm tired, I'm cranky, I have a lot to do and the kids at school (not my freshmen) are acting like losers.  Okay.  If I had to fine tune that assertion, I would say it was my seniors who were being the losers.  They aren't reading, they are way too disrespectful.  All of a sudden, they are horrendous.  And we are in the middle of a new project so I am having a really hard time reigning them in. The nature of the work they are doing requires flexibility on my part.  Screw that.  haha.


Seriously though, they are just annoying.  And I am annoyed.  This week, I don't like my job. The priest at the CCD service I took Connor to tonight said to write a list of gratitude.  Hmmmmmm.  I certainly can think of lots of stuff.  I'm just not in the mood right now.

I am blue...and the eggs don't stop!

December 6 -- I don't know what it is about the third week before a holiday but I swear I felt like this three weeks before Thanksgiving -- I am in such a bad mood!  And it is not just a day long thing...it's like this week is moving at the speed of molasses!  Thank God Larry canceled Tessa's trumpet lessons so Brian didn't have to take her and he was able to take Riley to basketball practice (and I stayed home to correct papers -- woo hoo.)    But tomorrow is just as full with stuff and ughhhhh, my students are being so annoying, especially my seniors!  Nobody is doing their work and I have this one student with a snotty, weird demeanor all of a sudden and I just don't feel like dealing with it.  Problem with teaching English is that you have to have conversations with the kids -- yuck.  I just want to sit at my desk and surf the internet!

Whatever.  I feel like I am making absolutely no sense.  I am just so sick of spending crazy sums of money to say, hey, I am celebrating Christmas.  And the list of charities to contribute to keeps growing and the chickens are laying so many freakin' eggs we can't find anybody to buy them.  So I have massive egg piles (all fresh, we get two dozen a day!!) on my counter.   I am too tired to sound the call and see if anyone wants them!

Anger and Exhaustion

December 5 -- I am not in a good place right now.  Having spent the weekend doing family things, I am facing a pile of papers to correct.  I corrected tonight and my eyes are weary along with my mind.  And then Luke calls and tells me he burned (from embers in a fire on a camping trip) his brand new North Face jacket.

I am furious.  I need a drink.

I Play Hooky...hookie?

December 3 -- I was supposed to get so much correcting done this weekend.  But I didn't.  Best laid plans of moms and wives and teachers...fall aglay.  I suck.  Seriously?   I don't think I do.  What the heck, can't I take one weekend off?!  And I really didn't totally take it off.  I corrected some papers.  I did my plans for this week.  (technically only had to do plans for two classes since my freshmen are in the library doing research all week.)  But still...I got the plans done.  So what if I spent the day with Brian helping him shop for a new car.  (He totally needed my input.)  I brought papers along.  Got a couple of them corrected.  (only 42 to go!!)  So there is something done for teaching right?  And, after a stop at the mall, I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done!!  Hooray for sure.  Doesn't that count for something?   And then...well...I had to watch the Green Bay Packers extend their winning streak to 15 wins in a row didn't I?  I am sure that my support did much to help them beat the Giants.  It was such a close game, they really needed my cheers to guarantee a win.   haha.

All in all, I'd say it was a very productive weekend...in the family/homefront anyway.  But in the teaching arena?   ughhhhhh.  I am going to have to kick some serious ass in the correcting department this week!  Oh well, such is life.

Riley's LEgo Robotics Adventure

December 3 --  Spent the day at a local middle school where Riley and his teammates capped their 8 week long preparation with a great performance in the statewide Lego Robotics competition.  I have to say that it was an awesome experience for Riley.  He literally threw himself into the program going to school an hour early and staying two hours after school.  For the last two weeks, he did this every day.  The way he organized his research, created his product and lead his teammates was amazing.  The best thing though was watching all of the kids interact with each other today.  A motley crew, they are kids who would probably never really hang out with each other but when they worked together as a team, they all respected each other's "expertise" in the competition.    Since they are a young team, the students who were the lead robot programmers lacked the experience to get the team to the next level but they did win an award -- The People's Choice Award -- for being the team who seemed most like a team with great attitudes and excellent sportsmanship.  It was awesome.

I think the best part about it was seeing their brains at work...very cool.

Speaking of working brains...mine is so tired!!  But I stopped at Barnes and Noble tonight to get a copy of the latest Wally Lamb book for our upcoming book club meeting.  And they were sold out.  A shout out to my dear friend Lori who has a copy -- are ya done with it yet?!  Can I borrow it soon?!

I totally miss Lori.  Definitely one of the worst parts about working full time...

Migraine...

December 2 -- Just in time for the holiday craziness, I got my first migraine headache since I started teaching.  It started yesterday -- they typically last for two or three days.    I have been lucky actually;  I usually get them every month.  During the summer, I mentioned the headaches I get to my doctor and she told me they were hormonal migraines.  She prescribed a pill but I never took them.  Till this morning.  Thank goodness I had them because I was able to get through the day of teaching.  But now my vision is blurry...the pain is back again.  I don't know why though, I feel my headaches aren't as bad as other people's.   It hurts but if I close or squint my eyes, I can still function. This probably makes no sense at all but maybe that's because it feels like someone is hitting my right eye with a ball peen hammer.    I truly have lost the ability to think straight.

Yipes.

Pass

December 1 --  I have been writing this blog all year.  With the exception of a few nights on vacation, the week we were out of power and the night I was away with Brian at the Horizon's gala, I have written something every night.  I surprised myself with this effort.  Tonight though, I am feeling even more tired than usual so I am taking a "pass".  It's only 8:30pm but I am going to bed.