Greetings, friends!
Seriously, where did my weekend go? It seems like such a whirlwind of a weekend. It is difficult to imagine that it is already time to go back to work tomorrow morning!
Throughout last week I had made plans to visit some of my favorite people on the planet. Friday came around, and I left school as soon as I was done ushering through the extraordinarily long car line that amasses each day. As always, I got stuck in some traffic on my way through Knoxville. I texted my friends to let them know I would be arriving at about 6:30 central time.
I arrived at the door and was instantly and enthusiastically welcomed by my hosts for the night... Mikeal and Mandi. Actually, Mikeal greeted me at the door with a big hug. Mandi was slaving away in the kitchen! Dare I forget to mention that there was an additional blond head in the house that night...Miles! We sat down to dinner. Mandi wanted to introduce Miles to the southern specialty of beans and cornbread. Let me tell you, that woman can cook! It was delicious! Miles had made some additional bread for the meal. I definitely got my load of carbs for the weekend. (By the way, Miles...the bread was incredible!)
The rest of the evening was spent sitting around the table talking about this and that. We got to see various pictures from Mikeal's computer, then Miles showed us pictures from his 6-week trip to an orphanage in Ethiopia. (Yes, the guy is amazing!) I must mention that I was in the presence of Mac maniacs. Everywhere I turned there was a Mac laptop, a Mac desktop, several different iPods. They love their Macs!
I awoke the next morning to the sounds of the three cutest kids on the planet scurrying upstairs. Once I made my bed I got myself up the stairs to the main floor. Mikeal was in the midst of making breakfast for the brood. I think he referred to them as swedish pancakes. (Mikeal, my apologies if I am wrong.) Nonetheless, they were delicious. Little HMJ put three of them away...far more than anyone else. I think Peach finally caught up to him later.
Sadly, I had to leave my favorite family because I was due at my annual family reunion about an hour away. I did not want to leave. I could spend days and weeks with them. I wish they would adopt me! (Hey, free child care here.)
I got to my family reunion just in time. When I got there I almost did not get out of the car. I did not really want to be there this year. In fact, I had mad plans not to be there until my great aunt Betty called me and demanded I be there with a mandarin orange cake in tow. I obliged. Walking up to the family I realized it was much smaller than it had been in years past. Growing up we would attend this reunion with over 200 family members in attendance. In the past few years that number has diminished. I counted about 75 people there this year. It was hard being there. My dad was out of the state, and my Aunt Sue (the matriarch of my family) was not there either.
I stayed for about an hour. The food was phenomenal, as always. My great aunt Sarah always makes several pots of chicken-and-dumplings from scratch, and it is the best part of the meal. Honestly, just put them in an IV and hook me up! Yummmmmmmm!
While I was in town, I made the 10-minute drive out to the lake-side cemetary to visit one relative who has not been able to attend the reunion in 7 years...my grandmother. Every time I am in town, I make it a point to visit her. She was my best friend, and I miss her dearly. I took a picture of her tombstone this time, which I have never done before. I forgot that Boo and I were taking pictures before I left M&M that morning. The picture was beautiful, and I was just surprised by it. I will try to post it later if I can get it from my phone.
Got back home Saturday night just in time for a party fundraiser. That's right, I love me some politics, so I attended a fundraiser/rally. I loved it. I got all fired up and was ready to ouster some legislators in our state. We really need to get rid of some of them. I will save the naming of names for another day.
Fast forward to today...Sunday. This afternoon I made my way over to my school to get some work done. However, I hung out for about 45 minutes before I gave up. I had zero motivation to do anything. Instead, I found my car driving over to Kohls, Target, etc. I went to one of our beautiful state parks here in the mountains and walked for a bit. I found the most incredible kids playground ever. I believe they referred to it as a boundless playground. They weren't kidding. It was a kid's fantasy playground. Even I wanted to go play around.
All-in-all, I had a wonderful weekend. Friday night was definitely the best part of my weekend. Thanks to Mandi, Mikeal, the munchkins, and the incomparable Miles for making this weekend the best I have had in a very long time!
August 28, 2011
August 21, 2011
Lonely is the Name of the Game
Not totally sure how this post is going to go, but let's begin...
Over the past few weeks school has begun. We are now into our third full week of school. I cannot believe that, but it is true. The first two weeks seemed to drag on some days while flying by on others. It has had a number of challenges already. (Students suspended for fighting, a student suspended for inappropriate writing, a new student who cries every morning before coming in, etc.)
I will say that it has been wonderful getting to see, talk, and interact with my colleagues and friends. I have missed "my people." Every day I am surrounded by people who love me and want me around.
Why, then, do I feel so alone?
As I sit here writing this a wave of confusion and sadness are coming over me. I don't quite know how to explain it. I got home around 5PM on Friday and pretty much locked myself away in my house for the night. On Saturday I laid around in bed until 1PM. I then got up and made the hour-long drive across the state line to Asheville, NC. I did a bit of shopping while there, and then I went to the movies.
I went to see "The Help." It was just what I needed! It was funny, emotional, and thought-provoking...just my type of movie. While in the theater it really hit me that I was there alone. I was glad to have these two women sitting next to me during the movie. It was a packed house, so there was no space between us. They were funny, and I felt somewhat less alone at that point. However, looking around the theater it was clear to me that I was one of the few people who came to the theater alone. That was a hard realization.
Of course, today is Sunday. I did not get up in time to make it to church. I rolled out of bed and headed into my school to get some housecleaning items taken care of. I graded some folders, wrote some emails, made some copies, but then I gave up and came home.
Now, as I sit here in this quiet house, it is just me and the thoughts running through my head.
Why am I so alone? Why have I spent so much of my life secluded from others?
I needed something to help cheer me up, and this song is my go-to song when I need a pick-me-up.
Will I be alone forever? I hope not? But, I need to figure out how to come out of my secluded shell.
On another note, I have applied for a new job. This one would require me to live in the Nashville area. I think it is time for me to relocate and start anew. The job I have applied for is a Communications Associate. It is a far cry from teaching middle school children, but this would be a job with the state teachers union. I would still be working with the teachers and for a better education system. I don't expect to get the job as I am not totally qualified for this job. However, I am hoping that my passion for the association and my willingness to learn will propel me to the front of the line.
Thanks for listening to the randomness that is my mind.
Love you all!
Over the past few weeks school has begun. We are now into our third full week of school. I cannot believe that, but it is true. The first two weeks seemed to drag on some days while flying by on others. It has had a number of challenges already. (Students suspended for fighting, a student suspended for inappropriate writing, a new student who cries every morning before coming in, etc.)
I will say that it has been wonderful getting to see, talk, and interact with my colleagues and friends. I have missed "my people." Every day I am surrounded by people who love me and want me around.
Why, then, do I feel so alone?
As I sit here writing this a wave of confusion and sadness are coming over me. I don't quite know how to explain it. I got home around 5PM on Friday and pretty much locked myself away in my house for the night. On Saturday I laid around in bed until 1PM. I then got up and made the hour-long drive across the state line to Asheville, NC. I did a bit of shopping while there, and then I went to the movies.
I went to see "The Help." It was just what I needed! It was funny, emotional, and thought-provoking...just my type of movie. While in the theater it really hit me that I was there alone. I was glad to have these two women sitting next to me during the movie. It was a packed house, so there was no space between us. They were funny, and I felt somewhat less alone at that point. However, looking around the theater it was clear to me that I was one of the few people who came to the theater alone. That was a hard realization.
Of course, today is Sunday. I did not get up in time to make it to church. I rolled out of bed and headed into my school to get some housecleaning items taken care of. I graded some folders, wrote some emails, made some copies, but then I gave up and came home.
Now, as I sit here in this quiet house, it is just me and the thoughts running through my head.
Why am I so alone? Why have I spent so much of my life secluded from others?
I needed something to help cheer me up, and this song is my go-to song when I need a pick-me-up.
On another note, I have applied for a new job. This one would require me to live in the Nashville area. I think it is time for me to relocate and start anew. The job I have applied for is a Communications Associate. It is a far cry from teaching middle school children, but this would be a job with the state teachers union. I would still be working with the teachers and for a better education system. I don't expect to get the job as I am not totally qualified for this job. However, I am hoping that my passion for the association and my willingness to learn will propel me to the front of the line.
Thanks for listening to the randomness that is my mind.
Love you all!
August 9, 2011
And the Honor Goes to...
School is back in session!
We began classes last Thursday with our kids. We have quite the interesting group. I will write more about the kids as time goes on. I can guarantee you this...it is going to be an interesting year!
Yesterday was the first Monday of the year. Boy, was it a Monday!
Monday morning began with a colleague of mine coming into my classroom before school began to talk with me about a parent. Seems there is a parent in our system who has decided to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, in Atlanta! She is claiming our system is discriminating against her son because of his disability...autism. So I spent some time in the morning reading over the emails and the complaint filed by this parent.
To add to my fun of the day, I had two girls come up to me after lunch claiming a 7th grade boy clapped one of them in the back of the head while in the lunch line. They also said he was doing pelvic thrusts towards the same girl. Had to report this boy (not on my team...thank goodness) to our new assistant principal. God bless her!
At the end of the day, we took our kids outside for some release and downtime. My teammate walked under a tree for some shade. We turn around and two of our boys are rolling around on the ground punching each other. My teammate is screaming for them to stop, and I am on the ground pulling the boys apart. Once I get them apart, I am holding on to one of the boys while having the other boy circling me like he is a predator and the boy I am holding back is the prey. Add to it, the boy I didn't have a hold of was rigid, his head down, eyes rolled back in his head, huffing and puffing, snot coming out his nose, etc. I would have sworn he was possessed. Exorcism seemed to be the order of the day.
While holding back the one boy, I had the radio in the other hand yelling for our police office and one of the three principals to come outside quickly. Boy, did they ever! Within 60 second we had all three principals and our police office running outside. I took the one boy I had a hold of into the office while the rest of them dealt with our possessed child.
The scary thing was the boy I brought in was as cool as a cucumber. He acted like nothing had happened. It was odd. We talked about what had happened, and then he asked me the strangest question. He asked if I thought he would get home by 3 pm. I asked him why, and he stunned me further by saying he had a court date at 3:30. Yes, my 11-year old little boy is on probation for vandalism.
While talking with this one student, I saw the police office escorting my other student into the office. He was kicking, screaming, and saying he didn't care if he went to jail. They finally got him into the main principal's office. Mother was called.
The mother of the probation child came into pick up her son. She sat there and told us flat-out that she did not know what to do. She claimed she didn't have any control of her sons. She then proceeded to tell me her other son (a former student of mine) has been on house arrest, probation, and now DCS has removed him from the home.
The second mother came into the office and told the principal that she would support whatever decision he made concerning her son. She also took the time to explain some of the circumstances surrounding her son. I did not get to meet her yet. What I was told is that she is well-educated, well-spoken, polite, and supportive. (This is a type of parent that we get fewer of every year!)
So the decision of the principals was to give both boys two days of summary-suspension. This means that when they return, they will meet with the parents, principal, guidance counselors, and the school psychologist to determine if it is safe for them to return to the classroom.
Seems my team has the honor of having the first students of the year to be suspended! That is not quite the honor I was hoping to have this year, but it had to happen to someone. Did I mention how fast word spread around the school. Seems every teacher that I ran into in the hall after school was asking what had happened. Amazing how fast the news spreads in my school of 89 teachers!
There you have it...the beginning of my school year. It is certainly unlike any year I have had before!
We began classes last Thursday with our kids. We have quite the interesting group. I will write more about the kids as time goes on. I can guarantee you this...it is going to be an interesting year!
Yesterday was the first Monday of the year. Boy, was it a Monday!
Monday morning began with a colleague of mine coming into my classroom before school began to talk with me about a parent. Seems there is a parent in our system who has decided to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, in Atlanta! She is claiming our system is discriminating against her son because of his disability...autism. So I spent some time in the morning reading over the emails and the complaint filed by this parent.
To add to my fun of the day, I had two girls come up to me after lunch claiming a 7th grade boy clapped one of them in the back of the head while in the lunch line. They also said he was doing pelvic thrusts towards the same girl. Had to report this boy (not on my team...thank goodness) to our new assistant principal. God bless her!
At the end of the day, we took our kids outside for some release and downtime. My teammate walked under a tree for some shade. We turn around and two of our boys are rolling around on the ground punching each other. My teammate is screaming for them to stop, and I am on the ground pulling the boys apart. Once I get them apart, I am holding on to one of the boys while having the other boy circling me like he is a predator and the boy I am holding back is the prey. Add to it, the boy I didn't have a hold of was rigid, his head down, eyes rolled back in his head, huffing and puffing, snot coming out his nose, etc. I would have sworn he was possessed. Exorcism seemed to be the order of the day.
While holding back the one boy, I had the radio in the other hand yelling for our police office and one of the three principals to come outside quickly. Boy, did they ever! Within 60 second we had all three principals and our police office running outside. I took the one boy I had a hold of into the office while the rest of them dealt with our possessed child.
The scary thing was the boy I brought in was as cool as a cucumber. He acted like nothing had happened. It was odd. We talked about what had happened, and then he asked me the strangest question. He asked if I thought he would get home by 3 pm. I asked him why, and he stunned me further by saying he had a court date at 3:30. Yes, my 11-year old little boy is on probation for vandalism.
While talking with this one student, I saw the police office escorting my other student into the office. He was kicking, screaming, and saying he didn't care if he went to jail. They finally got him into the main principal's office. Mother was called.
The mother of the probation child came into pick up her son. She sat there and told us flat-out that she did not know what to do. She claimed she didn't have any control of her sons. She then proceeded to tell me her other son (a former student of mine) has been on house arrest, probation, and now DCS has removed him from the home.
The second mother came into the office and told the principal that she would support whatever decision he made concerning her son. She also took the time to explain some of the circumstances surrounding her son. I did not get to meet her yet. What I was told is that she is well-educated, well-spoken, polite, and supportive. (This is a type of parent that we get fewer of every year!)
So the decision of the principals was to give both boys two days of summary-suspension. This means that when they return, they will meet with the parents, principal, guidance counselors, and the school psychologist to determine if it is safe for them to return to the classroom.
Seems my team has the honor of having the first students of the year to be suspended! That is not quite the honor I was hoping to have this year, but it had to happen to someone. Did I mention how fast word spread around the school. Seems every teacher that I ran into in the hall after school was asking what had happened. Amazing how fast the news spreads in my school of 89 teachers!
There you have it...the beginning of my school year. It is certainly unlike any year I have had before!
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