Lengthing the School Year????

Spring break has officially come and gone, with me not at all ready to return to my classroom today. I love my job, but I had a great break and I know what to expect in the last 9 weeks of school. My 8th graders, who have been a delight all year long, will have gained "8th-Grade-itis" meaning they realize they are about to be high schoolers and are WAY TOO COOL to be in the middle school. They then choose to be as annoying as possible and push my every button...

Now...whenever a teacher vents about their job it's not taken too seriously by the other "professionals." Why?? Because of the months June, July, and August. Those who aren't teachers automatically assume that the sole reason we all chose this profession was because of the lovely summer months. Now I will be the first one to admit that I LOVE my summer. BUT I became a teacher because I love working with kids, and wanted a job that I would be happy to get up and go to in the mornings.

I recently read in an article that President Obama would like to extend the school year either by more days on the calender or more hours in a day. Now, Mr. President makes some very big points stating how other countries are developing kids so much faster than we are, and lengthening the time spent in school would be good for our kids' futures. But I ask Mr. President, what about our teacher's present. How many law-makers (including our President) have spent even one week inside of a classroom? Do they realize that we spend more time with these kids than their own parents, that we're responsible for teaching them math, reading, science, budgeting and economics (ha...some of our "experts" must have been absent that day), make sure they get enough exercise, eat the right foods, work on tasks individually, work together in groups, survive the hallways of a middle school, council their emotional needs, teach them manners...I could keep going, but I'm sure you get the point. Does our President realize that I spend 5 days a week for 9 months of the year with 130 middle school kids.

I love my job. But without my summers and breaks I would lose my mind. These kids are great 90% of the time...but they are not my kids. By the end of May I am exhausted. I am short tempered, less patient, and just flat out tired. And I work at a school with VERY GOOD kids...I can't imagine working in some schools with more difficult students in more difficult situations. Teachers need those summers to "re-charge the batteries," and without them, we would quickly run out of juice. Just as much as I am ready for summer by May, come August, I'm rearing and ready to go for a new and exciting school year.

So, Mr. President before you make any big educational decisions, please talk to teachers who have "been there, done that" (and not just the one's who voted for you).

My 180 Turn

I enjoyed high school. I don't have any horror stories about people being mean to me, I enjoyed most of my classes and teachers, and made lasting memories on a variety of sports teams. But the one thing I regret about my high school days is that I was not more outgoing.

I was a very shy elementary and middle schooler. I believe that that stemmed from one major goal; not drawing attention to myself. Throughout most of elementary and middle school I was at least a head or two taller than everyone else, I was easy to see. To add even more for people to look at, my face turns incredibly red when I get even the slightest embarrassed. So my first 10 years of school was spent trying to blend in and not give people any more reasons to look at me.

They by my Sophomore year something happened. My peers grew. I was still taller than everyone else, but it wasn't so drastic. I saw my height as a big positive rather than something to try and hide. I was still shy though...my face would still turn red. I didn't want that to happen, so I still kept to myself for the most part. By the time my Sr. year rolled around I hadn't been to any weekend parties and I didn't have a large group of friends. I did have a couple real close friends who I would hang out with, but that was about it. The big difference between my Sr. year and my So. year...I wanted more. I wanted to be more outgoing and I wanted to have more friends, but I figured it was too late. All friendships had been established and people knew me as "nice." And we all know how hard it can be to penetrate those thick "clique" walls.

I waited for college. I couldn't have been more ready to try something new. It was a chance for me to start over, make new friends, and gain new experiences. And I did. My first two years at Hutchinson Community College I played on the volleyball team and established friendships that I still consider some of my best today. I love those girls, and miss them terribly. I just wish I was better at keeping in contact with them.

Today my face still turns red. Something I will never be able to change and will always hate. But that doesn't effect how I live my life. I have learned to laugh at myself (along with others) when I make my many mistakes. People who know me now can't believe I was this quiet, shy girl in high school. I love meeting new people and trying new things, and I am not afraid to go someplace I've never been before. I look forward to those challenges! I always tell people that if I could go back to high school with the personality and confidence I have now, I would have many more friends, but probably a few other people who didn't think I was just "nice."

Weekly Chatter

~ It's Girl Scout Cookie time! I bought four different kinds (to share with Ethan obviously).

~ It is also Lent. I always give up chocolate. This means I don't get to enjoy my Girl Scout Cookies yet.

~ This weekend was GREAT! I had a blast with Ethan and my family. I was sad to see Monday come, but there should be many more great weekends to come.

~ As we drove home Ethan and I stopped to take pictures of the Windmill farm in Beaumont. They are HUGE and actually pretty impressive up close. Beaumont has a historical hotel that allows planes to fly up and park right outside the little diner. E and I were going to stop for lunch, but since it was Friday we didn't know if they served fish, so we'll have to do that another time.

~ Last week had 3 absolutely beautiful days, perfect weather. Did any of those days land on my day off...NO! I take a personal day and it drops 30 degrees and snows that weekend. Stupid weather!

~ Spending the weekend at home has its consequences. I got on the scale this morning...not good. However I ate very well while I was home. I better make up for it this week.

~ ESU girls are conference champs!! The game wasn't a very good one but a win is a win and we still celebrated after with free pizza and beer...ahh the perks of your sister playing on the team :)

~ I am sooo behind in my grading, and since I am not willing to give up my evenings at Ethan's to stay home and grade papers (yuck), I am going to have to resort to taking some papers to his place to grade while we watch TV...maybe I will be able to talk him into helping me :)

~ The year is officially flying by. (And by year I mean school year, teachers have a totally different language at times) It is almost spring break already...and after spring break the year is pretty much over.

~ My nails are very pretty! They do a great job at Nail Envy on 21st and Maize.

Yea for the WEEKEND!

I have been looking forward to this weekend since January. Ethan and I had been trying to find one of my sister's basketball games to go watch where either he or I didn't have anything planned. We wouldn't have been able to make it to any games until the very last one on Feb. 28. That seemed like sooo far away at the time.

Now it's here. I am taking the day off tomorrow so E and I can have the whole day to do what we please. I will start out my day by getting my nails done while he figures out something to do for an hour...I'm not going to make him sit in there with me (I think that would qualify under "cruel and unusual punishment" anyway).

We plan on going into Wichita and enjoying the day test driving cars, taking pictures, and taking the "scenic" route home. We are even going to stop in Climax, Kansas, just so we can say we've been there! (That will make a GREAT story to tell mom..."Hey mom we just went through Climax!" haha!!!) We'll get to Burlington just in time for a yummy shrimp dinner and I'm sure lots of laughing and story-telling from my parents! Jamie's game is on Saturday and it will be so fun to watch her play...although I do believe I'll need to get E an ESU shirt, can't have him wearing a WSU shirt to the game! Sunday we're going to cook dinner for the family...manicotti. YUM!

I am so excited for my weekend you'd think I would have been packed early in the week all ready to go...Nope. I'm sitting here blogging knowing full well that E will call in about 20 minutes and have nothing packed and ready to go. I best get a move on!

Weekly Chatter

~ I had my nails done again for the first time in two years. I used to get them done back home in Burlington, but that ended up being too costly to go home and "hope" that I could get in to my very busy nail lady. My nails are now pretty pink and girlie!

~ I almost didn't get a paycheck this month...I am starting to feel helpless with the economy. All I can do is sit back and wait for the more powerful "big-wigs" in Washington to get us out of this mess. That's a very scary thought to me.

~ I have only three teaching days this week. In-service on Monday (suck fest!) and a curriculum day tomorrow. That means I get pulled from my classroom to sit in an office with other teachers and work on stuff. BORING! I would much rather be teaching!

~ Ethan and I had a great Valentines Day...We did absolutely nothing! We were lazy all day long until we finally decided to do some sort of physical activity and go to the store to cook something for dinner.

~ I am tired of being cold. I am tired of wearing sweat pants, my hands being purple, and heating bills. I told E last night that I was tired of being cold and he suggested that I cuddle up to him more...awwww!

~ I love the show "Lie to Me." I am learning all kinds of tells on how people lie. It is fascinating!

~ Ethan and I spent all day Sunday at his parents house. I love spending time with them, they really are great people. (Plus I LOVE hearing stories about him when he was little!)

~ I had to replace my car battery yesterday. I went in to the store and when I came out my car was deader than a doornail. I had someone jump me and I went straight to the Coop. 77 dollars later I was good to go. Considering the cost of other car repairs that could have happened, I think I got out pretty easy. Oh...and an annoying side-note. My radio has shut off due to the power going out and I have to have a code to turn it back on...yeah, my car is used and I can't find the code. Nice.

~ I haven't been home since Christmas Break. I will be going in a couple weeks with Ethan, and I can't wait!

Weekly Chatter

~ There is a fly buzzing around my house. It has apparently been dormant over the winter just sneaking around and eating food while I am at school because this is the biggest fly I have ever seen. He is now dead.

~ I hit a milestone today. 50 lbs. lost!!! Makes me very happy, but also a little scary to think I had that much weight to lose and how much more I would like to.

~ "Facebook Official": When I first started telling people I was dating E, the usual response was "why haven't you changed your status on facebook?" It made me laugh at how we have come to define relationships based on a personal website and we weren't truly together if our pages didn't read "in a relationship." For all you facebook fanatics out there...we are now "in a relationship" and facebook official!

~ My brother, John, is in Vegas right now. Maybe he'll win some "big bucks" and give a little to me. Maybe...

~ February is going to fly by. By the end of the month I will have had 4 weeks of only 4 teaching days (after inservice, sick days, and a personal day at the end of the month). That means that spring is just around the corner!!!

~ Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day. E and I took the dogs (his two lab pups) for a walk at Sedgwick County Park. KC, the older one, thought she was going for a run and about pulled E's arm out of his socket a few times. Breck, the little pup, had never been on a leash before and thought it was going to eat her. She would whine and whimper whenever I got in front of her. They eventually calmed down and walked like good pups...well, we did take them on a 4 mile walk, so by the end they were worn out.

~ I'm still praying for E to find a job soon. Fingers are crossed too!

~ Valentine's Day is coming up. I have always been a Val-day hater, but this year I find myself looking forward to the day...hmmm, could that be because I have someone special to spend it with.

~ Even though I'm looking forward to V-day this year, I still think it's ridiculous to spend a lot of money on a day that greeting card and chocolate companies dreamed up. We will spend the day cooking dinner and hanging out together...I can't wait!

Sunday Chatter (On Wednesday)

~ I got my hopes up too early...there was a cute little townhouse for rent in Goddard. Two bedroom, one bathroom, large kitchen (with dishwasher!!!), basement, fireplace, and no lawn to have to mow...sounds perfect! The add had been up for a month. I called the Realtor and arranged to see it Friday evening. It leased Thursday afternoon, and there is NOTHING else to rent in Goddard. Nothing! "Fastest growing city in KS" HA!

~ I am finding myself spending less and less time at my house and more time other places :)

~ With as little time I spend at my house, it sure is messy...

~ I met E's family this weekend when we had a Super Bowl Party. It was so much fun! They are a great family and I can see why E is such a great guy!

~ E and I have a "Tuesday Dinner-Date-Night" each week when we cook something new (including dessert) and watch Fringe on TV. So far we have made fancy mac and cheese (so good), chicken alfredo pasta w/ homemade alfredo (yummy!), and tomale pie. We are off to a GREAT start and are enjoying searching for new recipes.

~ It's still cold...

~ There are very few really fun games out there for just two people to play. So far E and I have made do with playing games that are REALLY fun with 4 people, but are still good with 2. Scrabble (he usually wins...so smart, and such a good speller), Scategories (I usually win...more creative), pool (it's a toss up...he is probably better, but I get really really lucky!), and Jenga (whoever plays first usually loses seems to be the pattern).

~ I might have to change my Sunday Chatter to Weekly Chatter. I tend to not get home Sunday nights until later due to my increase time spent at E's.