We did it!
The school year ended. Phew!
Getting some appointments done that I have been putting off. Eyes, check. Chiropractor, check. Physical, check. Dentist, next week.
Headed up north to Traverse City next week with a parapro who worked in my room. Technology for students with disabilities conference. Should be good, but the best part is the location. Traverse City is supposed to be a great little town on a lake. Looking forward to a few days away. I love road trips!
A family gathering next weekend for my cousin and family who are moving out of the country.
Spending time in the yard. Finished painting the porch, finished adding mulch to the front, weeding the garden, removed stumps and weeds from the front yard. Basically enjoying the opportunity to work on home projects.
Looking forward to a quick trip to Cleveland before heading out west! Get to see the parent's house in Zion and visit some amazing friends in ID!
I love summer!
School counting
5 school days
2 parent meetings
1 field day
?? Boxes to pack
1 classroom to pack up and move
503 students to wave goodbye to when the buses pull away
3 parapros to say thank you to
1 school board meeting to attend
2 lawyers to meet with
3 reading assessments to complete
30+ goals to score
9 kids to send to the next grade
1 big decision to make about the next school year
Seriously.....
I am absolutely exhausted! Stress, drama, chatter, lawyers. It is crazy!
I need some ways to encourage myself and the other people I work with who are in the same situation. Looking for any and all ideas!
Highlights from vacation....
* warm temperatures
* gourmet cupcakes
* dolphin show at the aquarium in Corpus Christi
* chips and salsa 4 of the 6 days we were here
* a boat tour on the San Antonio Riverwalk
* the beach
* being asked 3 times at gas stations about how I liked the Kia Soul (the rental car)
* eating too much
* trying to take cute pictures
* seeing somewhere new
* learning about The Alamo
* ice cream for lunch on the beach
* getting a new book about San Antonio
* getting some sun
* coffee
* relaxing
* new clothes
* chicken tortilla soup
* the zoo
I love vacation!
Frustration
I have a lot of it right now with work. Makes me wonder if this is really what I want to do with my life. I hate that crazy parents and lack of support from those who I believe should support me makes me wonder if I can do this for the next 25 years. Sometimes I just want to scream!
Enough about that......not that I don't want to unload and vent but I realize this isn't the place!
Hmmmmm.....the latest non work happenings.
-We had 2 snow days in a row the week before last. (this was great because it interrupted work. So much for my list of non work happenings. Messed that up already.)
-I am having a box elder bug problem. I can't vacuum enough! Gross!
- A pipe froze in the garage, blew off the valve, and gushed water all over the place before I could find another valve to turn it off. Then the water froze and froze the garage door shut. Fun.
- Had a wonderful Christmas in Montana with family. Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing in Red Lodge and Yellowstone National Park.
- Got a heated throw blanket from the parents. Love it! Now it is hard to get off the couch even when I want to go to bed.
- Excitedly planning spring break!
- Thinking about summer! No school, warmth, fun, and friends!
- My parents bought a house in southern Utah. A new place to visit and see! Not for awhile though, it is a dump!
- Sydney, the 15 year old (coolest ever!) family dog died last week. So sad.
- Went to see the Russian Ballet perform Swan Lake. Beautiful! Then saw the movie Black Swan. Majorly creepy!
- Enjoying friends and laughter as much as possible.
I guess that is what is new.
Hair
I need a regular salon. I usually find a walk-in salon while I am out running errands. Once, over the summer, I had a sudden thought that I needed a haircut. I saw a shop in the same plaza near the coffee shop I was sitting in. I walked in and quickly noticed that something was up. Meaning, the place was full of hair posters of men, sports paraphernalia, and TVs at each station. Turns out Sports Clips is a barber shop for men. Awkward.
On Sunday, I decided to slip in a haircut while Christmas shopping. I went in to a Great Clips. Don't worry, they cut women's hair. However, my haircut was terrible. The lady layered a lot! My hair doesn't do well with a lot of layers. Think bad Farrah Fawcett feathering. I didn't pay attention until I went home and showered. Bad haircut. The wrapping paper scissors were too close. I think I cut off another 2 inches. I should never cut my own hair. I don't know what is worse, Fawcett feathers or uneven chunks of hair.
Way too long....
I know I haven't gotten on in a long time!
This made me laugh today.
Me: "You get what you get"
First grader: "and you don't throw...(pause)...anything."
He has autism and struggles with language. But I thought it was sooooo funny! He also had a hard time answering questions. I always ask about the day, month, and weather. He knows that I am going to ask something but he doesn't understand what I am asking. Here is what it may sound like.
Me: "What month is it?"
First grader: " It's snowy!"
Me: "What is the weather like today?"
First grader: "I had b-sketti!" (spaghetti)
Every time I ask a question and he gives me an off the wall answer, I can't help but laugh. He has so much enthusiasm for not having a clue!
At a recent (and very stressful!) IEP meting, I was sharing updated information about a first grade girl with autism. Her dad broke up the tension with another funny.
Me: One thing that we have learned about R is that she is very inconsistent.
Dad: (turns to me) "But she is consistent in that!"
Work is hard. But the little funnies help.
Before and after
Before
I started pulling and trimming the overgrown plants our front. With my limited knowledge of plants of any type, I wasn't sure what was weed or plant. And I hated the evergreen bushes. So I ended up pulling everything out. It looks a little empty now but I like the minimalist look. I will add more plants when I have a better idea of what I want. For now, I have hostas and a few petunias along with the umbrella tree and ugly scrub tree.
After
