Thursday, October 21, 2010

A day in the life of me...........

I usually think I am a normal working woman...........but then I tell people what happened to me today and they say......jesus god you do not have a normal life!  Today is Thursday...I got up at 5:45 plugged in an IV antibiotic that lasts 30 minutes, prepared my 3 breathing treatments and laid down with my dog for a good snuggle time.  Feed dogs, make tea, take shower, find some fabulous 3rd grade teacher out fit, kiss husband, lock puppy in crate or she will eat the couch and I am off in the car to drive my 67 second commute to work.  Last parking place (it's 7:30 and no one has to be there until 8....) I haul my bag to my room, start my computer, pop open my icey cold coke and sit down to read a daily devotional that comes to me every morning at 3:30am.........quick make a copy ( print it on my printer because I probably have used too many copies this month)  Gather things for the day, talk to my special colleagues and kids come at 8:25.  Take lunch count, make sure I don't miss anyone- I read them the paper today.  How to stay organized.  It is a lifeskill we all are working on.  Started reading lesson, 9:45 break for small group work (High Tide we call it because we have a beach theme...or right now it is riptide...........)  back to do individual centers and more small group teaching, check in, are you getting things accomplished, sent one to nurse, back 101 fever I have to go home, we will finish all tomorrow, lunch, mashed potatoes and gravy, 18 minutes to eat and pee.  Kids restroom break lasts maybe 7 minutes.......I wait for them.  To room for read aloud, The Littles, out to recess, windy, stay a little later because it is fall.  Pass back math tests, somebody got an F, and a D, reviewed and corrected mistakes, chinchilla dies, miss margy, the chinchilla is not breathing, She's fine I say, chinchillas look like that when they sleep during the day.......not a good sign.  Just sleeping Susie as my friend's mother would say about roadkill.  Start new unit on shapes, use technology and projector today.  fly through math, pack and off to music and Pe.  The chinchilla IS dead.  The class pet died during math time today.  I pick her up and her beautiful furry body is lifeless.  compressions?  I try, sing stayin' alive! sing stayin' alive.  nothing.  I wrap her in a little towel and put her in her tub.  I tell my friends and go tell my children in music that their class pet has died.  Jasmine took it hard but it reminded her of her little gramma's dog.  Tomorrow we will have a spelling test and we will talk.  we will talk about death, we will talk about the circle of life.  chinchillas eat the grass and they become the grass (Mufasa)  I will give them time and we will think about everything it reminds us of.   It probably will be the most important lesson I take all year for these kids............this is not on any god damn test..........

Monday, October 11, 2010

I've lost my voice

Since I have started school, I feel I have not had time to post.  I have been all consumed with this new grade level of mine and think of nothing but school, school, school!  I work until 5 pm and don't know what time it is.  I guess life is all about balance.  Nothing works when life is out of balance.  Creativity needs quiet and time to think about it.  Space around your brain when you don't have to think.  That's what I loved about summer.  But it is now the change seasons in this midwest town.  Trees are starting to turn, football voices calm me.  And I want to cook again.  Last night it was spicy meatloaf from the Stop and Smell the Rosemary cookbook.  I made a big pot of minestrone soup at the same time.  when two recipes use about the same ingredients- do the double chop!  cook two meals instead of one.  My husband bought us a new refridgerator so we could keep all our condiments...........