Friday, September 19, 2008

Mid September

I'm back from the great no contact zone. My life is busy, and a long held philosophy of mine is ... if you don't need to memorize a number don't. So then the lap top I had been using starts to fizzle out. Do I think to record the #s when I triumphantly access the laptop while on vacation. NOOOOOO. Then it totally dies, right before school... for everyone ...starts.

So Yay, me, I found some time tonight to backtrack and get user support, and here I am.

(Yes, I wrote down the address and passwords used, incase the desktop folds next.)

Focus for me personally, add exercise, lose pounds. I decided my more regimented schedule when school started provided a good jumping off point, and I have lost 5lbs. Mostly due to diet, but also have exercised 6 times for 30 mins. or better since September 7th. This is major for me, diets I can do , and have done sucessfully in the past. The exercise thing has not happend consistently since Abby was born. I do it for myself, and my family who need me to set a good example, and I presume will need me to be around and healthy for awhile yet so I'll do what I can to make that happen.

Focus for me as a teacher, get and stay organized. I can do a much better job if I know where stuff is. I waste less time if I don't have to make everything, each time I do it, and have it filed/stored where I can find it. Thanks to my mom, who is volunteering in my classroom every Monday and considers filing to be something that benefits my students. This is finally possible. Kristi, my teaching partner says I'm better than she's seen me in the 3 years, 4 Septembers we've worked so closely together. The proof will be if I keep it up while mom spends her six weeks in Florida this winter.

Focus for the family, be organized. Do we see a pattern here? We are not watching TV on weeknights unless there is a very special reason. We are reading more and spending more time on homework, since there is no real reason to hurry and finish. We are forgetting less items when we are going to practice/scouts/games/school. So far so good, again we need to stick with it.

Wish me luck as I try to keep it together.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

It's August... Already

The lap top is up. I can access the blog. I'll figure out what to do to access it from the main pc.

We've had a wonderful summer. The kids all enjoyed and did well on the swim team at the pool we belong to. I love my "summer friends" who have become so much more over the years.

I got to visit with a long time friend whom I met while we lived in England in 1980-81 as exchange students. She was from Minneapolis now lives in northen Wisconsin. Was in town for work, but came early and spent the evening with us. Talked into the early morning... some people just live in your heart no matter if you see/speak to them often or not.

Currently visiting with another friend from that time. Anthony who shares my birthday and thus stayed in touch and has visited many times over the years is here again. We are in the middle of his visit. more to come

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Summer Week #1

Wow what an enjoyable week. Nice to do things on my own time frame more or less.

Actually, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was nesting. I left my classroom (after two days out there last week) better than I ever have. Something to do with 2.5 weeks of company in August and the deep belief that I will do a better job in all areas of my life with a bit more organization.

Around the house, I have cleaned bedroom windows and washed curtains that I don't want to even think how much dust was imbedded in the fibers. I have washed all the winter stuff, figured what "may" fit someone here in the fall, labeled the rest to appropriate cousins or charity and stand ready to finish the laundry room. Tim and I put our landscape fabric and remulched the entire front yard.

At the pool, I have reconnected with my "summer" friends who are on the committe with me to decorate for the big league meet this year. We have some great ideas for our circus themed event. Even bigger news is that Tommy (7) swam in his very first meet. He had a little panic attack when he discovered his second event was the breaststroke. He is unaware that his dogpaddle down the 25meters of the pool looks more like the breaststroke than freestyle. But, he, after our prodding, insisting (he has quit too many new and scary things and that wasn't happening again) loving, insisting, the offer of a piece of pizza from the snack bar if he "got it together" quit crying, and insisting and he finally did his race. Then it was a piece of cake, did the second race, had his pizza and thinks that maybe he'll be an olympian in 4 more years. We'll settle for his face in the water and side arm breathing. :)

The lawn mowing by the girls (see previous post) has been up and down, long grass, and repetition has made it difficult some weeks, but it is getting better again.

But, its so nice to be home, and getting these house things done, I havn't even read any books yet... and that is saying something.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Almost There

My "other life" begins in 6 days. That's when for 10 weeks, I am a stay at home mom, not a working mom. How great to be able to live both lives. I appreciate what both "states" of motherhood have to offer, and love that I get to experience both.

Fortuanate me, to have a job that supports us, contributes to the greater good, (On most days... I have those rare ones where I consider it well done that I've kept all the students safe.) and that I enjoy. Fortunate me that the breaks are built in, in such a way that I get this time with my own kids and they still want to spend it with me. In fact, I will go as far as to say, that my friends who stay home full time are not as appreciated by their kids. No, I don't do the parenting job for the appreciation... and there are plenty of things that I say, do and expect that are really not appreciated. But, my time, and the being there... the slowing of the pace... lessening of things that pressure us all... "Summertime and the livin' is easy."

The only things standing between me and Saturday are...
7 report cards to mark
20 celebration boxes to share with the kids and help them develop a "tour of the year" for their parents with the mementos of the year as guides
1 field day
1half mile walk with 77 students and 3 fellow teachers to our high school for "practice" on the big stage
1CELEBRATION DAY with 9 songs, 1 poem, 4 speeches 1DVD of the year in pictures 77 darling kindergarteners and 150 special guests on the big stage at the brand new high school
20 report cards to pass out
20 little people who have been mine for 6 hours a day, 175 days this year to say goodbye to
4 classrooms to order supplies for
1 extremely messy classroom to clean up

... and that's just the stuff at school (work)
at home I have...
1 family birthday party (I bring the cake, my mom makes the dinner)
1 girl scout meeting
1 honors assembly
2 swimming parties
1 readers Cafe that daddy gets to attend because I will be hosing CELEBRATION at the same time with my kindergarteners (sad Mommy)
1 skating party and
1 year end picnic

Keep you eyes on the prize, girl, keep your eyes on the prize!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

A week in the Kindergarten

-Sore throat Sunday night.
-Really sore throat Monday.
-No voice upon waking Tuesday morning. Body mic on sound system in classroom has been out of commission for months. I walk around with the hand mic, two chicks have been adopted from other classes because though in four classrooms we have 64 eggs incubating due to hatch on Monday. There are 10 chicks in the other three classes and none in ours. We are thankful that we are all friends and the other classes shared. We are loud and excited.
-Very little voice Wednesday morning. Connor hands me the hand mic at 8:15am (they enter at 8:13... don't ask about the time!) "Here Mrs. O sounds like you're gonna need this again." We have one egg with an air hole "pipped through".
-Today, better voice, lot of coughing. Two chicks of our own in our incubator when we come in. Three kids (of 20) out sick. Loren says, "Mrs. O isn't it time for you to go to the doctor and get some cough medicine.
Great Idea. So I did. Got some antibiotics, too. See, I can learn from anybody.

Mowing for Dollars

We offered the girls (Abby 12 and Claire 10) the chance to mow the lawn for us (for $) since it is a job we've hired out for several years. We haven't been "an allowance" family but this is a big job and requires consistancy and committment.

We worked together as a family on the first week, cleaned up the winter mess and taught them how to use the lawn mower and weed whip. Last Satuday as they were getting ready to get out there, it started to rain. We put the lawn out of our minds and off our schedule but at 7:30 Abby asked if I thought the lawn was dry enough for them to get their job done then. We checked and out they went.

They worked together so well. (Not typical) Helped and encouraged each other (not typical), asked for advice and tips ( really not typical) and got the job done, dividing the labor fairly and according to skills, strength and preferences. They did a great job.

I had a real moment of "mama pride" as I watched them finish up with seconds to spare before it was too dark to see. Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels so fast I don't do anything as well as I could. But Saturday night I felt like they were at least taking in some of the things I try to get across.

Now we need to work on their little brother.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

My "baby" in a "Lock "Down"

As my "bio" states, I have been a public school teacher for 24 years. Things come up, and people get mad. We've had lock downs before... not fun but it happens. My first born's middle school was locked down today. Appearantly some "angry parent" had threatened someone, seriously enough that the school was totally locked down for an hour and half, and then closed to outsiders almost all day.

I got the email notification, and updates, but had Tim, who was home today, drive by the school and "see what was up" . There wasn't much to see.

Abby called me at 3:08, the minute she was outside school, to let me know she was out of school, and it was OK. She said it was "freakey" and that she was "worried about Claire and Tom" who were at their elementary a couple of blocks away. I was so touched that she was concerned for them, she has seemed to self involved lately (though that is often the forte of 12 year olds I understand) I guess she is growing up.

We have terrible news from Myanmar, China, and Louisana again.... and now down the street. I just don't want to listen to the news any more.

But, everything was okay, and I learned some good things about my girl, so the cup is half full.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day

Well, it's been over for 15 minutes, and I can still say that Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I've been an honored mom for 13 years now but I think it's been my favorite for longer than that!

My day started when Claire (10 on Wednesday) and Tommy (7) woke up Abby (12), to help them make me breakfast in bed. There was no complaining that it was too early, or that somebody was doing too much, or not enough work. They brought me my breakfast, my favorite raisin toast with butter and a Diet Coke... and my gifts.

A poem and patterned key chain from Tommy, to go with my tear jerker poem received from Claire at Muffins for Mom on Thursday afternoon (a half day from Kindergarten well spent!) and a lovely,funny as she is , card from Abby who is in Middle School and does not have teachers who orchestrate gifts any more. A sweet card from Tim (who likes to celebrate Mother's day much more than my B-Day) and then I was sent out to the front porch to get the paper (my job on Mother's Day???) because the show stopper was a table and chairs for the porch. This made me so happy because they were listening to me! The little porch table I had did not fare the winter well, and the chair was MIA.

Then off to church together and then a lazy afternoon recovering from all the lawn work (7 hours time the 5 of us) that we did yesterday before the rain.

At 4pm we headed to my sister's house for the "family gathering" My cousin Matt who is newly married goes by the nickname GMG (Grill Master General) ,he coordinated a fajita feast for about 40. My sisters and their husbands and kids, my parents, three aunts and four uncles and 6 cousins. Moms did no work, but we did laugh at the emails and add occasionally as the cousins, uncles and brother in laws signed up for menu items and quipped as they did so.

Grandma D. our matriarch, was missed, our second year/third Mother's Day with out her but her spirit lived on today. She did good work with this family who remain so close when so many families are not. The Traditional Mother's Golf portion of the day's activites was rained out, but my mom and her sisters went to a movie instead and the beat goes on!

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Happy Birthday to Me

Two observations on my birthday, which was April 23rd.

First was at 6:30 am. I was getting ready for work, and found a pimple on my chin. As I was squeezing it, it dawned on me that I had been doing this for about 35 years. Wow!

Then I got to school... a couple of the kids remembered my birthday even as I was opening the door to let them in. (It was added to the birthday chart back in January on their insistance.) They were gathered on the rug waiting to get their "jobs" for the morning and "Lorenzo" asked, "How old are you anyway?" My first answer was well Buddy, a lot older than you." But he was not to be detered..."No, really, how old are you?" So, I think for a second (That's all the time they give you :) in a K classroom.) and decide I'm going to "own" this so I answered.
"Well, "Lorenzo" today I turned 46." He looked at me and said, "Jesus, you're older than my Granny!" Oh happy thought, I've seen his granny and I look younger than that I can tell you.
I said, "Well Buddy, I'm suprised, too, but we don't say "Jesus" like that at school no matter how surprised we are."

Monday, March 17, 2008

More on time...

St. Patrick's Day... in 1984 I was in Chicago celebrating my heritage with my Uncle Jim and his family. I had just returned from my friend Cindy's wedding in Minneapolis, and made a stopover on my way back to the Detroit area. Uncle Jim died three years ago, now. (Cindy is largely responsible for the blog... I saw hers and thought if she can find time to write and learn the lingo and technology with 11 kids etc, what IS my real excuse?)

Back then, I was little more than a year shy of my teaching degree and ready to be a "grown up" sort of, although I still have copies of Cindy and I at the laundry mat before her wedding. (I was inside the dryer.)

Now, I have been teaching at the same school (my journal at the time predicted I'd be 10 years and on to a writing career) in varioius grades. Although, the school and it's neighborhood has changed around me so that it really doesn't feel like the same place. I am a grown up, I have purchased a house on my own, before marrying, and purchased another with my husband. I have three very wonderful, very different from each other children.

Funnily, I don't feel "that" different. I was talking about this with my mom, she turned 68 on Friday. She said she doesn't feel "that' different either.

Time is a precious, strange thing.

Friday, March 14, 2008

It's about time

Been thinking about starting a "blog of my own" for a while. We'll see if I can keep it up, and figure out how to add photos, etc.

I am incredibly busy, but think this may be a good way to keep in touch with some folks, and hone my writing skills at the same time.

Calling it "the teachable moment" talks to parenthood, my profession, and the fact that I'm always learning myself.

Well, I've set it up, named it and posted on it not bad for 11:45 on the Friday of "Spring ahead" week. Seems like the longest week in history. Being a night owl, I have had a lot of trouble falling asleep before 12:30 all week long. That 5:45am alarm sure seemed earlier than ever. Even my mom said, "your eyes look really tired" on Wednesday evening. At that time (7:30pm) I probably could have fallen asleep, but there was still homework to oversee, lunches to be packed (or again oversee) and general house clean up. Then I was awake again by the time I got to bed.

Good night.