The Good, the Bad, and the Sunny

So I'm experiencing deja vu...of last year at this time. I am in the midst of the everlasting job search. It is tough, time-consuming, and draining. I keep a pretty good attitude about it most days, but it does get hard sometimes. I hate the ongoing pity party when people ask you "have you found a job yet?" and I smile and say "not yet." Their faces kind of contort into a mixture of sympathy and confusion. I reassure them that something will pan out eventually and it's not big deal. I find it odd that I am comforting them so they don't keep that look of concern on their face. I know that people mean well and just curious, it just gets frustrating not to have good news to share. Anyhow, I'm just in a mopey mood, so don't mind me.

This was actually a pretty productive week. I've been dealing with some catty coworkers recently that just need to have the stick surgicallly removed from their ass. Since most staff are actually pretty nice, I'm learning to pick my battles and let their "stuff" roll off my back. I've kept myself out of most things, but sometimes you can't stay out fo the line of fire. They tend to target a new person each week. Other than that, all has been well at work. I am very busy with end of the year student file paperwork, grading, packing up my room. Also, I finally completed the memory book for the 6th graders and will next tackle the end of the year slideshow, prepare awards, and a graduation address. Personally speaking, I finally got my passport expedited and am waiting for that to arrive so I can go on a cruise with my best friend in June. Now I gotta finish my daughter's kindergarten enrollment paperwork, sign the kids up for summer activities, and wrap up my osn's baseball season. Oh, did I mention I'm still job hunting?

There is only three weeks left of school, so I think I will loopy up until then. I am gonna really miss my students. They were a challenging group some days, but overall I think there were some real breakthroughs with them. It has been nutty and a real rollercoaster. Can't wait for summertime! I am sooooooo looking forward to that time when my best gal pal and can just lounge poolside in the sun and not think of any stressful stuff. Better yet, it will be awesome to swim with the dolphins! Cozumel here we come!

Changes

I'm forcing myself to write this blog so that I can get back into the habit of keeping it regularly updated. I've been a total slacker with it these past months. The reality of it all is that I just don't usually have any energy left. Things are starting to wind down at school. I've been packing up stuff little by little. I even got a jumpstart on grades, so I'm proud of myself for that. It's a good feeling to finally be on top of things for once, instead of playing constant catch-up. Today we had a our final staff meeting and everyone was very sad. Since the school is closing down and also being torn down, it's a bittersweet process for sure. I'm lucky that I've only been there for a year, so I'm not as attached as some of the veteran staff.



I did realize though how much I'll miss my students. They're like my own kids and as we prep them for graduation, it's even more emotional. I'm actually trying to detach myself a bit now so it's easier to let them go. My 6th graders are my first class of my very own, so they hold a special place in my heart. I enjoyed Outdoor School with them so much, that it's so hard to say goodbye.



I've also been keeping very busy with N's baseball games. He gets better with every game. We haven't missed a single one and he starting to pay more attention and in longer spurts. I love that they let the kids play different positions, instead of just sticking them in the same spot everytime. It really lets them try out their different strengths. I am hopeful that he continues to grow. It's unbelieveable to me how much he's changing. He's almost in 2nd grade and K is almost a Kindergartener. It's crazy. Okay, that's all for now. I wanna see the results on American Idol. :)

Getting back to nature

Okay, I officially feel bad about neglecting this blog. I used to be so good at writing at least once a week or more, but in recent months have just avoided it. To be honest, I just haven't felt like it or had something else I wanted to do. So at the vehement request of my dear friend, I decided to update it. It's the least I can do after all the fabulous things she does for me. Since it is already past my bedtime and I gotta get up early, I am not going to recap the last two months. However, I will touch on the highlights.

Over spring break, my husband got me into playing a game called World of Warcraft. For anyone who knows me, realizes that I am not a amer in anyway. However, this particular has sucked me into it's CGI world of night elves, orcs, and mages. It has become a strange bonding experience for hubby and I. He is so delighted that he finally reeled me into his addictive world of gaming. I told him I draw the line at just playing WOW and I will not add to it. He knows better than to push it...:) Anyhow, it is a nice distraction at times and is likely the result of some of the nights I opted not to blog. There, I said it...blame it on the evil trolls!

Anyway, life has progressed in an interesting way. My job never seems to slow down with what needs to be done. I just have grown calmer and more organized. There is so much to do and absolutely not enough time to do it, so I'm grappling with the best approach. As the school year winds down, I have to prepare for conferences, our big egg drop science day, parent conferences, cum folders, 6th grade graduation and all the celebrations that go with it, just to name a few. However, we did just complete one of the coolest parts of the year. Both 6th grade classes went to outdoor school for 3 days. It was so awesome! As a kid, I went to outdoor school for a weeklong day camp, but not overnight. This program my students and I went to was amazing. We had such a blast at Cedar Ridge near Vernonia. Wish I had known about this place when I got married. It would've been perfect for a rustic, outdoor wedding...but I digress. All teachers and staff went by camp names. Had to change my name to "Flipper" for the duration and my teaching partner became "Buttercup." We both were so relaxed and got a along really well. My students got to shine and really explore science in innovative way in the great outdoors. The camp site was really beautiful and peaceful. I want to go back! It made me truly appreciate why I love Oregon so much. I

Well, that's it for now. Not much, but it's a start. I'll try to be back again soon!