Summer?! Summer?!!! WHERE ARE YOU, girl?

Morning Ladies,
Hope everyone has a better day today. I made sure that I got enough sleep last night, so I wouldn't be so crabby with my kids today. I am hoping that they are better today. Atleast today is my short day at school, I can leave 2 hours earlier than I do on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Please the Lord for that one! Even though this is a short week for me, it seems the longest.
Ginny, I hope that your headache has went away. I also hope that your little flasher and his brother behave for you today and don't disagree with each other or show any skin. I keep telling myself when I think about going for food about our mini challenge. So far it is working.
Mouse, I am so sorry that you had such a horrible day. Sounds like they want you to clone yourself so you can be at all your meetings. People can be so stupid. Your supervisor sounds like he was placing a lot of unnecessary pressure on you after having his mistake pointed out to him. I hope you have a better day today. Do you think it is stress that is causing you to be sick and not keep any food down?
Robyn, glad to hear from you. Hope your headache is getting better. Sounds like the weather could have played a part in all of us having a crappy day yesterday. Hope your week is going smoothier for you than past weeks.
Summer where are you? Hope all is well with you.
Well I must be off to teach my little monsters how to be angels. LOL. Talk to you all later.
Have a wonderful day!
Kerry

Well, I thought I was not having too bad a day until Dh came home........what a crab.
Oh, well.........
Kerry- I agree with you, every time I think about going for something I should not, I am reminded of our mini challenge....... It is working for me too!!! Hang in there.

Robyn- how you doing........you ok?
Summer, same for you!!!!
Mouse- can't wait to hear the results from your Dr/dietician/endocrinologist....keep us posted.
Gotta go- might be back later......see ya!
Ginny

I didn't go to work today. After I posted that message, I got a whole 2 hours of sleep before my body rebelled. I was then sick for the rest of the night. Around 1:00 a.m., I emailed all parties concerned and sent an emergency lesson plan to my TA.
I have a feeling she may not have been at school today, though, because somebody else did our breakfast/lunch lists for the cafeteria. Her name wasn't on the absentee listing though, if it had been I would've gone in.
My department chair is a twit: I have to meet tomorrow with my supervisor about my lack of communication skills, and I had a previously scheduled meeting. He won't change his meeting with me, and told her that. I guess she didn't realize that he told me. She emailed me a few hours later and said that she was too busy to meet tomorrow morning. Does she think I'm an idiot?
I am only there for a few hours tomorrow, though, and we have no kids. I had planned to make up some folder activities for our Construction unit, but I guess that won't get done. I'm doing less and less in terms of planning or prep work because whenever I do something *GOOD*, I get no appreciation or thanks or notice. But let somebody complain about how I worded an email, or make up some stupid story about me, and I'm in trouble again.
I have an appointment with the endocrinologist up here now, too. That should make me further popular with admin because nobody asked me when was convenient to have the appointment: they made it for Dec. 15, at 9 a.m. I'm out the 10th and the 13th, and now at least part of the day on the 15th. Since I already blew my perfect attendance for this quarter by staying home sick today, I can't really see the point of wasting comp time to go in for half a day. Especially since its a Wednesday and I'd get to the school just in time to watch my homeroom students go home. I'll miss a meeting or a stupid social activity... and Ir eally don't care.
I'm developing such a bad attitude.
But yes, it might be stress... If that is the case, then what do I do? I don't really want to go back to Virginia. I want to go to Pennsylvania, but I have no job nibbles from any districts in my home area.

Mouse- I hope that your feeling crummy does not interfere with your appointments tomorrow......do you think it was something that you ate or did you catch something from a student? Sounds as though you really need a break.....winter break to help you feel better about your work environment. I am sure that your health issues are not helping your mindset either. Things have to start looking up soon, right?

Nuff of me tonight, I am getting tired. See ya tomorrow.
Ginny

gooooooood friday morning to ya!

ds, 12 years 12 months has gone on a field trip to Washington, D.C. .......had to get him to his school by 5:30 this morning.... I've been worried sick about this trip! (Have you listened to Mouse and her trip troubles??) He is intelligent. He is also nearly 13. Anyway...I've eaten most of the kitchen and began on the living room walls.... AND I've grown a lovely THING on my lips for my worries! ARGHH! HE WILL BE FINE and I'm sure that he will EVEN have some fun! Letting the strings go is HARRRRRD!
(Gotta pick him up at 8 tonight and then he has his first parade with the marching band and those damn annoying drums tomorrow! He thinks he is all that and a bag of chips! )

Anywho.... Hope you're feeling better Mouse! The rest of you have a wonderful wonderful Friday! I'm going to try NOT to think about *MY* baby! LOL

take care,
meee

Robyn!!!!!! Get busy.....clean house.....Christmas shop.........do something, but stay out of the kitchen!!!! (he will be just fine).

Kerry- I owe you a biggie......if I can keep this up thru the weekend, my scale should be down next week. Thanks for helping me to stay honest!

Mouse and Summer......you ok?
Gotta go back for my afternoon..............what a busy day.
See ya !
Ginny

Blew it this evening....Attila the Hun came back to visit my house for the evening......oh, I should be used to this but some days it is tougher than others.
Oh well.
Got all the kiddies home fine, they were not even all that bad! What a busy day, between runs I got to both the Mall and Walmart.....not too bad an accomplishment, being as I have only 4 hours off.....the stores are a half an hour away, and I had almost an hour at home to put stuff away. I put 5 miles on my piggies today (wore the pedometer) and also did the 2 mile tape this am, so all is not lost.
Guess I'll head upstairs and sew some catnip mice for RC (neighbor grows catnip, and I have lots of spare fabric.....she has to have something under the tree too, right? Ok, can you tell I am losing it here......bet you are glad I am not driving your kids to school!).
Hope everyone is doing ok.......see ya!
Ginny

Hey....

kid is home. sat and waited outside of the middle school for in excess of 1.5 hrs in the lovely cold dark. other 2 buses came in together, dumped kiddos and left... his bus was 35 minutes behind. story goes that their driver didn't think that he qualified for HOV lanes and so he took the normal lanes and enjoyed the rush hour creep. i've never heard a more silent group of 7th graders and various adults as they got off the last bus in. exhausted and frustrated. kiddo enjoyed the trip. came home with more than 1/2 his money! said the most interesting thing he saw was a homeless guy playing a great rhythm on various boxes, buckets, trashcans, etc... "mom, he was a very talented musician!" (I was touched that he saw the man's talents not appearance and whatnot) he came home and went right to bed!

i just erased a longggg rant about school.... i wish this was a private spot without so many people reading what the "whiney teachers" are complaining about.... so.....summer you are quite right about those "perfect mothers"..... and today... school was wonderful today. my cherubs were delightful. and i absolutely adore wonderful supportive concerned parents..(could you tell my teeth were clenched as I said it?!)

....stay out of the catnip, girl! Mousie, ??? dr???? Summer, we've missed you! Kerry, you are such a great inspiration to me! Keep going girl!

(((hugs))) and very SLOOOWWWW weekends to everyone!
parade and school Christmas party tomorrow... yippeee skippeee!
take care
r.

Morning Ladies,
Boy was yesterday a long day! We had a bomb threat at our school and had to evacate. That was a lot of fun! Telling your students to get their coats and get ready to take a little hike up to the church on the next street over from the school and not being able to tell them what was going on. Thank God our wonderful custordian brought her Explorer over to my building and told my kids to get in it and took them up to the church. I pushed my one student's wheelchair up there to meet them. So I had a nice chilly hike! I was so tired and worn out by the time I got home last night, I didn't make it in to Cuvres because I laid down and took a nap. So hopefully today I will be able to make it in there this morning.
Robyn, I am glad that your ds had a wonderful trip and could see the talents of the homeless man and not his outward appearance. I hope that you have a nice wonderful relaxing weekend too. Enjoy yourself today at the parade and school Christmas party. Our's is in two weeks on a Thursday night right afterschool.
Ginny, I caved today at lunch. One of the sub's had been with us for a long time and the teachers in her dept. got to gather and had a carry in lunch for her. One of the teachers made homemade chicken and noodles and homemade rolls. So I had a big bowl of that for lunch. But I plan to watch my diet closer this weekend and Monday and Tuesday. So hopefully I will have a loss. Glad to hear that you got some Christmas shopping done yesterday. I am going next Friday with my dh, since I took a personal day to do that.
Mouse, hope your day was better today. Sorry you seem to be getting dumped on at school with a lot of crap. Keep your chin up! Hope you can get some much needed Mouse time in this weekend.
Summer hope all is well with you! Miss you!!! Please come back and chat with us.
Well I better go and get ready for the trip to the gym.
Have a wonderful day!
Kerry

My morning just sucked yesterday. I really, really, really hate the people I work for. They aren't even human. They can't be human. They just can't be. The first thing out of my supervisor's mouth yesterday morning was that the kid that acted like a twit on the field trip on Tuesday is "having panic attacks and not coming to school/refusing school because of what you did to him". The phrase "I investigated this thoroughly, so I know its true" was in there somewhere too. The kid hasn't missed a day of school: he was here WEdnesday and Thursday. I have his classwork from Thursday and showed it to my supervisor. His mother is saying I'm not following/meeting his IEP, which is total BS. This is REALLY what happened: his mother called the case manager (a brandy-spanky new teacher who isn't certified yet, doesn't have any special ed background, and was a 1:1 assistant at our school until August when we were short teachers, so got a field promotion!) and complained about how I treated her darling. He didn't know what to do about it because mom was saying that I wasn't meeting his accommodations and services, so instead of coming to me (remember, brandy-new teacher...actually thinks department chairs and administrators are there to help him!), he goes to my department chair. Guess what? She is ALSO an uncertified special ed teacher, and has been teaching maybe 3-4 years. He told her that he didn't know how to approach me because he'd sent me emails telling me how to work with the kid (he didn't...there had been a discussion about the kid having pseudoseizures in GYM class, which I finally chimed in on in support of the kid maybe having REAL seizures and not faking them), and now he wasn't sure what to do. Okay. My department chair heard this, "I don't know how to approach Mousie, and I've sent her emails telling her what to do and she won't do it." Did she come to me? Nope! Where'd she go? Our administrator. What did he hear of the whole story, "This kid's mom is calling the county that is paying for his attendance because Mousie isn't following his IEP, the mom is also going to call one of the principals and complain about Mousie's class, and the case manager can't talk to Mouse about it because she won't listen."

There were some other things in there, including the lack of goals for my new student's point sheet and that I didn't take him by the hand and introduce him to his new teachers on Tuesday morning. Hello? YOU... yes, YOU, my supervisor, SCHEDULED ME OFF CAMPUS!!!! I can't be in TWO places at one time? Remember what happened on Tuesday? The lift-van debate? Having to completely change the field trip so that we could still go because YOU didn't do YOUR job this summer???? How many times did I report that I told them transportation was going to be an issue? I'm not doing anymore field trips. Not one. Ever. He wants the survey kids to go, HE needs to plan them.
And throughout all of this they kept telling me that I can't communicate. Part of this was that my department chair interrpreted the following statement, "I don't know if X will be permitted to go on anymore field trips with us because we'll need 3 staff if he goes." as me saying, "X can't go on anymore field trips with us."
Not what I said, is it? And she refused to admit that she might be wrong and kept insisting, "Do you want me to pull up that email?" YES! Pull it up! Print it out! READ IT! You certainly didn't read it the first time!
And if one more person tells me "its not about you, its about doing the best for the student", I'm absolutely going to wig out and scream. Throughout all of this, they kept saying, "Okay, now let it go... its not about you its about the kid and what is best for him." No, you've made it about me. ALL about me. You're thinking I'm going to take the fall for this and let you write me up or other stupid.... NO NO NO NO!
And then my supervisor finished it off by taking away my next Friday (Dec. 10) off. Its Hanukkah. I had plans to be with my family. I was also going to Philadelphia. I asked for the day off in October. He forgot I asked for it off, though... and allowed my TA to take the entire week next week off. So he yanked my Friday back when he realized what he had done and told me I had to find the coverage for the classes or I couldn't be off... or tell my TA that she had to come in.
I wound up not using any of my comp time yesterday: I was at that damn school dealing with this until 1:00 in the afternoon. I left at 1:15, and through some miracle made it to Northern VA for my nutrionists appointment by 2:30. She was very nice, and she agrees that there is probably something screwy metabolicly/hormonely... her advice was to eat 100 grams of protein per day, more fiber, any non-caffinated, no calorie liquid (way more than I have been drinking), and no fewer than 2000 calories per day.
Then I went to an awesome restaurant with my best friend and her husband... mediterrean/italian. They serve hummus with bread at the table, then I had sweet potato soup and eggplant with cheese and tomato sauce (it was pizza, but all I ate till I got home was the eggplant part). It was great. Then my friend and I went to Borders and talked for a couple of hours. I think I've decided that if I don't have a nibble for a job in a decent district in PA, then I'll do one of two things: buy a place in PA and rent it back to my mother and grandmother, or if I can work the numbers (she's going to help me out) buy a condo and go back to Northern VA. I can't take anymore of the crap at my school. I got treated this way in some aspects by other principals and supervisors, but some of the stuff they pull now would never ever happen in a public district because the union would sit on them.
I was hoping to hang on another year and do the whole grad school thing, but I'll find some other way to pay for it. I just can't do this anymore. I can't handle it. I'm tired of being told I don't go the extra mile, don't do this right or that right. I told my supervisor that was bull, because you can't have the comp time I have for NOT going the extra mile.
Sorry this is so long.....

Hugs go out to you Mousie!! I can not believe the crap they are trying to pull on you. That is bullsh@#! I can't believe that they would even think that way about you when you go out of your way to help your students. They are the ones with the communication and listening problem. I feel so bad for you. I am glad that your nutritionist appointment went well and that you were able to go out with your best friend. Hope your weekend is a good one so far.
Robyn, Ginny and Summer how is your weekend going?
I made it to the gym this morning. I put in a good workout. Came home and jumped in the shower real quick. My dh asked me to go out to lunch with him. So I had to hurry up and get ready before he left for lunch. Came home and his niece came over with her newborn baby boy and 3 year-old daughter. So we had a nice visit with them. Her newborn is such a cutie pie. So that is how my Saturday went. I think here in a few minutes, I might go ride the excerise bike for a little bit and read a book while I am riding.
Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

I actually had a good Saturday night. I didn't do much today during the day because I was dispatcher (I filled in for the regular dispatcher because he had a wedding to go to), and then had swim lessons tonight.
I went to Target and bought some toys for the swim classes: Target has a whole $1.00 section at the front of the store with cheap trinkets. Some good stuff, too, though... I found cat toys (plastic balls with little jingly bells), and they FLOAT, so we used them for the little kids at swimming, also some squeezy toys (more pricey, so I bought way more balls in different colors than squeezy toys), and some plastic toddler spoons. They're advertised as "throw away plastic spoons for baby on the go", $2.49 for 12... so I'd never buy them to feed a kid, but they float and they're in rainbow colors so perfect for swimming!
The toddlers I had, and the 3-5 year olds LOVED going after them. Then I had the kid that always wigs out at lessons. He has private lessons and his usual instructor wasn't there tonight. He's seriously special needs, ADHD and very very smart. So they gave him to me. He's usually really bad for new instructors they said, but he was really good for me. I made up a point sheet that showed him what we were going to do, when we were going to do it, and what he needed to do to earn 10 minutes in the therapy pool.
Then I ran to the grocery store to pick up some more stuff with more protein in it... They had Edamame on sale for $1.00!!! Trader Joes has it too, but its more expensive. I have to shell this, but for $1?
I wanted pork chops, but they only had itty bitty packages and they didn't look very good. Small ones, too. So, I bought boca burgers and moringstar farms chik patties instead.
I'm going to go eat my edamame now, and my egg whites.

Good Afternoon Ladies,
Mouse sounds like you had a wonderful day with no or little stress. Good for you. I am glad to hear that your swimming lessons went so well last night. Sounds like you were a hit with the one boy who gets private lessons. I bet that made you feel good. Let's hope your week starts out like your Saturday was for you, great!
Ginny, hope the challenge is still working for you? Yesterday I drank tons of water and watched what I ate very carefully. Since I had that little slip on Friday. I also got a 1/2 hour in at Curves in the morning and in the evening rode my excerise bike for a 1/2 hour too. So I am really hoping to have a lose this coming Tuesday. Hope you have one too.
Robyn, how was your parade and Christmas party yesterday? We had the Christmas parade here in town yesterday. My niece and I took her 3 year-old daughter and newborn son down to see it. It is nice to live so close to the parade route.
Summer hope all is well with you. We have missed chatting with you. Come back so please.
Well I need to talk myself in to do a little school work this afternoon. Plus go to the grocery store. Maybe I should take a nap before I dig into my chores for the afternoon, since I am feeling a little tired right now.
Talk to you all later. Have a great Sunday!
Kerry

Okay, I know I have been MIA, and I am sorry. I have been so friggin busy and overwhelmed. I am the chairperson for the "Everything Christmas" committee, which includes the pageant, the decorating, ornament designs for the 8 ft. tree, the holiday party, yada yada yada. On top of it, I was asked by the director of early childhood to represent our city up in Hartford and be an assessor for the accreditation of one of the preschools. (It is a huge honor, and not something it is wise to say, "no" to, but a huge burden.) I will be in Hartford for three days next week, and my DD is freaking out. Because of this I am opting out of attending the staff party since I don't want to spend an unnecessary night out of my house while DD is feeling so needy for mommy. Also, my principal decided that she would conduct my biannual observation this coming week. If she would only wait till January, but she refuses. Okay, the director of early childhood is sending some consultant to my classroom tomorrow to photograph my room as well as the children and I in action. Again, this is a huge honor, but the timing sucks. We've just pulled down all of the autumn stuff and are in the process of putting up winter/holiday stuff, but are not anywhere near done. I have an empty bulletin board out in the hallway with no work to put on it. Thankfully, the classroom walls are mostly done. These are just the highlights. I have so much to do this month what with Sunday School teaching...a birthday party for baby Jesus...on and on and on. Let's not forget that I have two jobs and a family who all need me to do the normal stuff. Let's not forget that Christmas and all of its demands are around the corner. I have to write my Christmas letter. DD has to sell girl scout cookies. On and on and on.

You all won't be seeing much of me. Please understand that I don't have much choice now.