Blink of an Eye

So today was a complete case study in how a day can start out one way and do a complete 180 just like that. Hubby woke up with a migraine and called in sick to work. That meant I didn't have to get my daughter up and saved me some precious time. I wanted to get right out the door, so I scooted N right off. Instead of eating at home, I treated N to some hot chocolate and a scone from a little coffee stand I frequent. Ironically, I can't stand coffee so I too had hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. We sat outside his school and ate our breakfast. It was a fun way to start the day. I was worried about Kevin, but getting the extra time to hang out with N just made us both really happy. I got to work in a really good mood and earlier than usual for a change. Some of my coworker noticed how sunny my mood was and one even commented about "the extra spring in my step" as they called it...:) I had that song by The Brady Bunch, "Sunshine Day", stuck in my head all morning.

Then, I got a call from N's teacher at lunchtime. His school suspected he had pink eye and he needed to be picked up. They also said he couldn't return until he had a doctor's note. So after making a series of phone calls, I finally arranged to have my babysitter pick him up and take him home (Kevin had no carseats). I tried to focus on teaching literacy to small groups and the formal observation being done by my principal. I suddenly couldn't concentrate and struggled for the remainder of the afternoon. I left right after school and took N to the doctor. Then I ran some errands and returned to the school to make arrangements for a sub. I realized that I was ill-prepared for one, so I had some catch up to do, so N and I were there for quite some time. Then we needed groceries, so we had to go to the store. Luckily, N was keeping up his energy just fine, but was hungry. We grabbed something from the deli and made it home just in time for American Idol. I gave him his eyedrops to treat the infection, but he had a tough time with it. He's very sensitive to any sort of pain and his eyes were really bothering him. I let the kids stay up a little bit to watch TV and then tucked 'em both in. K wasn't feeling too good either, so I'm glad I'll be home to take care of them both tomorrow. Now I'm sitting here watching The Karate Kid and updating my blog. It was certainly a long day's journey into night...

Catching up

Alrighty, so I've been too lazy to blog lately. I'll admit to that. At school, the students were going through state testing and I've been dealing with a myriad of things such as fundraisers, job hunting, and the regular pile of stress that comes with a typical day of teaching 6th graders. Report cards are due in just a few weeks, so I have that to look forward to on the horizon. What I am pleased as punch about this term is that I have been so much calmer this time around. Last fall, everything was simply overwhelming and I lacked the confidence I needed. I think I've conquered that problem for the most part and feel so much more at ease. During one of our recent fundraisers, my students helped run the concession stands for a family night sock hop. Imagine the amount of work that went into that whole process. Even though my teaching partner and I worked from 7:30am-8:30pm, we had a blast being able to hang out with our students in a more relaxed setting and be playful. I even did the twist with several of them. They got such a kick out of that.

On another note, hubby and I weren't able to go out for Valentine's day, but we arranged to go out the following night (Friday). We opted to go to Macaroni Grill. In addition to their delicious bread, I had their fabulous fettucini alfredo with chicken. Hubby had a portabello muchroom chicken dish. Afterwards, we walked around the outdoor mall nearby and splurged on some gelotto for dessert. Yummy! We have been making a concerted effort to go out at least once a month as we tend to neglect that part of our relationship. I guess that happens to a lot of couples once you add family responsibilities. We've learned the hard way not to let that happen again. It was a wonderful date. The next one will hopefully be at a movie as it's been ages since we've been to one together. I think it's been about a year.

All in all, it's been a pretty nice February. I am grateful that things have been going well at work for the most part. Since the school is closing and there are extenuating circumstances, there is a negative energy throughout the school that is understandable for the most part. Though I have fallen victim to this dark cloud myself at times, I am learning to find balance. For part of our recent China unit in Social Studies, I invited a guest speaker from the Portland Classical Chinese Garden to give a special presentation to our students in honor of the Chinese New Year. One of the things she shares is the special significance of bamboo in Chinese gardening and art. She explains that bamboo often bends, but doesn't break easily. I've literally taken that to heart. Now my mantra has become "Bend like bamboo..." It is a pearl of wisdom that has begun to help on those not so sunny days. I am excited for some of the personal and professional changes on the horizon, but also anxious at the same time. I'll do my best to blog as things happen. There is so much that I just don't have time to include here, but I'm trying. Maybe next time, I will include some recent photos of the kids and do an update on them...:)

Memo Lane

At the halfway point in my first year of teaching, I got to reflecting on my checkered past of professions and that of others I know. People in my life have had some major highs and lows that I have extended an ear to listen or a hug to celebrate. For instance, my best friend has had a string of scary job experiences in the last year as she continues her search for that elusive happy "work" place. However, she has managed to grow from each one. As for me, I have worked in a number of environments that have been both positive and negative experiences. Though I do think that some workplaces are truly on one end of the sanity spectrum while others are at the complete and utterly opposite end. When I was getting my sea legs in the labor force, I babysat, washed dishes, pumped gas, filed stuff, rented movies out, and performed a myriad of other entry level tasks to earn a paycheck. In all those jobs, I'd say it was my tour of the video store circuit that provided me with some of the more entertaining moments. From tyrannical bosses to creepy co-workers, I've seen it all. However, some of my fondest memories also took place while rocking out to endless reruns of Tommy Boy (one clerk played it constantly).

Anyhow, it was when I got out of college that I really experienced the professional world with new eyes. Armed with my handy-dandy degree, new doors suddenly opened for me. On average, I held my next three jobs for approximately 2-3 years apiece. It seemed to me at the time that I was a loyal staffer at my jobs. It took a lot for me to motivate me to move onto new positions. I learned a great deal in the field of social services while working with tramatically brain-injured survivors, troubled youth in residential treatment, and parenting teens. Just when I felt I was finally hitting my stride with my chosen path, I get the crazy notion to switch careers. For reasons I'm still sorting out, I decided to enter the field of education.

Looking back, I was definitely at a crossroads in my life. To be certain I was making the right choice, I opted to work as an instructional assistant at a middle school with behaviorally-challenged youth. It appeared to be an easy segue into this new realm. How could I know just how hard that year would be both personally and professionally? Did I mention that the teacher quit just before school began...the program was in its pilot year and so no structure was set up...and the new teacher had almost no experience? Did I forget to add that both of my grandfathers had cancer and passed away in a space of three months? I will spare you the rest of the story, but suffice it say it was a year of tremendous growth and soul-searching. In a nutshell, all of it messed with my head and took me to the edge. However, I found what I had been searching for...my reason to pursue teaching. I took such joy in working with the kids and it just felt right.


I switched schools and found true happiness in my next position. The Kinders that I taught were so little and loveable! Also, I began work on my masters. Life began looking up and while the road to graduation was a rocky one, I am so glad that I did it. The one thing that has been difficult, is how many job changes I've had in the last three or four years. I had to quit my job with the Kinders to complete my student teaching and that was a tough job to leave. To supplement my income, I subbed whenever possible. You feel like a ghost and not really part of any staff. What's worse, my first teaching assignment was for a school that will close at the end of the academic year. Needless to say, the morale there is quite low and so it can be a challenge to be around all that negative energy. However, I am taking each day as it comes and getting the most I can out of this experience. I realize that it is a waste of time and energy to worry over things that I cannot change. I pray that my next work experience will be somewhere I can finally lay down some roots. Whatever direction the pendulum swings for me, I hope that I learn something valuable along the way and get to smile every now and again.