Christmas surprise

My hubby is the bestest. Seriously. And I lucked out this year when he picked my name from the exchange hat!

My gift consisted of several small packages. Inside the first one was a paperdoll who looked remarkably like me (even down to the kidney scar!), designed, printed, and painstakingly cut out by my dearest.

A letter informed me that in order to receive the next package, I would have to identify which "Me" the doll represented. The first outfit was a shirt and skirt trimmed with apple decals, glasses, and a helper monkey. She was "Teacher Solee" of course! I got to open the next item!

Inside were some bumper stickers - "Honor Teachers", "children know everything", and "INFORMATION IS POWER" - a Cowboy Junkies cd (to listen to on my way to work) and a new outfit.
This time, I dressed my paper Solee in ratty, gross sweatpants, a tanktop, and a Harry Potter book. This, of course, was "I'm Going To Sit Here And Read And You Can't Make Me Do Anything Else Solee". Poor Mikey actually has to look at me in that outfit on a regular basis. Yech.

Anyway, I finally figured out which Solee this was and was given the next package to open. Contents = one previously unheard of Stephen King mystery, another bumper sticker - "READ BANNED BOOKS"- and a button reading "IMAGINE". And of course, a new outfit!
Now, Solee was wearing a Star Trek shirt, a Batman skirt, SuperGirl shoes and socks with monkeys on them (that I really have!), thick rimmed glasses and holding what looks very much like an Atari controller. Who else could this be but "Geek Solee"?

Her package, when opened, revealed a copy of the Hebrew Hammer (a cult classic if you ask me!), a button saying "The geeks shall inherit the Earth" and another bumper sticker - "All Your Base Are Belong To Us". And...You guessed it! Another outfit.
The new outfit was a puzzler...a white suit with blue stripes on the arms and legs, a sailor type hat, shaded glasses, and a word bubble saying "@#*!&@!!". Hmm. With a little help from Mikey I figured out that this was "Curse Like a Sailor Solee".

Sailor Solee got a couple of bumperstickers that she couldn't read aloud when she opened them - "F*** All Prejudice", "F*** Censorship" (oh, the irony!) - a button that reads "Do I look like a motherf***ing role model?", and a Stephen Lynch album. Needless to say, the parental figures found this one slightly disturbing, but I loved it. Also needless to say - there was yet another outfit!
The final outfit consisted of an ankle length skirt, a tie-dyed tank with a peace sign emblazoned across the front, sandals, a flower circle for my head, and rose-colored glasses. You know who this is..."Hippie Solee"!

For identifying this last representation of myself I was allowed to open a small wrapped box. Inside there were more bumperstickers - "SAVE THE HUMANS", "Pacifism Kicks A**", "TREEHUGGER", and "Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?" - along with a button that reads "Discover the Earth" and a Flying Spaghetti Monster decal. Among all the clutter, I also found a keyring, complete with key. A key that had that adorable little VW symbol on it. A key that was sitting atop a PICTURE OF A JETTA!!!!

Yes, all of the Solees now have a new car. Teacher Solee can get to school more efficiently, Slovenly Solee has a new place to throw her junk, Geek Solee gets to say she drives a European car, Cursing Solee has new tires to kick, and Hippie Solee will soon be able to announce that she is getting around using the power of corn oil! Whoot! It was quite an unwrapping, I tell you! When the sun comes up tomorrow, I will get some pictures of the actual thing.




Not sure if you can read them in the picture above, but I had previously gotten myself some bumperstickers for the car I hoped to get "someday". They are "Your Silence Will Not Protect You", "If evolution is outlawed only outlaws will evolve", "Plug Into Renewable Energy", "Question Authority", and "WILL WORK FOR PEACE". Now I just have to decide which ones get to go on the car and which have to find places elsewhere...

Happy Holidays

Since Mikey and I are never HOME on Christmas (and since this has been difficult on me in the past), we have decided to have our own holiday celebration this year. With all the bruehaha over which holidays it is okay to mention and how these days, we've decided to have our winter celebration on Dec. 21. Yep - our traditional celebration is now going to be the Winter Solstice. After all, we would way rather be celebrating the Earth and it's gifts to us than the consumerism and rediculousness that have become so tied to Christmas. Not that we aren't doing the Christmas thing for our families...but the Solstice is going to be OURS. Hope YOURS is just as joyful!

Land of the Living

I have returned. Or at least, I am on my way home! I was a little worried yesterday evening when I couldn't get my fever down from 101 even with drugs, but Mikey pointed out that I WANTED the fever - it was a sign that my body was kicking bug butt. I am in no way interested in doing that again any time soon. Bleh.

I knew I was feeling better today when I started sweeping and doing laundry. A healthy Sol is a cleaning Sol! A long round of Zoo Tycoon provided some restful entertainment and soon it will be nap time.

Oh - and just in case anyone was wondering how dedicated I am to spreading the holiday cheer - I managed to pack and mail (well, get Mikey to mail) the Christmas presents yesterday despite that nasty bug. Or maybe that was a fever induced hallucination? I guess we'll find out in a week or so when my wonderful family members either get their gifts...or not. :)

Just call me Rover

Cause I am sick as a dog.

Fever, headache, congestion, sinus pain, watery eyes, cough, aches and pains all over, inability to focus, lying around all day in that not quite asleep but not quite awake haze.

Ugh.

Story #2

Again, some background info:
1) I have an amazing ability to fight off just about any bug out there until a non-work day.
2) I have been fighting off a bug (or possibly a combination of the many my students have been carrying) for the last two weeks.

Early Sunday morning, I woke up with a scratchy throat and a slight headache. This was not entirely unexpected since it was the first day of my vacation. Obviously the baby cold that I had experienced the weekend before was back for more. By ten, I was feeling badly enough to uninvite myself from the cookie party I had planned to attend. By noon, I was starting a 2 hour nap. And by three o'clock, I was lying on the living room floor trying to distract myself from the aches and pains by watching a movie. At 7:30, I was being tucked under the down comforter with a thermometer in my mouth. Normally, I tend to run cold. It is not unusual for me to have a temperature of 97 degrees. Last night, I came in at a toasty 101.7! No wonder I was shaking like a leaf. Fortunately, some tylenol and a cool rag were enough to help me drop off to sleep. At about 1:30 this morning, I woke up drenched in sweat and feeling MUCH, MUCH better. If I could just shake this cough and stop my nose from leaking, I would be back to my regular ol' self.

So, I have two questions for you.
First - is 98.6 your norm? Or are you a freak like me?
Second - can you explain why my body feels the need to fight like crazy to keep my going to work, but caves at the first sign of a bug when I am on vacation?

Story #1

Friday was the last day of school before the Winter Break. The plan was something like this:
Do something creative.
Go to Library.
Do something artsy.
Go to Recess.
Open presents.
Go to Lunch.
Have a party.
Go home.

Definitely the kind of day I want to be a part of. More importantly, the kind of day I have to be a part of. The plans were all in my head and subs hate having to read minds to get through the day. Never-the-less, I almost missed it.

First, some background information.
1) One of the conditions on our purchase of this house was that all the exposed water pipes be wrapped. I had heard how cold it can get here in Anza.
2) When I went to bed Thursday night it was exactly 32 F outside.
3) As of Thursday night we had not yet turned on the heat in our house. Daylight sunlight through south facing windows and excellent insulation had kept things bearable so far.

So. I woke up Friday morning and immediately checked the temperature. 22 F. Sure glad those pipes are wrapped! I thought. Riiight. It was Pajama Day at school, so I gathered my most school appropriate pjs and headed for the shower. The water felt hotter than normal, but I attributed it to the fact that the air was colder than it had been yet - probably about 50 degrees. I had just finished soaping my head when it happened.

The water stopped. Just like that. One minute it was full blast, the next it was a pathetic little dribble. My still somewhat sleepy brain tried to process this turn of events as I stood, dripping and covered with soap. It didn't take long to realize that my pipes, thought to be warmly wrapped and protected, were, in fact, frozen. Damn.

At this point, two thoughts started a shouting match in my head. "I can't go to school like this." "I can't have a sub cover this day." "But, I can't go to school like this." "But, I can't have a sub cover this day." If it weren't for Mikey, I might have frozen solid waiting for an answer to come. He wisely suggested that I get the bottled water from the fridge, heat it up, and use it to rinse my head. This is why I keep him around, for emergencies. :)

2 hours later, I was sitting in my warm, dry classroom regaling my students with the tale of my morning. My hair, lacking its usual dose of conditioner wasn't at its best, especially after 20 minutes of de-snarling with a brush, but I let everyone think it was part of my Pajama Day costume. That evening, we turned on the heat (another adventure in and of itself - who knew pilot lights were so tricky?) and our pipes have been fine since. I am somewhat concerned because all the exposed pipes we can find are wrapped per the purchase agreement. The only other pipes I can think might be exposed are in the crawl space under the house and I am NOT going in there. There are things LIVING in there.

Long Time, No See

Sorry for the long spaces between posts. The limited amount of time in my day, coupled with the frustration of dial-up internets, just is not condusive to lots of blogging. Luckily, I am on my Winter Break for the next two weeks. With any amount of luck (or perhaps effort would work better?) I will get some of my thoughts down in cyberspace.

I have 2 big stories for you, but those will have their own posts. This is just the little stuff...

* I have made good progress at defeating the Holiday Blues. We got a little Christmas tree (really little - about 18 inches tall) and decorated it. We put lights up around the window and started wrapping gifts. I handed out presents to my well-deserving friends at school. It's hard to feel Grinchy when you are making people smile! Mikey and I also made some important decisions about how we are going to celebrate. Perhaps I will elaborate further another time. For now, I just want to say that I am in a much happier place and I am glad of it.

* You know those peanut butter cookies that have the chocolate kisses smooched into the middle? They are SO yummy. And they are SO easy to make. But 8 minutes really is long enough for the baking.

* Mikey has been spending all his time breeding fish. No, not real ones. He has a new computer game in which you breed fish, trying to find each different combination possible - including some magical fish. He has charts and anything. He laughed at me when I charted my progress in Geneforge!

* Just about all of our gifts this year are homemade. I am enjoying that quite a lot, although I am worried about the reactions of certain people. Those people are just looking for a reason to be insulted though, so I am not going to worry too much.

* One of the other 5th grade teachers has her kids working on a poetry unit. One of the assignments was to write about their 4th grade teacher. She has 6 of my students from last year, so on Thursday last week I was presented with a very touching poem about myself from the perspective of said students. I am going to frame it and put it in my classroom.

* Despite the absolute terrors my students have been since the Christmas bug bit them all on the butt, we managed to have a very pleasant last day on Friday. We played games and opened presents (teachers get THE BEST loot!) and generally enjoyed being together. It gives me hope for the second half of the year! :)

A Blue Christmas

I never thought I would say this, but after several years of ample evidence, I am compelled to come clean.

My name is Soleil and I get depressed around Christmas time.

I know. I bet you were like me, thinking that the only people who are sad at Christmas are pathetic, lonely people whose parents beat them as children or who have Gremlins-type memories of parents disappearing only to be found in the chimney. Holiday depression should come from bad things, things that inspire horrible memories.

Well, I can tell you that the exact opposite is also true. My childhood Christmases were some of the best anyone has ever had. Christmas was a season of peace and love, when everyone in the house did their best to remain calm and joyous. Sharing and caring, everyday occurances, appeared ten-fold amongst siblings and parents alike. There were books to be shared and ornaments to be hung and traditions around every corner. Although I am sure they were there, I can't think of a single bad Christmas memory. And I think that is the problem.

These days Christmas is different for me. For one thing, it is 60+ degrees outside with bright sunshine and nary a snowflake to be seen. For another, I know that I will be required to pack a bag and travel to a distant house to wake up in a strange bed on Christmas morning. While this is not the worst thing in the world...it does add a thin varnish of "company manners" over my holiday when what I really want is to be albe to skip brushing my hair and getting dressed, getting right to the monkey bread and new novels. Worst of all is the absence of tradition. At least the traditions that hold such prevelant places in my mind. The hunt for the tree, the Poinsetta Punch, the homemade eggnog and toffee. The reading of The Nutcracker as the music of the Sugarplum Fairy plays in the background. Mom's piano carols. The draping of my brother in blue lights that so perfectly match his hair. The fireplace. The togetherness. The CHRISTMAS of it all.

The problem is that the key members of those memories are spreading to the wind. My parents are split up. My siblings are growing and moving and marrying. I am stuck in a pattern of summer visits and winter separations. The things that once made the Christmas season what it was are not only missing from my day, but they are no longer happening at all. I'm sure that each household carries on the bits and pieces that are most important to them, but the whole of it is gone.

I have tried to convince myself that I am making my own traditions, but it is hard to do that in the shadow of perfection. My decorations are quite as memorable. My cds don't have quite the right versions of the songs. Our plans aren't quite what I am wishing for. Consequently, I end up cranky and irritable and sad during a time when all I want is peace, calm, and joy.

I guess I am slowing coming to terms with it. After all, admitting that there is a problem is the first step to solving it, right? So, I will continue to search for my own traditions to replace those that have drifted away. But it will never be the same. And sometimes what I really want is for everything to just be the same.

How do I know that I have good people in my family? My hubby is comfortable disagreeing with them in a way he would never try with his own. They are open minded enough to hear different opinions. Or at least I hope so. If not, we've gotten ourselves into trouble on a family members blog. :)

It's been a busy week - a series of 7:30 - 5:00 days and skipped lunches. It is horribly chaotic in my room due to the magic that is "Holiday Fever". I just managed to avoid a cold by going to bed VERY VERY early a couple nights ago. Did the trick, though. That pesky sore throat went on its way without a peep.

I would love to say more, but its past my bedtime and I can't think clearly. One more week and I am free to lounge around the internet all I want. See you then.

PS - It's freakin' cold in this house. It's not yet cold enough, consistently enough to justify the propane it would take to turn on the heat, but it is cold enough to make it slightly unpleasant to attempt anything that requires you to get out from under the covers. Like waking up in the morning. Brrr.

Living the Dream

Lots of grown ups like to tell teenagers to enjoy what they have because they are in the "best years of your life". Not me. I remember how horrible my teen years were. I remember the anguish and the heartache and the confusion. I remember being torn between childhood and adulthood in a way that made things come out of my mouth that shocked even me. I wouldn't go back to that if you paid me a million dollars. And my teenage-ed-ness was mild compared to most.

However, I think I am currently living a personal era that I will look back on and long for. At this moment (re: just about any moment from the past couple of years) I am residing in a state of contentment and enjoyment that would be difficult to duplicate. I was contemplating this on the ride home the other night. I decided there were several "fronts" which affect my life, each of which just happens to be in a well-balanced, pleasant place right now...

Family: A large majority of my family members are happy and healthy. They are all getting along relatively well with each other and spectacularly well with me. Although many are very far away, I am in regular contact.

Marriage: Things are going quite well on this front. There are a minimum of disagreements and those that crop up are dealt with through open communication and compromise.

Home: The house is in good shape and we are doing small projects to make it even better. Our location continues to suit us perfectly. Chores are getting done regularly, often by Mikey. (hee hee) The kitties are healthy and well-behaved.

Work: I am enjoying the experience of working with 5th graders. My students are remarkably responsible, cooperative, and friendly. The challenges of teaching a new grade level keep me interested and involved without getting totally overwhelming. My coworkers continue to be supportive in both work and personal matters.

Friends: My friends are among the most entertaining and amusing people in the world. They are always there when I need them. They trust me and are trustworthy.

Fun: I have found a variety of ways to have fun. I am knitting and reading and playing games with friends and generally having a blast.

All in all, I am truly enjoying myself. Life is good and I know that when I am older I will think back to this time and wish I could experience it again. Better enjoy it while I can, huh?

Circle Time

A few weeks ago, as we were discussing the good and bad of our first trimester together, my students requested that we have a time to share our grievances with each other regularly rather than letting them build up until the end of each 12 week period. Since I thought this was a very useful, thoughtful suggestion, I agreed and we scheduled a meeting for each Tuesday.

Today was our first meeting. I set some basic ground rules:
1. You can share a "thank you", a "complaint", or a "comment"
2. "Complaints" and negative "comments" may NOT include a specific name. "Thank yous', however, can be to a specific person.
3. "Comments" must pertain to the whole class and have some relevance to our interactions together.

With the rules in place, I started drawing names. Each student had a chance to share something or pass. Although about half of them chose not to say anything, the ones who did came up with some great stuff. For example:

"Thank you to M and S for being on my side and being great friends."
"Thank you to B and L for finding a nice way to tell me I was being annoying."
"Happy birthday, T!"
"I think it is good when people find a way to talk about what is bothering them rather than just fighting. My friends and I did that and now everything is better."
"I don't like it when there are people talking while I am trying to learn."
"I am having trouble with some boys from another class. They kick me and make fun of me at lunch." (The group gave him suggestions on how to take care of this - tell them to stop, ask a noon duty to help, tell the teacher or the principal.)
"Good job, everyone, on our showing writing talent show."
"Thank you to the whole class for being such good friends."

This is exactly the kind of thing that the people in charge are eliminating from our classroom. Instead of sitting in a big circle on the front lawn, sharing our feelings, we should have been inside studying European explorers or multiplying fractions. Seeing how great everyone felt having been heard and recognized, I wouldn't give this up for anything. I just wish that I could get the "No Child Left Behind" people to realize that this is the real area in which we need to be watching the cracks and patrolling the borders. Adults can catch up on math skills over time. It is much harder for them to learn how to be good people.

One Year.

One year ago this morning, I woke up very, very early. Despite the lack of food in my system, I was not hungry. Nor was I particularly nervous despite the magnitude of the day. The whole scene felt so surreal - it was my first time checking into a hospital and I was as healthy as I get. They had proved it with all their poking and prodding. There I was, removing a perfectly healthy organ from my body.

But for such a good cause.

One year ago this afternoon, I woke up (or tried to) as a nurse said my name. My very first thought (and question) was about Amy...had it worked? Was she okay? Whether the nurse could actually understand my drugged mumbling, or whether she was just intuitive, I don't know, but I was immediately reassured that Amy was fine and doing her own recovery from the cocktail they mixed to put us to sleep.

It was some time before I worked up the nerve to touch, or even look at, the incision. It wasn't pretty - all black and blue, red and white - that slash across my abdomen. Now it is my badge of honor. I look at it often, smoothing my fingers over the right side, where the severed nerves still shirk their responsibilities. I look at it and I think about the combined fragility and strength of this thing we call life.

It's been awhile since I talked to Amy - she's busy with all the chores that attend a healthy life. She plays and works and lives. And no matter how long it is between phone calls or internet chats, I know that I am a part of everything she does.

I love you, Amy. Happy Kidneyversary.

Flotsum

It's good to be back with my kiddos. We all seemed to be a little more...stabilized after such a nice break. We were all ready for a nap around 2:30, too, but it won't take long to get back into the routine. I hope they go to bed early tonight! And in three more weeks we get another nice break. Yay!

A brief note about blogs that require you to type in a series of letters to prove you are a real commentor and not a spammer...it would be easier if you could actually tell what the letters are! I swear, I was just asked to type in a letter from a different alphabet. Good thing they give you more than one chance!

My little tastebuds are so very happy because it is Eggnog time again. Bring on the nutmeg!

I am thinking that I had something quite interesting to tell you and now I can't remember what it was. Hmm. I will think on it and hopefully tell you tomorrow. Until then, be well, smile, and say a prayer for my aunt Kate. She's in San Fran for her second round of treatment.

Fun

Today we had lunch with another couple and then played tennis to work it off. It was quite enjoyable, despite the fact that I am a lousy tennis player.

I am sad that my vacation is almost over and I will once again be too busy to play with my friends.

More Scarves

I have finished two more. The first I mentioned previously:



Because of the coloring and the shaping, it reminds Mikey of Finding Nemo. It was fun to make with all the curving, although I didn't do a very good job of keeping the stripes even. If you fold it in half, you can see it isn't exactly symmetrical. However, I don't think it's all that obvious otherwise.



This one is much more sophisticated. It is a thick black chenille type material, knitted very loosely, with two teal stripes of the same kind of yarn on each end. I added fringe of both colors, but I am not sure I like it. Again, the stripes aren't exactly even, but it doesn't really show too badly.

Knitting Fool

I have been knitting up a storm. I am actually wondering if there might not be a way for me to earn some extra cash here...but that would make it work, not play. Anyway - here's what I've got so far.



This is one of my first attempts at changing colors and patterns. It is about 5 feet long, not including the fringes. It was made with long, cold hockey games in mind.



I just made this scarf today. It is a double knit - a solid light brown coupled with a nobby verigated blue/brown yarn. I am fairly pleased with the results, but I should have made it longer (it is 4 ft. long).



While I was knitting this scarf, Mikey kept telling me that it looked like something a vampire would wear. It is 4 ft. single knit with a light, feathery yarn.



This was one of two scarves I knit yesterday. I know a pair of twin girls who just love anything "princess". This one is double knit with faux fur type yarn paired with plain old white. I am very pleased with this look and I will be making more like it as soon as I get more white yarn.



Here's a very straightforward design. I started with a bright, verigated yarn and just kept knitting. The only think I don't like about it is that the synthetic yarn collected quite a bit of static electricity as I worked. It is very light and child-friendly, however.



The second of the "princess" scarves. The yarn was already doubled - solid pink base and a verigated feathery addition - so I just knit it up. I made the ends wider than the middle for a little fun.



I am currently working on one that has a solid black base paired with a brighter, feathery yarn. It is mostly electric blue with some orange, yellow, pink, and green stripes. I am reducing and adding stitches regularly to make it a kind of wavery shape. I'm not sure if I like the color scheme yet, but I am quite happy with the design.

Isn't It Ironic?

I find it amusing that I spend so much time trying to teach these kids to be the exact opposite of what I was in school. I tell them to pay attention and put that book away during math class. I tell them to stop procrastinating and get their work done ahead of time. I tell them to take the time to read the directions before starting an assignment. Most of all, I tell them to push themselves beyond what is easy and find the challenge in each day.

If only they could learn from my mistakes. As I am sure my parents and teachers wished I could learn from theirs.

Ego-boosters

I have decided to be honest and tell you that I haven't been having conferences at all. I have been having a series of scheduled ego-boosters. That isn't what I THOUGHT they would be, but I'm liking it. I am perfectly willing to give up my afternoon to a bunch of parents who want to tell me how much their child loves my class and how much they appreciate the work I am doing. I left school so pumped with the love that I am eager to get back and continue. :)

The fact that the days have been productive and the atmosphere during class just as positive doesn't hurt any either. I HEART my class.

Progress

graded those darn writing samples
completed 0.5 of total report cards
washed dishes
cleaned kitty litter
completed 2.0 chapters of tech class
knitted 1 adult scarf, 1 beret (of questionable quality), 1 child scarf
prepped for next trimester's writing lessons
cooked mashed potatoes in the crockpot
watched The Matrix and Unbreakable
took the houseplants out for some fresh air
wiped down the counters
washed 4 loads of laundry, dried 3, folded 2 (I'm falling behind!)
talked with Daddy
helped Mikey come up with puzzles for his site

It's been a productive weekend. :)

My Favorite Author

My hubby is participating in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - and he is well on his way to "winning". (That is what they call reaching the set goal of 50,000 words.) Today he printed out a copy of the approximately 25,000 words he has written since the beginning of November. I am going to curl up on the couch and read it in just a moment. First, I wanted to tell you (and him, cause I know he reads this) how totally impressed and amazed I am at what he has already accomplished. :) Now I am off to read.

In the Rough

This hasn't been edited - it is purely what came pouring out of my head this morning. Thankfully, I have started carrying that hand-held recorder in the car, so I talked to myself all the way to school and then typed it up. Please forgive grammatical errors. I have added in a few bits - those are in italics as well.

Mahatma Gandhi, in 1925, developed a list of what he called the Seven Social Sins. (It has since had an eighth added.) While they cover a wealth of topics, the one that always strikes me is "Knowledge Without Character". No one ever questions the teacher's responsibility in passing on knowledge, but are we not just as obligated to be teaching our students about character? How can they be expected to use their knowledge if we haven't given them wisdom? How can they manage the power they will one day wield if we haven't taught them self-control?

Across the country, the focus of education has become The Standards, as though adherence to them will somehow prevent failure. In the name of honesty, let me tell you that I despise standardized testing and teaching to the test. It grinds down the students' belief in themselves while giving questionable, easily manipulated results. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the need to make education as efficient and effective as possible.

I love my Standards-On-A-Ring - they give me a reference point, helping me focus my thoughts and better reach my children. The standards help me develop my expectations. With them, I can hold myself accountable to those expectations and that is a good thing. The standards do not, however, take into consideration the individual needs, experiences, or interests of the 32 kids in my room. They don't help me teach respect, responsibility, creativity, thoughtfulness, or cooperation, all of which are vital to the atmosphere of my room as well as the success of my students upon joining the real world.

Although recent test results show that we are producing higher-achieving students, it is at a great cost. (Apparently a cost that others are willing to pay.) We are creating a generation of people who fit perfectly inside the box of standardized education, but few of them could be called well-rounded individuals. They can recite facts and regurgitate the information that has been deemed "essential", but they can't problem-solve, compromise, or other-wise think outside the set parameters of their lives.

This last paragraph doesn't connect very nicely, but is also important none-the-less.


When board members and district officials tell us that there is no morale problem among our teachers beyond our desire for more money, I ask you to look for yourself. Teacher morale is suffering, possibly more than it has in decades, and although I would be lying if I told you that paying my bills was not a concern, that is not the only, nor even the most important, reason for our unhappiness. (Sorry - that is a looooong sentence.) Our sinking morale is related to what we are being asked to do in the classroom and what we are being asked to ignore. It come from the poorly stated and supported teacher expectations, a threatening and disheartening district atmosphere, and the frustration of speaking without being heard. At my school, I am surrounded by people who have a passion and a dedication that is extraordinary, but it is difficult for any of us to maintain that fire when we feel as though our needs, beliefs, and expertise are being totally disregarded.

You just gotta know the questions.

"He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery." ~Anne Frank

Funny how the universe has all the answers.

Hmm

I talked at a meeting tonight about the problems I see with the current direction of education. Mostly, I was expressing a concern over the fact that we are teaching to the standardized tests rather than to the whole child. I was seriously disturbed to hear most of the room say that they didn't feel that was a problem. One woman told me that I just needed to "fit it in". That is what she does.

So, as I drove home, I wondered:

Is she an amazing teacher who is able to teach all the skills expected of her students while still exposing them to music, the arts, AND addressing all their social/emotional needs?

Is she delusional, thinking she is doing all this while her students suffer the consequences?

Is she a master of time, able to stretch it to her will, freeing up chunks of time that the rest of us don't have?

OR

Is the problem with me? Am I not using my time as efficiently as possible? Should I be trying harder to assimilate all of the things thrown at me - am I being stopped by my own bad attitude?

Holy Moly

conference...report cards...meetings...master's classes...housekeeping...wildly out of control paperwork...belated correspondence...daylight savings...promises that must be kept...plans that must be made...games that must be played...papers that must be graded...

All seem to be piling up faster than I can wade through them. As I told my class today, "I cannot be held responsible for anything I say or do this week. My body is here, but my mind is somewhere on a Hawaiian island." I daresay they are feeling much the same, since they all understood perfectly.

One of those days

Do you ever have one of those days when thinking is just TOO HARD? A can't wait for this day to be over. I have been tripping over my words all day. At lunch I wrote my own name incorrectly. Right now, I am making more mistakes than not with my typing. It is like my brain has decided to take a vacation and forgot to leave a forwarding address. Unfortunately, I need it. At least until Thanksgiving Break.

Hump Day

I have always hated that phrase. Anyway, here we are, on a beautiful Wednesday. Thanks to Daylight Savings, I can tell how beautiful it is already. It is nice to be getting up in a daylight hour again, but it stinks like rotten eggs to have to drive home in the pitch black every night. Oh well. I guess I can't have everything.

Time to head to school. Have a nice day.

The Balance of the Universe

I apologize for leaving such a despondant post on top for so long, especially since the remainder of my week has been full of things that make me smile...

~ the grapefruit glow of the setting sun making the distant mountains blush like maidens behind their veils of fog and mist

~ the full on belly laugh, followed by the 5 minutes of giggling that my class and I shared during our spelling test this afternoon

~ the mustard flavored pretzels I snacked on

~ the smashing success that was our Showing Writing Fashion Show

~ "We just really appreciate how understanding you have been." (from parents who are dealing with some heavy issues but still manage to help their child complete homework and show up at school prepared to learn)

~ the totally inaccurate information being spouted by a Law and Order episode discussing kidney transplants

~ reading the amazing book "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli, an amazing author

~ having the problem of too many good books and not enough bookshelves in my classroom, thanks to Scholastic book orders and the free points I earn when my class orders books

~ looking at a picture of my siblings and I at my wedding - one of my very favorite pictures ever - and then getting a call from my baby brother, the frosh football star

~ the two (not just one...TWO!) cards that we got in the mail - one beautiful and the other hilarious (We do NOT give out broccoli at Halloween! We give out carrot sticks.)

~ hearing a student say that he and his mother had had a serious dicussion about each other's feelings and come to some wonderful agreements

~ the smell of dinner cooking when I walked in the door after spending a total of 12 hours at school and nearly 14 hours away from home

There were so many other things...I can't name them all. It's a wonderful life, I tell you.

"I just don't think you are very good at working with students with special needs."

Did she KNOW those were the words needed to break my heart?
Or was she just guessing?

A Whole Week?

Where does the time go?

I have had many thoughts, but since I have yet to put my hand-held recorder in my car like I have planned, I can't remember a damn one of them. How frustrating to know there is something fabulous behind that curtain, but to be unable to sweep it aside. I have to remember to put that recorder in my car.

I am currently working on my first master's course, regarding technology in the classroom. It seems somewhat serendipidous since we are currently struggling with our own technology plan at school. Who knows, I might learn something useful.

We have not begun our attempt at guttering the house yet. It is so much easier to sit inside watching episodes of Monk and oodles of Halloween movies of questionable quality. (Although I will give Shaun of the Dead a resounding "Bravo".) Perhaps next weekend will be the one during which I get off my lazy butt and do something productive. Perhaps not.

Mikey has been working hard. So many projects, each making progress, albeit gradually. I am always so impressed by the innovation that springs from my hubby's brow.

Last year, I was honored at a staff meeting by a friend (it's kind of a pass-the-kindness thing and happened to be around the time of the transplant). In her wonderful letter, she referred to me as her "Stargirl", a term taken from a Jerry Spinelli book. I just finished reading that book for the first time and I can't hardly believe it. I WISH I were half the person Stargirl is. If only I had the courage and selflessness to be like that. I am touched to think that my friend made that connection.

My hips are starting to hurt. I don't know what it is...diet, inactivity (although I haven't been), changing weather...but something is making my joints ache lately. A couple weeks ago, it was my knees. While they seem to have settled down, now my hips are complaining mildly. If I move just wrong it brings to mind the feeling of tearing a chicken leg out of it's socket - it isn't a PAIN kind of pain, but it feels wrong.

Speaking of changing weather, it is getting to be winter around here. The thermometer mercury is pulling back into itself more and more each night. 55. 48. 43. Soon I will be seeing frost out the window as I prepare myself for the day. There is moisture in the air that doesn't know what to do with itself. It hangs around, covering the hills and valleys with a layer of haze, occasionally condensing on the side of the house or dripping off the point of a leaf. The days are still sunny and warm, but each night winter's calling card is a little bigger.

Friday was one of the bestest days this year. After several weeks of frustration with missing homework, poor choices, and constant reminders of things they should already know, I was able to watch them leave with a sense of sorrow, rather than relief. Those are the days that make it all worth while. The ones were they go out of their way to make things easier for me...just because. Of course, those are also the days that remind me of the power of positive consequences. It was easy to find reasons to praise them, therefore they were happier and more willing to do praiseworthy things. A cycle that is so easy to break with one angry look or one sarcastic word. Monday, I will try harder to be a person they want to please, rather than someone they have to please.

The laundry is done. Time to fold. What little things are happening in your world?

Literally

A preface for those of you who don't already know...
The title of my blog comes from the stories I used to get from my Daddy on my birthday. Each featured myself as a youngster and my faithful companion, Isha, who lived in the raindrops that make up rainbows. She would always take me on a tumbling trip through the colors and often solved a problem or two for me as well.

Today, I was actually rambling with Isha. She came to visit me in all her colorful glory as I was driving home. We had scattered showers all day and the sun is just now starting to peek through the clouds. When I noticed this, I thought "Hey....these are the perfect conditions for a visit from Isha." No sooner had I finished the thought, BAM. There was a beautiful, DOUBLE rainbow shooting down from the sky like an arrow.

It got me thinking. Isha only shows up on rainy/cloudy days. There has to be enough moisture in the air for the sun to reflect off of before a rainbow can be formed. This makes days like today - drizzly, gray ones - some of my favorites. Instead of plodding along with my head tucked in to avoid the sprinkles, I am scanning the sky for signs of my cheerful friend. What a good life lesson. Why not look around for a friend or a good sign on those days that make you want to cry? It changes your whole perspective. Of course, Isha doesn't always show up, but while I am looking I often notice other things to pick me up. Like how green the moss is on the rocks today after only a day of rain. Or the gigantic, orange pumpkin someone set high up in the rocks. Or the way the sun is just about to assert itself over the clouds and drop by just in time to tell me goodnight. All of that on what most see as just another rainy day.

Why?

Why is it that after staring at the ceiling all night I was able to jump out of bed with a smile and have a good day, but on the night that I slept like the dead for 10 hours (8 pm to 6 am) I was barely able to drag my reanimated carcass through the requisite school hours?

It is now 8:00 pm again and I am exhausted. But I am terrified that if I sleep well tonight I will have to go through another repeat of today. I shudder at the thought.

Please Curb Your...Temper?

The other day I was thinking about personalities. More specifically, I was contemplating that all-important aspect of the personality - the temper. Your temperament influences everything you do in some way or another. Perhaps because I have been teaching metaphors to my students, I likened temper to a family dog...

Everyone has a temper. What breed is yours?

1. Rex
Rex is the quintessential family dog. He is helpful and cooperative. He is friendly enough to make visitors feel welcome, while still maintaining an attentive eye on things. He is patient with the little ones who climb all over him and pull his ears, but if anyone makes a threatening move toward the baby, you can be sure that Rex will be there, teeth bared and hackles raised.

2. Chopper (bonus points to those who recognize the referance)
Chopper is an attack dog. He starts barking at the mailman while he is still several doors down and doesn't quit until he is out of site. While he manages to keep the baby safe from strangers, he also keeps all friends and neighbors away. They're never sure if they are going to do the wrong thing and end up with a set of fang-marks in their arms.

3. Fifi
Fifi makes a lot of noise, but rarely cares whether it changes anything. She is highstrung and prone to melodromatic displays of emotion. Although well loved by a faithful few, Fifi tends to drive others away with her constant complaints. She couldn't care less about the baby, even if she knew it existed.

4. Ol' Blue
Good Ol' Blue. He's been around for a very long time. He spends most of his time lying under the kitchen table, hoping for a tasty scrap to come his way. Although in his youth he was more like Rex, he is now too tired to care what happens to the baby. He figures that if the baby were so darned important, someone else would be protecting it so he could take a nap, reliving his glory days in his dreams.

5. Tigger
Tigger is a bouncy, happy-go-lucky dog who doesn't take anything too seriously. He is young, so the chances of him morphing into one of the other types of dog is very high, but at this moment in time nothing worries him too much. That stranger walking off with the baby? Must just be a friend I haven't met yet. Tigger makes friends with everyone (and quickly), but few of them would trust him with any big responsibility.

So.
I think this year is a pivotal one, one where I will learn if I am a Rex...or a Chopper. :) I strive to maintain a balance between caring and relaxing, but it is so difficult. And way too often I find myself barking my fool head off over some unimportant issue. This morning it was the running on the blacktop. It's a mild safety issue, but is it worth giving myself a brain aneurism over? I doubt it. How about you? What kind of dog is protecting YOUR brain?

Fall Festival

My school does an annual fundraiser called the Fall Festival. Each class is responsible for a booth (face painting, hot dogs, ring toss, etc.), as well as putting together a themed basket (game night, BBQ, mom's day out, etc.) to be raffled off. On the afternoon in question, the booths get set up and local families swarm the school grounds. Each booth requires some specified number of tickets, which are purchased at the enterance.

This year, we had the Golf (putting) Booth and the "Italian Food" themed basket. Fortunately, parent volunteers did all the organizing and gathering and prepping. (I have AMAZING parent help this year.) All I had to do was man the booth for an hour. It was lots of fun, especially watching the little ones try to hold the club! Everyone got three tries and won either a candy treat (for trying) or a toy treat (for getting the ball to stay on the green). I got home at about 8:00, tired but happy.

I allowed myself to sleep in, hoping that would be all it took to recover. Not so. I have sore muscles in places I didn't know there were muscles. I guess all the repetitive bending involved in placing and collecting those golf balls took its toll on me. I should probably try to get more active, rather than just being grateful that I don't have to do this again until next year.

Driving In My Car

OR

Living in the Moment: A Daily Exercise

My daily commute provides me with ample time for reflection and thought. Sometimes, too much. I have plenty of time in my own head to brood on that mistake I made or that person who hurt my feelings or that thing I wish I could afford or that JERK WHO CUT ME OFF JUST NOW. Pant, pant. As I think these thoughts, I find more and more to brood about. One bad thing reminds me of another. In a few short minutes I am a seething ball of rage and frustration. My grip on the steering wheel tightens as that one vein in my head starts to throbe. Yeah, THAT one. The one that runs along my right temple, past my eyebrow, and into my hairline. Yikes.

I have found that the only solution to this problem is to focus on the Now. First, I have to go outside myself. I look at the hills and valleys, the sunflowers on the side of the road, the birds on the telephone wires. I focus on the joy these things bring me. Then I am able to return to my thoughts, this time thinking of how wonderful my life is at that moment.

The fact that I am in my car, on my way to work, is proof of so much good in my life. I have a trustworthy, reliable vehicle which allows me to live where I want to live and work where I want to work. I have a beautiful house outside of the city. I have a job that I love and am willing to commute for. I am healthy enough to drive myself to work every day. I can afford the gas needed to make my trip. I have a husband who not only loves me for who I am, but also does the dishes AND cleans the kitty litter on a regular basis.

My past may have rocky spots and my future may be uncertain, but my NOW is pretty damn good. I am so glad that I have time every day to contemplate that and be thankful for it.

I'll Learn You!

I received the books for two of my "masters" courses today. One is on utilizing technology in the classroom. I am sure it will have lots of useful information that pertains only to people who have technology to be utilized. Hopefully, it will have some valuable suggestions in it. The other is called "The War Against America's Public Schools". I have only skimmed the prologue, but it seems as though the enemies of public school are:
1. conservatives,
2. institutes of higher learning,
3. business and industry,
4. christians, and
5. insiders.

That's a lot of enemies! I am actually looking forward to this book, if only to figure out just what it is trying to say.

A Word of Advice

If you are unhappy with your supervisor, take the time to figure out whether the person you are talking with is also unhappy before bad-mouthing said supervisor. If you don't, you are bound to stick your foot in your mouth in a BIG, BIG way.

No, I didn't chew shoe today. But I know someone who did.

French Bread

I cannot go to the grocery store without buying a loaf of the french bread they make there. Especially if it is piping hot, fresh from the oven. I have no will power. Of course, when I think about all the yummy things I can do with this bread:
- chewy pb&j sandwiches
- garlic bread
- sopping up the sauce from my favorite macaroni salad
- honey/butter toast

I can't come up with a reason to HAVE will power.

Whither the Weather

I have quite a few educational irons on the fire these days.

1. Math - Factoring
This is nothing new for 5th graders, but they like to pretend it is. Never-the-less, they are making good progress with it. We talked about Greatest Common Factors today and most of them got the hang of it after only a couple tries.

2. Writing - Figurative Language
Similes, metaphors, alliteration, and personification have all been discussed. They have been quite creative and descriptive, which is exactly the point. The best part? They are noticing these things in everything we read, not just in the "writing" activities. Next, we try for hyperbole. Their writing assignment this week is to write a mouth-watering description of their favorite meal, from main dish to desserts, using as much figurative language as possible.

3. Science - Weather
I have put together a kick-ass weather unit. I spent several hours on it on two separate occasions, so it better work! We started it today and they seemed very excited by the whole concept. Mostly the fact that they are going to be tracking the weather in cities of their choice via the internet for the next two weeks. Anywhere else, I would use local weather, but around here it's always the same: clear and sunny, 75 degrees, no precipitation. Nice to live in, but not so helpful in teaching the complexities of weather.

4. Reading - My Side of the Mountain
We are more than half-way through this core lit book now. They have been doing a great job with all the different discussions and comprehension projects. They are also doing well with the additional related material I make them do, mostly vocabulary expanding activities.

The days just seem to fly right by with all this fun stuff to work on. :)

Oh, so handy.

This weekend, we finished putting up our cat-run. The kitties now have a place to hang around outside that protects them from the coyotes and jackrabbits. At least until the coyotes realize that all they have to do is breath hard on it to make it fall over! No, it isn't so bad. Not very pretty, but stable enough to do the job.

This is our first big, HANDYPERSON job. We are both quite proud of ourselves for finishing it. The kitties are pretty happy too. Our next project is to put gutters on the house and garage. We have all the necessary materials. Now all we need is the motivation and a lotta luck.

You Bastard!

Mr. Whedon has quite a bit to answer for if you ask me. We saw Serenity this afternoon (along with a loverly lunch at our favorite Indian place). I enjoyed the movie overall, but I am very, very unhappy about a certain plot choice that was made. It almost ruined the movie for me. Almost. If you've seen it, and are a fan of Firefly (not a requirement for seeing the movie, but helpful), email me and we'll talk. Post no spoilers, please.

My Big Mouth

In the last two weeks I have managed to make myself well known to not one, not two, but THREE of the bigwigs in our district. One of them was the superintendent. I am not sure what has come over me. Last year, I was such a quiet, good, little girl. I suspect it is a combination of the comfort level brought on by tenure along with the increased number of committees and projects of which I am taking part. While it feels damn good to be speaking my mind, I can't help but wonder how my higher-ups are taking it. I can only hope that they recognize my questioning and involvement as one more sign of my commitment to children and their education. Cross your fingers for me, if you don't mind.

No wonder I can't shake this cold.

This is what a typical day looks like right now...

6:00 Alarm goes off. Feed cats and try to decide which is more urgently needed, a shower or 30 minutes more sleep.

6:30 Finished with either showering or sleeping, I get dressed and eat breakfast with my nose buried in a book.

7:00 Get packed up and head to school.

7:45 Get to school. Do paperwork/grading/recording/prepping unless I am needed in a meeting (one day a week). Often distracted by calls or visits from parents or other teachers.

9:00 Collect class from outside and commence the morning.

11:30 Work through my break.

12:45 Eat lunch while talking with co-workers. Common topics include teaching strategies, upcoming lessons/units, problems with students (and potential solutions), successes with students, office gossip, and personal information.

1:30 Collect class from outside and commence the afternoon.

3:15 Dismiss students. Spend time dealing with parent visits/calls, students returning for forgotten items, and straightening up the wreckage.

3:30 More grading/prepping/planning/recording/etc. Put up next day's schedule as well as morning message. Meet with co-workers as necessary. Follow-up on previous conversations/paperwork/concerns. Call parents who need to be filled in on important information from the day.

5:00 Frantically try to get things squared away enough that I can go home. This is my nightly goal.

5:30 Actually head home.

6:00 Decompress. Check e-mail, talk with hubby, have dinner.

6:45 Begin grading/recording/planning. Continue this while half watching, half listening to whatever is on the TV.

9:00 Finally pack school things away. Brush teeth, fall into bed. Consider reading for a few minutes, but usually fall asleep before actually picking up the book.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Questions

Recently, I was asked what kind of student I was as a child. And I had no idea how to answer. I don't know. I remember my friends from elementary school. I remember my teachers. But I have no idea what I was like then.

So here are some questions for those in the know...

Did my teachers have to remind me to speak up? Or shut up?
Did I turn in my homework? Did I do my homework? Did I even know I had homework?
Did I work hard? Or hardly work?
Was I living up to my potential? (I suspect the answer to this one is "no".)
Did I keep to myself or tell my teachers every little detail?
Was I shy? Outgoing? Confident? Comfortable?
Was I organized? Or did it look like a tornado had gone through my desk?

I often look at my students and see bits of myself as I am now. I wish I could tell which ones were like me THEN.

To Teach Writing, You Have to BE a Writer.

Not in the sense that you have to be published or anything. Just in the sense that you actually write things. More importantly, that you show your students your writing as it occurs. I have been trying a new method with my writing class this year and I think it is working.

Last year, I would tell the kids something about writing ("When you use dialogue, you have to use quotation marks."). I would have them practice a little and then I would tell them to write something. I would try to conference with each child, but it never actually happened due to time constraints. I felt that my students did a poor job of writing and I wasn't surprised. I was doing a pisspoor job of teaching it.

This year, I am working on the idea that modeling is the best way to teach writing. So instead of having THEM write in class, I am writing in class. They help me and then do their own writing at home. We have been following a careful schedule.

Monday: I present the topic for the week's writing assignment. (eg. Learning to do Something Challenging) I then go through the step by step process of filling in an outline organizer with the ideas for my own story. (eg. Learning to Drive) This is a lot of fun, because they are facinated with the idea of knowing more about my life. At home, they fill in their own organizer about their own story.

Tuesday: I turn each piece of the outline into a paragraph. I demonstrate how to take words and phrases and make them into complete sentences that flow together smoothly. They get to suggest ideas and give constructive criticism. At home, they turn their own organizer into a rough draft.

Wednesday: We use the writing rubric to check each part of my story carefully. They get to tell me how many points I get for each section. By the end, we can see what my grade would be without any changes and where I can make the most improvement. At home, they use the same rubric to edit their own work.

Thursday: I show them an edited version of my story and we check it again. We calculate the new grade, demonstrating what a difference good editing and re-writing can make. At home, they re-write their own stories.

Friday: I show them a neatly typed up version of my story. They hand in their own stories for grading (using the same rubric they were using to edit, of course).

If the few stories I have graded so far are any indication, the quality of writing in my room has gone way up. It remains to be seen if this is a result of the teaching method or the consequence of having naturally better writers in my class this year. Unfortunately, when I collected our first writing assignment this morning, only 17 of my 32 turned one in. That is disappointing, but for an entirely different reason.

Busy week

This week, I am crazy busy. Today, I had a meeting regarding the 5th grade math curriculum this year. It was confusing, but overall pretty productive. Wednesday, we have to write our yearly goals - on a schoolwide level, a grade level...level, and a personal level. Whoot. Thursday starts with a meeting at which I am the facilitator and ends with a meeting at which I will have to fight to be heard by the district superintendent. Yikes. And Friday...hmm. There is something happening on Friday, but I can't remember what. Gotta look that up.

Interesting

The intensely involved woman who inspires me to stand up and fight for what is right, is the same intensely negative woman who reminds me to look for the good in things and cooperate when possible.

There is a fine line between fighting the good fight and just plain fighting. I am seeing that it is important to pick your battles or risk looking like you are just difficult to get along with.

Complex or Easily Led?

I am an interesting mix of two distinct opposites. Sometimes I think this is a good thing, allowing me to play each situation as it requires. Other times, I think I am just too wishy-washy to pick one personality trait and stick with it.

First, I am one of those eager-to-please kinds. When someone asks something of me, I want to do it right. I often have the urge to show my work to someone of authority so they can give me a cookie. I like praise and I like taking the expectations of my higher-ups and blowing them away. I am terrified of being caught doing something wrong and I HATE being chastised or punished.

On the other hand, I often have an overwhelming urge to rebel. I question the motives and methods of those in authority and make smart-alecky comments about them. I will go out of my way to challenge those who try to control me and I am not afraid of what they will say when I do.

These two halves are so carefully balanced that it only takes one other person to sway me one way or the other. If I am partnered with a goodie-goodie, then I am going to be the most focused, hard-working person in the room. If I am sitting with another rebel, I will spend my time questioning, critisizing, and challenging. From the post below, can you guess what kind of person was at my table today?

A Non-drinking Game

This game is for anyone who has ever had to go to an inservice or long meeting. After today, I feel your pain.

!. Come to the meeting with a short list of buzz words or catch phrases that you suspect the presenter will use often.

2. If you company is in the habit of providing snacks at these meetings, you are in luck. If not, make sure to bring a bag of small snacky foods (m&ms, pretzels, goldfish crackers, etc.).

3. Each time a word or phrase from your list is used, you get one snack.

I know, not very exciting, but it kept me occupied this afternoon, long after I wanted to crawl under the table and take a nap. I now feel slightly ill from all the chocolate, though. Next time, I'm bringing goldfish.

Warning: No Actual Research or Formal Study Went Into This Post!

I am going to district training today. This always gets me worked up. I feel as though public education, in general, is being slowly and methodically destroyed. We are currently working along the rim on one side of the Grand Canyon, when where I really want to be is cliff dwelling somewhere on the exact opposite side. I know, I know. Pretty soon, we'll all hop on our donkeys and start our migration to the other side, but it's still frustrating.

While showering, I came up with some ideas. I think they might help get our education system back on track, which is to say that it might help our children gain insight, knowledge, and the ability to be productive citizens.

1. Start spending the money wisely. This can be done in many ways.

* Balance the pay scales. I know that administration is important. Someone needs to be steering the boat. However, paying an expert to steer a boat with no propulsion system is just futile. The gap between administration and teacher pay is way too much.

* Quit paying publishers for their Get Smart Quick schemes. Our district changes curriculums like I change my socks. (Heh...once a year...hehe) Find a series that you like in each of the core areas and stick with it. We could have the best curriculum in the world, but if we haven't had a chance to get to know it, it's not going to make a difference. No teacher does his/her best the first time through.

* Be willing to pay your veteran teachers for their experience. As I said, no teacher can teach to the best of their ability the first time through. Despite all the college courses and student teaching in the world, the first few years in the classroom on your own are practice. First Years are cheaper, but they just plain can't do the job as well and they will after they have experience. You have to be willing to pay for that. It's worth it.

* Keep class sizes down. The benefits to the students' learning are so, SO worth it.

2. Start holding parents accountable in the same way you are holding teachers accountable.

* Participation in parent/teacher conferences should be mandatory. At least one time each year, parents should absolutely HAVE to take the time to discuss their child's progress and brainstorm with the teacher about how to best keep that progress happening. It can be in person, over the phone, via e-mail - but it has to cover the basics satisfactorily. The basics include academics, behavior, social/emotional development, and goals for the future. Parents should be able to get time from work to attend these meetings, and there should be some kind of reward for doing it - a tax break or something. I'm still working on that part.

* Parents should receive a "report card" each year. This would hold them accountable for the things that only they can provide to their children. This report card would be included in their child's cummulative file. Things to include on this report card:
~ Y or N Parent has adaquately monitored and cared for the health of the student.
~ Y or N Parent provides adequate nutrition for the student on a daily basis.
~ Y or N Parent has participated in the education process both at school and at home.
~ Y or N Parent has a system of consequences (pos. and neg.) in place.
~ Y or N If no is marked for any of the above statements, Parent has made adaquate attempts to find assistance, including but not limited to, parenting classes, county/state/federal assistance programs, counseling/therapy.

(I know that this would be way too subjective (much like the monitoring of teachers) to actually work, but it's nice in theory. Schools would, of course, be required to give free classes and seminars for parents to help with these issues.)

These are just my own random thoughts. Your questions, comments, snide remarks? I know there are problems with them. It's just nice to dream about an improved work place and a situation where I can actually help the kids who are put in my charge. More than I do now, I mean.

Thought Luck

I have been swearing way too much. I think I need to cut back before I accidentally say something I shouldn't in my classroom.


My headcold seems to be just about gone. However, it also seems that I cannot experience a headcold without later experiencing breathing troubles. I am going to be breaking out the inhaler soon, as my chest is feeling quite tight.


Because I have a computer lab time while the computer lady is there, I am absolutely enjoying going to computers this year. She's wonderful.


One of the radio stations I listen to doesn't use disk jockeys. They play music and they play commercials. Nothing else.


My students have each picked a higher level vocabulary word to describe themselves, such as erudite, empathetic, or dynamic. As an example, I picked my own adjective - methodical. The other day while I was explaining something, one of my students said, "You really are methodical, Mrs. Hommel." It made me laugh.


I've started counting my calories again. I am resigned to not being able to get below a certain plateau number, but I refuse to go above it. Things I have learned from counting calories:
1. Yummy stuff has lots of calories.
2. Beverages aren't worth the calories they contain. I stick with water now.
3. It is remarkably easy to go from "Hey, I'm doing good today!" to "Holy cow! How did I eat that much?" in a very short period of time.
4. I eat twice as much as I need without even thinking about it.


No kids at school tomorrow. That makes it simultaneously less stressful and less interesting.


Mikey is reviewing a game called Water Bugs for his Monthly Roundup. It is FUN, FUN, FUN. I would try to discribe it to you, but I can't think of how. There's a board and you have to fill in sections by closing them off from the main section. When you fill in enough, you win. Think Jezball or Qix.


I am going to a book award ceremony/dinner/trade show thingy on Saturday. It has been hinted that there will be free books given away. I will be seriously disappointed if those rumors turn out to be false. Unless the veggie meal I ordered is good and the speakers intelligent. Then it might be worth it afterall. We'll see.


My grandmother is in the nursing home. She's not doing well. Her health is holding up alright, but the anxiety and depression have taken their toll on her mind. It stinks.

Automobile Observations #2

On Perception

Perception is an interesting thing. Especially how they can differ from one person to another. What I see as beneficial, you might see as detrimental. What you find enjoyable, might be torture to me. It all boils down to how we see things and interpret them. So many of the worlds troubles come from this simple thing.


On Power

"What if everyone did just what I said?"
~a song on the radio that I can't name and am too lazy to Google

There are many reasons why I became a teacher, but I would be lying if I said power wasn't one of them. As a teacher I have an incredible amount of power over the people with whom I spend most of my time. Kids and parents alike, for the most part, look up to me as an expert and listen to/respect/act upon what I say. That is at once an emboldening and humbling thought.

Early Morning Musings

It is 4:23 am and apparently I am fully recharged. For the last several days I have not been feeling well (head cold) and I have been using every spare minute to recharge my excessively draining batteries. I must have clicked back into the land of the relatively healthy this morning around 3:30 am because I stopped sleeping and started thinking. I recently read some thoughts on poor people and their reactions to being poor. That, in combination with some David Wilcox lyrics that are incessently looping in my head, brought on these pre-dawn thoughts.

The following quote is from my uncle's blog.

"Truely poor people think they can't afford to be prepared, for storms or anything else in life. For some reason they are always unlucky. Temporarly broke people prepare for things. Eventually things go well for them."

While I agree with this basic premise, I think there is quite a bit that goes into making up our attitudes that we have very little control over. Which brings me to the Wilcox lyrics.

"All the roots grow deeper when it's dry."

I live in the desert and I know that isn't always true. Some of the plants here send hearty taproots deep into the ground searching out the water they know is down there. These are the plants that have been here for hundreds of years. They know only one thing - dig deep or die. They have learned to work within their ecosystem.

Other plants, the ones people have introduced to the area for our own benefit and amusement, haven't had the time to learn this lesson. All they know is that water is rare out here and the little rain we get barely has a chance to wet the surface dust before it disappears. These plants don't send out taproots. They send out millions of tiny roots just under the topsoil, hoping to soak up what little moisture comes their way before someone else does.

In a drought, the native plants are like an average Joe who's hit some hard times. Sure, things get tough, growth may be a bit stunted that year, but there is always that taproot to fall back on. The native plants have the education and the support of the environment around them to get them through. Eventually, the drought passes and life goes on.

Not so for the transplants. Without the knowledge of their counterparts or the support of their seemingly hostile environment, their elaborate system of surface roots find nothing to hold on to. They gradually (or not so gradually) wither up and waste away.

Although attitude can make a difference, the plants' real chances of survival come from their ability to understand and utilize their environment. What do we do with this information? I don't really know. I know if I plant a tomato here in Anza, I can keep it alive with plenty of attention - daily watering and nuturing. However, by doing so, I am not really helping the tomato adapt to desert life. I'm just making it dependant on me. If I go away for a week, it will still die. How to teach my tomato that it needs to take the risk of putting down a deep, deep taproot when all it sees is the daily battle for surface water? Since both my tomatoes died while I was away this summer, I am obviously still at a loss. However, I am not going to blame the tomatoes for failing at something they were never equipt to do.

Combo-licious

Mikey is waxing poetic about food combinations over at his site. You really should run on over there and tell him what your favorite combos are. Mine? Grilled cheese and tomato soup. There's nothing like it when I am feeling sick, sad, or just plain lonely for a friendly flavor. You really can't do it wrong, but here's the way to do it RIGHT.

The Sandwich:
Take two pieces of your favorite grainy whole wheat bread (it's gotta be w.w. so it will withstand the dunking). Slather each piece with mayo on one side and butter on the other side. Slice or shred (shredding makes for good melting) your favorite cheese and place between the bread slices, mayo side in. Personally, I like 75% cheddar with 25% mozzarella, but any cheese will do. Place the sandwich on a heated griddle. When it is golden brown, flip it. When the second side is also a crunchy, buttery brown you have to do The Secret Step. The Secret Step is what prevents that tiny, unmelted chunk in the center of the sandwich. Get a saucepan lid, sprinkle the griddle (near, but not on the sandwich) with a little water, and cover quickly. A few minutes in the steam will leave you with a totally melted, absolutely delish sandwich.

The Soup
Since I have yet to learn how to make a yummy, creamy tomato soup from scratch (it's not that hard, I'm just that lazy), my advice is to find a deli that makes really good soup and stick with it. My favorite tomato soups are thick and chunky with a cream base. Being both cheap and lazy, I tend to get the Campbell's condensed and add water. The best tomato soup I ever had was at my Aunt Kate's house (it was after a particularly trying day and it really hit the spot) and I think I remember her tellig me it was from a bakery or deli of some sort. Unfortunately, it was in MN, so it isn't exactly available to me here.

There you have it. My favorite flavor combo. Now, get over there and tell us about YOUR favorite!

Stupid Microsoft

My Rise of Nations game won't run. And it is all Microsoft's fault.

You see, they put this copyright protection thing on it where if the cd drive can't identify certain "bad" spots on the cd, then it won't play. Well, apparently my cd drive skips over bad spots. And I am not the only one who has this problem. There are several forum conversations devoted to this problem and its possible solutions.

It turns out that there is no solution. Some people who bought this game just can't play it. And Microsoft doesn't care. They have done nothing to fix it - no patch, no support, no interest in the issue what-so-ever.

Actually, there is one solution. You can go to a pirate site and get a crack. You can download an illegal hack that will circumvent the problem. That is the only way to get the game to run.

So, in an attempt to stop people from illegally copying their game, they have set up a situation where honest people who have spent good money on the game, are forced to get help from the same illegal hackers they were trying to avoid in the first place. Good thinking guys. I hate pirates. They steal other people's hard work because they can. They are no different from a shoplifter. And if I want to play Rise of Nations, I have to interact with them. Bleh.

I have downloaded the crack. Actually, Mikey has. Now I just have to figure out how to get it onto my internet-less game computer. If Rise of Nations weren't so much fun, I would have given up long ago.

Thought of the Day

It's been some time since I posted. Things are going well, but I am often tired at the end of the day. It is exhausting keeping track of everything that needs doing with a new grade level. Someday, I will return to regular posting. In the meantime, I came across this quote while catching up on my blog reading:

Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.
--Madeline Bridges


I like it. And I have seen it happen often enough to believe that it is mostly true. (I say mostly because I have learned that there are exceptions to almost any rule!)

Automobile Observations

(This is a series of thoughts and observations I have had in my little red car between home and school.)

* This morning I watched the car in front of me hit a dog. The last time I saw an animal hit by a vehicle was in my mom's car on the way to school as a highschooler. She hit a bird. I was thrown into shock as I watched that poor dog rebound off the side of the truck this morning. I was numb for a few minutes and then spent the rest of the trip wiping away tears. I spent the day mourning the loss of a life.

* The little gas station situated on a fairly isolated curve of my trip home is always quite pricey. This week it was the first to show a $3.00+ price. By this evening it is up to $3.09. Yowza. The Chevron that keeps our cars in motion is currently charging $2.81/gallon.

* Life is NOT a poker game. You are dealt a hand, but that is as far as it goes. In life you can pick up cards along the way. You can discard the cards you don't like. And most importantly, you can make up the rules as you go. If your hand is better for Go-Fish, great. Have a super Bridge hand? Wonderful. It's sad when someone is too busy hating their Poker hand to realize that they have a winning Crazy 8s hand.

Monday Morning

It was all I'd hoped it would be...

Actually, I didn't have any particular hopes for this Monday morning, but it is nice and cool outside, the sun has come up, and I am feeling refreshed and ready for a new week. (Let's see how I'm feeling at lunch time, shall we?) One of my favorite things about being here in El Coyote Gordo (tentative name - what do you think?) is the smell of the air in the mornings. All of the plants that make it here in the summer seem to want to proclaim their superiority over the weaker, less desert-hearty vegetation first thing in the morning. There is an especially pungent bunch of sage somewhere around that makes me throw open the windows and invite the air inside. And when the temperature is just right, I can make my trip to The Big City with my window down, sampling the olfactory stylings of plants along the way.

Speaking of temperatures, our thermometer read 108 yesterday. Granted, we think it is a little overenthusiastic about its job ever since the day it sat in direct sunlight, but even so - that is HOT. Fortunately, it cools down so nicely in the evenings. I would guess it got down to 55 F last night. Quite the range, eh?

It's nearly time for me to get on my way. Last week, we focused on rules and expectations in class with some 4th grade review thrown in. This week, it is on to 5th grade material. (Not that one week is enough review, but if I don't get started on this stuff now, I won't get everything covered.) This is going to be the first "real" week. Usually I am dreading this week - the kids are always overwhelmed and I have to met out lots of consequences that I would rather just ignore, but this group is looking good. I think they might have actually been listening as I explained what to expect. Perhaps they won't be too shocked by the work load.

Yeah, right. Poor, little things. Think supportive, organizational thoughts for them. :)

Back to School!

After a week of 6 hour days with them, I am ready to say that I am going to have fun with my class this year. They have already shown themselves to be fairly cooperative, to have a witty sense of humor, and to be able to tell when it is time to stop testing the teacher before that vein in her head pops and those of us who live regret it for eternity. That is to say that while they are not perfect, they are pretty darn close to it. We're gonna have a good year.

Other signs of happiness to come:
~ several parents who are highly interested in volunteering weekly
~ better inter-team communication than I was expecting
~ the return of the photocopier that they decided to take away from us

I have set the bar high (especially regarding homework completion and personal responsibility) in my room and I am pleased to report that the students are showing every sign of knocking it aside as they blow right past it. The parents are also showing signs of exceptional interest and involvement. I'm already looking forward to Monday. Or I will be once I get a nap.

So Much To Say

But I have not yet recovered from my Mikey withdrawal, so you are going to have to wait. Eventually (probably this weekend), I will tell you about:

~ the wedding
~ the trip
~ the first day

It was all good. :) Have a great week.

Ramblin' Woman - Pt. 2

Well, the trip to MOA was a success. I scored a pair of brown, Converse hightops, which complete my collection quite well. If I had found a pair of the red, white and blue ones in my size I would have gotten those as well, since there was a sale going on. As it was, I limited myself to one pair.

We also went to the St. Paul Conservatory and I got lots of pictures of pretty plants and flowers. During the obligitory stop in the gift shop, I found some little gifts for the kiddos as well as some goodies for my class. (Don't worry, Mikey. I'm trying to be good about spending!)

Before all the shopping and conservator-ing, we stopped and visited with my aunt Kate. Despite her battle with cancer, she looks great and is nearly as cheerful and definitely as wonderful as ever. I'm glad I got a chance to stop in and say hi while I was in the area.

We head north to Duluth tomorrow. Time to move on the the next household. :) More later.

Pants on Fire

Okay. So, I'm a liar. It isn't "tomorrow", but at least it isn't "next week".

I've been busy. The tests at Mayo are all done and they have once again pronounced me healthy as the proverbial horse, albeit a horse with one kidney. What would a trip to the mayo be without a big honkin' bruise on the inside of my elbow? That and a couple of books from the medevial themed Barnes and Noble left Rochester with me.

I have finally gotten to see my father and step-mother's new house in WI. It is quite loverly with a wonderful yard and lots of birds. We've had a pleasant visit, including a visit to the farmer's market yesterday and a chance to see her new church this morning. As usual, they know all kinds of interesting and friendly people.

This evening we pick up my German foriegn exchange brother for his annual visit. This time we get to meet his girlfriend. We will all be spending some time in Minneapolis, including that great mecca to the Gods of Commerse: The Mall of America.

All in all, the trip has been quite the success so far and I am looking forward to the rest of it. More when I get a chance. (See, no promises that I can't keep this time.)

Ramblin' Woman

I made my flight with no troubles. We got to MN safely and I got tucked into bed in my first hotel at about 1:30 am. The shuttle to Rochester was uneventful (although I was feeling a bit out of place as they trash talked PETA, the EPA, anti-gun lobbyists, and "those environmentalists" for the first 30 minutes). I got settled into my second hotel early this afternoon, lunched on a delicious sub sammy (made by very friendly people), and have spent the day watching Law and Order, reading and sewing. The only real difference to a regular day is that I don't have Mikey to bug when I get bored. Oh yeah, and I am peeing into a cup for my appointment tomorrow. Whoohoo. Time to go get dinner since I have to be done eating my meal by 7:00 pm. Darned medical restrictions. I am comforted by the fact that there are 3 - yes, I said THREE, L&O episodes back to back tonight. I can't wait! :) More tomorrow.

Plugged In

This weekend I have spent the majority of my waking hours playing either the Sims Unleashed or Rise of Nations. Because of this I am spending the majority of my sleeping hours doing the same. :) Anyone who has obsessively played a computer game knows what I'm talking about.

I have started gathering my things for the big trip. Any information about the current and upcoming weather in the MN/WI areas would be appreciated. I always pack way too many things, and I am hoping that I can manage to have at least a few of them actually useful.

Mikey and I played Monopoly yesterday. What an awful game. It is just so random (drove the game designer in Mikey nuts) and frustrating. And, if playing with two non-competitive people, pointless.

The weather continues to please us here at Casa de Anza. We wake up to beautiful weather. As the morning wanes, we start to hear thunder in the distance. The afternoon rolls in with a brief storm and then the sun comes back out and everything is beautiful again. I couldn't ask for better.

Bonsai went for a car ride with us yesterday, just for fun. He was trying to sneak outside as we left, so I scooped him up and snuggled him on my lap while we ran to the PeeOhBox. At first, he was scared, all hunched down in my lap, but by the time we hit Anza he was looking out the window avidly and by the time we got home he was purring with the joy of it all. Perhaps he will be our MailGetting cat from now on.

I'm sitting here trying to think of all the things that made me think "I should blog that" and failing. I didn't turn on the Komputar yesterday due to storms and game playing so many of my thoughts drifting off with the passing storm. Drat.

Still Alive

I have been working my butt off at school this week. The room looks great and it is just about done. I still have to put up a bulletin board in the hallway (I forgot about that one), but otherwise, I am ready to walk in and start teaching when I get back from MN. I'm looking forward to it. :)

Oh, so slowly...

Here is where you would have read about my classroom in great detail if Blogger hadn't saved you from it by EATING THE WHOLE FREAKING POST leaving nothing but the title.

Madam Mysterio

I am going to have to be vague and mysterious more often. It gets my comments jumpin'.

Usually when I am hesitant to divulge details it is because I am angry or upset enough that I am afraid I will say something that I come to regret later. Some of my family members read here and I don't want to cause problems by ranting first and thinking later. Others of my family don't read here and I don't want my blog to be the secret club where we all bash on them behind their backs. I guess I don't want to be writing things here that I wouldn't be willing to say to their faces. If this were a private blog and I were the only one reading, it might be different, but it isn't and I'm not.

My current challenge was facing someone I love very much with something that I knew was going to hurt her but that had to be said. It had to be said because it has been slowly eating me up inside for the last...well, if I were to really be honest, I guess it would be almost 10 years. We talked. There were tears. I have no idea if anything will change from it, but it feels good to have it out in the open. I'm not much good at secrets - more of a heart on my sleeve kind of girl. This is the difficult challenge I was awaiting. I had left a couple of messages and I was waiting for the return call.

I am reading this over and realizing that it probably sounds like I am trying to be dramatic and mysterious. I'm not. I just don't feel comfortable writing about it in further detail. But I will say this: The fear of confrontation is always worse than the confrontation itself. At least that is my experience. Oh, and I'll say this too: Putting up a wall to protect the feelings of someone else is no good if it turns into a prison for your own feelings.

The Last Day

Today is my last day of doing whatever I want, whenever I want. I am spending the next week getting my classroom into spitspot shape and then after 2 weeks of MN travel, I will be donning the mantle of educator once again. I will miss hanging around the house, all footloose and fancy free, but I am looking forward to it.

Grrr

When I finally make up my mind to do something challenging or frightening, I hate having to wait until it happens.

To Mikey:

Thank you for the way you asked if you could make me a sandwich a minute ago.
Thank you for the lovely walk we shared an hour ago.
Thank you for the way you called to check if I had put on my sunscreen a day ago.
Thank you for making a dump run last week, even though you didn't want to.
Thank you for all the effort you put into our big move last month.
Thank you for the caretaking and support in the last year.
Thank you for the promises that you made 3 years ago (and for keeping them so well since!).
Thank you for talking through the night with me 5 years ago.

I truly can't imagine what my life would be like without you to share every up, every down, every dumb thought that crosses my mind. You are my best friend and I love you more than I will ever be able to tell you. Share another year with me?

Drama

Ugh.
*I thought I left this "he said", "she said", "he told her to tell me to tell you" bullshit behind in highschool. I hated it then and I hate it even more now.
*Why do I always end up feeling like the only adult in a conversation with people twice my age?
*Why are so many people so addicted to the fucking drama of life, rather than dealing with it, getting over it, and moving on?
*Oh, and another thing...quit laying your fucking guilt trips on me. If you have issues, that's fine. Take care of them. But don't try to make it look like I'm the one with the problems.
Sheesh.

/rant
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress. Have a nice night.

Goin' to the Beach!

I'm heading to the beach this afternoon to soak up some Vit D and breath in some salt air. There will be little ones to play with, food to snack on, and delightful company. If that isn't a perfect day, I don't know what is.

New Secrets

There are new secrets up. I don't know which I like better - seeing the baring and sharing of souls, or the amazing artwork that goes along with it.

First Day

She climbed out of the car, grabbing her books and backpack. As she walked toward the front of the school, a million questions swirled in her head. Will 5th grade be that much harder than 4th grade? What if she can't do it? What if all her friends forget about her, now that they are separated? She pushed those thoughts aside and followed the crowd inside.

She already knew which room she would be in. Even though she was supposed to be outside, she took a minute to walk past it. Peeking through the windows, she could see row upon row of desks. She checked the class list posted on the door - there was her name, along with 32 others. How would she keep track of all those people? Would they treat her nicely? Gathering her courage she headed out to the playground.

She found her friends right away, bunched together, discussing their summer vacations. They chatted until the bell rang, then said goodbye and walked toward their class lines. They wouldn't see each other again until recess. As she joined her line walking into class, she look at each face. Some she knew from last year, others were new to her. She wondered how she would feel about them after a whole year of sharing a room.

When they got inside, they all put their things away. As the shuffling and whispering died down, she slowly raised her hand for attention. Here we go. Time to make a first impression. Everyone turned to her as she opened her mouth to speak...

"Hello, everyone. My name is Mrs. H. Welcome to the first day of school."

Gandhi

I've started reading a biography of M. Gandhi's life, and I must say, it is comforting to know that it wasn't until he was my age that he slowly started making a difference. The beginning of his life was filled with shyness, self-doubt, failure, and struggles like everyone else. Not to mention that even as he developed his public life of volunteer work and good deeds in the name of human rights, he was still dealing with the trials and tribulations of family life. Gives me hope that I might still do something great despite my discomfort with groups, my imperfect personality, and my lack of experience. He accomplished what he did through sheer force of will, or as he called it satyagraha - "soul force". I like to hope that I have some satyagraha myself, although I am still in the early stages of learning how to use it.

Stuff

We went jogging today. Well, to be honest, we went walking and it involved a short (about 1 long block) amount of jogging. But it was up a hill! We saw many tracks (coyote, dog, quail, human, automobile), chatted with the neighbors as they drove by ('cause that's what we country folk do), and enjoyed the fresh air.
The jogging caused my breathing tubes to tighten in a slightly uncomfortable way. That always used to happen when I was a kid and I ran too much, too. It was never bad enough to mention it (so I never knew I had asthma until a few years ago), but enough to make running unpleasant. If we keep this jogging thing up, I'll have to start using the inhaler.
-------

If only I could get everyone I know to keep online journals. They wouldn't even have to write anything all that private. If they just mentioned a few of their daily activities in an online place, I would have a place to keep in touch with them. I really like being able to keep up with Amy, Raya, Amber, and Paul's lives this way. Makes me feel like I actually know them, rather than just being related to them. And of course, being able to check on Kate's progress daily makes it easier to stop worrying and start sending healing vibes.
-------

My vacation is almost over. I have another week to lounge around and then the chaos starts. I spend the first week getting my classroom all sparkly and organized for the upcoming class. Then I have to pack and I spend 2 weeks bouncing around MN like a crazed (but happy) pinball. Upon my return, the summer will have dissolved into the brand-spanking-new school year.
Surprisingly, I am not sad about that. I have had time to do the relaxing and playing and visiting and sleeping and reading that I wanted to do. By the time I go back to school, I will have visited with friends and family alike, both at home and away. It has been nice, but I am looking forward to that first day with that shining sea of new faces waiting for me. If the summer lasts too much longer, I will start taking it for granted.
------

There was an amazing thunder and lightening storm the other night. It woke us up several times - mostly to ooh and aah, but once to run around shutting windows before the rains soaked everything. There was evidence of a fire off in the distance, which had us a little nervous, but it was gone by morning. The ground soaked the water up quickly and the plants are already looking a little greener. Of course, that won't last long. It was quite spectacular.