I took the gas can to fill up for the lawn mower tonight. When it was full, a young man asked me if I needed help putting it into the car. "No reason why you should have to do that by yourself."
Uh....okay. He put it in the trunk, then was gone. I guess there are some advantages to having gray hair!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Another Day in the Neighborhood
And what a lovely day it is, too! Sunny, warm...nice after last night's storms. I did some cleaning of a perfunctory nature in preparation for a ham friend's arrival to help chop down some shrubs. (I'm sure if he knew I had cleaned, he'd be incredulous because the place sure doesn't look clean!)
Anyway, KB9RAF came over with his Sawzall (or however it is spelled) to cut a few shrubs to the ground. Dr. Dirt on Indy's WIBC radio says burning bushes can be cut to the ground after flowering...which is what we did. There is (or rather, was) a shrub in the back yard that was also overgrown. It sure makes things look different with those bushes gone, but they will return! Meanwhile, Good Neighbor Fred says we can use his truck to haul the stuff to the yard-recycling place tomorrow. I love it when a plan comes together!
I could spend a month working on the yard. In fact, I probably will, unless hot weather aces me out. With the shrubs gone, I can probably clean out the gutters now. They are full of maple seedlings. One day/thing at a time...
Meg called to say she is on her way to Muncie to pick up the children. I will have them tomorrow. Guess we should find something fun to do!
Anyway, KB9RAF came over with his Sawzall (or however it is spelled) to cut a few shrubs to the ground. Dr. Dirt on Indy's WIBC radio says burning bushes can be cut to the ground after flowering...which is what we did. There is (or rather, was) a shrub in the back yard that was also overgrown. It sure makes things look different with those bushes gone, but they will return! Meanwhile, Good Neighbor Fred says we can use his truck to haul the stuff to the yard-recycling place tomorrow. I love it when a plan comes together!
I could spend a month working on the yard. In fact, I probably will, unless hot weather aces me out. With the shrubs gone, I can probably clean out the gutters now. They are full of maple seedlings. One day/thing at a time...
Meg called to say she is on her way to Muncie to pick up the children. I will have them tomorrow. Guess we should find something fun to do!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Puttering Day
Let's see...the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in some parts of the world. I think the day after retirement surely must be Puttering Day. Having lost the urgency of "gotta get it done before the children come home" or "gotta get it done before the work week begins," I just did whatever I darn well pleased today! Did I actually accomplish anything? Not much. Did I care? Not much!!!!
I did clean up in front of the house a bit, picking up children's messes and sweeping up maple helicopters, largely because the lovely potted plant that Judy and Phil left for me looked like a "sweet little petunia in an onion patch". Had to clean up in front just to show off the planter! (Besides, it needed cleaning up, big time.) The yard and flowers were neglected last year due to the garage remodeling project. THIS year, I hope to have the energy to at least get things cleaned up and set up for the children to have a decent place to play. Right now, the mosquitoes are pretty formidable!
Apparently Robin called Meg from Muncie yesterday, all excited, to tell her that they took the training wheels off her bike, and she was riding. Yay! I think I was in second grade before I learned to ride a two-wheeler. Both Robin and Ryan are now riding, sans training wheels.
Meg got a letter indicating that Ryan does NOT qualify for all-day Kindergarten for next year. Guess they save that for students in need of extra school preparation. Ry is pretty sharp. All they/we need to do is figure out how to channel his energy!
The kitchen floor replacement project is scheduled for Thurs/Friday of next week. Getting rid of the FILTHY kitchen carpet will be a huge morale boost, even if it disrupts the whole house for a couple of days. We had budgeted $1,000 for the project, but it ran over about $500. Don't care! It is quality stuff and I trust the guy installing it. The household hygiene should go up considerably when the job is done. Frodo the Wonder Dog (now over the Rainbow Bridge) really did a number on the carpet. Even after shampooing, it wasn't clean. It has prevented us from wanting to have anyone in the house. The children haven't been allowed to walk barefoot in the kitchen for the duration. It will be nice to have the situation rectified!
Listening to a Skywarn net on amateur radio right now. The National Weather Service asked us to call up a spotter's network for severe. The net control operator just asked me if I could take over should he lose power. Ugh!
I did clean up in front of the house a bit, picking up children's messes and sweeping up maple helicopters, largely because the lovely potted plant that Judy and Phil left for me looked like a "sweet little petunia in an onion patch". Had to clean up in front just to show off the planter! (Besides, it needed cleaning up, big time.) The yard and flowers were neglected last year due to the garage remodeling project. THIS year, I hope to have the energy to at least get things cleaned up and set up for the children to have a decent place to play. Right now, the mosquitoes are pretty formidable!
Apparently Robin called Meg from Muncie yesterday, all excited, to tell her that they took the training wheels off her bike, and she was riding. Yay! I think I was in second grade before I learned to ride a two-wheeler. Both Robin and Ryan are now riding, sans training wheels.
Meg got a letter indicating that Ryan does NOT qualify for all-day Kindergarten for next year. Guess they save that for students in need of extra school preparation. Ry is pretty sharp. All they/we need to do is figure out how to channel his energy!
The kitchen floor replacement project is scheduled for Thurs/Friday of next week. Getting rid of the FILTHY kitchen carpet will be a huge morale boost, even if it disrupts the whole house for a couple of days. We had budgeted $1,000 for the project, but it ran over about $500. Don't care! It is quality stuff and I trust the guy installing it. The household hygiene should go up considerably when the job is done. Frodo the Wonder Dog (now over the Rainbow Bridge) really did a number on the carpet. Even after shampooing, it wasn't clean. It has prevented us from wanting to have anyone in the house. The children haven't been allowed to walk barefoot in the kitchen for the duration. It will be nice to have the situation rectified!
Listening to a Skywarn net on amateur radio right now. The National Weather Service asked us to call up a spotter's network for severe. The net control operator just asked me if I could take over should he lose power. Ugh!
The Fat Lady Sang!
Today (yesterday now) was my last day of school...forever. The days have been fraught with hugs and "we'll miss you"...and even a tear or two. After 39 years of teaching, I heard the fat lady sing!
Thursday was the last day for students. In the afternoon, I worked on my room some, cleaning out a zillion years of "stuff" from the cabinets and files and drawers. When I got home and picked up the grandchildren, I found out that they were going to Muncie that evening for the weekend, which freed me up to work on my room late on Friday, if needed. (It also gave the other grandparents a break.) I didn't want to cook, so we went out for dinner thanks to a gift certificate from one of my school friends, then Meg met Kendra for the kid trade.
I got a chuckle out of the children at supper. We play a game. "I'm thinking of something that begins with a (choose letter) and lives in (choose habitat). Then we all guess what it is...frequently erroneously, but the kids like it. At the table, Ryan said, "I'm thinking of something that begins with an A and lives in the water." We guessed alligator and a couple of other obvious things, but we were wrong. Then Robin guessed angler fish. "That's it!" Huh??
Friday, I didn't have to be at school until 8:00, but without having to make lunches or help to get the children ready to go anywhere, I was up and ready early, so I left early. (And the walls didn't even fall in!) The custodians have been out for several days putting new mulch down, cleaning up around the outside of the school in order to make it pretty for Commencement. It was a pretty day. The place looked nice.
When I got to my classroom, the principal came in with an impatiens plant in a perfectly charming pot that had a chalk "board" on the front. She had written "Peg's Garden" on it. Lovely! Even lovelier: the other radio operator in my building (WW9JD) stopped by at the same time with a handmade gift. But first, an explanation. Rick and I restarted the Bulldogs Amateur Radio Club at school a few years ago. During that time, we have helped eight kids pass the FCC test in order to get their radio licenses and have begged, borrowed, and stolen to get radios in their hands. It's been a bit of a tough year for Rick and family. He has been working a second job in order to help make ends meet. He underwent gastric bypass surgery in the late fall, and his wife has had some major health problems. Still, he has kept up with school and maintained his Positive Mental Attitude. He often teased me at lunch because I carry my own Tupperware salt shaker to the lunchtable. (Hey...I bought disposable salt shakers for the lounge, but they disappeared!) Back to this morning. Rick produced a tall, lathe-turned walnut salt shaker that he hand-made just for me. When turned sideways, the ridges and spacing shows Morse Code. Dah-dah-dih-dih-dit; dih-dih-dit-dah-dah. 73. Morse code for "best wishes". Awww!
I showed it (with explanation) to the rest of the staff at our morning meeting. Probably embarrassed Rick...but they need to see the OTHER side of Mr. Dubbs. What a sweetie! No one ever made me a salt shaker before, and I have my very own, one-of-a-kind treasure, with the salt joke behind it!! I would NEVER have thought to do something like that. That makes it all the more special!
After our meeting, I worked on my room again. Of course, there was paperwork to do...grades had to be in and all of the technical little details that are so much a part of what we do in education. (Storing textbooks in numerical order in the cabinets, assessing book damage and writing down who is responsible for what fees, turning in grade books and lesson plans, putting everything away so the custodians can do their summer thing, etc.) I got all of the "gimmes" done by the time the office gals left at 3:00. I really thought I would be able to go home by then, myself...but, as with moving, there is always a lot of last-minute minutia to do. At 4:30, I was ALMOST ready to leave. When I locked my classroom door for the last time, I didn't look back. By this time, I was hot, dirty, hungry, thirsty...and ready to party!
I love amateur radio! On my way to school in the morning, I mentioned on the air that my radio friends and I should meet for a drinkie-poo in the afternoon. At the end of the day--a whole lot later than I thought it would be--it no longer seemed like such a good idea, but there were a couple who were free at that time and had already arranged to kidnap me so I wouldn't have to drive home. We went to the Claddagh Irish Pub for drinks and supper, and that was all I needed. Three glasses of wine and an Irish stew later, I came home to an empty and quiet house...and fell on my face on the bed for a nap (which is why I am still up at this awful wee hour).
At the front door to the house, there was a perfectly gorgeous planter, put there as a retirement gift by Judy and Phil (the other grandparents)! I was a little embarrassed since, in the swirl of this past week, the front of the house is littered with toys, etc. Still, there is a place for the planter, and I am overcome with their thoughtfulness. What a joy to have so many good friends!
I owe so much to so many!
And now, it is time to crash for the night, at last.
73. Best wishes. Thank you. God bless. Amen!
Thursday was the last day for students. In the afternoon, I worked on my room some, cleaning out a zillion years of "stuff" from the cabinets and files and drawers. When I got home and picked up the grandchildren, I found out that they were going to Muncie that evening for the weekend, which freed me up to work on my room late on Friday, if needed. (It also gave the other grandparents a break.) I didn't want to cook, so we went out for dinner thanks to a gift certificate from one of my school friends, then Meg met Kendra for the kid trade.
I got a chuckle out of the children at supper. We play a game. "I'm thinking of something that begins with a (choose letter) and lives in (choose habitat). Then we all guess what it is...frequently erroneously, but the kids like it. At the table, Ryan said, "I'm thinking of something that begins with an A and lives in the water." We guessed alligator and a couple of other obvious things, but we were wrong. Then Robin guessed angler fish. "That's it!" Huh??
Friday, I didn't have to be at school until 8:00, but without having to make lunches or help to get the children ready to go anywhere, I was up and ready early, so I left early. (And the walls didn't even fall in!) The custodians have been out for several days putting new mulch down, cleaning up around the outside of the school in order to make it pretty for Commencement. It was a pretty day. The place looked nice.
When I got to my classroom, the principal came in with an impatiens plant in a perfectly charming pot that had a chalk "board" on the front. She had written "Peg's Garden" on it. Lovely! Even lovelier: the other radio operator in my building (WW9JD) stopped by at the same time with a handmade gift. But first, an explanation. Rick and I restarted the Bulldogs Amateur Radio Club at school a few years ago. During that time, we have helped eight kids pass the FCC test in order to get their radio licenses and have begged, borrowed, and stolen to get radios in their hands. It's been a bit of a tough year for Rick and family. He has been working a second job in order to help make ends meet. He underwent gastric bypass surgery in the late fall, and his wife has had some major health problems. Still, he has kept up with school and maintained his Positive Mental Attitude. He often teased me at lunch because I carry my own Tupperware salt shaker to the lunchtable. (Hey...I bought disposable salt shakers for the lounge, but they disappeared!) Back to this morning. Rick produced a tall, lathe-turned walnut salt shaker that he hand-made just for me. When turned sideways, the ridges and spacing shows Morse Code. Dah-dah-dih-dih-dit; dih-dih-dit-dah-dah. 73. Morse code for "best wishes". Awww!
I showed it (with explanation) to the rest of the staff at our morning meeting. Probably embarrassed Rick...but they need to see the OTHER side of Mr. Dubbs. What a sweetie! No one ever made me a salt shaker before, and I have my very own, one-of-a-kind treasure, with the salt joke behind it!! I would NEVER have thought to do something like that. That makes it all the more special!
After our meeting, I worked on my room again. Of course, there was paperwork to do...grades had to be in and all of the technical little details that are so much a part of what we do in education. (Storing textbooks in numerical order in the cabinets, assessing book damage and writing down who is responsible for what fees, turning in grade books and lesson plans, putting everything away so the custodians can do their summer thing, etc.) I got all of the "gimmes" done by the time the office gals left at 3:00. I really thought I would be able to go home by then, myself...but, as with moving, there is always a lot of last-minute minutia to do. At 4:30, I was ALMOST ready to leave. When I locked my classroom door for the last time, I didn't look back. By this time, I was hot, dirty, hungry, thirsty...and ready to party!
I love amateur radio! On my way to school in the morning, I mentioned on the air that my radio friends and I should meet for a drinkie-poo in the afternoon. At the end of the day--a whole lot later than I thought it would be--it no longer seemed like such a good idea, but there were a couple who were free at that time and had already arranged to kidnap me so I wouldn't have to drive home. We went to the Claddagh Irish Pub for drinks and supper, and that was all I needed. Three glasses of wine and an Irish stew later, I came home to an empty and quiet house...and fell on my face on the bed for a nap (which is why I am still up at this awful wee hour).
At the front door to the house, there was a perfectly gorgeous planter, put there as a retirement gift by Judy and Phil (the other grandparents)! I was a little embarrassed since, in the swirl of this past week, the front of the house is littered with toys, etc. Still, there is a place for the planter, and I am overcome with their thoughtfulness. What a joy to have so many good friends!
I owe so much to so many!
And now, it is time to crash for the night, at last.
73. Best wishes. Thank you. God bless. Amen!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Oh, great...
I woke up yesterday with a bit of a scratchy throat and some chest congestion, which only got worse as the day went on. Today, I spent the day at school blowing, coughing, and washing my hands and/or using hand sanitizer. I suppose it was inevitable that my last days of school would be fraught with feeling lousy.
I had to tell Robin to sleep in her own bed tonight. She works that to the hilt. We are still going through Spider Fear, even though nothing has been in her room for weeks. What she doesn't understand is that Grandma is too old to sleep well with another bed-hogging body in the bed! She still isn't asleep...
We had our 7th and 8th grade Awards program this afternoon, so I didn't have to teach much. I think we got out with 15 minutes to spare before dismissal. Not too bad. The special ed. aide that works with me came into my room during my prep and helped me get the textbooks in numerical order in the cabinets in the room. God bless her for that! Pam is not real popular with the kids because she doesn't take any nonsense from them, but she has been a valued co-worker for me in the sense that she anticipates my needs and does them without being asked. What a pleasure that is!
I have a couple more days to continue the process of getting out of the classroom gracefully. I hope it doesn't carry over to Monday, but if it does, I'll deal with it!
I had to tell Robin to sleep in her own bed tonight. She works that to the hilt. We are still going through Spider Fear, even though nothing has been in her room for weeks. What she doesn't understand is that Grandma is too old to sleep well with another bed-hogging body in the bed! She still isn't asleep...
We had our 7th and 8th grade Awards program this afternoon, so I didn't have to teach much. I think we got out with 15 minutes to spare before dismissal. Not too bad. The special ed. aide that works with me came into my room during my prep and helped me get the textbooks in numerical order in the cabinets in the room. God bless her for that! Pam is not real popular with the kids because she doesn't take any nonsense from them, but she has been a valued co-worker for me in the sense that she anticipates my needs and does them without being asked. What a pleasure that is!
I have a couple more days to continue the process of getting out of the classroom gracefully. I hope it doesn't carry over to Monday, but if it does, I'll deal with it!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Clean?
I cleaned out a drawer in the buffet today....the one that I keep the placemats in.
Found some strips of leftover wallpaper border from when I papered the kitchen a zillion years ago. Also found a pocket planner for 1996 and a coupon that expired in 1999. Guess I should clean things out a little more often????
Found some strips of leftover wallpaper border from when I papered the kitchen a zillion years ago. Also found a pocket planner for 1996 and a coupon that expired in 1999. Guess I should clean things out a little more often????
Memorial Day
So...when did Memorial Day become Veteran's Day? My family certainly remembers the veterans in our midst, but we also remember all who have gone before us, who have made us who we are. A few years ago, I stood at the ancient Pennsylvania grave of Joseph Armstrong (believing him to be a grandfather, when in fact, he was only an uncle) and told him that I thought he would be proud of his family. I think of my grandmother whose own humble beginnings made her the grand lady that I adored and influenced my life forever. Megan has started her own tradition of decorating the graves of her Indiana ancestors in nine cemeteries in Putnam County. (We are too far to do the same for the Illinois contingent.) May they all rest in peace.
I was interested to see if Meg's Russian friend enjoyed the 500. I figured he would either love it or hate it. Apparently, he loved it! It was a lovely day. No rain. No excessive heat. A good race with lots of excitement. I spent the day listening to it on the radio and emailing Meg's cell phone with little ditties. (It's blacked out on TV here until evening.) Oh...and did some laundry in between. Can't wait to hear her stories.
Today, it is raining which always saps my energy. I'm trying to think of a realistic daytime schedule for the children since they will be home with me that first week of "vacation". One more week of school. One more...
I was interested to see if Meg's Russian friend enjoyed the 500. I figured he would either love it or hate it. Apparently, he loved it! It was a lovely day. No rain. No excessive heat. A good race with lots of excitement. I spent the day listening to it on the radio and emailing Meg's cell phone with little ditties. (It's blacked out on TV here until evening.) Oh...and did some laundry in between. Can't wait to hear her stories.
Today, it is raining which always saps my energy. I'm trying to think of a realistic daytime schedule for the children since they will be home with me that first week of "vacation". One more week of school. One more...
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Matching Socks
This is going to seem like an odd topic for a blog post...
When Meg and Nathan were married, they (BOTH of them) would gather up an armload of laundry without sorting, wash it, dry it, and dump it in a laundry basket, and leave it in the garage (which is where their washer and dryer were). After awhile, it was tough to tell which basket of clothes was clean and which was dirty. Trying to find an outfit for the children became problematic. Worse yet was trying to dig through the baskets to find socks for little feet.
EVERY time I went to visit, I would do up a load of underwear and socks, then match them and put them away. That tiny bit of organization never lasted to my next visit.
Now that Meg and the children live here, I am somewhat meticulous about the sock business. I DO sort the laundry, and when I run a load of unders and socks, I fold them and match them immediately. I have it down to a fine science, sorting socks by type. I even have a little basket of socks with no mates in my underwear drawer which I drag out when the mates show up in a subsequent load. And now we all know what I will be doing in retirement!
I met Megan's Russian friend this evening. He was returning from a business trip to California. Meg picked him up at the airport, and we had dinner together at my favorite local restaurant. They will be going to the 500 tomorrow. Denis hasn't even been in the US for a year yet and so has never experienced the 500. I was trying to give him a heads-up about what he would see and some of the track traditions. Meg was laughing at me! (Perhaps I got a little too animated...) Anyway, he has promised to give me the Russian perspective of the Indy 500 when it is over. I'll be interested to hear what he thinks. He is, btw, quite good looking, intelligent and articulate, with a good sense of humor. I enjoyed our dinner conversation. He speaks several languages, and when he found out that I am an English teacher (for a few more days, anyway), he had some interesting questions to ask. I liked that!
I will listen to the race tomorrow because it is blacked out here until evening. I hope the kids have fun!
When Meg and Nathan were married, they (BOTH of them) would gather up an armload of laundry without sorting, wash it, dry it, and dump it in a laundry basket, and leave it in the garage (which is where their washer and dryer were). After awhile, it was tough to tell which basket of clothes was clean and which was dirty. Trying to find an outfit for the children became problematic. Worse yet was trying to dig through the baskets to find socks for little feet.
EVERY time I went to visit, I would do up a load of underwear and socks, then match them and put them away. That tiny bit of organization never lasted to my next visit.
Now that Meg and the children live here, I am somewhat meticulous about the sock business. I DO sort the laundry, and when I run a load of unders and socks, I fold them and match them immediately. I have it down to a fine science, sorting socks by type. I even have a little basket of socks with no mates in my underwear drawer which I drag out when the mates show up in a subsequent load. And now we all know what I will be doing in retirement!
I met Megan's Russian friend this evening. He was returning from a business trip to California. Meg picked him up at the airport, and we had dinner together at my favorite local restaurant. They will be going to the 500 tomorrow. Denis hasn't even been in the US for a year yet and so has never experienced the 500. I was trying to give him a heads-up about what he would see and some of the track traditions. Meg was laughing at me! (Perhaps I got a little too animated...) Anyway, he has promised to give me the Russian perspective of the Indy 500 when it is over. I'll be interested to hear what he thinks. He is, btw, quite good looking, intelligent and articulate, with a good sense of humor. I enjoyed our dinner conversation. He speaks several languages, and when he found out that I am an English teacher (for a few more days, anyway), he had some interesting questions to ask. I liked that!
I will listen to the race tomorrow because it is blacked out here until evening. I hope the kids have fun!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Surprise!
As a treat for the "graduating" eighth graders, we planned to show movies this afternoon, allowing the kids to sign up for the one that they wanted. I was supposed to show Grease, but when I went to the video store, it wasn't on the shelves, even though their computer said it would be. Crud! So I picked out a couple of others: Little Shop of Horrors, and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. Decided to show LSOH because I don't think too many kids have seen it.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the 6th grade team asked me to join them during their lunch period (which is my prep period). I thought they just wanted some fellowship before I depart for retirement...but they didn't seem to be paying too much attention to me. Hmmm... Then one of my own team members said we were going to meet about the same time (10:00) to talk about the awards ceremony and some other matters. Double hmmmm... Then I was led to a closet classroom at the end of the hall where there was a huge sheet cake, tons of cookies, drinks, ice, balloons, long-stemmed white roses...and a "Congrats Peg" message on the white board. I was told that I was being relieved of my movie duties so I could receive my retirement well-wishers! Surprise! Class by class, the students were traipsed down to the room to hand me pictures they had colored with notes on the back. (I told them I wasn't going to read them there because I didn't want to cry.) There were gifts--a quilt hanging, a scrapbook, a lovely book with a picture to match. It was very nice. I had no clue all of this was swirling around me! My only regret was that I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Had I known I was going to be celebrated, I would have cleaned up a little more! It was very nice. Knowing the gal who did all the work, I'm sure she fretted about it for weeks!
It was a perfect ending for a weird week. Next Wednesday, the high school is having a little reception for me since I taught there for most of my tenure in Monrovia. I will dress a bit better for that one!
Needless to say, I'm pooped!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the 6th grade team asked me to join them during their lunch period (which is my prep period). I thought they just wanted some fellowship before I depart for retirement...but they didn't seem to be paying too much attention to me. Hmmm... Then one of my own team members said we were going to meet about the same time (10:00) to talk about the awards ceremony and some other matters. Double hmmmm... Then I was led to a closet classroom at the end of the hall where there was a huge sheet cake, tons of cookies, drinks, ice, balloons, long-stemmed white roses...and a "Congrats Peg" message on the white board. I was told that I was being relieved of my movie duties so I could receive my retirement well-wishers! Surprise! Class by class, the students were traipsed down to the room to hand me pictures they had colored with notes on the back. (I told them I wasn't going to read them there because I didn't want to cry.) There were gifts--a quilt hanging, a scrapbook, a lovely book with a picture to match. It was very nice. I had no clue all of this was swirling around me! My only regret was that I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Had I known I was going to be celebrated, I would have cleaned up a little more! It was very nice. Knowing the gal who did all the work, I'm sure she fretted about it for weeks!
It was a perfect ending for a weird week. Next Wednesday, the high school is having a little reception for me since I taught there for most of my tenure in Monrovia. I will dress a bit better for that one!
Needless to say, I'm pooped!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Day Is Done
And what a day it was!
I've been a teacher for 40 years, a mother for 30, and a grandmother for 6. There are things one gets instincts for in all of that experience. For instance, when you see a group of students forming a semi-circle in the hall with a couple of other students the focus of their attention, it doesn't take an IQ the temperature of cat urine to figure out that something is about to happen. Before school started this morning, I was standing in the hall by my room when I saw the scenario mentioned above and headed the 20 feet down the hall toward them in an effort to break up whatever it was, but I was too late. Just as I got there, a punch was thrown and the fight was on...between two of my young "ladies"! There were fists and kicks and hair pulling--a real all-out rumpus--with the boys just standing there letting it happen. I stuck my arm in between the two in an effort to separate them, but that wasn't working. In short order, one of the male staff members got there to help TRY to pull them apart, but they were so attached to each other that he was actually pulling on one girl, the other girl...and me! Finally, I looked at the big strapping boys standing there and said, "Could I get some help here???" Only then did it occur to any of them that they could be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. DUH!
By this time, there was enough of a commotion that other male teachers came running. One, the sub for the 7th grade English teacher, put one of the girls in a headlock...and that was the end of it. The teacher has a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement or something. He doesn't look like a brute, but he's in good shape and was an athlete when he was in high school. The middle school boys looked awe-struck when they saw him put the kabosh on the fight. (New respect for the sub, perhaps??) One of the boys said, "He can't grab her like that." The other boys (and teachers) let him know that the teacher could, indeed, do what he did in order to prevent further injury to the girls...and it worked! As he mentioned at lunch, he wasn't "squeezing"...so the girl wasn't hurt. Just immobilized. Thus started my day! I got a little bruise on my arm for my trouble, and the kids kidded me all day about being in the midst of the fray.
So...I learned something new. When boys fight, they usually respond to intervention. In effect, they WANT to be stopped from fighting. (I think the logic is, "I would have beat the tar out of the other guy, but the teachers got in the way.") Girls, however, are out for blood! It took 2-3 men and me just to get the girls pulled apart. That started the day. Things didn't go all that well thereafter. There was yet another tussle between a couple of boys. Welcome to my world! So...with three days left of school, we have multiple kids suspended, expelled, and in in-school suspension. Ugh!
Tonight was Ryan's last soccer game of the spring season. Grandpa Phil and Aunt Rhoda were there, so Ry kicked a couple of goals for the attention. He really is a pretty good player, but we adults are glad that the season is over. That frees up two evenings a week! Yay!
I've been a teacher for 40 years, a mother for 30, and a grandmother for 6. There are things one gets instincts for in all of that experience. For instance, when you see a group of students forming a semi-circle in the hall with a couple of other students the focus of their attention, it doesn't take an IQ the temperature of cat urine to figure out that something is about to happen. Before school started this morning, I was standing in the hall by my room when I saw the scenario mentioned above and headed the 20 feet down the hall toward them in an effort to break up whatever it was, but I was too late. Just as I got there, a punch was thrown and the fight was on...between two of my young "ladies"! There were fists and kicks and hair pulling--a real all-out rumpus--with the boys just standing there letting it happen. I stuck my arm in between the two in an effort to separate them, but that wasn't working. In short order, one of the male staff members got there to help TRY to pull them apart, but they were so attached to each other that he was actually pulling on one girl, the other girl...and me! Finally, I looked at the big strapping boys standing there and said, "Could I get some help here???" Only then did it occur to any of them that they could be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. DUH!
By this time, there was enough of a commotion that other male teachers came running. One, the sub for the 7th grade English teacher, put one of the girls in a headlock...and that was the end of it. The teacher has a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement or something. He doesn't look like a brute, but he's in good shape and was an athlete when he was in high school. The middle school boys looked awe-struck when they saw him put the kabosh on the fight. (New respect for the sub, perhaps??) One of the boys said, "He can't grab her like that." The other boys (and teachers) let him know that the teacher could, indeed, do what he did in order to prevent further injury to the girls...and it worked! As he mentioned at lunch, he wasn't "squeezing"...so the girl wasn't hurt. Just immobilized. Thus started my day! I got a little bruise on my arm for my trouble, and the kids kidded me all day about being in the midst of the fray.
So...I learned something new. When boys fight, they usually respond to intervention. In effect, they WANT to be stopped from fighting. (I think the logic is, "I would have beat the tar out of the other guy, but the teachers got in the way.") Girls, however, are out for blood! It took 2-3 men and me just to get the girls pulled apart. That started the day. Things didn't go all that well thereafter. There was yet another tussle between a couple of boys. Welcome to my world! So...with three days left of school, we have multiple kids suspended, expelled, and in in-school suspension. Ugh!
Tonight was Ryan's last soccer game of the spring season. Grandpa Phil and Aunt Rhoda were there, so Ry kicked a couple of goals for the attention. He really is a pretty good player, but we adults are glad that the season is over. That frees up two evenings a week! Yay!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rhoda Heaven
Tonight was my grandson's graduation-from-preschool program. Pretty cute! The children wore caps and gowns and did their program in the church sanctuary. Ryan was the first one to march down the aisle with Pomp and Circumstance...and was the last one out. They sang some songs and did the Chicken Dance. Got their "diplomas" and went on from there. In attendance were the Heffelman grandparents, the McNary grandparents, me, Meg, and sister Robin...oh...and Aunt Rhoda. Rhoda is Daddy's sister from California who came in for a wedding that everyone is attending this weekend. She brought Ryan a gift, and he hugged her endlessly.
After the ceremonies, we all went to Culver's for a treat. Ryan couldn't get enough of Aunt Rhoda. At one point he said, "I'm in Rhoda Heaven!" I think she loved that!
What no one noticed, behind the scenes, was that Grandma Peggy took Ryan for a haircut between the time she (I) got home and before he was required at church. We ate McD's fast food. In fact, we even had a few moments to spare! Ryan was unhappy because I would not let him go outside to play..and he didn't WANT to go to the ceremony...although his demeanor changed when he realized that he was the focus of our attention!
School is as school does.
By third period, a couple of my young "ladies" were hauled to the office. The police were called. Apparently, there was an exchange of drugs and both girls are suspended...with four days left! I keep telling the kids that their "stupid" behavior needs to be curbed so that they don't jeopardize their school career, but they don't get it.
I don't get it either because it is WAY past my bedtime. Ciao!
After the ceremonies, we all went to Culver's for a treat. Ryan couldn't get enough of Aunt Rhoda. At one point he said, "I'm in Rhoda Heaven!" I think she loved that!
What no one noticed, behind the scenes, was that Grandma Peggy took Ryan for a haircut between the time she (I) got home and before he was required at church. We ate McD's fast food. In fact, we even had a few moments to spare! Ryan was unhappy because I would not let him go outside to play..and he didn't WANT to go to the ceremony...although his demeanor changed when he realized that he was the focus of our attention!
School is as school does.
By third period, a couple of my young "ladies" were hauled to the office. The police were called. Apparently, there was an exchange of drugs and both girls are suspended...with four days left! I keep telling the kids that their "stupid" behavior needs to be curbed so that they don't jeopardize their school career, but they don't get it.
I don't get it either because it is WAY past my bedtime. Ciao!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Where to Start??
So much going on! I'll just hit the highlights.
The Dayton Hamvention was about as usual. The weather somewhat cooperated. (A little rain on Saturday, but otherwise fine.) They moved our booth from our "traditional" space to a place in between a couple of commercial vendors, so we were somewhat harder to find than usual, but we had good attendance at the booth. Our forum was attended by about 50 folk. We had all of the Salvation Army territories represented to give reports. I thought it went well.
The biggest challenge of the weekend was getting to and from the University of Dayton dorms where some of us stay. The U of D is south of the Great Miami River, which only has so many bridges that cross it, and the one I am used to using was closed for construction. As many times as I have been to the university, finding the appropriate dorm and appropriate parking spots is always a crap shoot. First of all, most of the major streets have two to three names. (For example, one of them is Erma Bombeck Blvd, Brown Street, and Oakwood Drive. Same street!) Since I was approaching the place from different places each evening, I was never able to go the same way twice...and several of those times, I was led there by a TSA officer from Canada with a GPS!!! This year's dorm was one of the newest and nicest...but there wasn't a television anywhere on the premises. The TV that I took to leave at the booth stayed with me at the dorm...and boy, am I glad I had it! I finally did manage to get Meg's laptop working on their wireless system, so I at least had email...
For the last three or four years, I have taken the Monday after Dayton off. That has been a lifesaver for me. After three days of too much food, a lot of walking, and not enough sleep, it is a relief to know that I don't have to get up on Monday to go to school. I puttered around on Sunday...did a little cleaning and a little laundry...but, of course, it is never enough. (Oh, yes...and I did get a nap!) The children got home semi-late. We all crashed as soon as everything could get done.
When I got to school this morning, I was met with a note from the sub indicating that my 1st, 6th, and 7th period classes were "awful and foul". He had also left a note for the principal who was hot on the trail of passing out punishments when she and I talked during 3rd period. I reamed the kids out, too. Interestingly, they were pretty quiet after that. The sub was a young alumnus from MHS who was shocked at the behavior of the kids. (To his credit, he was back today, subbing for another teacher.) I talked to him, briefly. He said something like, "I have the utmost respect for all of you teachers for having to deal with this stuff every day!" Don't hear that very often!
Tonight was Robin's Bridging Ceremony for Girl Scouts. (She is now a Brownie GS instead of a Daisy.) I think Meg had designs to take Ryan for a haircut while I took Robin to the ceremony, but she wanted her mommy there, too...and I don't blame her. Grandparents are okay in a pinch, but a parent is worth so much more! Ryan was largely good. He got a little fidgety toward the end, but the ceremony only took an hour, so we were saved. We had refreshments and went home so Robin could finish her homework and hit the sack. (She MIGHT be asleep right now but was up just a few minutes ago. Hope we don't have another morning tomorrow like today was...)
Tomorrow is Ryan's preschool graduation ceremony. Thursday is his last spring soccer game. Friday, we all fall into a dead heap!
Which is what I am going to do now. As we say here in Indiana, ahm tard!
The Dayton Hamvention was about as usual. The weather somewhat cooperated. (A little rain on Saturday, but otherwise fine.) They moved our booth from our "traditional" space to a place in between a couple of commercial vendors, so we were somewhat harder to find than usual, but we had good attendance at the booth. Our forum was attended by about 50 folk. We had all of the Salvation Army territories represented to give reports. I thought it went well.
The biggest challenge of the weekend was getting to and from the University of Dayton dorms where some of us stay. The U of D is south of the Great Miami River, which only has so many bridges that cross it, and the one I am used to using was closed for construction. As many times as I have been to the university, finding the appropriate dorm and appropriate parking spots is always a crap shoot. First of all, most of the major streets have two to three names. (For example, one of them is Erma Bombeck Blvd, Brown Street, and Oakwood Drive. Same street!) Since I was approaching the place from different places each evening, I was never able to go the same way twice...and several of those times, I was led there by a TSA officer from Canada with a GPS!!! This year's dorm was one of the newest and nicest...but there wasn't a television anywhere on the premises. The TV that I took to leave at the booth stayed with me at the dorm...and boy, am I glad I had it! I finally did manage to get Meg's laptop working on their wireless system, so I at least had email...
For the last three or four years, I have taken the Monday after Dayton off. That has been a lifesaver for me. After three days of too much food, a lot of walking, and not enough sleep, it is a relief to know that I don't have to get up on Monday to go to school. I puttered around on Sunday...did a little cleaning and a little laundry...but, of course, it is never enough. (Oh, yes...and I did get a nap!) The children got home semi-late. We all crashed as soon as everything could get done.
When I got to school this morning, I was met with a note from the sub indicating that my 1st, 6th, and 7th period classes were "awful and foul". He had also left a note for the principal who was hot on the trail of passing out punishments when she and I talked during 3rd period. I reamed the kids out, too. Interestingly, they were pretty quiet after that. The sub was a young alumnus from MHS who was shocked at the behavior of the kids. (To his credit, he was back today, subbing for another teacher.) I talked to him, briefly. He said something like, "I have the utmost respect for all of you teachers for having to deal with this stuff every day!" Don't hear that very often!
Tonight was Robin's Bridging Ceremony for Girl Scouts. (She is now a Brownie GS instead of a Daisy.) I think Meg had designs to take Ryan for a haircut while I took Robin to the ceremony, but she wanted her mommy there, too...and I don't blame her. Grandparents are okay in a pinch, but a parent is worth so much more! Ryan was largely good. He got a little fidgety toward the end, but the ceremony only took an hour, so we were saved. We had refreshments and went home so Robin could finish her homework and hit the sack. (She MIGHT be asleep right now but was up just a few minutes ago. Hope we don't have another morning tomorrow like today was...)
Tomorrow is Ryan's preschool graduation ceremony. Thursday is his last spring soccer game. Friday, we all fall into a dead heap!
Which is what I am going to do now. As we say here in Indiana, ahm tard!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Doing the Dayton Dance
Just got back from the annual Dayton Hamvention. A good time was had by all. Of course, I am pooped and all talked out.
More later.
More later.
Monday, May 11, 2009
HCARS
I made it to a radio club meeting tonight for the first time in several months. I actually even paid my dues--dues that should have been paid back in December! We did some Field Day planning, but things have changed some since the club no longer has an income. They are asking for folks who are going to eat to pay $7 apiece for hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and chips! I have always been in charge of the food, and I don't like the idea...but no one asked for my input! I'm not finished with this issue yet...
We were able to get me to HCARS by doing double duty with the kids. Megan came home and gobbled some food, then took Ryan to his soccer game. I took Robin to Girl Scouts, then left for club. Meg picked Robin up after soccer. I guess it all worked out.
I know I have mentioned this before. I have seriously thought that maybe I should be teaching another year or two before retiring because of the financial hit that I'll take...but the truth is that the students are so poorly behaved right now that I'm not sure I have the will to keep going a couple more years. I'm wondering how I will make it the next three weeks! We'll just have to pare down here at home and manage. Everybody else is doing it. We will, too!
I wish I understood young children. Just as Ryan's behavior has been getting better, Robin's hasn't. Picking them up from Judy and Phil's after school has been problematic all year. I'm never sure what I will walk into...if the kids will be fighting or not wanting to see me because they are playing outside...or what. This afternoon, there was a water bottle with some ice in it at the end of the sidewalk when I got there. I picked it up and took it inside, thinking that one of the kids dumped it there. Ryan was in a good mood. Robin showed up a couple of minutes later in a foul mood. All she would do was "moo". No conversation about what was bothering her. It took me a few minutes to figure out that it was HER water bottle outside and that she WANTED it there. She started shouting and being disrespectful until Phil snapped and hauled her bodily out of the house. Somehow, the concrete goose on the front stoop got knocked over and broke. When we finally all got in the car and headed for home, I said, "That was embarrassing." Someone inquired what I was talking about, so I started talking about Robin's disrespectful behavior. She didn't want to hear it so told me to "shut up". I stopped the car and asked her to repeat herself, which (of course) she wouldn't do, except to say that she didn't want to hear what I had to say. I told her that she would have to go to her room when we got home. (I didn't yell. I was proud of myself.) She didn't like that idea. (Spiders, you know.) She immediately started on her homework and was polite in asking me to check over her work and listen to her read. It wasn't manipulative. I think she knew that she had crossed a line that wasn't going to work for her. The problem is that she owes her other grandparents an apology, and I'm not sure how to approach that without creating another power struggle. Both children don't know how to handle frustration. We need to figure out how to work on that. Dr. Phil, where are you when I need you?!
Past time for bed!
We were able to get me to HCARS by doing double duty with the kids. Megan came home and gobbled some food, then took Ryan to his soccer game. I took Robin to Girl Scouts, then left for club. Meg picked Robin up after soccer. I guess it all worked out.
I know I have mentioned this before. I have seriously thought that maybe I should be teaching another year or two before retiring because of the financial hit that I'll take...but the truth is that the students are so poorly behaved right now that I'm not sure I have the will to keep going a couple more years. I'm wondering how I will make it the next three weeks! We'll just have to pare down here at home and manage. Everybody else is doing it. We will, too!
I wish I understood young children. Just as Ryan's behavior has been getting better, Robin's hasn't. Picking them up from Judy and Phil's after school has been problematic all year. I'm never sure what I will walk into...if the kids will be fighting or not wanting to see me because they are playing outside...or what. This afternoon, there was a water bottle with some ice in it at the end of the sidewalk when I got there. I picked it up and took it inside, thinking that one of the kids dumped it there. Ryan was in a good mood. Robin showed up a couple of minutes later in a foul mood. All she would do was "moo". No conversation about what was bothering her. It took me a few minutes to figure out that it was HER water bottle outside and that she WANTED it there. She started shouting and being disrespectful until Phil snapped and hauled her bodily out of the house. Somehow, the concrete goose on the front stoop got knocked over and broke. When we finally all got in the car and headed for home, I said, "That was embarrassing." Someone inquired what I was talking about, so I started talking about Robin's disrespectful behavior. She didn't want to hear it so told me to "shut up". I stopped the car and asked her to repeat herself, which (of course) she wouldn't do, except to say that she didn't want to hear what I had to say. I told her that she would have to go to her room when we got home. (I didn't yell. I was proud of myself.) She didn't like that idea. (Spiders, you know.) She immediately started on her homework and was polite in asking me to check over her work and listen to her read. It wasn't manipulative. I think she knew that she had crossed a line that wasn't going to work for her. The problem is that she owes her other grandparents an apology, and I'm not sure how to approach that without creating another power struggle. Both children don't know how to handle frustration. We need to figure out how to work on that. Dr. Phil, where are you when I need you?!
Past time for bed!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
To those who might happen to read this and are mothers, I hope the day was a pleasant one for you. 'Tis a daunting job, fraught with huge pitfalls that impact the lives of those we love the most, but the world is a better place because of mother love.
I honor my own mother and grandmother today. (Both long deceased.) The older I get, the more like my mother I become. It's scary! The Armstrong/Covill women's legacy is that the daughters all grew up to be best friends with their mothers. I grew up in that security. As I raised my own daughter, I was hoping for that, as well. Meg and I had our moments. There were times when I wondered if we would ever get past some traumas, but I think it could be said that we are there. (I'm not sure Meg would say that!)
Meg and I went out for a late lunch/early dinner this afternoon. I've had a hankering for a Bob Evans breakfast...and unbeknownst to me, so has Meg. We had breakfast at 3:00 PM. Meg bought. Yay!
I have worked really hard this weekend. Got all of the laundry done. Cleaned Ryan's room and Robin's room. The kitchen and my bedroom are still trashed, but at least I can get around without tripping on things! The children got home around 6:00 PM and are now fighting. It will be bedtime shortly!
Still stuff to do before I can go to bed, but I'm okay with what I did get done. It's never enough, though...
I honor my own mother and grandmother today. (Both long deceased.) The older I get, the more like my mother I become. It's scary! The Armstrong/Covill women's legacy is that the daughters all grew up to be best friends with their mothers. I grew up in that security. As I raised my own daughter, I was hoping for that, as well. Meg and I had our moments. There were times when I wondered if we would ever get past some traumas, but I think it could be said that we are there. (I'm not sure Meg would say that!)
Meg and I went out for a late lunch/early dinner this afternoon. I've had a hankering for a Bob Evans breakfast...and unbeknownst to me, so has Meg. We had breakfast at 3:00 PM. Meg bought. Yay!
I have worked really hard this weekend. Got all of the laundry done. Cleaned Ryan's room and Robin's room. The kitchen and my bedroom are still trashed, but at least I can get around without tripping on things! The children got home around 6:00 PM and are now fighting. It will be bedtime shortly!
Still stuff to do before I can go to bed, but I'm okay with what I did get done. It's never enough, though...
Saturday
On her way back from Muncie last night, Meg called to say that she was going to take an hour's detour to visit her friend Tiffany who was taking a getaway weekend on Michigan Street. (Tiff had a baby back in December.) One thing led to another (I knew it would!) and she stayed overnight with Tiff. She got home in time to shower and go to her activity today. NEXT weekend, she'd better be cleaning because I will be in Dayton for the annual Dayton Hamvention!
I am within two loads of having all of the laundry done for the week. It isn't all put away, yet...which is half the battle...but at least I have made a large dent.
Although it may seem that things should settle down since the school year is so near over, it ain't so! Ryan has a preschool "graduation" ceremony. Robin has a Field Day. I have an awards ceremony to prepare for at school, in between preparations for Dayton...and preparing for a sub for two days...plus getting all paperwork graded and recorded, and room cleanout, before it is all over.
All I really want out of life right now is order. I would like to be able to walk through the house without having to step over things. I would like to be able to find things because they are where they are supposed to be. I have told myself that, once I am retired, I will have time to take care of all of this. (I'm sure Grandma Judy told herself the same thing before she volunteered to take on the childcare deal this year.) 'Tis better...just not good. I just really need to school year to be over so I can regroup. Thankfully, this weekend has been sans stress.
We shall look forward to another day....God willing.
I am within two loads of having all of the laundry done for the week. It isn't all put away, yet...which is half the battle...but at least I have made a large dent.
Although it may seem that things should settle down since the school year is so near over, it ain't so! Ryan has a preschool "graduation" ceremony. Robin has a Field Day. I have an awards ceremony to prepare for at school, in between preparations for Dayton...and preparing for a sub for two days...plus getting all paperwork graded and recorded, and room cleanout, before it is all over.
All I really want out of life right now is order. I would like to be able to walk through the house without having to step over things. I would like to be able to find things because they are where they are supposed to be. I have told myself that, once I am retired, I will have time to take care of all of this. (I'm sure Grandma Judy told herself the same thing before she volunteered to take on the childcare deal this year.) 'Tis better...just not good. I just really need to school year to be over so I can regroup. Thankfully, this weekend has been sans stress.
We shall look forward to another day....God willing.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Oh! Forgot to Mention...
Meg was in a Biggest Loser contest at work. She and her team won, with her as The Biggest Loser! She has lost 30-some-odd pounds since my birthday in early March, and it really begins to show. The contest is over, but she continues her intake vigilance. When Meg puts her mind on something, results happen!
So Much to Do...
So little time!
Another week down...and what a week it was! The kids at school have been terrible. I had to write up two of them today in two separate incidents. Another of my young Lochinvars is on a 5-day out-of-school suspension for "mooning" the opposing team at a track meet yesterday. Then there is the trouble that is brewing between a couple of our young "ladies"--over a guy, of course. Stupidity abounds! I didn't get to teach much today. Was spending too much time stamping out brush fires among students!
By my calculations, if I count out the two days I will take off for the Dayton Hamvention, I have 11 more days with students and one more day to finish with grades and cleaning out my classroom. I can do this! I've started giving things away. Have takers for some of my big items--refrigerator, desktop organizer shelves, etc. Still have to find someone who will take the big television that I traded a radio for a number of years ago (before the district got rid of cable TV in the classrooms). It goes to the trash if no one wants it. The rest goes to that big Dumpster in the Sky. I have stepped up my cleaning efforts because, just like packing to move, I think I've made progress when, in fact, there is a ton more to do.
This has been a particularly wicked week for me because there has been no break in grandkid care in the evenings. Megan's coursework, as of today, is officially done for the summer...but because I was helping out so she could get everything completed, I haven't had time to regroup and rejuvenate for the week. Had the Girl Scout campout last weekend, homework supervision all week, the Young Author's Workshop with the children on Wednesday evening, supervision of both kids after Ry's soccer game last evening...plus baths. Laundry is piled high. Toys are everywhere. Dishes aren't done. (Meals have suffered this week, too.) Tonight, Meg took the children to Muncie and is on her way home as I type. The silence in this messy house is wonderful! I even took a nap! (Meg says Kendra--Daddy Nathan's fiancee--has a friend from Chicago visiting with her four children this weekend...plus their three. That makes seven Munchkins running around the house. She called as she left for home saying she couldn't get out of there fast enough!)
Meg will be gone tomorrow so it's just me and the laundry and the spiders here. Robin asked me to clean her room and spray everything while she was gone. Bless her heart. I do so remember the years visiting at my grandparents' farm, watching crickets hop across the living room floor... I was scared too...just not brave enough to let anyone know I was. Robin was promised a Webkinz if she could get through the week going to bed okay. I know she has had to talk to herself about not getting up (because she told me so), and bedtime has been better. Ryan is largely a trouper, unafraid of the dark or bugs.
Life goes on, with or without me. I am really just holding my breath to get the school year over with. It's a bad approach, I know...but the year is two weeks too long this year!
Another week down...and what a week it was! The kids at school have been terrible. I had to write up two of them today in two separate incidents. Another of my young Lochinvars is on a 5-day out-of-school suspension for "mooning" the opposing team at a track meet yesterday. Then there is the trouble that is brewing between a couple of our young "ladies"--over a guy, of course. Stupidity abounds! I didn't get to teach much today. Was spending too much time stamping out brush fires among students!
By my calculations, if I count out the two days I will take off for the Dayton Hamvention, I have 11 more days with students and one more day to finish with grades and cleaning out my classroom. I can do this! I've started giving things away. Have takers for some of my big items--refrigerator, desktop organizer shelves, etc. Still have to find someone who will take the big television that I traded a radio for a number of years ago (before the district got rid of cable TV in the classrooms). It goes to the trash if no one wants it. The rest goes to that big Dumpster in the Sky. I have stepped up my cleaning efforts because, just like packing to move, I think I've made progress when, in fact, there is a ton more to do.
This has been a particularly wicked week for me because there has been no break in grandkid care in the evenings. Megan's coursework, as of today, is officially done for the summer...but because I was helping out so she could get everything completed, I haven't had time to regroup and rejuvenate for the week. Had the Girl Scout campout last weekend, homework supervision all week, the Young Author's Workshop with the children on Wednesday evening, supervision of both kids after Ry's soccer game last evening...plus baths. Laundry is piled high. Toys are everywhere. Dishes aren't done. (Meals have suffered this week, too.) Tonight, Meg took the children to Muncie and is on her way home as I type. The silence in this messy house is wonderful! I even took a nap! (Meg says Kendra--Daddy Nathan's fiancee--has a friend from Chicago visiting with her four children this weekend...plus their three. That makes seven Munchkins running around the house. She called as she left for home saying she couldn't get out of there fast enough!)
Meg will be gone tomorrow so it's just me and the laundry and the spiders here. Robin asked me to clean her room and spray everything while she was gone. Bless her heart. I do so remember the years visiting at my grandparents' farm, watching crickets hop across the living room floor... I was scared too...just not brave enough to let anyone know I was. Robin was promised a Webkinz if she could get through the week going to bed okay. I know she has had to talk to herself about not getting up (because she told me so), and bedtime has been better. Ryan is largely a trouper, unafraid of the dark or bugs.
Life goes on, with or without me. I am really just holding my breath to get the school year over with. It's a bad approach, I know...but the year is two weeks too long this year!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Rain Again
And lots of it. I do so much better when the sun is shining...
Once again, my last two classes of the day got me wound up. I'm just slapping work on them to keep them quiet. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I gave away some things today. Much more of that to do...
When I picked the children up this afternoon, it was raining. (No playing outside with Jack.) Since Meg had an online final exam to take (and is still working on that as I type), I decided we could make it "movie night" if Robin got her homework done. She started working on that...but then she remembered a joint venture between Van Buren Elementary and St. Susanna's School--Young Writer's Workshop--and begged for us to go. Ugh! It started at 6:00, and dinner doesn't usually occur until then. Okay...so we shifted gears. I took both kids...and they were both good. They had a little fun and saw some friends. (Ryan almost saw more soccer and preschool friends than Robin did as a school-age kid. I also am meeting a lot of Plainfield people via Robin's Girl Scouts and Ryan's soccer...but they are all Meg's age!) We stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things...then home and bed for the kids. Ryan goes so much easier than Robin does, these days. Spiders, you know...
It is time for me to gear up for Dayton. The Dayton Hamvention is a yearly convention that is the granddaddy of all hamfests. I need to prepare two days' worth of lesson plans so I can attend. I haven't even started to LOOK for the things that I will need to take. Will start on that this weekend, I guess. Amid laundry and retirement paperwork...and a house full of trash. It is like I'm holding my breath until this is all over and I can breathe again. I'll be fine once I get there. Just have to get there!!
Tomorrow, I have Grandma duty again in the evening because Meg has an appointment. I love my grandchildren. Really! I just don't do real well with dealing with 8th graders all day and my primary children all night. Meg tells me that I cursed her and that it's MY fault. What was my curse when she was younger? "I hope you have ten kids, and I hopeat they are all just like you!" Heh heh. Little did I know that I would have deja vu "all over again"!
Hitting the sack.
Once again, my last two classes of the day got me wound up. I'm just slapping work on them to keep them quiet. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I gave away some things today. Much more of that to do...
When I picked the children up this afternoon, it was raining. (No playing outside with Jack.) Since Meg had an online final exam to take (and is still working on that as I type), I decided we could make it "movie night" if Robin got her homework done. She started working on that...but then she remembered a joint venture between Van Buren Elementary and St. Susanna's School--Young Writer's Workshop--and begged for us to go. Ugh! It started at 6:00, and dinner doesn't usually occur until then. Okay...so we shifted gears. I took both kids...and they were both good. They had a little fun and saw some friends. (Ryan almost saw more soccer and preschool friends than Robin did as a school-age kid. I also am meeting a lot of Plainfield people via Robin's Girl Scouts and Ryan's soccer...but they are all Meg's age!) We stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things...then home and bed for the kids. Ryan goes so much easier than Robin does, these days. Spiders, you know...
It is time for me to gear up for Dayton. The Dayton Hamvention is a yearly convention that is the granddaddy of all hamfests. I need to prepare two days' worth of lesson plans so I can attend. I haven't even started to LOOK for the things that I will need to take. Will start on that this weekend, I guess. Amid laundry and retirement paperwork...and a house full of trash. It is like I'm holding my breath until this is all over and I can breathe again. I'll be fine once I get there. Just have to get there!!
Tomorrow, I have Grandma duty again in the evening because Meg has an appointment. I love my grandchildren. Really! I just don't do real well with dealing with 8th graders all day and my primary children all night. Meg tells me that I cursed her and that it's MY fault. What was my curse when she was younger? "I hope you have ten kids, and I hopeat they are all just like you!" Heh heh. Little did I know that I would have deja vu "all over again"!
Hitting the sack.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Just Two More Mondays
The last Monday of my teaching career is a holiday...so just two more to go!
Last night was a lot of fun--NOT.
Robin was too scared to sleep in her bed. (Spiders, you know.) So we put her on the couch...but then she said she was too scared to sleep there, as well. This, I think, was a bid to sleep in my bed...but honestly, I needed some uninterrupted sleep, myself...so Meg and I both refused. In the ensuing nonsense, Robin got a spanking and was ordered to her own bed where she cried herself to sleep. (She had to be dead tired.) Meg snarled at me; I took offense. We all retired to our own corners of the house for the night. And so it went.
This morning, Meg took the children to school...not sure why. That cut down a little on my morning stress. I got their lunches made and laid out clothes but was instructed not to wake them yet. That meant I just had to get myself ready for school and go. Which I did. After school, Robin (who had early release today) went to her Scout leader's house to play (and do homework). Thanks, Sandy! I picked up Ryan from Grandma Judy's, got home in time for Robin to be delivered home, made supper, and got Ryan ready for soccer. Robin was being a pill, so she was "grounded" from Jack's. (You will recall that Jack is the new neighbor boy.) Meg got home in time to go to soccer. I stayed home.
In the time that they were gone, I emptied the dryer, did a load of dishes, washed and dried another couple of loads of laundry, and baked some fat-free brownies. I don't like to miss his games, but since I was gone most of the weekend, I really needed to get a better handle on things at home. (Do I have a handle on things at home? I don't think so!)
Slowly--VERY slowly--I am cleaning out things at school. I have a taker for my refrigerator and my desktop organizer. (Wish I had room for that at home...but noooo...) I am shipping some of my materials to the Department Chair so she will have it for the next person. A lot of stuff is just going in the trash. Years and years of "stuff" that no one is going to want. I still have to talk with the technology people to determine if my computer files can be/should be saved for my replacement. A LOT of work represented there!
We have been given permission to dress "casual" this week since it is Teacher Appreciation Week. Whoop-de-doo! Actually, I never dress any other way. I don't do jeans very well, and shorts are out of the question due to the fairly new emergence of varicose veins that are embarrassingly ugly. So there you are!
Time for me to unload the dishwasher and do something with the clothes in the washer and dryer. And, of course, Robin is still awake. Sheesh!
Last night was a lot of fun--NOT.
Robin was too scared to sleep in her bed. (Spiders, you know.) So we put her on the couch...but then she said she was too scared to sleep there, as well. This, I think, was a bid to sleep in my bed...but honestly, I needed some uninterrupted sleep, myself...so Meg and I both refused. In the ensuing nonsense, Robin got a spanking and was ordered to her own bed where she cried herself to sleep. (She had to be dead tired.) Meg snarled at me; I took offense. We all retired to our own corners of the house for the night. And so it went.
This morning, Meg took the children to school...not sure why. That cut down a little on my morning stress. I got their lunches made and laid out clothes but was instructed not to wake them yet. That meant I just had to get myself ready for school and go. Which I did. After school, Robin (who had early release today) went to her Scout leader's house to play (and do homework). Thanks, Sandy! I picked up Ryan from Grandma Judy's, got home in time for Robin to be delivered home, made supper, and got Ryan ready for soccer. Robin was being a pill, so she was "grounded" from Jack's. (You will recall that Jack is the new neighbor boy.) Meg got home in time to go to soccer. I stayed home.
In the time that they were gone, I emptied the dryer, did a load of dishes, washed and dried another couple of loads of laundry, and baked some fat-free brownies. I don't like to miss his games, but since I was gone most of the weekend, I really needed to get a better handle on things at home. (Do I have a handle on things at home? I don't think so!)
Slowly--VERY slowly--I am cleaning out things at school. I have a taker for my refrigerator and my desktop organizer. (Wish I had room for that at home...but noooo...) I am shipping some of my materials to the Department Chair so she will have it for the next person. A lot of stuff is just going in the trash. Years and years of "stuff" that no one is going to want. I still have to talk with the technology people to determine if my computer files can be/should be saved for my replacement. A LOT of work represented there!
We have been given permission to dress "casual" this week since it is Teacher Appreciation Week. Whoop-de-doo! Actually, I never dress any other way. I don't do jeans very well, and shorts are out of the question due to the fairly new emergence of varicose veins that are embarrassingly ugly. So there you are!
Time for me to unload the dishwasher and do something with the clothes in the washer and dryer. And, of course, Robin is still awake. Sheesh!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Afterglow
When we got home from camp, since the weather was good, I decided (finallly) to clean out my car. I don't think it has been cleaned out since my brain deal almost two years ago. I cleaned out the floors/surfaces. Didn't even get to the windows. Filled up an entire garbage bag...found a few treasures...and did a superfluous shampoo of floors and seats. It's a start. Took all afternoon!
Time to check on the grandkids and go to bed.
Ahm tard, as we say in Indiana.
Time to check on the grandkids and go to bed.
Ahm tard, as we say in Indiana.
Home Are the Campers...
Robin and I got home around 10:30 this morning from our overnight campout at Girl Scout Camp Ada. It's near Spiceland, IN...but you can't get there from here. Seriously! I got within a quarter mile of the place and got lost. Had to stop at a farmhouse. The occupant might as well have just stayed on his porch answering questions. "You looking for the Girl Scout camp? It's right down there" <--pointing to a narrow gravel road going through a canopy of trees. Hmmm...nothing marked. (Apparently, that is for safety reasons.)
It was my intention to be up yesterday at 5:30 in order to finish the SWAPS, pack, and launch by 8:30. I woke up at 7:45. Ack! I had already made a list of things to take and had planned some in my head. In spite of our late start, we were on the road only 30 minutes later than planned...and still arrived at the camp before the opening "ceremonies". Spiceland is about an hour away.
There were lots of activities and Scout things. Robin refuses to participate in anything competitive. (Shades of her mother. If she can't do it perfectly, she won't do it.) She spent quite a bit of time hiding behind me, wanting to go off to do other things on her own, which I wouldn't allow. This even extended to the campfire. She pouted through 90% of it, but I didn't pay any attention to her pouting, and eventually, she came around. They had a gal leading songs...an hour's worth...and she was good! Got everyone involved in silly ways, etc. So typical of my own scouting days as a kid. (I don't think there were any Scouts over 10 at this camp, so it wasn't quite as fun as when I was a pup. If I live long enough, I might be able to be a part of another campout of the ilk of my generation.)
We stayed in what was called "pods". They were more like dormitories with multiple beds and a kitchenette. (I say "beds" with tongue in cheek. They were cots with mattresses, but they leaned every which way. I didn't sleep well...and my new sleeping bag made me sweat. Ugh!)
Savannah's mother, Julie, slept next to the restroom door. Then there was Savannah, Robin, Mariah...then me. Sometime around 4:00-4:30 AM, Julie heard a slippery noise, like the sound of a sleeping bag shifting. She thought it was Savannah...but no...Savannah was still in bed. She looked at Robin's bed and found it empty. Robin had fallen out of bed and was curled up on the floor, unaware. Julie picked Robin up and put her back on her cot. Robin remembers none of it!
This morning, Robin and I had a power struggle over socks. (!) She slept in yesterday's socks. I gave her a clean pair to put on, but she decided to be obstinate. I got one clean sock on her, then tickled her and played it along, but she still refused to put on the one remaining sock . Finally, I announced that she couldn't leave the room without clean socks on. I made a big deal about it. Said, loudly, "I am the boss! I am a teacher! I am Grandma! In the absence of your mother, I am Mom! I win! Yay!" Then I left the room to do something. When I came back, Robin had escaped...but in clean socks! *Asterisk is paragraph break. Glitch again!!. *We had a good time...or at least I did. The campfire song director was great. Robin was pouting then, but I ignored it and she finally came around. Tonight, she is dead tired but won't admit it. Ryan was just delivered about 45 minutes ago.
I, of course, am ready for bed!
It was my intention to be up yesterday at 5:30 in order to finish the SWAPS, pack, and launch by 8:30. I woke up at 7:45. Ack! I had already made a list of things to take and had planned some in my head. In spite of our late start, we were on the road only 30 minutes later than planned...and still arrived at the camp before the opening "ceremonies". Spiceland is about an hour away.
There were lots of activities and Scout things. Robin refuses to participate in anything competitive. (Shades of her mother. If she can't do it perfectly, she won't do it.) She spent quite a bit of time hiding behind me, wanting to go off to do other things on her own, which I wouldn't allow. This even extended to the campfire. She pouted through 90% of it, but I didn't pay any attention to her pouting, and eventually, she came around. They had a gal leading songs...an hour's worth...and she was good! Got everyone involved in silly ways, etc. So typical of my own scouting days as a kid. (I don't think there were any Scouts over 10 at this camp, so it wasn't quite as fun as when I was a pup. If I live long enough, I might be able to be a part of another campout of the ilk of my generation.)
We stayed in what was called "pods". They were more like dormitories with multiple beds and a kitchenette. (I say "beds" with tongue in cheek. They were cots with mattresses, but they leaned every which way. I didn't sleep well...and my new sleeping bag made me sweat. Ugh!)
Savannah's mother, Julie, slept next to the restroom door. Then there was Savannah, Robin, Mariah...then me. Sometime around 4:00-4:30 AM, Julie heard a slippery noise, like the sound of a sleeping bag shifting. She thought it was Savannah...but no...Savannah was still in bed. She looked at Robin's bed and found it empty. Robin had fallen out of bed and was curled up on the floor, unaware. Julie picked Robin up and put her back on her cot. Robin remembers none of it!
This morning, Robin and I had a power struggle over socks. (!) She slept in yesterday's socks. I gave her a clean pair to put on, but she decided to be obstinate. I got one clean sock on her, then tickled her and played it along, but she still refused to put on the one remaining sock . Finally, I announced that she couldn't leave the room without clean socks on. I made a big deal about it. Said, loudly, "I am the boss! I am a teacher! I am Grandma! In the absence of your mother, I am Mom! I win! Yay!" Then I left the room to do something. When I came back, Robin had escaped...but in clean socks! *Asterisk is paragraph break. Glitch again!!. *We had a good time...or at least I did. The campfire song director was great. Robin was pouting then, but I ignored it and she finally came around. Tonight, she is dead tired but won't admit it. Ryan was just delivered about 45 minutes ago.
I, of course, am ready for bed!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
It's Late
I'm done for the night. Still have things to do before we launch for the camp at Spiceland early tomorrow, but I'm pooped. I managed to scrounge up a couple of outfits for Robin. Haven't figured out what I'm going to wear, yet. Wish my car were cleaned out. Wish the house were clean. Wish the packing was done and that I would be getting a good night's sleep...but that ain't happening this weekend!
At school today, we met with fallout from yesterday's Media Center experience. The 8th grade teachers were summoned to the principal's office to discuss the event. It was clear from the outset that other people didn't have the same perception about what went on as we did--and it was all blown out of proportion, with shock and some hurt feelings in the mix. We decided to change the venue for the Awards Day movie, just to keep feathers unruffled. The principal wasn't taking sides or admonishing us--just communicating that there was a difference of opinion of how things went. I guess it's a good thing that my backside is ample or I could have come out of the meeting with a little less of it! On second thought...maybe I should have stuck around for more!
The glue on Robin's SWAPS is drying. She helped paint the styrofoam balls--both the basic black of the bird and the red breast. (Thanks to Grandma Judy for helping get the breasts painted.) Robin also put in the beaks all by herself. Grandma Peggy did the messy feathers and glued on the eyes. Mommy Meg printed the labels (that aren't on the birds yet). It was a joint project. With a little help from our friends...
Meg tells me that I have 19 school days left. Funny...I don't feel that close to freedom. Too much to do!
Gotta hit the sack. I need to be up at 5:30 just to be ready to launch by 8:00. Ciao!
At school today, we met with fallout from yesterday's Media Center experience. The 8th grade teachers were summoned to the principal's office to discuss the event. It was clear from the outset that other people didn't have the same perception about what went on as we did--and it was all blown out of proportion, with shock and some hurt feelings in the mix. We decided to change the venue for the Awards Day movie, just to keep feathers unruffled. The principal wasn't taking sides or admonishing us--just communicating that there was a difference of opinion of how things went. I guess it's a good thing that my backside is ample or I could have come out of the meeting with a little less of it! On second thought...maybe I should have stuck around for more!
The glue on Robin's SWAPS is drying. She helped paint the styrofoam balls--both the basic black of the bird and the red breast. (Thanks to Grandma Judy for helping get the breasts painted.) Robin also put in the beaks all by herself. Grandma Peggy did the messy feathers and glued on the eyes. Mommy Meg printed the labels (that aren't on the birds yet). It was a joint project. With a little help from our friends...
Meg tells me that I have 19 school days left. Funny...I don't feel that close to freedom. Too much to do!
Gotta hit the sack. I need to be up at 5:30 just to be ready to launch by 8:00. Ciao!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)