I made it

This is it, my 31st post for the month of March.  This year I had every entry posted and comments finished before 10:00 pm central time.  The past few years I have struggled to get some posts in by the 11:00 CT date.

I do struggle with coming up with something to write about many days during the week.  As a teacher, I know it is important for me to model reading and writing for my students.  I don’t have a problem modeling the reading, I share my reading goals, I share books that I am reading that are really good, and I am always asking my students about the books that they are reading.

Yet, I struggle with writing.  I started off the year determined that I would write daily with my students, that lasted for about a month.  Why do I find it so hard to get into a habit of writing?  Like many of my students, I struggle with coming up with a topic to write about.  I seem to think that my life is boring and routine.  This year, I am going to try to get into the habit of writing once a week.  Hopefully, I can continue this on Tuesdays and continue with the year-long SOL challenge.

Ear Buds

My husband seems to think that I need earbuds.  He claims that when I am listening to something on my computer (usually 10 minutes or less) that I tend to annoy him if he has a game on or any other TV show.  He is always watching TV, so if he is home the TV is on.

Of course, my comeback is “What about when I am reading and you turn on the TV”.  Maybe he needs earbuds for the TV.

Men never seem to see how the two things are related.

Different classes, different reactions

What a difference a class makes.  For the past two days (we are on an A/B schedule) I have given my students the topic of immigration for their 10-minute journal writing. I begin the cycle with an LA honors 10 class, then 3 regular ed LA 10 classes and end with another LA 10 honors.

The regular ed students basically just wrote about the assigned topic. Or at least I am believing the best.  A few asked for a different topic because they don’t care about immigration and there are a few that refuse to write period.

The honors classes were different.  Class A started arguing right away about immigration laws, the wall, the president, racism, abortion, and anything else that they could find to argue about.  Not sure much writing took place with that class either.  This class was totally out of control within seconds and took a few minutes to reign them in.

The second honors class was much different. They gladly wrote about the topic for the required 10 minutes, some even took a bit longer to finish up and then they were happy to discuss their opinions and ideas regarding this topic.  We ended up with a 30-minute discussion on the topic.  While that was not on the agenda for the day, it does match up with some other standards that I need to teach, so the class time was not a total waste.  During this time we worked on listening to each other, respecting others opinions, and furthering a conversation.  In my opinion, it was a win-win for the class.

Tickets

Trying to find airplane tickets this afternoon for this summer.  Seriously, what is with these prices.  For two to fly it will be over $1000, some airlines are not allowing a carry on bag and charge $60.00 for the first checked bag.  Then if I want to come back I need to leave around midnight and get back to our home airport at 8 or 9 in the morning.

Really, how do people who have to fly so much do it?  These prices are way too much.  Especially the 60-80 for a checked bag.

My husband has to go for continuing education, but I am thinking that I may not be going at this price.

Chaos

For some reason, we have accumulated a bunch of stuff.  Most of it sits and is not used.  Most of it, I have totally forgotten about even having.  As we work on cleaning out the basement, closets, drawers and other corners where stuff was stashed, I just shake my head and wonder how and why.

It seems like the harder I work to get the house decluttered the more I find and the worse it gets.  I am sure that it will get better as my daughters grow up, find their own homes and take their stuff (junk) with them.

We must have 100 or more of those cloth tote bags that you get when you attend a conference.  It seems like so many conferences just hand over a bag with all of the materials you will need, including your name tag, lanyard, registration items, and usually some sort of “gift” for attending the conference.  How many of them do we need to collect?  I decided tonight that as I find them I am going to start tossing them.  There will be more I am sure as we have more conferences to attend yet this year and into the future.  Hopefully, I can remember to toss them once we are home and I have sorted through the material that needs to be kept and all of the stuff that you are handed that usually ends up in the garbage.

My girls are 19 and 25, but yet I keep finding baby bibs and 6-month sleepers.  Those really should have gone a long time ago to Goodwill or some organization that will use them to bless others who maybe can’t afford new items.

I wonder if we will ever get rid of all of the stuff that is in our house and not necessary.  Oh, well, I will keep plugging along and maybe someday I will finally pitch the last piece of junk into the garbage.

 

 

Wedding Woes

This June we will have been married for 30 years.  Tonight my husband is watching an old episode of Home Improvement.  In this episode, Tim is driving Jill to a wedding that is supposed to take place in another state.  They get lost twice, but finally, make it to the wedding in time to discover that the bride had been stood up.  Sadly this was the third time she was jilted at the altar. This reminded my husband of all of the things that went wrong with our wedding and he proceeded to list them all off for our daughters.

1. The wedding started about 30 minutes late as they tried to get everyone seated.
2. The minister hadn’t done a wedding for a few years, so he forgot to let my husband say I Do.
3. The photographer was late so we didn’t get any pictures before the wedding
4. The photographer’s camera broke, which didn’t help matters
5. Since all pictures had to be taken after the wedding, we cut the cake and then went back up to take pictures and ended up missing most of our guests (before the days of big receptions)
6. The person that was supposed to video the wedding decided to take his kids to Adventureland instead.
7. We went back to my folk’s house for a small reception with family and close friends and to open gifts.  My dad made us change in separate rooms so he didn’t get to take me out of my wedding dress.

He continued to go on about some other minor things that I don’t even remember.  Seriously, after almost 30 years that is what you remember?

They’re back!

Close to where I work there are two ponds.  One of the ponds is for swimming and the other pond is used for fishing.  There is a huge flock of geese that call this pond home during the spring, summer and fall seasons before they fly south for the winter.

You know that spring is coming when you start to see the geese out on the lake, sitting on their nests

and walking around the lake.  If you are driving by earlier enough in the morning or at the right time you will be able to see the flock crossing the street to the cornfield.  Today, I knew spring was coming for sure as I saw many of the geese out and about this morning.

Lets Dance

My husband and oldest daughter are major sports fans.  I do mean major.  I used to like sports until they pushed the limit and not I really don’t enjoy them at all anymore.

When the need to watch a game on TV is more important than anything else, I get mad.  We can’t go out for my birthday because it is in January and I realize that he has games (athletic trainer) during the week, but I am willing to go out the weekend before or after but that can’t happen because there is football on TV and no way can we miss a football playoff game.

When we can’t join the family for a meal, or a family activity because there is a game on TV or now can be streamed through the internet.

Today, I sit here and listen to them scream and act like young children during the Iowa game.

I really don’t think I would mind a game once in a while, but it is the refusal to do anything when there is a game on TV.

Thankfully, I only have to put up with this for two seasons: 1. Football (begins the end of July and ends the first weekend in February (way too long) and 2. March Madness, so basically the month of March and usually the first weekend of April.

Yes, I will survive the next 3 weeks and then I will enjoy life from April until the end of July, if only it wasn’t so hot and humid then.

Empty Nest is creeping in

Spent the morning with my husband.  Not that unusual unless you realize that he is an athletic trainer and usually has practices or games on Saturdays, plus we have 2 children and they are or were usually home on a Saturday.  Not this one, however.

Kurt had an appointment for an oil change this morning, so we took his car in for the oil change and then since it was just the two of us and nothing to do all day, decided to go out for breakfast together.  Even better, I had a 25% off coupon for the restaurant.  It was nice to have this time with my husband and no children to focus on just the two of us.

Even after enjoying some time just for the two of us, we found that we each had a more productive morning as far as getting chores around the house done.

I think I am going to enjoy the empty nest stage of life, now how do I get my oldest to move out and get a life?

Letting Go

I have discovered that the hardest part of raising a child is letting go.  I now have a 25-year-old and a 19-year-old.  The 25-year-old played things a little too safe, never did much with friends and to this day is happy to spend any free time, sitting around our house.  I am really trying to convince her she needs a full-time job and to leave the area, but she doesn’t want to for fear that she won’t know anyone.  Yep, that is the idea.

The 19-year-old, on the other hand, is living life like most young adults.  Over Christmas break, she traveled with another friend from college to a conference for church two states away.  Just her and one other 18-year-old girl.  The other girl did the driving, but still, I was worried until I knew that she had arrived safely to the hotel. I was a nervous wreck again as they were driving back.

Fast forward 3 months to spring break.  She has chosen not to come home for the first weekend, her boyfriend’s family has invited her to their house for the weekend. Originally, they were going to head out to the Omaha Zoo, but the weather and severe flooding have changed those plans.  Now she is just meeting his family and getting to know his hometown. And yes, once again I am a nervous wreck waiting for the message that they have arrived safely.  And then on Monday, I will be back at school and will be waiting for the message that they have arrived safely to our house (a 3-hour drive).

Finally, the we have arrived safely text has come through.  Now I can rest until Monday morning.  No wait, I can’t rest, I have to worry about whether she is behaving, remembering her manners and not doing anything she shouldn’t be doing.  The terrible twos were so much easier.