Off I Go!

Something was bothering me - making me sad - very sad - crying sad - big drippy tears sad. I'd had my feelings knocked about and I was in one of "those" moods. I hate feeling like that.

Someone luverly who actually thinks I am luverly too, came up with a scathingly brilliant plan. I rather like scathingly brilliant plans.

That said, I am doing laundry like a madwoman. I am tossing the things I need for this adventure into my suitcase. I am scampering around here making sure I don't forget anything.

I am hoping I got caught up with all of your blogs. Smack me with a wet noodle when I get back if I have forgotten you!

As for me - by the end of this day I shall be up, up, and away!

*grabs my golden ticket and scampers*

Peace

Oh oh oh, I'll check back later - before I go!
Play nice while I'm away!

Masochist?

You're truly going to think I've lost my marbles and there is something seriously wrong with me! Here I am blogging about dentists again. Could it be some deep-seeded masochistic side of myself that I didn't know I had?

Last fall I had a root canal. It was a blast. If you don't remember, I happen to have WonderDentist. He is humorous and almost pain free. His staff is a riot; going to the dentist isn't the thing of horror that so many people think it is - not when it's "my" dental office.

A few days ago I noticed a niggling little toothache. Let's face it, those things are never fun! I wasn't concerned about having to go have someone stuffing weird instruments and fingers into my mouth. I was mentally adding up the cha-ching sounds of a dental bill. I have insurance, but I figured it wasn't going to cover a huge amount of work and it felt like the root canal tooth that hurt.

I decided to tough it out for a day or two in case it was my imagination. It didn't go away. Nope, it hurt. I gave up and made the call, and instantly had an appointment for the next morning.

I love that place. I love the fact that the business manager waved at me when I parked in front of her window. I love that I can flitter in and instantly we are all chittering about what's been going on in our lives. They know everyone that goes there, and they make it a point to make you feel special.

After looking at new x-rays, WonderDentist confirmed that it was the root canal tooth. That's surprising to me, and I had to ask him if I had some kind of Lazarus tooth that came back from the dead. He explained that sometimes this happens, but he was kicking himself because it shouldn't have - especially so soon. He said he'd credit my account, and then he dropped the bad news on me.

He had to send me away - to some funky root canal specialist. Who the hell knew there was such a thing? Who the hell decides to spend their career specializing in root canals? I figured I was doomed to be a hurting unit with some sadist meaniepants that enjoyed giving oral pain to unsuspecting fools.

I whimpered a bit. I told WonderDentist I was rather attached to this office and felt like I would be unfaithful by going anywhere else. For years, nobody else has been allowed to come near my mouth with silver instruments of doom.

He assured me the new dude would "take good care of me" which only added to my apprehensive feelings of being in the hands of a sadist dental freak.

I wasn't exactly trembling in fear, but I was a mite nervous walking into the new office. The receptionist was wonderful, the dental assistant a bit shy, and then "HE" entered.

My heart flipped. My hormones raced. He, to put it mildly, was a studmuffin. Suddenly, I really DID want him to take care of me, but I wasn't thinking dental thoughts. Shame on me! Down, girl, down!

He stood there with his perfect bod, perfect smile, sexy eyes, and looking fine in scrubs and all I could think of was "wow, this is the dental version of Grey's Anatomy!" WonderDentist sent me to root canal heaven - I wonder if he even had a clue.

As it turns out, I have a small infection near last year's root canal. SexyDentist said it could be last year's infection flaring up again, and opted to put me on a run of antibiotics to see if that would clear things up. If it doesn't, then I'll go back to him and let him shove those silver tools into my face.

I truly do want the antibiotics to work their magic. I don't really want him to have to reopen that tooth and poke around in there. I figure it will probably suck. But, I guess if that is the path that I have to take, at least I'll have some eye candy - that doesn't cause cavities!

Peace

Her Tweakness

Sometimes life gets a mite hectic. I sat down with the most fantastic creative flow rushes through my veins, and efx wouldn't work for me. After that, those darn creative thingies just fled from my bod. I've looked and looked, but the damn things are being amazingly elusive. So, instead of a wondrous bit of bloggety blogging, you're stuck with a dull old update entry.

My Fair Lady surpassed everything I expected. Even if I was some ornery crabbypants looking for something to bitch about, I'd have nothing. The show was even better than the great reviews I'd read. Babycub loved every moment of it and so did I.

Sunday was a complete 360 from Saturday's evening at the theatah. My little town's yearly summer celebration was in full swing and we never miss it. The cub's hung out with my son's fiance and that adorable baby I adore while I was in the parade. Yeah, I do that sort of thing. My school had a little float, a marching band, and a contingency of teachers being silly and passing out freeze pops and candy.

I was a freeze-pop-hander-outer-person; let me tell you that on hot summer days those things taste marvelous! I was swamped by little children and pushy adults all begging for frozen goodies. I think I sweated off all the weight I gained eating Nikkie's brownies as I ran back and forth between the crowds and the cooler full of freezies.

It's a fun little event though. In a town this size, everyone knows each other so I had old students jumping out of the crowds to run and give me hugs. I got to tease little grannies about wanting a kiddie treat. I got to tickle cute baby toes. I got to see pretty much everyone while I was sweaty, soggy, and armed with goodies.

The parade also is a wake up call that summer is fast coming to an end. In a few weeks we're all back to work and I'm simply not ready. I have oodles of things to do before it's time to walk in the school and inhale that "back to school" smell. Yes, there really is one.

I teach about the same thing every year, it should be completely plotted out and ready to go after all this time. It never is. I will never understand those teachers that never change things up - the ones that teach the same thing the same way year after year. I would be so bored!

Every summer I am rewriting, redoing, and revamping the stuff I use. I write a huge amount of my own curriculum, then pull in ideas and gizmos that I think will enhance things along the way. Some things work and are used again - others discarded or tweaked. It just never ends.

That's where I am now - I'm in creative mode. When that mood hits, I start getting eager to head back and "do" all the things that I put together for the kids. It's hard to wait; I become like a kid waiting for Christmas to come. If you see me online, that's probably what I'm doing - tweaking and writing and waiting impatiently for the smell of the new school year.

Peace

Rain in Spain

Last spring while we were in Barcelona, a few of us were singing "the rain in Spain lies mainly on the plain" as it sprinkled on us. If you remember, Mother Nature didn't treat us well when we were in Italy and Spain.

This past June, Babycub and I were talking about old movies. One of her very very favorite movies is Breakfast At Tiffanys. I said something about loving My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn, and suddenly I found out I'd been 'orribly remiss as a parent. My child has never seen it!

In horror, I dashed to Barnes and Noble to rectify this situation. The poor kid had no clue where the "rain in Spain" song even came from. I'd been a bad mommy, indeed. However, I became a miserly mommy when I saw the price tag on the movie - it was about $28! Sadly, I decided to leave her suffering from lack of knowledge a little longer.

The fates stepped in a few days later when I was reading the paper. The Duluth Playhouse is doing My Fair Lady! I immediately called for the cubs. Boycub looked at me in utter disgust when I suggested they both go. To be honest, his reaction didn't surprise me, but I thought it would be a nice little gesture to ask. Instead, he's going to spend that time at his big brother's place. He'll play with the baby, eat pizza and junk food, play video games, and watch creepy movies.

Babycub and I are headed to the theatah. Did you like how I said that - all fancy schmancy? I bought the tickets as soon as they went on sale. We have front row and center, I'm just hoping it's not too close. I'm also hoping nobody has a 'bout of clumsiness and ends up in our laps!

She's as excited as can be. She's been in children's theater productions and has been to the local theater. The Duluth Playhouse will be new to her. Next spring I'm hoping to take her to see Mama Mia while we are in London, but that's a whole different blog to write.

We're dropping off Boycub and all the things that go with him, then heading to Olive Garden. Babycub has been Jonesing for that place for a few weeks now, and she's chosen it for tomorrow evening's gala event. After dinner, we are heading out to watch the play.

I'm hoping she falls in love with the story. The reviews of this performance have been excellent; I am excited to share it with her!

*saunters off singing about the rain in Spain, wondering why men can't be more like women, and thinking about dancing all night*

Peace

I Hope You Dance

I think most of us have that someone special in our lives that makes us smile no matter what they do. It's that someone that we admire. It's that person that we look up to and want to be like.

I want to be like "her" - my great aunt Amelia.

Ever since I was a child, she was this force to be reckoned with. She was pure class, yet tough as nails. She was the model of decorum with the sassiness of a downtown streetwalker.

I cherished every conversation I had with her. If we were at the same wedding, funeral, birthday party, or picnic, I followed her around like she was the Pied Piper. I hung on every word and encouraged her to share story after story with me.

To her, life was just one adventure after another.

Into her 80s she still volunteered at her local nursing home. She enjoyed helping out "the old people" in her spare time.

Through her 80s she still went dancing every Saturday night. Once upon a time I asked her if she was still doing this and she said "I sure try, but it's getting more difficult as I get older. The friends I go dancing with are all daying. Isn't that just the shits?" I giggled with glee at her choice of words.

Once she told me about a tornado warning she'd recently experienced. Someone called to let her know and to urge her to go into her basement - just in case. Her reply? "Hell NO! If it's my time and God wants to come and get me, he's going to find me in my living room and not my dirty basement!" Again, she made me laugh.

She smoked like a chimney. She was never caught in public without her signature red lipstick. She loved drinking beer directly out of the bottle - never EVER a can!

In her lifetime, she visited every continent except Antarctica. She raised five kids. She spoke three languages. She took care of old people. She danced and danced and danced. She lived in her own home until two days before she left this world. She savored each moment she was alive.

She died a short while ago.

Yet, even as she was dying she found a way to bring laughter to my life. I wasn't able to be with her. Her immediate family was all gathering in the hospital. Voices were hushed just as they are whenever someone is gravely ill. I am sure there were a lot of those "how is she doing" comments buzzing around her. Amelia, seemingly was asleep - oblivious to all that went on.

Suddenly, her voice filled the room. Her eyes never opened, but she said "excuse me? Will you all quiet down? I can hear you. I am not dead YET!"

About five minutes later she was gone.

I wasn't sad when I heard she died. She was nearing 100 years old. She'd lived an amazing life. She was ready to let it go.

I was just happy that her passing was so easy for her.

I was even more happy that I was able to share a part of her world as I traveled through my own life. I can smile when I remember her. I will always cherish her memory and consider myself blessed.

I just hope I can still be dancing when I am 90! I wish the same for you.

Peace

One More Time

The links from my previous blog work over at this blog:

http://deejay.efx2blogs.com/40720/

*hopes you go find it*

Opinions Needed

Today was a shop shop shop day. I do so love hitting the stores, but this time we were utterly and completely goal oriented. We had to find a dress for Babycub to wear as junior bridesmaid in our oldest son's wedding, and we looked for a dress for me to wear as well.

Babycub is happily all squared away with a pretty little teal number that has her feeling like a million bucks. She's tickled teal, and cannot wait to show it off on the big day.

As for me, I am torn. I found a couple dresses at David's Bridal that I liked. I thought I'd chase down my luverly blogger buds and see which you like as well.

I am sorry, but you'll have to go to the links to help me out.
*bats eyes* Puleeze do this!!!!

This was the one that caught my eye first. The girls rolled their eyes in dismay when they saw it on the hanger, but it was also on a display model and they changed their mind. It's really a cutie! I like it in both of the colors it comes in.

http://www.davidsbridal.com/mother_o...odgroup=59

On the other hand, this one is pretty slick too. I think I like it in black. Maybe that's not the best color to choose for a wedding, but it's just kind of stunning in that color. If not, there are other colors I really like as well.

http://www.davidsbridal.com/mother_o...odgroup=59

Please vote on them. Let me know which one you like best!

Peace

Smarts

I'm a dancing queen again today! Yippity skippity zoo-da-di and all that happy time jazz. The Smart Board is going up in my room tomorrow.

They are awesome, wonderful, fantastic, and way cool gizmos that will enable me to do different types of things with my kids next year.

They are expensive and I work for a very impoverished school district that is barely keeping its head above the water. Mine was given to me by the local Indian Reservation. To be perfectly honest, without the aid of the Reservation, I wouldn't have a whole lot of things.

I am the department head which means I have to buy the supplies for my department of three. We have to purchase everything from student materials, teaching materials, and office materials from a whopping $425 per year. No, that was not a typo, folks. On the other hand, for the past few years the Reservation has given my department about $1800 PLUS purchased us new computers, projectors, and now the Smart Board. Each department gets a certain amount of help from them. It is like Christmas for us!

This morning I scampered off to school to put things in place for the electrician who will be running the power to my new toy. Tomorrow Santa's elves show up to install it for me. I feel positively giddy!

I pranced around thanking the custodians for getting my room done so quickly this year. My floors are all waxed, the walls freshly painted, and my furniture has been put back in place. I think I'll bring them cookies!

My co-workers tease me about how well the guys on the custodial staff and I get along. I think I'm the only one that can say my room is polished from head to toe each day. If I need something fixed, they do it immediately. If I ask them if I can borrow a tool, they bring it to my room and take care of whatever I needed it for right away.

It's the little things, I think. I always take the time to make sure they know how much I appreciate all they do. I never treat them like the hired help. I know how important their role in my school is to all of us. Those small gestures go a long long way in human relations.

Babycub was with me this morning, and while I was out of my room, a couple of the custodians came in muttering about another staff member. I don't think they saw Babycub sitting behind my desk when they said "she's nothing but a psycho bitch". I don't want them to refer to me that way - not ever!

Anyway, I'm back to dancing around in glee. I am getting a Smart Board!

Peace

Movies and Angels

"dancing queen, she's the mama mia, here I go again, can you hear me SOS"

Oh yeah oh yeah, I am a complete and utter fan of the movie Mama Mia!

On a whim (sheesh, and someone I know calls me Ms. Whimsy), anyway, on a whim yesterday I decided to go check out the film. Boycub wanted no part of this nonsense, but Babycub was geared up and ready to hit the theater with me in a heartbeat. The afternoon matinee was starting at 2:30, it was 1:45, and I had to fly.

I dashed to the shower, then thought of a friend that I knew would love to see it as well. As soon as I got out I called her and told her that if I could do it she could. She argued for 30 seconds, until I reminded her that I was standing there dripping wet and was still going to be able to get there - she could too.

She was.

Welcome once again to Small Town America. As soon as we walked in there was a yell from the concession stand "Hey Ms. Deej!!" I have students working there. Once in the theater we were all greeted with holas and hellos from students, parents, and friends. Lovely, my hair was still wet and I'd tossed on jeans and a t-shirt. Thank goodness the lights are off when movies play.

It was delightful! Not a single person got up during the film. There was laughter and toe-tapping throughout the film. Sure, the actors and actresses in this are not "singers", but the movie was so fun, I didn't care. I loved it!

I'm going to see it again tonight with a different friend. Egads, does this make me a groupie????

The Air Show today sucked donkey testicles. They didn't start when they said they were going to start. There was way too much lag time between performers. Hell, I took two naps in the midst of it all! Boycub and I played a game to count how many other people we would see sleeping. There were quite a few snoozers.

The weather turned cold, and I found myself forking out $35 for a rather hideous hoodie, but it kept me warm - until the rain hit. By the time the Blue Angels began performing it was drizzling and cold. Midway through their performance, the fog rolled in and they had to cancel. Better safe than sorry, but I can't help but think if they'd started on time and run the show efficiently, we'd have been able to get the whole Angel performance in before the fog hit.

By the time we hiked the million miles through the field to our car, we were soggy and bedgraggled frozen urchins. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr and grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Since all trillion people that attended parked in the same field and left at the same time, it took TWO, yes, I said TWO hours to get the heck out of there.

So now, I am sipping my cocoa and all dried off. Soon, I'm heading out for some entertainment I know I'll enjoy. Who knew ABBA could be so much fun?

Peace

Sunshine and Roses

Before you read this, keep in mind that I have a wonderfully fantastic relationship with my wee baby cubs. Having two adult siblings means they've grown up in a world full of sarcastic adults that love to tease and have fun. The cubs can give it back in spades.

They "know" when I am teasing them. Hey "know" when I am serious.

A few moments ago the cubs and I were joking around. They were talking about putting me in a nursing home when I get old if I don't shape up and start being nice to them. I told them they'd better be used to living in boxes because they'd never inherit from me with that attitude. They said it would be no big deal because they were going to get fantastic jobs and be uber rich. I just laughed. They said "you don't think we will?" and I said "no, because you're simply too dim for success."

Babycub said "You know, mom, if we were the kind of kids that needed moral support all the time, we could never go to you. Our self esteem couldn't take it."

My response? "Oh dear, I didn't know it was my job to blow sunshine up your butts all day."

They giggled and we hugged. Now we are heading out to frolic in the pool for a while. Yeah, I sound vicious and cruel. The cubs know I adore them and would lay down my life for them. I just figure I'll never be the perfect mom, but I'm going to have a grand time enjoying these kids for as long as I can.

Peace

Choices

When we decided to move from the city to the country, I pondered the idea of buying a house on the lake just outside down. It's a wonderful lake, but is quite crowded with year-round homes. There were some in the price range I knew we could afford, but they weren't as nice or the same size as the house we ended up buying. Additionally, the lots were much smaller. Here, I have seven acres of forest around my house. There, I would have been paying more money for less house and less land.

My cubs sometimes complain that many of their friends live on the lake and they wished that we did. Today we talked about it for a while. I asked them if they like being able to have the constant quiet of the woods and to be able to hang out in the yard without always having people stopping by. They said they did. This conversation was taking place in the car on the way to the grocery store and my point was driven home while we shopped.

We were stopped multiple times by students, parents, friends, etc. who just wanted to say hi. I never mind this; shopping or leaving the house is truly a social event when you live in a small town. It's like Cheers - "where everybody knows your name". As a local teacher, it's even more so. I am always running into people who know me; sometimes it's a parent and I simply cannot remember their name.

When we got back to the car and were driving home, I brought this up to the cubs again. I said "can you imagine what it would be like if we lived on that crowded lake? Every student that happened to go by in a boat would stop to say hello. There would never be any quiet like we have now." I could see the lightbulbs going off in their heads - they understood my need and desire to have some space. They enjoy it too. They have to share their mom with a huge number of teenagers constantly, but home is home - here I belong to them. I think they like that.

Peace

The Bossman

The man is a gem. When I reflect on things past, I realize over and over again that I have been blessed to have him in my world.

He is my boss.

I've never had a different principal to work for, and I cannot imagine what it will be like when he retires at the end of this year. The entire staff and the vast majority of the kids love the guy. I have not always agreed with everything he's done, but I have understood why he made the decisions he has made.

We work well together. He puts up with my quirks and foibles. He's never called me to task on anything I have done - not ever.

I have flown into the office, looked up at him with teary eyes, and said "do you have a minute, I'm about to have a meltdown", and promptly burst into tears of frustration as soon as we closed the office door behind us. He just listened. He supported me 100%. He didn't tease me for my overly emotional outburst.

I have leaned across a table from him in a bar when we were all out and said "You know, I'm really mad at you right now. Do ya' want to know why?" Yeah, I was tipsy, but so was he. I told him what I was having issues with. He told me why he made the choice he did. I lived with his decision.

I have called him and said "I know I said I'd be at work tomorrow, but they just told me I can't take a shower for 24 hours. I'm staying home - officially, I'm calling in stinky."

I have told him "If you ever want me to quit, just start assigning me to teach ninth and twelfth grades. I'll know you hate me then." This year, those are the only two grades I will not be working with. That makes me laugh.

I have chuckled at the evaluations he does when he does observations in my classroom. My all time favorite thing that he's written was "very unorthodox approach to teaching, but extremely effect".

I've sang karaoke with his wife while we were all out. He just shook his head and laughed at the silliness. Trust me, we cannot sing!

I have slipped into rooms when I notice him covering a class for a teacher that is gone, and told him he could send the kids to my room. He has so much to do all the time; I don't mind picking up the extra kids to help him out.

I have been in numerous pep assemblies with him.
I have cheered for the teams he coaches.
I have laughed at his dry sense of humor.
I have admired the patient way he deals with kids.

I am going to cry at his retirement party, but in the meantime, I am truly looking foward to sharing his last year as my boss.

Peace



PS - Have I mentioned he's a hottie? Heck, a number of the high school girls ogle the dude.

Poppies, Poppies

This evening I am dragging because I simply couldn't sleep last night. Nothing is wrong, but my mind was just doing that whirling, swirling thing that minds sometimes do when they are filled with thoughts.

While thunder crashed and lightning lit up the night, I tried closing my eyes and drifting off to lalaland. I love night storms as I am drifting off; I figured this would be the perfect send off to a very nice day. I was wrong.

Instead morbid thoughts found their way inside my head and I couldn't get them out. I found myself thinking of friends and relatives that have died. I counted back how long they'd been gone. I found myself stunned at how long it has been for some of them. I wondered if someday someone else would think of me in the midst of a stormy night long after I am gone.

In frustration I grabbed my book again and tried reading. The plot of my latest thriller wasn't enough to hold my attention. Once again I flipped off the light and tried to drift off. I told myself "don't think about dead people, you idiot", but that only brought everything back once again.

I wandered around the house, then tried again.

I stood in the sunroom gazing up at the lightning, then tried again.

I drank green tea, then tried again. That only made me have to get up to use the bathroom later.

Nothing was working.

Stop reading if you don't want too much personal info.

Even a couple of orgasms didn't relax me.

I logged back onto the computer and browsed some more websites and finally my eyes began to droop. With tea in hand, I wandered back to my room and picked up my book. Instantly, I was wide awake. This time my thriller grabbed my attention and I couldn't put it down. I tried to sleep a few times, but I simply couldn't.

I read.

I read some more.

My eyes became tired and my mind relaxed. It was 5:00 a.m.

I slept.

Ugh, I was up early as usual. Argh! It's been a busy day. I've been to school to do some stuff, I went hiking with the kids, I played in my gardens, I made a kick-ass dinner, I have read your blogs (I think I hit them all), and now I am tired.

It's going to be an early early night for me.

Peace

PS - Get the title? I am not feeling very inspired - it's from the field of poppies in the Wizard of Oz when the witch put them to sleep.

Opportunity Lost

Woe is me! I cannot believe I missed something as grandly exciting as the Catfish Festival. I have this friend - really, I do have friends! He's a wonderful musician who used to tour with Off-Broadway shows and such. Now he's happily ensconced in the wonderful world of being hooked up with my best friend. To make a long story somewhat shorter, he had a gig over the weekend. He and a number of local musicians are constantly playing things around here; they mentioned this one to me and I thought it might be fun to go because they were going to be playing Dixieland stuff.

I'm not a major fan of Dixie, but it sounded like a good time and some of these small town festivals can be a kick. However, I forgot.

A wee bit ago S (the above mentioned best friend) called to tell me all about the Catfish Festival and the wild time she had. *insert a polite cough here*

There was parade - it was an entire six blocks long! There were overpriced food booths. There was a beer tent - without a tent. "La - ti - da", thought I, "I've seen all those things before." I was happy not to have missed much.

Then she did it. She told me about the highlight of the day. There was a cow in a fenced in pen thing. The ground inside the pen was marked in a grid with squares. Anyone wanting to take part in this "fun" event could pay ten dollars for their very own square. When Bessie the Cow decided to deficate, things would get really interesting. If she choose YOUR square in which to drop her smelly goo, you would win a whopping three hundred dollars!

Hold me back, folks. It's a damn good thing I didn't go. That kind of excitement would likely cause me to have a coronary or something. S told me that the crowds began to surge around the pen as the day wore on. It seems everyone was anxiously awaiting the dropping of the pile.

They probably gave good old Bessie some anti-diarrhea medication and pocketed the loot.

Peace

PS - Don't ask why a pooping cow has anything to do with a catfish. I've been trying to figure that one out myself!

The Challenge

Does it make me insane to say I am eager for school to start?

I'm enjoying my summer, but I'm anxious to play around with a new program they've given me for next year. I'll still be teaching my senior high kids, but for only four periods rather than the usual five. It's the new thing that has me itching to get back.

My school, like most, has had a tutoring program for a long while. To say it's been ineffective is an understatement. It needs some tweaking, and my boss has given me the green light to do just about anything I want to change things around.

He's given me the wee kids - I'll teach high school, but be in charge of the program that will be geared toward helping sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students have more success. I'm tickled pink at the opportunity to take on something new.

Here's how it's looking so far. If any of you read this, I'd really appreciate the feedback on it!

I have a group of students who are juniors (16-17 year olds) who will be given elective high school credit to work in this program as the tutor/mentors for the younger kids. My tutors were all asked, not assigned, to be a part of this program. They're great kids that I choose for their various strengths. Not only will it give them credit, but it will look fantastic on college and scholarship applications!

The kids that will be a part of my program will be kids that tend to fall through the cracks - they don't qualify for special education, but they need some extra help in various ways. Most of the kids will be those that have had difficulty with the state's standardized tests, those that have failed classes in the past, or are showing signs of struggling.

My tutors will work in teams of two; this enables me to make sure that a wider variety of strengths are in each team, plus ensuring someone will always be there to help if one of the tutors is absent. Each team will be assigned certain kids that need their help.

One of the things we've noticed over the years is that so many younger kids start to slide because they lack the organizational skills to stay on top of things. My tutors will be their personal organizers. They'll help them go through a checklist to make sure all of their ducks are in a row for each class. If there are things they are struggling with, the tutors will work on that with them. If they have projects due, we'll make sure they stay on top if things. If they need supplies (many of these kids will be from lower income families) we will be able to help them get the things they need.

As we are working with them in their current classes, we will also be working to help them gain the skills needed to be more successful with the state testing. I'm anxious to see the results of this next spring! We have a current baseline of their scores to compare the results to later. Cross your fingers that things go up!

My state's standardized tests are scored in a way that allows me to pull each student individually and see what areas they were successful with and which ones they need to improve. Within this program, I'll be able to concentrate in areas they had difficulty with when testing last spring.

We're working on building in field trips to use as rewards and incentives along the way. I'm hoping to be able to use games as a means of helping them build skills in math (our weakness in state testing). Little touches like that sound so small, but can actually make quite a difference. For instance, kids that play cribbage tend to score higher on math tests.

The atmosphere will be casual and fun. My classroom is usually energetic and somewhat zany; my plan is to continue that with these kids. For those who need quieter space, I've recruited the school's librarian and her space for us to use as well.

"Pizza Fridays" may happen every other week. It's another of those little touches that I'm hoping will keep the kids entertained and interested while I try to shove math, reading, science, history, etc. into their gray matter.

My hope is to help them gain the confidence and organizational skills at this level so they can be more successful as they reach high school. Needless to say, this is a huge challenge and has me bubbling with excitement to see how it goes.

Wooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooo! I do so love being pushed as a teacher!

Peace

Trapped

The damn drain in one of our bathrooms is out to get me. The thingy over the drain in the shower lifts right out. I don't know if it's actually supposed to be that way, but that's how it was when we moved it - that's how it has stayed.

It's never been an issue until today.

There I was innocently soaping up my bod when I noticed a ponytail binder stuck around the drain. I reached down to remove it, and the cover came right up. There I was, all sudsy and soapy, fussing with the drain thingy to get it back into place when the hair clip I'd just taken off slipped down the drain.

I had visions of major clogged pipes and a massive bill from the plumber. I simply had to rescue the clip myself.

I reached.

It didn't occur to me to turn off the water or yell for assistance before I slipped into Super Deej mode. I just scrunched down and stuff my hand into the drain. I could touch it, but I couldn't grab it.

I scrunched more.

As the water rained down upon me, I continued to shove my hand (and now my arm) further into the icky pipes. It had become a mission. I couldn't give up, and I figured I'd simply scour my skin to get all remnants of ickiness off when I'd completed my task.

Finally, I grabbed it - the hair clip was mine!

However, I seem to have reached too far. I squirmed. I squiggled. I wriggled.

Talk about utter frustration! I couldn't get my arm back out. I paused and assessed the situation. I was naked. The hot water was becoming warm water, but still coming down in torrents. The door was locked. I was getting sore from being all scrunched up with my arm in a drain. The cubs were outside. A was not home. I was stuck in a drain.

What to do?

It occurred to me to use shampoo - lots of it. That was easier said than done because the shampoo was on the shelf above me. Gingerly I wriggled, adjusted, stretched, and became a rather impressive contotionist as I found a way to get one of my legs up to kick the shampoo from the shelf.

Of course the damn bottle was full and landed on the hand I was using for balance. Yes, it hurt. Certainly, I belted out several rather unladylike four letter words.

I opened the bottle and worked to lather up my arm before the warm water became even cooler. Eventually, I prevailed and bingo bango - I was free.

Quickly, I scrubbed my arm then dashed out of the shower.

My next project will to get that damn drain thingy firmly secured. Hell, the next time I may not find a way to free myself!

That was my morning. How was yours?

Peace

The Secret is Out

I didn't want to say it. Somewhere in the back of my mind are visions of a horrible, curler wearing, bathrobed, poofy slippered, chain-smoking beetch when I even entertain the thought of saying it.

*takes a deep breath and slowly exhales*

I don't really like him much.

There! I have said it. Okay, so "officially" I have only written it. Maybe that makes it better somehow. Yet, I am still feeling myself rather consumed by guilt for even baring my soul to all of you on this one.

Admit it, you are wondering who I am talking about.

It's "him" - the daughter's fiance. *chokes and sputters a bit*

He's - how to put this delicately - he's a putzoid.

He's a self-centered mama's boy that snorfles all the time. Remember the movie "Sleepless in Seattle"? You know the dude Meg Ryan was engaged to? Remember how he had oodles of tissues and was always sniffling and allergic to everything? Yup, that's this guy.

Okay, so he cannot help the allergies. I realize that. Yet, I find myself inwardly cringing every time he looks my way and does that funky little nose snorfle that he's constantly doing.

Bad me - that's all something that cannot be controlled. I realize this!

Let's go on to his full-fledge poutage if he doesn't get his way. I swear the boy was about to jump off a bridge when he wasn't included in a family meeting to plan my son's wedding. My oldest daughter was only here so she could babysit the wee lassie. The rest of us were getting down to the nitty gritty financial crap and all that jazz. There was no reason for lover boy to be here.

I wouldn't have minded, except he is a self-appointed expert on everything and I really didn't need or want to have him putting his two cents into every aspect of their wedding. As it is, he has even suggested that HE give the bride away. What the hell? He's the boyfriend/fiance of the bride's older sister.

No matter what topic comes up, he has an opinion and he is always right.

He gradutated from a school that is a rival of the one where I teach and the cubs attend. He's constantly making derogatory comments about the school to me and to the cubs. It's not all in fun; it's not a friendly rivalry - he is constantly being insulting about it.

Thus far, I have walked away rather than reaching across the table and ripping his vocal cords from his throat. I'm rather proud of that fact.

I keep telling myself that my daughter will have to live this this nambypamby whiny wussnick. She has a very dominant personality; I'm sure she will always be able to crack the whip and get him to crawl along behind her like a "good boy". It would drive me nuts.

I've held it all back. My closest friends know how I feel, you know how I feel, and the rest of the world will continue to see a smiling Deej welcoming this dude to the clan. The upside is, his own mom and grandmother live nearby and I'm sure they'll adore him and baby him to bits. He better not expect it from the "monster-in-law".

Peace

The Rule

I have this hard and fast rule that I've lived by since I began teaching. I do not attend the graduation open houses of any of my students. It's simply too difficult to get to each one I get invited to, and I don't want any of them having hurt feelings because I went to some but not theirs.

My sweet little Maddie called to ask if she should even bother with an invite. I felt a mite guilty when I explained the "rule" to her again; I could hear her sigh over the phone. Damn it all! She's already made me cry when I read her journal a few days before. In it, she commented on how much it bothered her that I didn't attend graduation this year, but that she called me and I talked to her just before she walked into the gym. Ugh! I couldn't go - it was in the midst of the student threat thing.

A wee bit ago she sent me a text message reminding me of her open house and giving me directions to get there.

How can I pass on this one?

This kid has become like family to me. Sure, I've made connections with a lot of students, but Maddie has grabbed onto me and is holding on tight. It's weird - I didn't realize how much she'd come to depend on me being there for her.

Once upon a time an older teacher explained "the rule" to me. When I was new at this game, I said I would go to the open houses of the students who really meant a lot to me. He said "What about the kids that you've really touched and don't realize? How do you think they'll feel if you are not there?" That's when I adopted "the rule".

I guess some rules are meant to be broken. I'm going to a party on Sunday.

Peace

Hunting

For now, I am going to be posting at WordPress and Blogger. They both have features that I like and both have a few drawbacks.

I don't care for the busybusybusy look at Vox, plus I can't remember my log in name over there right now. I do like the community aspect at Vox, but I'm hoping Mr. E or Bebbet will save the day at Blogger for me by giving me the secret on how they set up an alert thing on their bloggers. Yay them! With that, I'll be doing a happy little Deej jig because I'll know when my buds have written something.

As for Wordpress, it seems that CSS cannot be modified without paying for it and I just don't feel like tossing money out there to get things I can get for free.

Complain complain! That's me today!

Anyway, I'm working to try to find everyone's blogs so I can get them linked up here. Hopefully, I'll catch up with all of you soon so I can get these sites squared away and start just plain old "blogging" again. All of this hunting is making me nutzoid! Ptooey, to whatever caused efx to go down once again!

Peace

Once Again

Egads, it would seem our efx is down once again. I wonder if this is going to be a forever thing.

It took me forever and ever and ever to try to remember how to get back into here again. However, I don't know if I'm going to use this or my newly creating blog at wordpress. Of course, there is always Vox, but for some reason I am not particularly wild about that one. It just feels off to me.

Oh well.......

I'll leave notes here as I try to track you all down. Hopefully, some of you will find me here!