Feeling Good

Had a really wonderful conversation with a leader from the "village" (central office) this afternoon about sex ed. 

Made some really good lesson plans for next week. 

Got some good news about the possibility of a raise for next school year. 

Made peanut butter popcorn with Korra after dinner. 

Read a few chapters of Outlander. 

Tomorrow is pajama day. 

Wait, what?

Why, when every year we have gotten a significant refund, would we this year owe several thousand dollars?  Even though our income hasn't changed.  Even though we sold a house for a huge loss.  Even though literally everything else has stayed the same.  I'm vacillating between disbelief, despair, and rage.  

No Snow

It lightly rained in the morning and was sunny and several degrees above freezing all afternoon.  Back to school tomorrow. 

Adult Snow Day

Grading essays (10 min each x 24 essays = 240 min or 4 hours)

Starting on our taxes.

Also, maybe baking cookies.

I'm so mean

My students really hate me today. Right before leaving, I texted all their parents lists of missing assignments and things they can redo. Have a fun show day, turds!

57?

It's currently 57 degrees and sunny but we have a snow day tomorrow. Feels really weird

SNOW DAY!

It's supposed to be rainy tomorrow morning and then turn to snow in the early afternoon so they've already cancelled school for tomorrow!  Yippee!

Over-extended

Nate volunteered to help before church. I volunteered to help set up the kitchen after church and decided to get started since I was there early anyway. After church I got totally overwhelmed (with the kitchen and thinking about the week ahead and the papers I still haven't graded) and Nate convinced me to go out to lunch instead of doing any of the things I desperately felt I needed to get done. Turns out that even though I was annoyed as hell with him for keeping me from my to do list, it was exactly what I needed. The church kitchen got done without me and I was still able to get a solid start on grading those essays. 

LaGrange

We came down to LaGrange for a breakfast brunch and ended up hanging out until nearly 6!  So good to catch up with friends and see our kids play together. 

Italian

Went out for Italian with some friends and ate waaaaaay too much. 

Bomb threat

So today was interesting. A student wrote a bomb threat note and left it in the front office so we spent over an hour outside (it was 40 degrees and windy) while they checked the building. It was frustrating but we only really missed lunch and recess and planning so it could have been worse. 

Good things

One of my students is showing incredible growth both academically and behaviorally. 

They announced the new principal for next year and I'm so excited about the choice!

Korra sold 200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies (presales are done!)

Boundaries

Today we had our first sex ed lesson. It started out pretty tame with boundaries and I think it went really well!

Sex Ed

Just finished making slide presentations to go with the first two sex ed lessons. It was in part to help me organize and prepare and in part to share with the other volunteers in the hopes it helps them too. I'm really looking forward to the first lesson tomorrow!

Cookie Update

Korra has sold 201 boxes!  

6/24

Today I baked a coffee cake and biscuits.  I did 3 loads of laundry.  I vacuumed.  I changed the sheets.  I took a nap.  I watched Princess and the Frog with Korra. 

I only graded 6 out of the 24 essays I was supposed to finish grading this weekend...

Outlander

Watching the latest episode of Outlander with the person who bought me all the books. 

Outlander wine courtesy of Aldi (and Nate). 

Legoland

Today we took the kids to Legoland at Lenox Mall thanks to a Groupon. It was super crowded (and there were so many Legos on the floor!) but the kids had a good time and it was nice to get out of the house on this cold day. 

Rainy Day

We hung out around the house today. Watched a movie. Baked a cookie cake. The kids played and we napped and read. It was relaxing. 

Sister Date

My brother came to babysit so Genevieve and I could go out for a date. First we went to get Genevieve a tattoo and then we went out for tacos!

G and Jude

My sister in law and nephew are here for the long weekend!

Sex Ed

Had our first meeting/training for sex ed today! I am sure most people think it's weird how excited I am to teach it. 

Conferences

I had 3 parent conferences scheduled after school today but only 1 showed up. Stayed after school until 5 grading papers and waiting. Then came home and graded more papers. I'm tired but at least I feel caught up for tomorrow. Also, I can count on one hand how many times I've stayed late or taken papers home this school year so I think that's a win. 

Dead battery

Nothing like driving in Atlanta rush hour traffic (26 min to go 3.4 miles) to get a new battery for the Yaris after it needed a jump just to get going this afternoon. 

Survey Says

While my student survey results are up from last year, they are still the worst on my grade level.  About a third of my students don't like me/have good relationships with me.  I'm feeling really discouraged.  

Weird Dream

I remember a lot of odd bits of my dreams last night...

• I traveled back in time and swam in a river with otters.
  
• I decided to open my own business and was trying to get a loan from a bank that was hidden in a giant department store.
  
• I had holes in my socks.
  
• I was at a friend from high school's mom's house and she wouldn't let us use any of her cups.
  
• I had 3 part-time jobs including working at a store that sold both discount athletic shoes and horses.

Cookie Update

Korra has been seeking Girl Scout cookies for about 2 weeks. She's already sold 126 boxes. Her new goal is 228. 

Cooking Time

Today I'm planning to make cranberry orange scones (for brunch with my brother and his fiance) and vegetable lasagna and homemade bread for dinner with some neighbors. 

Highs and Lows

Yesterday at school the best moment was helping 2 students successfully write an argumentative essay. The low was probably explaining to a student that I would send her to the dean for sexual harassment if she keeps moaning during class (she thinks it's funny). 

After school was all high moments- homemade sushi for dinner and friends came over for games. 

An idea

I've had an idea about how to make my school better, how to improve my students' reading abilities, how to make the teachers happier and more effective, how to save the school money... I want to be a media specialist again. I want to create that position and space in this school. So now I'll start planting the idea seed into the minds of others and start feeling out what it will take to accomplish this. I love that I'm at a school where an idea like this could actually grow. 

Outlander Update

I'm all caught up with the show and I just finished reading book 6...

Self-Defense vs Revenge

My students' inability to differentiate between self-defense and retaliation/revenge is very upsetting.

Rough Night

I kept waking up last night. I was too hot or too cold or heard the upstairs neighbors or the cat was meowing for some unknown reason. 

And then today was not only back to school but back to ninja tumbling and Girl Scouts.

I am not nearly as tired as I think I should be, but I am pretty sure I'll be sound asleep by 8 anyway. 

Bike ride

Korra had her first ride on the Path/Beltline!  She did really well especially since it seemed like everyone in Atlanta was out there today enjoy the 68 degree January day. 

Close Call

Our flight home was automatically added to our Google calendar. We made all our morning travel plans based on the information that our flight departed at 9:55am. What I didn't realize until 6am when our alarm went off was that the flight left at 9:55am EASTERN TIME, which is 7:55am mountain time. So we had less than 2 hours to get dressed, packed, check out of our hotel, get a Lyft to the airport, check our bags, get through security, and get to our gate. The lines for baggage check and security were unusually long. Our tickets said boarding ended at 7:40. We ran into our gate at 7:41. Thankfully, the airplane had just arrived and therefore boarding was running a few minutes late. I think it will take all day to get over the anxiety and adrenaline that is pumping through our systems. 

Slow Day

Today we enjoyed brunch and snacks and walks in the park and video games and board games with the newlyweds. It was relaxing and pleasant and the perfect way to spend our last day in Denver. 

Sledding and Tea

Today we went to Boulder where we went sledding and went to the Celestial Seasonings factory for a tour!

Wedding

Today Nate officiated the wedding of two of our lovely friends!

Playing in the snow

Korra went out for a bit to play in the snow. We all stayed inside and watched from the window. When she wanted to come in, she didn't know which condo was the one we're staying in and went to the next door neighbor's door. Thankfully Nate noticed pretty quickly and went out to get her. 

Pikachus