I can't believe I've been AWOL for so long. We are back in full swing. I have 122 students writing expository essays. I read them and after awhile my brain shuts down and they all look the same.

Our school is being observed because we did not make AYP because of attendance. It's amazing that the state stupidintendant holds us accountable for something we have absolutely no control over. When the principal said that we are the kids' second parents, many teachers spoke up immediately and said we are not. I have only 1 child and I make sure she goes to school. (Actually, since she's in Kindergarten she wants to go. I'll enjoy this as long as it lasts. )

The state is coming in to do observations and give some feedback on how we can make our school better. (Sure, we all see how they run the state; be interesting to see how they can run the schools. They're supposed to come in April; good, gives us plenty of time to arrange our sick days.

On a lighter note, Ashley has learned how to ride her bike without the training wheels. One more giant step toward independence. She's growing up too fast.

Have a great Friday.

Cal

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a nice Friday. My school was on a two-hour delay due to the low temperatures and wind chill factor this morning. So it was nice to sleep in, workout for an hour and still get a little school work done that I would not haven't gotten done during my work day otherwise. It was a little weird though starting two hours later, because it threw off our whole daily routine. But it sure did make our Friday fly by. I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend.

I spent the day at school in tears. I am cracking under the stress. On Thursday, I ate a dinner of pork chops, bread and butter and mashed potatos.... That didn't seem to make anything better...so yesterday, I came home from school and got in the too tiny bathtub... stayed in there for 3 hours and then went to bed....I stayed in the bed this morning until 11 a.m. Dh understands what is wrong....and has the kids pulled way back! I hate this.

Now, my report cards are due on Tuesday. SO..... I can't avoid school all weekend.
Our oldest turns 12 tomorrow. He and I are going out in a few for a bit of "retail therapy"! A trip to Old Navy always cheers me up! I can fit in their clothes now!
THAT's very cheering!

I'm still trying to figure out how to post a photo of my classroom here.... If anyone knows how, please let me know... Until you see the mess that I'm working in, you can't understand what's wrong with me......

Oh, THEY decided that one of my kids is e.d. and will place him as soon as mom signs the papers...IF the mom signs the papers. I've offered to forge her signature...IT WAS ONLY A JOKE! Don't panic!

Call me,
Suzi Sunshine!

Robyn I am so sorry that you had a bad day at school yesterday. Please don't let the stress get to you. If you do, it will only make you more depressed. I hope your retail therapy helped you this afternoon. I went to Pizza Hut last night with my husband and three step children. It was nice having pizza, but after the 5th slice I was getting sick of it. I know why I only eat pizza only once in a blue moon. It doesn't help that the hubby likes to get his pizza with everything on it. Well I gotta go, my brother-in-law just came over for a visit. SO I hope everyone has a great day!

Kar, I love romance novels. My current author is Jayne Ann Krentz. I have read everything Judith Krantz has ever written. I love Rosamunde Pilcher and have also read everything of hers. Basically I keep reading until there is nothing left, then search for a new author.

Hi Cal & Story!

Robyn, I'm so sorry you are stressing out. I also have to get report cards done. I still have two kids to test...they've been out for two weeks! I have to tabulate attendance still, so I can't even start writing out the report cards yet. I won't get them done tomorrow cause there is just too much to do with comments and all. Plus, I have to teach Sunday School tomorrow.

I will be back to respond to all of you in more detail when I am finished with report cards...probably by the middle of the week! Pray that I have a snow day on Monday!

Summer

Thanks for the heartfelt sympathy! I'm feeling better....today is Sunday AND they are calling for snow tonight! LOL Soooooooo.......

Sorry to be such a nut case. I hope that you all can understand. I have found out how to post photos.... (LUCKY YOU! )Sooooo....without any further whining...here are some photos of my classroom taken on Friday afternoon...ie, when I return to school it will look EXACTLY like this OR worse ...it all depends on IF the painters moved more stuff...

My oldest is 12 today. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh
We had a ball shopping last evening.... Nothing like a new OldNavy T to make me grin all over! I'm soooo easy!

here are the photos!
Next week, between dealing with the poor kiddos will be spent trying to get the 1000000 clowns BACK into the Volkswagen!

pass the mashed potatoes.......
Robyn

I cut out my dear friend who was standing in my room in the last photo....
I didn't ask if I could post her photo for the world...and well...ya know!

Snow day! Snow day! Tomorrow is a snow day! Report card writing with hot chocolate(low fat of course!) IN my jammies day! Yeeehawwwww!

Well....... where did everyone go?!

Hi everyone,
I had a snow day too. I went to get my taxes done with the hubby this afternoon. So that was my whole afternoon. Boring. Then we went over to my mother-in-law's for dinner. After I came home, I went to Curves and worked out. So that is how I spend my snow day. I am glad that it went better than yesterday. My hubby had me so depressed and on the verge of an emotional eating binge. After getting home from church, he started in on the house needed cleaned and that it was getting done today. I laughed at him and said sure with your three little one's here. The house wouldn't stay cleaned for long. But we or should I say I cleaned the living room, dining room, foyer, hallway to bedrooms, bedrooms and bathroom. He was able to help by making lunch and cleaning the kitchen. He feels that during the school year, I don't do my share fair of the housework during the week. I tend to let it go for as long as possible. That I only know how to come home and relax for the evening. I told him that he should come in my classroom for one day and see what all I go through with my MH students. Then he might understand why I am tired at the end of the day. Plus 3 out of 5 school nights, I stay after and help with the after school program. Ladies how do you balance work and housework? Please tell me, so that I can make this balance at my house too. So my whole Sunday is not ruined by fighting with my hubby. He always knows when to pick a fight with me. It is always when I am having my monthly. So I am already on edge and crabby, and it doesn't have to take much more to set me off. Sorry to be the depressing one tonight. Robyn glad to hear that you are cheered up again. Well I better go and get ready for school tomorrow. I think we might have it tomorrow. Have a great evening. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Tomorrow night I will see if I lost any weight last week. I have my TOPS meeting. So keep your fingers crossed that I lost some weight.

Another snow day! It is slushy, cold and yucky today. I'm glad that we didn't have to mess with it this morning! Tomorrow tho, we MUST get back to school...I've got
all that mess to clean up!

Last night I stayed up real late...ALONE! Just me and my report cards! I'm 1/2 way there! Today I need to finish them up! Yipppeee! They will be FINNNNished!

I'm slowly but surely getting my brain back in order! I woke up after 9 this morning thinking about exercise! I'll get there before 3! I will also get to my Dr.Phil chapter 2 this afternoon! I MUST do this! What a horrible funk this has been. BUT, I'm slowly unFUNKing myself! Slowly......before I'm too far gone! My head is out of the oven! I'm happy to report! LOL

School work and housework are NOT compatable, KAR! You've missed my rants about that! www.flylady.net is the answer! FlyLady is amazing! And...she will teach you how to do it one baby step at a time! Read her pages! Follow her rules! I had an amazing year with her.....and then SCHOOL started and I let it all go!) REALLY! Try it!
(ahh, I preach it...why can't I get my sh&t together enough to practice it???) (Oh, that's right...I'm getting OUT of the oven! Not crawling back in!)

Where did everyone else go??? LOOK at those photos I posted! YOU will understand why I turned into a vegetable!

gotta love the snow days!
Robyn

Robyn,
Thanks for cheering me up. You put a smile on my face and made me laugh. We had school today. It was so stupid to go in, half the buses did not even pick up many kids. One bus driver came out started her route picked up two kids and then turned around and took them home. Said it was too bad to be out because of the ice and went home. One bus driver only brought in one student this morning. So needless to say that our classes were small in numbers today. Unforunately all of my students came in. My autistic boy cried all morning long and threw fits. So at lunch time he finally fell asleep. We just let him sleep until the bus got there. We did get out of school an hour early since we are to get more ice and snow today. So I came home and took an hour nap, hoping to get rid of my nasty headache. No such luck. Glad to hear that your report cards are done. Well I need to go and run a few errands before it gets really bad out. Enjoy your evening.
Take care,
Kerry

Hi everyone It was another snow day for me today. So I got up and made Atkin's muffins for the hubby and step kiddies before they had to go to school. They were on a one hour delay. They were not to happy that I had the day off. Poor Levi was crying asking why he had to go to school and I didn't. But the roads in the next county where I work at very poor. But in the winter time they are worse. We are talking out in the backwoods and people need 4 wheel drive trucks just to get around with. I hope you all have a wonderful day. I think I might try to sneak out of the house and go workout at Curves. Talk to you all later.

I'M DONE!!! (well mostly) If I didn't have a snow day today, who knows when I would have finished. I have four students who have not been in school for two weeks. I thought I only had two to test, but I forgot about the two newbies who have hardly been in school, but still need a report card. If they ever come back to school again, I will test them and should be able to finish their report cards quickly. I have logged in nine (9) hours in order to complete my report cards. Thank God I only have to do them twice a year.

Robyn, I can see why you are feeling like you are going nuts in that classroom. That is what most classrooms look like over the summer before being set up for students. This is probably a silly question, but why couldn't they do the painting over a vacation? 99% of the time that is when things like that get done in my school. I'm glad you are feeling more normal again. You must read Dipthong's posting for chapter 3. It is quite profound.

Kar, I was having the same discussion with a friend of mine this morning. Basically, if things are running smoothly at school, my house is a sh-thole. And when things are running smoothly at home, things are out of control at school. I wish I was an adult when ERA was passed. Yes I want equal rights, however, I would have much preferred to be a housewife. Now we have an economy that gives most women no choice but to work. And so when I went to college, I figured being a teacher would be a great job to have while raising a family. NOT!!! Who knew there would be so much work involved?! And because the pay sucks, I too have to work the after school program. I can never catch up with my housework. There is always laundry to be done or folded and put away. Dust collects rapidly. The dog sheds so much that I must vacuum daily. (NO WAY IS THAT HAPPENING) Look, when I am done teaching all day, then recreating in the early evening, I have to help DD with homework, cook dinner, clean up, get her ready for bed, and do school work. That leaves me little time to relax, unwind etc... Forget housework! I wish I could afford someone to clean my house, even just one day a week. My friend used to work full time and has a live-in nanny. That wasn't working, so she downsized the nanny (she stayed, but had to get a part time job) while my friend got a part time job to spend more time with the kids, a 3 year-old in half-day preschool and a 5 year-old in half-day kindergarten. She is happier, but broke. She goes to play groups where the women are "stay at home" moms who all have housekeepers. AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Please tell me why these women who are home all day need someone to clean their houses? I NEED A HOUSEKEEPER!!! I work my butt off every day while these women play tennis, go shopping, and have spa days, then go home to sparkling clean houses cleaned by someone else!!! In other words Kar, I totally know how you feel. Oh, and by the way, if my husband dares to tell me to clean the house, he'd better be ready to get off his butt and help me or risk being sent to the moon!!!

Okay, that felt good.

See ya all later!

Summer

Summer glad to hear that you got your report cards done. I know that it can be a long tiring process. I am now trying to get the engery and desire to work on my kids 3 year re-evals. They are due the mid of March. I am trying really hard to get the desire to do them. I am almost done with one. I only have four more to do. Then it will be time to write their new IEP's. Yipppeee!
The hubby did take back some of the words he said on Sunday. I think he realized that he had pissed me off and that I would not do stuff with him or for him for a while.
So we have been sharing the tasks. Like tonight he fixed dinner, while I helped Kaitlyn with her homework. Then after dinner we cleaned the kitchen together. So I guess we might have found a balance that works for now. Or he just wants to be nice to me for awhile. Have a great day at work tomorrow.