One Hundred

With one day to spare, I reached my goal of reading 100 books in 2021!  

Here's a little break down:

5 graphic novels

10 memoirs

81 novels

29 romance novels

26 young adult novels

45 written by people of color

Hunter

I made her a quiver out of some leggings that had holes in the knees. 

Gift cards and exchanges

Korra and I drove around in the rain this morning to do some post Christmas shopping. Returned a few of the 7 candles I got as teacher gifts for some lotion at Bath and Body Works, exchanged a secret Santa gift (a phone tripod) from Nate's coworker for a play bow and arrow set for Korra, and bought a puzzle with a Barnes and Noble gift card. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit. 

Nate tests positive

Nate's PCR came back positive so he needs to quarantine until January 2nd. With the new guidelines, he could go out masked once he's symptom free, but we'll probably play it safe. 

The fact that it's supposed to rain for the next 3 days isn't helping my outlook for the rest of this week. We were going to try outdoor playdates. Not sure what I can do to make it more bearable for Korra. 

Quarantine Update

Every day has been pretty much the same except opening presents on Christmas morning. Watching Taskmaster, building a puzzle, playing a board game, taking walks and naps.

I'm officially past my 10 days of quarantine. Korra is in the clear. Nate started having symptoms on Christmas Eve so we're back to square one. He had a PCR test yesterday so hopefully we'll know if we need to keep quarantining.  This week is going to be extra hard on Korra. She's bored and lonely. 

Christmas Eve

More Christmas crafts, watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas picture books, and driving around to see Christmas lights. I think we're doing an ok job of quarantine Christmas. 

God Bless Friends

Beth delivered a box of Christmas crafts and treats. Rachel sent us money to rent movies. Very thankful for thoughtful friends. 

Creative Energy

Today I have more energy so Korra and I embarked on some creative endeavors. We baked a small batch of sugar cookies and painted!

Sick family

All 3 of us feel awful. 

Christmas Plans Cancelled

I got my PCR COVID test results. I have COVID. I'm devastated. I wanted to see family over this break so badly. 

Mommy's Helper

Korra helped me fold laundry, wrap Christmas presents, and then make dinner- homemade macaroni and cheese (with bacon), roasted asparagus, and apple crisp!  

Another COVID test

Went to the health department for another COVID test (a PRC). I should have the results tomorrow. I feel better today than yesterday, but mostly because the COVID booster side effects were over). I still feel pretty yucky- stuffy/runny nose, cough, sore throat, and lack of energy. 

We got news of another student testing positive, so that brings to the total to 10 students, which is 20% of our grade. A definite outbreak. 

Even if I test negative, I'll still need to test another time or two to be sure I'm in the clear before visiting family at the end of the week. 

12 hours of sleep

I went to sleep right after dinner last night and slept for 12 hours. Since then I've watched 3 movies. Not sure how much my physical state is due to my cold or my COVID booster, but I hope a very lazy day will have me back to normal by tomorrow. 

Piano Recital

Korra had her first in person piano recital today.

She played "Carol of the Bells" and "Linus and Lucy."

 

COVID drama

I got 2 more phone calls from the school about confirmed positive cases of COVID in my class. I took another home test (negative) and scheduled a PCR test for Monday morning. Fingers crossed that the kids didn't have the omicron variant so that I have more immunity. 

Booster Aquired

The pharmacist said I could still get my booster since I had a negative test yesterday. Going to take another home test at lunchtime today. 

Garden Lights

Nate's parents came into the city tonight to go with us to the Botanical Gardens' Holiday Lights. The weather is much warmer than when we went last year, but it's also much more crowded. 

The pink line of death

I started feeling sick last night. Sore throat, runny nose. Had trouble sleeping. No fever. Reminded myself that I had a negative COVID test on Wednesday and that today is only a half day. Right at dismissal, 2 teachers on my team and a student who I eat lunch with test positive and I learn the entire 7th grade was quarantined today. Now the likelihood that this is just a cold starts to feel more doubtful. I raced home and, with Korra's help, tried out our home COVID tests for the first time. It's a lot like taking a pregnancy test. One line, no COVID. Two lines, COVID. All I could (and still can) think about is how this might ruin my chances of seeing family over Christmas break. 

Thankfully the test was negative, but I'm still so nervous. I'll definitely take another home test tomorrow. Maybe I'll go get a PCR test, too. I'm supposed to get my booster tomorrow morning but I'm not sure they'll let me. 

No more pigtails

Korra just told me that she's too old for pigtails and I'm trying not to cry on my way to school.

Tough Week

Maybe you can tell from the lack of posts, it's been a tough week. Challenging student behavior and bad news about hours from Nate's job on top of the usual "things could be better." We're tired and really ready for the Christmas break. 

Breakfast Chef

For her "Simple Meals" badge for Girl Scouts, Korra needed to cook her own healthy breakfast. She's very proud of the scrambled eggs and toast she made this morning. 

Little Miss Independent

Korra has been asking to walk to the library by herself. It's only 2 blocks away, so we've been experimenting with allowing her to walk further and further ahead of us. Today she left the house a solid 4 minutes before me. During that time, 2 cars pulled over to ask if she was ok and where her parents were. She was very annoyed by this.  I know part of it is that she looks younger than she is, but I can't help but wonder if she would be stopped less (or at all) of she was a child of color. 

Gingerdoodles

I tried a new cookie recipe today and I'm already planning to make them again. A cross between gingersnaps and snickerdoodles- Highly recommend. 

https://laurenslatest.com/gingerdoodle-cookies/

Ramen

We decided that on a rainy night, it would be amazing to go out for ramen. It was a really nice dinner and made all the nicer because we felt safe enough to eat in the restaurant (Korra's fully vaccinated now!). So much better than take-out!

Support Group

I had a phone visit with my doctor today. After talking about my depression and teacher burn out he said he wished he could connect patients to each other for support with issues like this. I suggested that he put up a flyer for a support group, offer his lobby for meetings, and then recommend the group to certain patients. So he's doing just that! I don't know if I'll go but it made me feel nice to know I had a good idea. 

Survey

The school sent out their mid-year parent and teacher surveys and I did not hold back. I feel better getting it off my chest. 

Mental Health Day

I have 6 days of PTO and I plan to strategically use every one of them before the end of the school year. 

Before Thanksgiving I scheduled to take PTO today- the exact halfway point of the 3 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Call it a preventative maintenance break. 

I made waffles for breakfast, I went to the grocery store and pharmacy, took a nap, listened to half a novel (Midnight Library), went for a walk, and sewed some more of my quilt. 

I feel refreshed and ready to take on the last 7 school days. 

Split Pea Soup

I made split pea soup for dinner. I really like split pea soup but Nate isn't a fan. Korra absolutely loved it, so I guess now we can out vote him and have it more than once every 5 years. 

Paddington

Nate got a new tattoo!

51 pounds!

Korra is so excited!  She just weighed herself and she's finally broken 50 lbs. That means (at 9 years old), she's officially outgrown the car seat we brought her home from the hospital in. 

75 degrees in December

The weather today is gorgeous but not very winter-y.  We're enjoying having all the windows open and I went on 2 walks today.  Soaking up that Vitamin D!

Spreadsheet

I'm feeling down, out of control, generally off so the regular To Do lists weren't cutting it to perk me up.  I made a spreadsheet.  Columns, rows, and hyperlinks- all with data on all the towns we could move to.  Every time I've told someone about my list (it started in a notebook), they suggested another place, whcih I've dutifully researched.  I'm still taking suggestions, but be aware- we're looking for somewhere diverse, walkable, and with affordable housing (minor league baseball team, fast internet, and a great charter school are all bonuses).  

2nd Dose

Quickly got Korra her 2nd COVID vaccine today while my students were at recess!

Christmas Decorations

On the first Sunday of Lent, we decorate for Christmas. Korra asked if it was time to start decorating at least 5 times per hour, she was so excited. It made me wish, for the first time ever, that we had more Christmas decorations. 

Balding

The cat's bald patch has gotten worse. 

Spies

Yesterday, Korra and her cousins were spies who kept detailed notes (4 pages of them!) of what everyone else was doing all day and why it was suspicious. They also ranked who was the most likely suspect (of what, no one is sure). 

Turkey the fawn

We saw a little fawn eating corn from the deer feeder. We were able to watch it for 15+ minutes. The kids named it Turkey.

Comic Book

Korra and her cousins spent the majority of the day writing and illustrating their own comic book. It's currently 8 pages. 

Couch Cousins

Salted caramel peanut butter chocolate pie

My father in law and I spent about 2 hours making this pie: 

https://amp.theguardian.com/food/2021/aug/28/liam-charles-recipe-salted-peanut-butter-caramel-and-chocolate-tart

I hope it was worth all the work (and all the converting of grams to cups because we didn't have a kitchen scale). 

Mother Daughter Day

This morning Korra and I went to a pottery painting studio and this afternoon we're at a birthday party (a classmate rented out a theater and we're watching Elf!)

A lot of driving

Yesterday we drove an hour south to visit some friends' new house and city. Today Korra and I drove an hour and a half (each way) to a Girl Scout Camp to compete her horseback riding badge. 

Tomorrow we'll drive to the cabin and then hopefully I won't get in a car again for 4 days. 

Lesson plans done!

Thanksgiving break can officially begin!

2:45 pm

They let us leave at 2:45 (instead of 4) so even though I'm not done with my lesson plans, I booked it out of there, got home, and took an hour long nap. Now I have the energy to finish up my school work and then officially treasurer start my week-long break!

Hot Cocoa

This is my real life:

Student walks into class late and takes out a packet of hot cocoa mix. It looks like he's about to open it. 

Me: please don't open that during class.

Student yells: That's why I hate this class!

Then he storms out of the room. 

4:30am, again

Oh how I hate that my body reacts to stress by being unable to sleep. Difficulty falling asleep is bad enough but waking up early when I'm so tired is the absolute worst. 

At least I'll be able to take naps starting tomorrow. 

42 chicken nuggets

I held a competition for my students over the last month and the winner's prize was supposed to be a pizza delivered for their lunch today. The winner told me he didn't really like pizza and asked if he could get something else. I agreed- and then he asked for a price limit. See, his thoughts were that a pizza could be shared and he'd like to share his lunch prize. I told him $15- the cost of a large pizza- so he asked for SIX 5 piece chicken nuggets and 2 large fries: total $14.98. I spent my entire lunch waiting for the Wendy's employee to fry up that many nuggets but it really made the kids happy so I guess it was worth it. Seeing the delivery really made the rest of the kids perk up!  I think my next competition will have a lot better participation. 

Jeans

I wore jeans to school yesterday and today. At this rate I'll be in pajamas by Friday. 

I don't think I ever needed Thanksgiving break much since my first year of teaching (15 years ago). 

Friendsgiving

Yesterday we had a potluck dinner with some friends. It was so fun!

Eating my Feelings

Do you know how much pizza, wings, and cheese-stuffed bread you can buy for $40 from Domino's?  Add in a few handfuls of Halloween candy and I think you have a pretty good idea of my evening. 

Kickball with Korra

Korra's class presented their "Genius" projects this afternoon. Korra made a Rube Goldberg machine that used a marble to turn on a light. 

After the presentations, we had a parents and students kickball game. Korra pitched one inning and scored a run!

Tired vs Angry

When it's just the kids being extra, I feel tired and frustrated. When it's the adults (administration) being extra, I feel ANGRY and frustrated. 

Yesterday and today I'm feeling angry.

Hopefully a weekend (plus Thanksgiving break in a week) will help me recharge. 

Teacher Burn Out

This week has been hard, but better than last week. I can't tell if the kids' behavior is just more challenging than in previous years or if I just have less to give. Maybe it's a combination of both. 16 years as a middle school teacher is a pretty good run. I'd really like to make it 14 more so I'm hoping this is just a bump in the road. 

Vaccinated!!!

Korra got her first COVID vaccine today!

Zoo

Yesterday we joined some friends at the zoo!

Braves Parade

It only lasted about 10 minutes but it was fun!

Waiting for the Parade

We walked the half mile to the parade route with some neighbors. It's 45 degrees and we have an hour and a half to wait for the parade. Currently playing Pokemon happily. 

Mental Health Day

I took today off. I did some grading and lesson planning. I also took a bubble bath, did yoga, read a book, and went out to lunch with Nate. Tomorrow all of the Atlanta Public School System has off because the Braves won the World Series (seriously) and there will be a huge parade for more than 2 hours that will block off a huge part of the city. 4 day weekend for me!

Changes to the Middle School

The school announced some big changes- namely that starting next year there will be a separate middle school instead of the k-8 model we have now. I don't think this addresses or fixes the problems (at all), I'm not really interested in working at a middle school. (Or at least if I do, I'd rather make a lot more money than I'm making now), and the middle school will be across town (and I would rather not commute).  I guess that makes it very clear to me that my time at this school is coming to a close. 

Election Day

I only had one meeting today so I did a lot of grading and some self-care. Korra and I walked to the polling station (enjoying the beautiful weather), we made pizza muffins

https://www.spendwithpennies.com/pepperoni-pizza-puffs/ for lunch and played Rumikub, I read a book and talked on the phone with a friend. I'm feeling like I can handle the school day tomorrow. 

Post-Halloween Sucks

Today was rough. Kids were up late for trick-or-treating and the World Series game 4. They were over sugared AND they have off tomorrow for election day. It was bad enough at one point that I felt like crying. 

I'm thankful that I get to work from home tomorrow (and time off to vote). I hope I'll be refreshed for the rest of the week. 

Butterfly

100 days of Spanish

I've completed 100 consecutive days of practicing Spanish on Duolingo!  

Bad Attitudes

I'm so thankful it's the weekend. I had reached my max of bad attitudes, moodiness, and irritability from my 6th graders. It's really hard to love your job or be happy when you're surrounded by so much negativity. 

Sweater Houdini

I don't know how she does it, but when we go to sleep, the cat is wearing the sweater, but when we wake up, it's off. 

New Sweater

Mrs Reynolds has bad allergies that have caused her to scratch a bald patch on her back. In an attempted to both keep her from scratching it more and keep her warm this winter, we bought her a sweater. She's not super happy with it, but not miserable either. 

A teacher walks into a bar...

Literally. 

I was on the playground but looking down because the sun was in my eyes and ran into a metal bar. I have a red lump in the middle of my forehead. 

Jean Jacket Gang

All three of us wore out jean jackets to the meadery this evening. 

Pikachu

Found this Pikachi dress at Target and couldn't say no. 

Flag Football

This afternoon Korra and I went to the school's flag football game. I got lots of hugs from current and former students, chatted a bit with a few parents and teachers, and cheered for the Hornets along with our cheerleaders. It was a little funny because the team we played was the charter school I worked at right before this one. There aren't any of the same teachers or families now, but it was still an odd feeling. I really wanted our school to win but they already did when they got me as a teacher, right? 

Parking Lot Zumba

Yesterday I ran into two neighbors talking in the parking lot. They were just coming from Zumba and after talking about how much I also love Zumba but haven't found an outdoor class to attend. Turns out one of them is a Zumba instructor and she offered to do a little class in the parking lot for some of the neighbors!  This evening we danced in the parking lot for 30 minutes and it was so fun!

10 conferences

Today I had 10 back-to-back conferences- one every 20 minutes. It was intense but the parents were helpful, kind, and responsive. Also admin sent us all home from school at 12:30 because of the Shaky Knees music festival that has taken over the park and about 3 blocks surrounding our school. The traffic, road blocks, construction, and crew were getting really awful so I got to do the conferences from my living room which was a plus. 

Well child check

Today was Korra's yearly check-up. 

I bought her a milkshake right before to try to fatten her up before her weigh-in. 

It clearly didn't work since she is the EXACT same weight as she was 6 months ago (48.2 lbs- 3rd percentile), but she has gotten taller!  She's in the 7th percentile for height now! 

79 books

I just finished my 79th book of 2021. Not sure I'm going to make it to 100, but I'll be close!

Girl Scouts

Had a good night of Girl Scouts. 

Fall!

The weather is cool and beautiful!  I made fresh bread, a big pot of beef and vegetable soup and an apple pie!

Oktoberfest

Today we went to a local brewery for their Oktoberfest. We were joined by two friends and Nate's parents (they're passing through on their way back to Pensacola). The weather was gorgeous though we were a little disappointed that they were sold out of pretzels and the special boot steins. 

Korra asked if the outfits (leiderhosen) were cultural appropriation. An excellent question but I'm pretty sure nearly everyone who was dressed up was of German descent (they were all definitely white). 

15 lbs of apples

For the last 2 days we've had apples as part of the school lunch. This is what was left over. 15 pounds of apples. 

I'm going to make some apple tarts tomorrow!

I Cussed In Front of a Student That

A student was just guessing answers instead of reading the directions and listening to me as I tried to help him so I said, "stop circling random shit!" He laughed so hard he fell out of his seat and then said, "I'm going to tell everyone!" And he did. 

Pizza and tv

Nothing says Friday like eating pizza for dinner while catching up on the week's TV shows. 

All Better

I was feeling pretty much back to normal yesterday so Nate stayed at home with Korra (since she wasn't quite recovered). Today we were both over the bug and back to school. Really thankful that it was over quick and too terrible. 

Stomach Bug

Korra and I picked up a stomach bug from the friends we saw at the lake on Saturday and had to leave school early today. It's been so long since I've been sick, I'm not handling it well. 

Tugaloo State Park

We met some of our very favorite people in the whole world at Tugaloo State Park today. Even though it wasn't camping, we made the most of our campsite reservation from 9am-8pm. We hiked, played in the lake, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and talked so much. It was lovely. 

Change of Camping Plans

We were supposed to leave early this afternoon for a weekend of camping at Tugaloo State Park, but there was about a 50% chance of rain tonight (and tent camping in the rain is the worst) so we decided to just make it a day trip for tomorrow. I'm a little bummed but it's probably for the best. 

Time with Parents

Last night Nate's parents stopped by on their way to the cabin and this afternoon my parents stopped by on their way to my brother's. It was really great to spend a little time with both sets of parents in less than 24 hours!

Fernbank Playdate

We took one of Korra's friends from school to the Fernbank museum today. 

New hat

I crocheted a new hat for Korra!

Errand Day

Today Korra and I went to Kroger, Trader Joe's, Value Village, and the Amazon Hub Center. We also delivered lunch to Nate. 

When I was a kid I always though my mom was saying "Erins" (my cousin's name) and was disappointed when we went to the post office and grocery store instead of seeing my cousin. 

Fall Break begins!

Korra and I are off school for the week. We had a pretty low key day of folding laundry (Korra) and grading papers (me) and watching Disney movies that featured dogs (Beethoven 2 and Homeward Bound 2). 

GS Braves Game

Tonight is Girl Scouts night at the Braves stadium so Korra and I are here with a few girls from her troop. 

Mani-Pedi

Today I spent nearly 2 hours at the nail salon. I got a very generous gift card from a parent so I treated myself to a deluxe manicure and pedicure. My manicurist didn't talk hardly at all so I just relaxed and read. It was lovely. 

Margaritas and Queso

We got out of school early today for the start of fall break so the 6th grade team (3 other teachers + me) went out for a late lunch together. It was so nice to hang out and spend time together. I'm really thankful for a team that works so well together and whose company I actually enjoy. 

Really sleepy

I didn't sleep well last night, but just to keep things in perspective, I know I won't be as sleepy as one of my students. He recently fell asleep (during dismissal) while eating an apple.  Mid chew. With chunks of apple still in his mouth and the partially eaten apple in his hand. 

Camping Club

Today for camping club I brought a bunch of our camping gear and let the kids check it out- we even set up the tent!  

Fabric Purchases

I've been looking for a new quilt for our bed for about a year and just haven't found anything I like enough, so I decided to try my hand at quilting again.  I've picked a simple pattern and color scheme and then I just ordered $100 in fabric.  Quilting, here I come!

Perks of wearing a mask

I had basil stuck in my teeth since lunch but no one noticed. 

Girl Scouts' Songs

Today I took the folder of my mom's Girl Scouts songs to Korra's troop and we sang some of the songs together. Singing those silly songs made my night. 

Pretty Bread

Yesterday I made the most attractive loaf of bread I've ever baked.

When we ate it with dinner I realized I forgot to add salt to the dough. Baking Fail. 

Ocean Slushies

Korra found a recipe for Ocean Slushies in her Animal Tales magazine and has been begging to make it. Today we did!

Junior

Korra had her Girl Scouts bridging ceremony this evening. Moving up from a Brownie to a Junior!

COVID home tests

Yesterday a coworker told me that you could order free at-home COVID tests from our county. Nate and I both did it and today...

We each got EIGHT tests!  Guess we're prepared!

Negative test

Got my negative COVID test so I'm ready to go back to school tomorrow. Fingers crossed most of the kids are back, too because we only have a few days left before the end of the quarter and I really need to get some of them caught up. 

Soccer Practice

I recruited an 8th grader to give Korra soccer lessons for half an hour twice a week. It allows me to get some work done, it gives Korra a physical outlet for her energy, and it gives the 8th grader some cash towards the phone he's saving up for. Win-win-win. 

PTO Friday

I took PTO yesterday because I knew Korra and I would both be tired from Hamilton. I slept until 7:15 while Korra was snoozing until 9! 

I actually spent a good part of the day working (lesson plans and parent communication that I didn't get done earlier this week) but it was much less stressful than if I also had to teach and go to meetings. That 2 hour nap I took after lunch was pretty great, too. 

Hamilton!

Nate's Grandpa Earl, who ushered at the local theater for years, passed away in December. Tonight we're seeing Hamilton in his honor. 

And...... I'm back at home

Less than a week after coming back into the building and I'm home for another week of quarantine (along with most but not all of my grade). Korra wasn't exposed this time so she'll still go to school unless I have symptoms or test positive. 

I knew the year would probably go like this and I thought knowing meant I was mentally/emotionally prepared but judging by my reaction (I threw a little fit in the hallway and then cried when I got home), I guess I wasn't really.  I'm just not a go-with-the-flow person and that's ok. I'll still be ok, it'll just take me a minute to have my feelings and get back on balance. 

11 hours

Today was long. I worked from 7am until 6pm without a break. I'm so tired. 

More weird days

The kids were weird today.  The other 20+ kids who hadn't returned to school because of not having negative COVID tests finally returned so everyone was squirrely. 

Today was extra busy/weird because we started the after school program which I volunteered to teach once a week and even though Mondays aren't my day, I stayed to help. Then Korra had her piano lesson followed by Girl Scouts (did I mention I agreed to be the co-leader while one of our leaders is on maternity leave?).  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, which is a weird feeling since I haven't been busy like this is a long time (one of the few perks of COVID times). 

Braves Game

Decided to buy tickets to a Braves baseball game. Our first in the 5 years we've lived in Atlanta (and first at the new stadium). 

Being social

Last night Korra went to play with her best friend and Nate and I went out to dinner at Bold Monk and then to meet a few friends for a birthday get together at a brewery. It was really nice to hang out with friends. When we got home, we sat on the balcony and FaceTimed with our friends from Connecticut. It was a lovely evening. 

21/48

Today was our first day back at school after quarantine. In order to come back after 7 days, you needed a negative COVID test. If you don't get tested, you have to stay out for 10 days. Only 21 of our 48 students came back today. It was really strange and tomorrow will probably be the same. Hopefully we'll see everyone back on Monday. 

32/48

In the last week, I've hand drawn 32 cards for my students (with corny jokes) and then written personalized messages for each. I still have 16 to go. I really enjoy doing this but dang does it make my hand cramp. 

Back to school

We got our negative test results this morning so Korra and I are headed back into the building tomorrow. Korra and I both have mixed feelings about it but we're trying to roll with the punches and think focus on the good in whatever situation comes our way. 

So tomorrow we're looking forward to seeing our classmates/students. And I'm looking forward to not sitting all day. It's really hard on my hips!

COVID tests

Korra and I both got COVID tests at the CVS this afternoon. If we don't get results back by tomorrow at 9:30 AM, we have to go to the school and get another test done (we didn't know that was an option when I scheduled today's test).  Assuming they're negative, we can go back to school on Thursday.  

Cabin Weekend

At the cabin with Nate's parents for the long weekend. Hopefully I'll feel refreshed when we head home on Monday. Or at least less angry, hurt, and depressed. 

A Way Out

Things are really hard at school right now.  Not the kids, the adults and the "institution."  I know it's probably just a rough patch, but I spent about 30 minutes this morning searching for and bookmarking new teaching jobs.  I don't know if I'll actually apply, but just knowing I have other options makes me feel so much better. 

Quarantine

Today was our weekly COVID testing and even though Korra and I both have negative tests, we're in quarantine for the next 7 days because we both had a positive test in our classes (siblings)- all of my grade and just Korra's class are. 

At 11ish, I was told to start contacting all my homeroom's students' parents to come pick them up immediately. 

Nate had the day off so he was already planning to surprise Korra and pick her up at lunch. He didn't expect to be one of many parents. I joined them at home by 1. I had some logistics to work out to be ready for online learning tomorrow but overall the switch was much easier than last time. 

Honestly, Korra and I are looking at it as a mini break. We get to sleep in, eat a home cooked lunch, wear pajamas, and pee whenever we want. We don't want to do it forever but for a week... we'll take it. 

She's Nine

Nate's parents are here to celebrate. Korra asked for sushi for her birthday dinner so we tried O-Ku's rooftop!

It's a metaphor, duh

A small thing really bothered me. I did some journaling and reflecting (thanks, Therapy!) and realized this small thing represents pretty much everything that I find soul-crushing about teaching. So yeah, it actually does make sense that it's bothering me so much. 

Now to try to express that to a new supervisor (why can't they keep someone who knows me?) without crying too much. 

PS- how much crying is too much with a supervisor you've only known for a month? Asking for a friend. 

Almost 9

Tucked in my 8 year old one last time. Tomorrow she'll be 9!

Desoto Falls

This weekend we went camping with Korra's best friend and her family at Desoto Falls near Cleveland. It was only about an hour and a half drive and our campsite was just a few steps away from the creek. It was nicely wooded and had lots of big rocks to sit on our climb on and the two awesome waterfalls were each less than an easy mile hike. The girls loved playing in the creek (ok, do did some of the adults). It was Korra's friend's first camping trip and I think we can call it a success. 

Communication Boards

Yesterday, my students made communication boards like the character in the book we're reading uses since she can't speak or write. Today I gave them a secret message and they had to get their partner to guess what it was by only using their communication board. Every student was actively engaged, having fun, and building empathy for the whole activity. It was the highlight of my week. 

Pharmacy Tears

Nothing like crying in the grocery store pharmacy at 5pm on a Tuesday. After all, this is my third trip to the pharmacy for this particular prescription and I had just waited in line for 45 minutes to be told that there's just "some sort of glitch" that is making this prescription $300+ dollars a month. And it's not that we couldn't afford it (it would be very unpleasant, but we could), but a) that we shouldn't have to and b) no one can tell me how to fix this. 

Too much at once

This afternoon I had a Zoom training about gender inclusivity that started at 11:30. My students were in my room eating lunch until 12 and then it took longer than expected to get them home or to the Friday afternoon program so I was trying to manage my students and participate in my training simultaneously for about an hour. I had less than 5 minutes of uninterrupted training time before Korra came into my room sobbing (it was the first day of the afternoon program so she was feeling scared/overwhelmed). Once I got her settled, it was time to skip out of my first training to jump on a Zoom for my teaching outdoors session and then jump back on the gender Inclusivity training before picking up Korra and then making some less-than-positive parent phone calls. Of course, this is all after I taught for 4 and a half hours. 

Is it really that surprising that I went to refill my Zoloft prescription and buy two pints of Ben and Jerry's immediately after school?

Skinny Cat

On Mrs Reynolds' vet bill, they had her weight for each of her appointments over the last 4 years. In 2017, she weighed over 15 pounds. Now, she's down to 10!

The city has been painting over some graffiti in our area. When we drove past one of these newly cleaned up places today and Korra said,

"I guess they've been hard at work making some people's lives a little less joyful."

Mrs Reynolds

Second $300+ vet visit for Mrs in the last 3 months. The excessive scratching is just allergies even though she's an inside cat these days. Thankful that she's fine and that this kind of bill isn't as painful as it once would have been for us. 

Negative #2

Second weekly COVID tests and Korra and I are still negative. Breathing a sigh of relief (especially after I sent 3 kids to the nurse today for COVID-ish symptoms). 

Delta Depression

I'm really struggling. COVID seems never-ending. It's so scary and frustrating and sad. 

So this morning I'm drinking Highland Grog coffee (thanks, Mom and Dad) from my It Could Be Worse Mug (thanks, Laura) and reciting the phrase "in this moment, all is well."

Last night as I was tucking Korra into bed she said that when she thinks about the past, sheer feels sad and when she thinks about the future, she worries so she's going to try to focus on the present. I guess I'll try to do the same. 

Hard day

Today was hard. Big things like COVID and global warming and Haiti and Afghanistan.  Smaller things like students who are mean to each other and feeling overwhelmed by work that needs to be done. It's a lot. I feel really sad. 

Waffle Cake

Korra and I made a cake, cooked it in the waffle maker, and finished it with buttercream frosting. 

Waffles

I made waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and mini chocolate chips. 

TMNT Jean Jacket

Nate bid on eBay on an embroidered Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Jean jacket from the Coming Out of Our Shell live show. He won. It came in today. It fits him perfectly. He's deliriously happy.