Looks Like We Might Be Adding Some More Snow Days

Well, the weather has been a little crazy around here this morning.  We've had a little freezing rain, some sleet, some snow, and even thunder and lightening mixed in with it all. CRAZY STUFF!!!

Right now, there's a dusting of snow covering the ground, and it's lightly snowing.  The radar shows that there's still plenty to come, and there's a possibility of seeing 2-4" of snow by the time it's all said and done.  I'm going to go ahead and assume we won't be having school tomorrow.

The temps tomorrow won't get anywhere near the close to above freezing, so there's not any real chance it will melt off tomorrow, either.  So, that gives the possibility that there won't be school on Tuesday.  Then, that becomes a problem.

On Wednesday, I have an appointment I HAVE to go to at 8AM.  I booked half the day off that day, but didn't think to get sub plans ready before I left on Friday.  And it was really stupid on my part, because I KNEW there was a possibility we'd be getting this weather.  

Now, I'm beating myself up and worrying what the heck I'm going to do if we are out until Wednesday.  

I know that I have all of my materials ready for Monday, which would be taking place Wednesday if that's when we go back, but I didn't exactly organize everything so it's easy to find if someone else needs to go in and take over.  

Best case scenario would be not getting as much weather as predicted meaning we could go back on Tuesday, or more weather than predicted meaning we stay out until Thursday.  But, I doubt that either will be the case.

The other option would be that the roads are safe enough to travel on Tuesday and I can get in to the building in order to leave the sub plans for Wednesday morning.  That would be ideal.  Hopefully that will be a choice I have.  

What I have to do now, though, is try to not worry.  Just let the situation play out and see what happens.  What I do know is, whatever happens, my team will take care of me.  They will make sure that my class is taken care of.  I hate putting that burden on them, but they know that I would do the same for them...not that they would ever be as unprepared as I am... but stuff happens.  I am thankful that even though I will be worrying my head off and smacking myself upside the head for not thinking ahead, they will take care of me.  

The sad part is, this has to be the first week in FOREVER that I've walked out the door and not had everything nice and orderly for Monday morning.  I usually make sure my Monday folder has all the Monday copies needed, I make sure my desk is cleaned off, and I make sure that all I have to do when I walk in on Monday morning is turn the computers on and write the objectives on the board.  And wouldn't you know the one week where I'm so tired and just not thinking straight and run off without doing ANY of those things would be the one day I needed to do it the most.

STUPID, STUPID ME!!!

Oh well.  There's nothing I can do about it now.  Lesson learned for the future, but right now I just have to pray that I can take care of it Tuesday or that my awesome team will be able to wade through the junk on my desk to get the stuff needed on Wednesday morning.

Until then, I'm going to finish grading and entering in my grades, finish up putting all of my plans online, and then snuggle up with a new crocheting project.

I have a scarf that I have to make and I have some boots that I've been promising a co-worker that I still haven't started.  Should probably get both of those knocked out before I move on to something else.  

OK, that's it from me today.  I need a day to relax...unwind...and not worry.

Hopefully, I can get two of the three taken care of today.

I Feel Ya, Mother Nature

                                   

When I saw this little meme this morning, it made me giggle.  Especially after the post I wrote a few days ago about the Frozen song "Let it Go".  

From what all the news reports are saying, we are looking at another winter storm hitting our area late tonight, in to early tomorrow.  Ice, sleet, and snow accumulations are all possible.  We are currently under a Winter Storm Warning, and I keep hearing the words "ice storm" every time I watch a news report.  

Apparently, Mother Nature just isn't ready to let winter go just yet.

Either that, or Mother Nature is angry.  Sad.  Disappointed.  Frustrated.  All of the above?

If that's the case, I know how she feels.  If I had the power to shoot snow and ice from my fingertips every time I got a little down, this whole area would be under about 14 feet of snow and ice right about now.  

I'd be the living Elsa, and would have created an ice castle on top of a huge mountain and would be locking myself and my family up in it... just to protect us from the crazy that happens on a daily basis around here.

But, I'm not Mother Nature.  I'm not Elsa.  I'm just me.  And, I can't deal with my emotions by shooting out ice and snow from my fingertips.  Although, in the past 24 hours, there have been plenty of precipitation falling from my eyes.  

It was time to let it out.  To let it go.  I'd been holding it in, trying to stay strong.. but it was time to just let it all flow from me.  To release what was pent up inside.  And I have to admit, it helped.  And I imagine that sometimes, Mother Nature handles situations in the same manner.  She holds things in, goes about her daily business trying to stay calm, but after a while.. she just has to let it all go, and the precipitation flows.  She and I both need to probably seek some help in dealing with our emotions and not bottling them up, I suppose.

But, I've always been one of those people that stays strong for the sake of others.  My kids, my family, my friends, my students, my co-workers.  I am the person that can take a beating, soak in and absorb all negativity that surrounds me, and figure out the best course of action to deal with it.  But, even a sponge can only hold on to so much water before it all starts to spill out all over the place.

Yesterday, as I let out all the emotions that have been building up, it took every ounce of energy out of me.  The release didn't just come in the form of tears, but also the stress and energy I'd been putting in to staying strong, not crumbling.  But, it was time to crumble... completely collapse... just so I could work on building myself up again ready to face the next round that will be coming my way.

I cried until there were no more tears, and then slept like I've never slept before.  I fell asleep around 7PM last night, and was woken up this morning at 10:30 by Hubby.  There was a short break where I woke up for a little while to talk to E around 2AM this morning, but the rest of the time I was sleeping and recuperating.  And, I have to admit, that today I feel genuinely better.  Rested.  Stronger.  Ready to face whatever is going to come my way this upcoming week.  I squeezed out all the water from my sponge, and ready to start the absorbing process another time.

My entire life, I have heard and used the phrase "The Lord works in mysterious ways".  Whenever something happens or a situation turns out in a weird way, that's the best sentence I can think of to explain it.

Maybe a person receives an extremely high bill that they just can't figure out how to pay, and then someone comes along and offers to buy that beat up pick up truck that's been sitting in the driveway for years collecting rust.  

Maybe a person spends a few years working in a dead end job feeling like they'll never break free, and a customer walks in an offers them an interview at a company that is perfectly suited to the talents of that person.  

Maybe a person spends years in an abusive relationship, finally finds the courage to break free, and then ends up being the person another victim in the same situation opens up to one day that provides that person the strength to do the same.

All hardships a person struggles with, but comes out with a resolution.

I know that my entire adult life has been guided by that very phrase.  I've been in tough situations that I just don't know how to deal with, and all of a sudden an answer comes.  Not just an answer, but a solution and plan for moving on and learning from that beginning situation.

I vividly remember back when I was in the abusive relationship.  Sitting on the couch, crying, wondering what on earth I was going to do to get myself and my kids out of that situation.  Then, wouldn't you know, a commercial came on TV specifically for a hotline number women could call if they were or knew someone that was in an abusive relationship.  It was that commercial that pushed me in to action and the follow up phone call that gave me the way out.

I vividly remember sitting on the couch one night, crying about another rejection letter I had received after interviewing for a teaching job.  That was letter #3 I had received in a matter of a couple of weeks.    I then remember the phone call that came from one of my friends a few days later about a teaching assistant job that had opened up in the school she would be teaching in. Not my own classroom, but a foot in the door.  I interviewed that same day, and got the call offering me the job the next.

I remember thinking that the teaching assistant job was going to be the key to securing a classroom teaching job the following year.  Little did I know that the teaching assistant job was NOT the key to getting a classroom in that school, but was most definitely a key factor in getting me the job I did get in my current school.  

And I could go on and on with these examples.  

Sometimes, hard situations come along.  For no rhyme or reason.  They leave me confused, dazed, an emotional wreck.  But NEVER have these situations come along without some resolution.  Shocking resolutions that end up leading me to something better, or answers I never knew I was even looking for.  

The Lord really does work in mysterious ways.  And, I just have to keep remembering that.  I am willing and able to continue taking on the tasks and challenges thrown my way.  I am ready to fight and battle through each one, however difficult they are, to get to that resolution on the other side.

During this tough situation I'm currently dealing with, I have found that I have support and love on my side.  I have people that have listened to the entire story, have made no judgements, and have offered nothing but support.  I know that I have Good on my side.  Ready to battle all enemies.  Because Good is God with an extra helping of O.  As in "oh it's ON" or "OK, let's do this".  

But, I definitely think that both Mother Nature and I still need to work on our anger/stress management techniques.

What I do know, though, is that IF Mother Nature does give us another snow day or two, they will be spent with me soaking up the time with my family.  Loving on them, enjoying their company, and not taking a second for granted.  

So, release away Mother Nature.  It really does help to let it go and start off with a fresh plate.  

Which is exactly what I'm doing today!

Here We Go Again

                          

Last night, I'm sitting there eating my dinner and my phone rings.  I look at the number and all I can muster is "You have GOT to be KIDDING me!"  Everyone in the house then knew who was calling me.

Yep.  The school.  Another snow day, for kids.  Staff must report, once again.

Another day of being in my classroom with no students.  Snow day number 17.  And it wouldn't be as bad if there wasn't a chance for MORE snow to move in this morning... while I'm at work.  Thankfully, it's nothing major in terms of expected accumulation.  But, with the ground being so cold and still snow covered in most areas, it won't take much snow for it to stick to the roads and make them a little slick.  

The current radar shows there's quite a bit of snow in southern Missouri right now, but it's as if some force field is planted firmly around our county because the snow is moving right above and around our area.  Not that I'm complaining about that, but I really don't want to drive all the way to work just to find out that that snow moves slightly south sending us all right back home again.

At least today, I know that it will be a full day working in my classroom.  My team spent all day Friday planning out the rest of the school year, so there's nothing to do in terms of that.  Except coming up with the actual lessons and materials.  I suppose that's something I'll start working on today.  After cleaning and filing and sorting and decluttering.  Everything I had planned to do on Friday.

I did manage to get in some good retail therapy yesterday.  

Hubby, Jelly, and I hit the town and did some shopping.  I went and bought some stuff for Butter (because he missed out on Saturday).  He's not really in to retail therapy, but he likes new stuff.  I bought him some new digs for the semi-formal dance, some new shoes, a new hoody, and a GIANT Duck Dynasty pillow.  Jelly also had a little shopping spree, finding herself some new clothes and boots.  We took advantage of the major sales that were taking place, that's for sure.

I ended up getting myself a new pink coffee pot for my classroom.  I've been wanting to get one, but when I saw that pinky goodness, I just couldn't resist.  And today, I'll be figuring out exactly where I can put it in my classroom without it being anywhere near students.  

I also got myself some new pens.  Not the ones I wanted because the store didn't have my usual brand, but new grading pens nonetheless.  

And that's about it.

I have to admit, I realized I kinda like shopping for my kids.  It's just as therapeutic as shopping for myself, if not more so.  It feels good knowing I can buy them some new clothes every now and then without it being a special occasion or holiday.  Of course, once again, major sales help with that kind of stuff.

I also received some sad news yesterday afternoon.  The mother of one of my team members passed away.  She has been fighting a battle with cancer for several years, and the suffering is now over.  I really hate to say that she "lost the battle" because from everything my sweet friend has told me, the woman has fought and fought hard for a long time.  Ten years if I remember right.  That's quite the victory, if you ask me.  So, in my mind, it was just time to end the fighting.  Now, there is no more pain or suffering.  Yet, my heart breaks for my dear friend.  She was so close with her mother, and I know that she needs as many thoughts, prayers, and support as she can get through this difficult time.

Not only that, but the 4 year old of a former co-worker has taken a turn for the worst.  My former co-worker has a beautiful, sweet angel of a daughter that was born with mitochondrial disease.  The disease attacks the cells that produce energy.  The disease takes away the ability to produce energy to control muscles, swallow, breath, and anything else that requires energy.  Yesterday, it was discovered that her sweet daughter has pneumonia, and that can be extremely serious in a child with Mito.  The last update posted by my former co-workers was that her daughter was being given comfort meds and being moved in to a hospice house.  

It was very tough for me to sleep last night, because that adorable angel was on my mind.

So, today, I'm asking for all readers of my blog to keep these people in your thoughts.  

Right now, I better get ready for work.  It's that time.

Oh, So THIS is What a Jinx Is

You're not going to believe it, folks, but today I'm actually going back to work.  Who'd have thunked it?  Want to know the best part?  Only the teachers are going in today... the kids get another day off.

WHAT?? You ask?

Oh yes.  At 4PM yesterday afternoon, at the "usual" time we get to hear whether or not there's another snow day in our future, we did indeed get the phone call and saw the Facebook announcement.  There was just one catch.  An added feature.

Due to hazardous road conditions on the back roads, there will be NO SCHOOL Friday, February 7th for students.  HOWEVER, all staff are to report to their buildings from 8AM-3:30PM to make up one of the contract days teachers are required to make up in the event of snow days.

You see, in Missouri after 10 days of snow, the state forgives the schools from making up any additional snow days.  In fact, it's more like after 14 snow days the state forgives any after that.  We just don't have to make up any more than 10 after those initial 14 have accrued.  

And I know, yes I was the one to rant and rave about the importance of making up missed snow days.. BUT

1.  I don't make the state laws

and 

2.  We have taken away the breaks that would normally occur between January and May, and added on a week at the end of school.  

Our school just doesn't have the "traditional" spring break to mess with... so we don't really have any more days to take away.  And the state understands, I suppose, that it's not really beneficial to keep tacking on the time at the end.  Especially when there's a month worth of summer school that comes in to play.

Anywho, the students don't have to make up the time, but the teachers?  Yeah, they are contracted for 180 days.  Contracted as in PAID for.  So, they have to actually work the 180 days regardless of how much the state forgives the students.  And, it goes to show that teachers aren't paid to sit at home and do nothing on snow days.  We have to make that time up if we want to be paid.

So, I have to admit I was very shocked when I saw the announcement.  Speechless, in fact. The kids were going to get another day at home, but the teachers had to report for duty.  A one day work week.  Weird.  But, after some serious thought... understandable.

But, you want to know the funny thing?

I totally jinxed myself with the whole ordeal.

You see, on Wednesday, when school was cancelled again for Thursday, I just KNEW that there wouldn't be any school on Friday.  With temps barely making it in to the teens yesterday, and the wind chill factor hovering around zero if not below, I just KNEW that there wouldn't be enough improvement to the road conditions for us to go back today.

So, I figured why not have a really late night and enjoy a Netflix marathon?  What would it hurt?  I stay up most of the night watching on of my favorite shows, I sleep for a few hours the following morning, and have plenty of time over the weekend to catch up on the lost sleep.

But, I was blindsided. Something happened that I just wasn't expecting or I'd ever heard of happening before.  Sure, the kids get another day off... but not teachers.

Awesome.

So, I stay up until after 4AM on Thursday morning, get a few hours of sleep, not wake up until 10AM and then find out I still have to work the next day.

And that, friends, is what I believe is the true definition of a jinx.

Now, am I complaining that we have to go in today?  No.  In fact, I think it will be very beneficial for the teachers to get together and hash out the "game plan" for making up for lost time.  I think it will be great to get a few hours working in my classroom.  I think it's pretty much every teacher's dream to get a day (that's paid for) to work in their classrooms and with their teams.  

Most teacher-only days are spent in workshops or meetings or a combination of the two.  To know that there is no scheduled workshops or day long meetings means that it's an impromptu day to get some work done that I normally have to do on my own time, after hours.  How could I complain about that?

Complaining about such would undoubtably result in another jinx:  Finding out that we do, indeed, have to spend the day in a meeting.  Don't want to chance that!

So, while my kids are still nestled snuggly and warmly in their beds, I'm up, drinking coffee, and mentally preparing myself for a one day work week.  Hey, it's Friday!! I still get the weekend off, so who has to worry about lack of sleep today? 

And for the record, I was still awake at 2AM this morning.  Partly because it was really hard for me to think about sleep when I hadn't woken up until 10AM that morning, and partly because Jelly decided it would be great fun to wake up at 11PM after being asleep for several hours.

You see, she's been sick for the past couple of days.  Monday night, she had a pretty nasty fever and developed a cough and stuffy nose.  I considered taking her to the doctor on Wednesday being that she had seemed to get worse on Tuesday.  Well, due to the weather (I'm assuming), my doctor's office didn't answer the phone on Wednesday when I tried calling... and by yesterday she was feeling MUCH better.  In fact, she was up playing most of the day, and I think that really wore her out after being in bed for two days.  She ended up falling asleep around 4PM yesterday afternoon.  I would have woken her up, but she was sleeping without being woken up by coughing, and I figured she needed her rest.

Well, when she woke up at 11PM last night, she appeared to be almost cured... and didn't want to go back to sleep.  Her cough is minimal, her stuffy nose is just about gone, and she had plenty of energy pent up when I was considering going to bed for the night.

I sat up with her for a few hours, trying to coaxing her in to trying to go back to sleep with no luck.  So, finally, at 2AM I managed to talk her in to going to bed with me and watching TV while I went to sleep.  And that she did.  I have no idea how long she stayed up watching TV because I fell asleep.  

If felt like I had only been asleep a little while when my alarm went off at 5:30.  Oh wait.  I had only been asleep for a little while.

NO worries, though.  Like I said, it's Friday.  I'll get through today and have a nice early night tonight.

Right now, though, I need to get ready for work.  I want to leave early so I have plenty of time to take it nice and easy on the roads.  I have absolutely no idea if they are going to be a tad icy or what they look like because I haven't left the house since Monday.

Oh well... duty calls.

Have a great Friday!!

And Snowmageddon Continues...

                                     

So, today is Day 4 of this week's bout of snow days, and I think that puts us up to day 15 all together.. maybe day 16.  To be honest, I've kinda lost count.  This winter sure has done a number on us.  I guess it goes with the old saying "be careful what you wish for".  Last year, we didn't have any snow days.. well, maybe one, and there were a lot of teachers that were hankering for a snow day or two this year.  But, well, urm... we didn't expect this.

I spent some time, yesterday, using the power of Facebook to communicate with my grade level team so that we could start working on a game plan for when we do finally go back.  It goes to show that not all teachers are sitting at home enjoying the high life.  HA!  We are actually deeply concerned how we are going to take the best route to maximize learning and skill coverage with the loss of three instructional weeks.  

We figured out what we're going to do when we go back, and our consensus was that we are going to sit down when we do get back and map out the rest of the year.  It means throwing our usual pacing guide to the wind (which of course, kinda happened a while ago being that we are now three weeks behind said pacing guide), and focusing on the core skills our kiddos MUST master in 4th grade.  While all the standards are important, there are some areas we can combine and skim over in order to really dive in to certain areas that we can't just "introduce" or fly through.

And I just want to say that I know I raised a few eyebrows yesterday with my blog rant.  I received some good feedback, but I also received some disagreement with my thinking.  That's fine.  I totally respect that.   Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  

My point, yesterday, wasn't to try and make teachers out to be martyrs to their profession.  I think some people think that I went in the opposite extreme of the beginning intentions, starting out with trying to explain away some of the negativity that had been directed towards teachers from parents and turning it in to a situation where ALL parents hate teachers and schools.  Or making it sound like parents don't care about their kids if they were against making up snow days on spring break. 

That wasn't my point.

I wasn't trying to put a shining light on to how bad teachers really have it when it comes to parent support, or how much their hands are tied by the government.  I'm not some kind of anti-government megaphone that wants to "rally up the troops" to showcase how schools are being corrupted and ran with only testing and government mandates in mind.  That's not really how it is.  Sure, we have laws and mandates we have to follow, but what company or profession doesn't?

But, in the heat of the moment, I know that's how some of my rant sounded.

In fact, the actual point I was trying to stick to was the need for making up lost instructional time.  Not because of cramming stuff in for testing.  Not because kids don't have near as much time in school as it is.  But simply because every day at school is important, and the kids need the time they have.  When that time is cut short by three weeks, they are the ones that suffer.  Not the parents.  Not the teachers.  Not even the schools.  The kids.  They lose out.  Regardless of how many parents look at school as "punishment".  Regardless of how much teachers stress about what they need to now focus on.  Just the kids.  They miss out on learning, socially interacting, and being in for a few days and then out for a week, back for a week, and then out for a week does TERRIBLE things to a child's learning ability.

Don't worry, I'm not going to go on another tirade.  Just wanted to try and clear that up.  

Do I think teachers often get a bad rap?  Sure.  Do I think that I look at the situation a little one-sided?  Of course.  But are my motives and intentions focused on anything but the kids?  Absolutely not.

I saw a lot of arguments I hadn't considered before my post, yesterday.  Parents that were worried taking away spring break would prevent split parents from receiving time with the other parent, because custody regulations dictated that spring break was a visitation time for non-custodial parents. Parents who had scheduled college visits for their children over spring break.  Two situations where I can't argue are very important.  

At the end of the day, there's nothing I can really do but sit back, wait for further instructions, and then plan my attack with the given instructions.  

My ranting and raving won't settle the argument, won't help the situation, and won't change the thoughts and opinions of the few parents that are fixated on schools being some kind of unnecessary evil thrown in to their lives to cause nothing more than disruption and problems.  

What I just need to do is worry about myself, my kiddos, and how the rest of the year will play out.

I'm not going to lie, I have enjoyed all of these snow days off.  Getting extra time with my family is always a bonus.  My kids have kept themselves occupied, and have spent a good deal of time watching TV and playing video games.  I've spent a good deal of time on the couch watching Netflix and enjoying some crocheting time.  

Are we all ready to go back, though?  Yes.  We are.  

Will we complain if we have another snow day tomorrow?  Probably not.  

Our household has just become acclimated with rolling with the punches.  We're happy if we get to go back to school, we're happy if we get to stay home.  We make the most of being home, because we have no say in the matter.  But, know that it's going to be all hands on deck once we get back... and there won't be near as much time available for all this "down time".  

Well, except for Peanut.  She is done with a capital DONE.  She wants to see her friends, she's stressed about how far behind her Algebra class will be, and how much work that will entail trying to catch up.  She's worried about the formal dance that's currently scheduled for next Friday, and whether or not all these snow days will impact that.  She's worried about getting in everything she needs to get in before "graduating" from 8th grade and moving on to high school.   

Gotta love her.  Reminds me of me when I was her age.  Snow days were the WORST!!  

I am just trying to push all my stress and concern down, and figure that I have always been good at making the best out of a bad situation...and that's what I'll do.  There's always a bandwagon to jump on.  Death to snow days!!  Yay for snow days!!  Death to make up days!! Yay for make up days!!  Death to trying to figure out how to make up for lost time!  Yay for... well... urm... how about YAY for trying my very best and proving that I can still get the job done when the going gets tough?

I just figure I need to stay off any bandwagons.  Just sit right in the middle.  Can't change how the weather plays out.  Can't change how many days we're off.  So, enjoy it while there's something to enjoy, and take care of the rest once it's over.

But, right now, I'm going to turn Netflix back on, get out my crocheting again, and wait for my marching orders that will either come in a form of a phone call this evening, or with no phone call that silently means "Get ready!! We're going back!!".  

Have a great Thursday, and stay warm!!

Since When Did Going to School Become a Punishment??

                                         

This morning, I am fired up and ready to spill out some personal opinions and cold hard truths.  Some may be offensive.  Some may cross the border of "professional".  But, after what I read on Facebook last night, I really don't care.

It all started last night when a local news station decided to post the question "Do you think snow days should be made up on Spring Break".  

Now, the news station was doing what they do best:  Stirring up controversy.  Snow day make up is a hot button of discussion around these parts, being that most school districts have had about 14 days of missed school due to snow.  That equates to almost three weeks of instruction that has been missed due to Mother Nature.

And, I'll say right now, I wasn't shocked to see the majority of people voting NO.  People make vacation plans and travel plans and other kinds of plans on spring break.  Heaven forbid that trip to Cancun gets cancelled for something as stupid as GOING TO SCHOOL!  (Offensive statement #1)

But, that wasn't the real beef I had.  That wasn't what got my blood boiling and me ready to scream at people for being the cause of the nation's education problems.  

No, that all came from the following two statements that I saw over, and over, and over again in some form or another on that thread last night (these are two actual statements made):

"Why should kids be PUNISHED for snow days, and have their BREAKS taken away?"

and, my favorite...

"Why is it fair that my kid has been assigned work to do on the snow days while the teachers sit home doing nothing and enjoying their days off?  Don't give them work on snow days and then ask them to make up the missed days.  That's "doubling up" and it's not fair.  Teachers don't have to work on their days off - including snow days.  I'm not sure what the labor board would say if teachers were made to work when they weren't at school teaching?"

To add some further fuel to the fire, I saw parents making these statements (and these are copied and pasted from Facebook, by the way..fixing some errors in spelling and grammar, naturally):

"NO! Because all the teachers care about is teaching to that stupid test.  I couldn't give a rat's a** how my kid does on that test, it doesn't tell me anything.  My kid is going to enjoy her snow days AND enjoy her spring break.  No school is going to punish my kid just because there's snow."

"Why on earth should the kids HAVE to make up the snow days?  My kid makes all A's, so I'm not concerned about them learning what they need to know before next year.  My kid's teacher just needs to work a little harder to make sure they cover everything in the time they have.  It's not like they don't have plenty of time off to plan for this sort of stuff."

"No, don't make them go on Spring Break!! Kids have enough school!! They won't learn anything, anyway.  All the teachers do is play movies and let them goof off.  Just add the "movie days" on at the end.  It's not like any teachers teach anything once those tests are over anyway."

And, all I can say to that is..

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???

I thank all things holy that these comments were made by people FAR AWAY from my school district.  I could almost guarantee you wouldn't hear many statements like that from our parents (in the amount of droves I saw last night, anyway).  I am actually blessed to work in a school district that respects and supports the teachers and the school.  Thank goodness!!

And, I'm also very happy that I work in a school district that doesn't do the usual spring break.  Instead, we are given long weekends each month between Christmas and end of school.  But, do you know what happens to those "breaks" when the snow days start adding up?  Yep.  They're gone.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Because our administration recognizes that three weeks of snow days equates to plenty of "breaks".

But, being that these comments were made by people that live in my area, I'm going to point out a few cold, hard truths.

1.  It is the GOVERNMENT who dictates how many days kids HAVE to be in school.  In many areas, that's 178 days.  LESS THAN HALF THE YEAR!!  One hundred and seventy eight days to teach the extensive list of standards that are deemed necessary for a child to learn before moving on to the next grade.

2.  No matter how much anyone hates those tests (teachers being at the top of that list), they are required BY THE GOVERNMENT to measure a school's success.  School funding and other important aspects of the education world are dictated by the test scores.  Nobody that's actually in education like them, they loathe them in fact, but we also want to make sure that our kids are getting the education they deserve.  And, if the government mandates that with a test, then we are going to do whatever we can to prepare the students for those tests, so that they can continue to receive a good education.  Don't like it?  Take it up with your elected officials.  DO NOT BLAME THE SCHOOLS OR THE TEACHERS.  They don't actually get to make the rules that affect your child's learning.

3.  A parent that looks at school as a "punishment" will raise a child that looks at education as a "punishment".  Instead of whining and complaining about how their breaks are going to be taken away from them because "the mean old school" is making them go because of the snow days, how about explaining to your child that their education is first and foremost the priority?  

"I'm sorry, Johnny, but we're not going to be able to have our trip this spring break because it's more important that you learn everything you need to this year, so that you can be successful next year.  We can always take the trip next year, whereas your education just can't be done over.  We have to support the school's decision in wanting to make sure that all of their students get the education they need.  Your education will help you, one day, be able to take your own family on nice vacations during spring break... and that's far more important."

4.  I can't speak for ALL teachers, but I will tell you that ALL of the teachers I know most certainly DO NOT stop teaching the minute the test is over.  In fact, I would go out on a limb and say that the most fun and meaningful learning happens AFTER the test.  Because even though the majority of teachers I know do not "teach to the test", their hands are tied in timing and standards that have to be covered in order to prepare the students for the tests.  Once the test is over, the teachers are pretty much free to turn back in to the creative, Pintrest loving, and educationally (not test) focused teachers they first set out to be. Because they no longer have a test looming over their heads.  Fun, educational, and meaningful projects start coming out.  Kids are challenged to think outside the box for fun endeavors of creative learning, experimentation, and imaginative projects.  I know that I would rather poke my eyes out with blunt pencils than play a movie every day for the remainder of the year.

5.  Contrary to popular belief, teachers don't work the cushy 8-4 Monday to Friday job that everyone thinks they do.  They are contracted for 180-185 days a year.  Meaning that's how many days they are PAID to work.  And, sure, teachers get holidays, weekends, breaks, summer, and snow days off... but do you really think they spend that time doing nothing?  Again, I won't speak for all teachers, but I will speak for the teachers I know (myself included) that are up until ungodly hours of the night grading and entering in grades, writing lesson plans, creating units, and going through the standards with a fine tooth comb deciding how on earth they are going to fit them all in when almost three weeks of their teaching time has been taken away by snow.  Please, madam, complain about your child having to do an assignment on a snow day and cry and whine about how "unfair" it is that your child has to work when the teacher doesn't.  But, please think about how much a teacher works while not in a classroom.  Think about the teachers that sacrifice time with their own families in order to make YOUR child's educational experience the best it can be. Please compain.  Do.  I dare you!

6.  How are snow days any different than days missed by a child because of illness?  Every child that is absent from school is required to make up any work missed while gone.  They don't automatically get a "free pass" just because they were sick or had a death in the family or went on a vacation during school days.  So, explain to me why it's SO unfair that kids are asked to do work on unscheduled, missed days like snow days?  Of course I'm not saying that teachers should assign kids all the work they are missing while at home, but does it really hurt to have them do some reading or math practice while they are cooped up at home?  And like a very wise professor shared on my Facebook this morning, the parents complaining about work being assigned during snow days are probably the same parents complaining that their kids are bored and have nothing to do.  I'm sure you think it a lot more FAIR that your child spends the entire day in front of the TV or video game, but how about taking a pointer from #3 and stress the importance of their education.  The schools nor teachers control the weather, so they are doing their best in a bad situation.  The weather may keep the kids from school, but is it really so bad to send the school to the kids?  Keep their brains focused with some reading and math practice, it won't kill them.

7.  America is one of the few countries that have so LITTLE time in schools.  Look to the countries that have AMAZING educational scores and success.  They are in school an average of 200-250 days of the year.  They have longer school days and far less breaks.  While I haven't visited any of these countries, I will go out on a limb and say that you probably won't see parents complaining about making up 14 days lost in a 178 day calendar.  They put education first and foremost, and believe that taking a kid away from school for too long (like 3 months in the summer) is a detriment to the educational process.  Kids regress and lose some of their skills during such a long time away from school.  On average, the "summer break" in most countries is 4-6 weeks.  And they are not receiving 2-3 weeks off every other month.  I, for one, can attest that when I went to school in England, we had 2 weeks off for Christmas, 6 weeks off for summer, and several days off throughout the year for major holidays.  And even though England averages about 192 days of student/teacher school days, their days off are spread out throughout the year to minimize regression.  I know that it won't change how things are done here, and I'm not saying that any drastic changes need to be made to our school year (even though I think we are out too much), but I definitely think that making up 14 days is IMPERATIVE to giving our kids the very best education they can receive.

And, I think that about covers my rant points this morning.

Once again, I just like to point out how truly blessed I am that I work where I work.  Situations like I complained about above are not a cause of concern for me.  I don't get parents whining and complaining to me about "punishing" their child for going to school.  I get nothing but support.  Most of the kids I teach come from backgrounds where education is a gift, not a right.  The parents embrace it, make it a top priority, and want their child to receive the best education possible so that their child has a chance of making something of themselves and breaking the poverty cycle.  For that, I am truly thankful.  

It just hurts my heart when I know teachers who are teaching in the schools those parents are complaining about.  Some were my mentors.  I received my training in passion and motivation from those very teachers being bashed and condemned.  And, that makes me sad.

What it really boils down to is the fact that I don't think parents are fully aware of what goes on behind closed doors.  They don't get to see the amazing teaching that's taking place.  They don't get to hear about all the mandates and rules that government officials hand down to school administrators.  They don't understand that the teachers and administrators and doing the very best they can with the rules and laws they are given.  And, at the end of the day, I don't think people (parents) realize just how much teachers care about their students education, and the true desire they have for their kiddos to succeed and make something of their lives.  

Again, I can't talk for all teachers.  I'm not naive enough to look over the fact that there are a few "bad eggs" out there.  Some teachers have gotten to a point where they are so sick of the government interfering, or the high (almost impossible) expectations that are put on their shoulders, that it turns them in to drones that just go about their day in a robotic stance running the motions.  

But, in my experience, I haven't met any of them.  I have been in three of the four major school districts in my area over the course of the past five years, and EVERY SINGLE teacher I interacted with or observed or learned from had their students' needs first and foremost.  Sure, some were tired and wilted by the lack of support they received from parents, but that didn't stop them from doing what they do and making sure their students didn't fester the same attitude.

And, I will also say that I have met MANY parents who do have their child's educational future first and foremost in their list of priorities.  They support the teachers, administration, and school's decisions.  

I'm not judging all parents.  Nor all teachers.

But, it just makes me very sad to see SO MANY comments like I saw last night.  

I was appreciative of the comments that were thrown in out of support for teachers and the schools.  I was melted by some of the kind words said about me (by complete strangers) as I went on the defensive last night.  I am thankful and for my job, and no Negative Nelly's will have any impact on how I look at my job and the importance it has on our future.

If anything, there has been some good to come out of all this negativity.  

It has further instilled to me how blessed I am to have my job.  To work for the people I work for.  To work with the people I work with.  To be one of the lucky ones that gets to see what happens behind those closed doors, and the magic that takes place.

And I know, that no matter how many snow days we get, it will be my TOP priority to prepare my students, and provide them with all they need to know in order for them to be ready for next year.  No matter how many hours I put in outside of the classroom, how many changes and adjustments I have to make.  I will gladly do it.  Because Mother Nature will NEVER stop me from doing what I do best.

Impacting and improving the lives of our children.

Snow Way!!

                                     

Well, after a fantastic birthday, I got to wake up to this stunning site this morning.  It's been coming down for a while, and is still coming down in giant, beautiful flakes.

Is a snow day in the cards for an extended birthday present?  We shall see as the day continues on, and the snow continues to fall.  At this point, my biggest concern is the difference a few miles can make in snow accumulation.  We may get 3"-5" here, but where I work may only get a dusting... so, they might still have school even though the roads here are slick and treacherous.

I have to admit, a snow day would be a great late birthday present.  Because even though we've had plenty of snow days already this year, I haven't really gotten any work done this weekend and having an extra day to get it done would be nice.  Yeah, I understand that another snow day would mean less days at school, less summer, all that jazz... but the way it stands right now, I'm not going to have any days off between the end of school and summer school anyway.  Plus, I work better under pressure.. so knowing that the amount of time I have to prepare my students for 5th grade is dwindling away will have me upping my game to make sure they are ready even though we're several days short of an entire school year.

But, right now, snow day or no snow day, I'm going to take my time and explain all the birthday goodness I got to experience the past couple of days.  I wrote a post yesterday about my "deep" interpretation of my birthday and what it means, but I completely neglected the awesome day I spent prior in my classroom with my kiddos.  And, now that I've had my actual birthday celebration, I can share that goodness, too.

So, Friday.  Day before my birthday.  I may or may not have let it slip one or five times throughout the week that my birthday was on Saturday.  And before I go on, I'd like to set one thing straight.  I do NOT talk about my birthday in the attempt to elicit gifts from my students or the people I work with.  I talk about my birthday because it's a day I'm excited about... and the general point is to let the kids know that the day before my birthday is going to be a fun day IF they behave and do their work.  Think of it as a bribe, if you will.  I mention my birthday a few times, mention the fact that I'd love to have a little party to celebrate, but only if the week goes well.  I also drop the hint that it would be a great birthday gift if they behave, turn in all their work, and they stay focused.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm already starting to panic that the AMAZING behavior I received this entire week was related to that little spill that I gave my kids.  I sure hope not.  I'm just going to pretend that the thought didn't enter my mind, and that the kids were amazingly well behaved because they had some kind of epiphany about taking responsibility for their education.

Anywho, back to Friday morning.  The kids are starting to make their way down the hallway heading to the classroom, and I start being greeted by my students with hugs and happy birthday wishes.  Then, a student hands me a gift bag, and then another, and then another hands me a giant chocolate bar, and then another hands me another candy bar, then a student arrives with a GIANT bag of chips for "the party", and then another student has a 2 liter bottle of Sprite in her hand.  

I was blown away.  

The next 20 minutes were spent with the students making birthday cards for me... at their request.

I opened up my gifts after I did attendance, and one gift contained a BEAUTIFUL handmade scarf, and the other was a little gift box with the words "You are special" on the front, filled with Almond Joys and Mounds, piled around a cute little teddy bear.  

Shortly after that, it was time to head down to our dodgeball tournament.  The county SWAT team arrived, and they arrived in style.  In camo armored trucks, dressed in their full SWAT gear.  The kids were blown away, and super excited.

Being that I'm a Student Council sponsor, I got to play with the SWAT members and the STUCO students against the class that had won the original competition.  

The game was amazingly fun.  The SWAT team put on a great show, and after a few members were hit.. they decided to switch teams and help the other side.  The rest of the school was sitting in the bleachers watching the action, and it was controlled pandemonium.  They were cheering and screaming and doing the wave.  SO MUCH FUN.

My class got the opportunity to join in the fun, as they had come in 3rd during the original competition. They all had a great time throwing balls at the opposing team... including a couple of SWAT members. I was out there, with them, running around and enjoying the fun.  

Here's my class with the SWAT team in full gear...

Once the games were over, it was back to class to try and get in some learning.  On the way back to the classroom, I checked my mail box and found a card and a bag of Russell Stover's Chocolates.  The card was from the staff, and it was super sweet.  It was pretty crazy once we got back in to the classroom.  Try and get a class to calm down enough after that much excitement.  Not easy.  But, I managed to do it.. and we spent the last 30 minutes before lunch doing our spelling test.

After lunch, we had a pretty relaxing afternoon.  We graded some papers, went over a few things from the week, and just "chilaxed".  About 30 minutes before the end of the day, my co-teacher arrived with a little surprise.  A giant tub of chocolate chip cookies, a card from the entire class, and a mug that said "World's Greatest Teacher".  And... cue tears.  How sweet, right?  My co-teacher had orchestrated the whole thing with the class during their specials time.  

So, I divided out the cookies, the chips brought by one of my students, and the soda that another student brought, and we just "hung out" and had a good time for the remainder of the day.  

I was so touched by the generosity and the sweetness my students displayed all day long.  

Here's a pic of the wonderful gifts and cards that I received throughout the day...

Once school was over, I spent some time making sure all of my copies for next week were taken care of, and then packed my bag to head on home.

Yesterday morning, I was woken up pretty early by my phone going crazy with messages. Birthday well wishes from my sweet besties.  I love them dearly, but I couldn't help but wonder WHY they had to wish me a Happy Birthday at 8AM on a Saturday.  Not that I'm complaining, of course... just being thought of at any time of the morning (even on a Saturday morning) is special and something to be thankful for.  

I did my usual perusing of Facebook and was blown away by the amount of Facebook birthday wishes I had received.  Twenty by 9AM.  That's pretty awesome.  And several more came throughout the rest of the day.

My mom arrived around noon, and we made the drive to the casino for my Annual Birthday Bingo Extravaganza.  First stop was the casino steak house for an amazing birthday lunner (late lunch/early dinner...doesn't sound as good as "brunch" but the same principal). The food was fantastic, but I'm pretty sure it's going to cost me on the scale tomorrow for my weight loss competition.  Oh wait.  Possible snow day.  Another bonus to that whole thing.

After we ate, we went and bought our bingo books and then headed out to the casino to enjoy the 30 minutes we had to wait for the bingo to get started.

Now, I will say right now, that I hate slot machines.  I think they are nothing more than money shredders.  Put money in, and 3 seconds later?  Money gone.  

Unless, of course, you actually win.  

Which I didn't do UNTIL I had shredded about $80 and was ready to call it quits and spend the rest of the evening mourning the loss of $80 and smacking myself in the head for being so stupid.  

I had gotten down to my last $20.. and yes, I had given myself $100 to spend on the machines.  NOT something I would or could do very often, and which is why the only time I do something like that is on my birthday.

Anywho, put the last $20 in to the money shredder... and with the first spin, I win $80.  Now, a smart person would realize they just won back the money they had wasted and walk away.  But, I'm not a smart person.  Not when it comes to stupid gambling.  I figure, I only gave it one spin.. why not have a few more goes.  I start watching my money dwindle back away, and once again when I think that I just need to stop I hit a bonus spin and win another $60.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  I'm back up to the $80 mark... a few more hits and BAM.. I hit the mini jackpot and win $218!!

Thankfully, that was enough for me to know better and I quickly hit the Cash Out button before giving it a second thought.  That gave me back the money I spent on bingo cards, the $80 I had spent on the money shredders, and still put me $50 ahead.  I'll take it!!

Then, Mom and I get started with our matinee bingo session, and she wins $150.  Now, the best part about playing bingo with my mom is the fact that we split any winnings.  Bingo winnings.  Slot machine winnings are completely separate.  

So, there's another $75 to add to my winning's pot.  

Then, I'll be danged, she wins again during the early bird session and scores another $50... which is another $25 for me.

I didn't have any luck all night playing bingo, but I had a blast nonetheless.

I wish I could say that I walked away with the full winning's pot in tack, but I was drawn in to the money shredders again, and shredded another $40.  But, I ended up walking away with an extra $50 than I had before lunch, bingo, evening snack, and money shredding... so I'm OK with that.  I had an absolutely amazing time, and it didn't cost me a penny.  In fact I got paid to have that much fun.  Who on earth can complain about that?  

I finally made it home around 1AM and went to bed.  

An absolutely FANTASTIC birthday.

Today, I'm planting myself on my computer and getting my taxes filled.  And working.  And relaxing.  And crocheting.  All while enjoying the snow that's falling down in droves right now.  We're up to about 3" at this point, and I'm pretty sure the prediction of 1-3" is a little off.  Especially since our current radar looks like this...

                                            

Yeah, pretty sure we're going to get just a little more than 3".  

All I have to do now is pray that my school town gets just as much, because I know for definite now that there will be no way I'll be driving to work in the morning.  The temps are not going to get above freezing today, and will be dropping down to about 12 degrees overnight.  It won't be white, fluffy snow in the morning, I can guarantee that.

So, now I'm going to try and not worry about what I might have to do if there IS school and I can't get there, but instead just try and enjoy my day.

Have a great, warm, Sunday, everyone!!

What's Better Than a One Day Work Week?

I guess the answer to that question is a NO day work-week, being that I just found out that school has been cancelled, once again.  

I sat here for 30 minutes writing my post about going back today...then saw the post on Facebook that had to make me change everything I wrote.  

I'm so glad I got up, took a shower, and drank two cups of coffee before finding out.  I need to go back to bed, but kinda wide awake now.

I have to admit, I was kinda sitting on a fence about how I felt regarding going back today.

Half of me was really excited and glad that we were going back on a Friday.  It would have been a great opportunity to get all of the kids' excitement out of their system about the break and the extra days we had off.  It would have given me a chance to review a few things that we did before the break.  It also would have given me a chance to ease myself back in to work mode, cause Lord knows I need to really work on getting back on a work schedule.

And then, the other half of me was thinking: Really?  We're going back for one day?  Why couldn't we have just called it a wash and started over fresh on Monday.

But, I think I was only feeling that last half because I could not, for the life of me, get to sleep last night.

At 1:30AM, despite not feeling the slightest bit tired, I decided I had to try and get some sleep.  At 3AM, when Hubby came home from work early, I was still awake.  Just lying in bed.  I'd been resting, but sleep just wasn't coming.

My brain just didn't want to shut off.  I was thinking about what I was going to do today.  What activities we should do, what content I wanted to review, what the chances were of some kids not making it because roads still being a little dicey, about whether I will assign anything if attendance isn't all that great or if we'll just do some basic activities, and if there was still a chance that I'd get up in a couple of hours and find out that school had been cancelled anyway.

Just non-stop thinking.

I must have dozed off a little after talking to Hubby, because the next thing I knew it was 4:30AM and my alarm was going off.  So, an hour and a half of sleep.  Guess that will have to do... but it's not like I can't make it up over the next two days, right?

So, I get up around 5AM (after a few snooze button hits), jump in the shower, drink a cup of coffee, start writing my blog about having to go back today, drink another cup of coffee...and decide to check Facebook to get other people's thoughts on the situation... and BAM!   There's a post cancelling school for today.

I have to admit that a big part of me felt relieved, and a small part of me was pretty upset.  I mean, I was up, focused on going and then let down.  But, I'm also pretty sleep deprived and probably would have been a little scatter brained had we gone back today.

One big incentive of having another snow day is the fact that there's no more snow on the ground (here) and the temperature is supposed to reach up to almost 50 today!!  That means, I'm getting out of the house for a while.

Something miraculous happened this past week.  I started receiving child support again!!  It's only been, oh, I don't know... eight years since I got my last child support check.  But it really couldn't have come at a better time.  We can get some bills paid and take care of a few things that need to be taken care of.  

For the past eight years, I had completely given up the hope of ever receiving a penny in child support. The back child support had surpassed the $18,000 mark!!  No matter how many letters I got explaining that warrants had been issued, his driver's license being flagged, taxes flagged... he somehow managed to stay under the radar for all that time.  And I guess, they finally found him.

How long it will last?  Who knows.  But, they did manage to get ahold of a bank account and freeze it, and found out he was working and put a wage garnishment in.  So, I've received some money.  Something is better than nothing.  I'm not holding my breath that it will last very long, being that he tends to disappear the minute they find him, but I'm not going to complain.  I've managed to go this long without it, not really that big a deal either way.  But, I will enjoy it while it lasts.

For a split second, I actually felt bad when I found out that they had seized his bank account and sent me the money from it.  But then, the feeling passed when I thought about the fact that he had that money in a bank account yet still dodged his obligation, and has done so for eight years.  Actually, he's dodged it for more like 11 1/2 years, because eight years ago I received a few small payments before it stopped again.  Had he just paid his minimal obligation in the first place, he wouldn't be missing that money from his bank account now.

Of course, $18,000 isn't a minimal amount.. but divide that up over 11 1/2 years and you'll find that his obligation was nothing compared to the actual cost of raising a child.  And, I'm quite sure that my kids will be grown with kids of their own before he ever catches up (if that ever happens).  I may have received a payment, but it's only a minuet portion of the amount he owes.

But, enough about that.  Now it's time to start planning out my day.  

Hopefully everyone has a great Friday!!  I know I will.  :)

And the Snow Days Roll On

                    

That's a picture of the snow that I woke up to on Sunday morning.  Today is Tuesday.  It is Tuesday, right?  I'm kinda losing my days.  And this is what it looks like outside...

                    

We have not received any additional snow since Sunday, yet it still looks exactly the same two days later.  That's because the temperature has been CRAZY low, so no melting has occurred.  That's supposed to change today.  We are supposed to get a couple of hours of temps above freezing in order to melt some of it.  We shall see how much actually melts.

I've seen a lot of unhappiness surrounding this bout of snow and additional snow days.  Mainly because it will affect how late we get out of school in May.  Or June, as some people are predicting.  

The way I look at it, I'll be teaching summer school the entire month of June so it's not like I was going to get any summer break until July anyway.  So, I really have nothing to worry about.  The worst that's going to happen is that I won't get a week off between school getting out and summer school starting.  Which may be ideal, because after having a week off, it kind of lowers the motivation level to go back for another month.

What I don't get is that people are so OK with being off for three months in the summer, but extend Christmas break (which is two weeks) by a few days and we're on the verge of anarchy.  

Yes, I understand that it's easier to find stuff to do in the summer when the weather is nice, and the kids aren't cooped up indoors.  But what happens when we are dealing with temperatures near and over a hundred and people are urging us to stay indoors due to extreme heat?  It's not that much different.  

I know that last summer, by mid July, we were rationing our time in the pool to early mornings or early evenings and avoiding the midday sun.  It was just too hot.  If we were outside for more than an hour, we were taking the risk of sunburn and heat exhaustion.  Jelly could go outside and ride her bike during those same hours, but there was no way I was letting her out when it was 100 degrees outside.  Instead, we were looking for stuff to do indoors, in the air conditioning, away from the heat.

The same thing goes for being in school.  Had we been in school these past couple of days, we wouldn't have let the kids out at recess.  The temperature was WAY too low for them to go outside.  So, we would have been trying to get kids to concentrate while the sun is shining, telling them that they have to ignore the sun, it's too cold to play.  The same way we tell them to ignore the sun in August, because it's too hot to play outside.  

I, for one, am not complaining about our extra days at home.  Any additional time that I get to spend with my family makes me happy.  And feel free to quote me as we draw near to summer break and I'm complaining about not getting out as early as we should due to making up snow days.

But, any complaining coming out of my mouth won't be because the snow days "ruined" my summer.  It will be me complaining that it's time to spend time with my family.  Because that's what it's all about for me.  I'm either home in January, or home in May (or July, because like I said..summer school).

I know that these snow days are going to now make us give up any days off we had scheduled in February, maybe even all the days we had off in March.  If the weather patterns continue, we may be sacrificing the days off in April, too.  But, after ten snow days, the state forgives any additional.  So there's no way we'll be going to school well in to July to make up ALL the days off.  That won't happen.  Today is day seven, meaning after three more snow days the rest is forgiven and doesn't have to be made up. 

If any complaining should take place it should be about the time the kids are missing out on their education.  I'll take a second to do some complaining about that.  

With all these snow days, the kids are missing out on their learning. Making up snow days at the end of the school year does us absolutely no good, because all of the state testing is done in March/April.. so the tests are long gone by the time we add on those additional days.  

So, while I'm rejoicing about having a few extra days home... I'm also panicking on the inside about how we're going to get in everything the kids have to learn by the end of the year... or by state testing.  

While I shouldn't be spending too much time worrying about those state tests, I have to.  Because the kids are going to be tested on what they know, or should know.  We're being tested on how the kids retained the information and how they can apply it.  Well, if they don't get the chance to learn the stuff they're supposed to know.. how do they pass that test?

I'll tell you how.

By the teachers going back to work and going in to double time mode.  We'll have to pull out every trick in the book to do what we can to expose the kids and teach them the content they need in order to be successful in the next grade.  Because, at the end of the day, I'm not really that worried about the test... it's more about sending my kids on to 5th grade with the tools they need to succeed.  There's a reason why we have standards and stuff.  It's the content the kids are supposed to learn in 4th grade.  If I'm sending them to 5th grade with a few holes, those holes could very well affect the rest of their schooling.  Holes and gaps are very hard to fill, especially when there's a whole grade level of content that also has to be taught.

OK, rant over.  I feel better now that I took some time to complain about the snow days. I didn't want to feel left out, or that I'm a giant, annoying ray of sunshine that everyone can't stand hearing from because all I bluster out is positivity and goodness.

Like one of my very good friends pointed out the other day... I can sit behind this computer playing Mom of the Year, but people actually know the real me.  And one thing they do know is that I'm not all rainbows and sunshine 100% of the time.  I like to whine and moan with the best of them.  Might as well find something to whine and moan about.... even though on the inside I'm perfectly happy with another day off.

Like I've said a thousand times... I LOVE MY JOB.  I really do.  It's the best job, hands down, on the planet.  I love teaching.  I love building relationships with students.  I love "a-ha moments".  I love finding creative and new ways to teach.  I love my students.  I love the people I work with.  

But, there's one thing I love more than all of that.  My family.  

How could I complain about being home with them?  

Now, I will say that pretty soon, I know that I will have three kids who are ripping their hair out because they are ready to go back to school.  Two and a half weeks is quite enough for them.  They've had enough time to try out all their fancy new toys from Christmas.  They've enjoyed spending time at Grandma's house, playing PS3 online with their friends, watching movies, playing board games with me, and they will be ready to head back and hear all about their friends' Christmases.  

And, when that time comes, I'll be ready right along with them.  We all know when enough is enough... but I let them make that call.  While they're not complaining, I'm not complaining.

And so far?  No complaining.  

Which is weird.  But, like I said... fancy new toys, stuff to do, all that jazz. 

OK, I'm done rambling.  I need to go and check the mail and see if I can make it up there without falling on my behind from the ice.

  

Twelve Days of Christmas

                            

On the first day of Christmas, my true love said to me.....

Quit you're whining, you only have a one day work week!

Yep, folks.  After a week off, I get to go back to work today.  For one whole day.  Some are thanking all things holy that they aren't going to be at home with their kids for yet another day, while some are thinking it's a waste of time to go back for one day.  I'm one of those that are on the fence.  While I think it's kinda silly to go back for one day, as the kids will be super crazy and it will be hard to get anything done today, I'm also kinda glad that I get to have something to do today and that I get to see my co-workers and kiddos.

On the second day of Christmas, my true loves helped me...

Buy two more bags of Christmas gifts!

And again only a one day work week.

The girls' and I managed to get out of the house for a while, yesterday, to do a bit of Christmas shopping.  I took Peanut to pick out some clothes, because she's gotten to that age where it's not really "cool" for me to buy clothes for her.  She'd rather know exactly what she's getting for Christmas being that she was the one to pick it all out, than to risk the chance of me buying stuff that she'll never wear or stuff that she doesn't like but feels forced to wear because she got it for Christmas.

On the third day of Christmas, my youngest shocked me....

By eating 3 inches of ice-cream!

Questioning two bags of Christmas gifts, and complaining about a one day work week.

Jelly totally blew my mind during our shopping trip.  We decided to grab lunch at Red Robin, and she ate a bowl of macaroni & cheese and a fruit cup.  I told her if she ate all of her lunch, she could have dessert.  She did, and this is the dessert she picked...

                             

That's a Monster Mud Pie.  Three inches of chocolate ice-cream on top of a turtle ice cream pie, covered in whipped cream, and sitting on a bed of chocolate and caramel drizzle.  Peanut and I got a spoon as well, so we could all share the chocolatey goodness.  Well, Peanut and I had a few bites... and Jelly got busy on devouring the "Monster".  Ten minutes later, this is what was left...

                              

No, she didn't get sick... surprisingly.  

On the fourth day of Christmas, my Jelly gave to me....

Four mind blowing questions!

Three inches of ice-cream, questioning two bags of gifts, and only a one day work week.

Our shopping trip after lunch turned up a lot of questions for Jelly, who is still a devout Santa believer.  In our house, Hubby and I don't buy gifts for our kids, Santa does.  So, she was confused and a little angry when "Sissy" told her that she was getting clothes for Christmas.  

Jelly: "Why are you buying Sissy clothes for Christmas, Momma?"  

Me:   "Once kids get to a certain age, Santa likes a little help.  He's only good at making and getting toys for little kids, so parents have to help out with the big kids."

Jelly:  "But, why are you buying [my niece and nephew] presents?"  

Me: "We always buy gifts for our family.  We buy gifts for Grandma, Grandad, Grammy, [Grammy's granddaughter], and [my niece and nephew].  They also buy gifts for you, so it's fair."

Jelly:  "Why don't you buy me anything for Christmas?"  

Me:  "Well, I give your Christmas list to Santa, he tells us how much to pay, and then he decides what gifts off of the list he brings you.  We still buy the stuff, we just have him deliver it to you and then he surprises all of us with what he decided to get you."  

Jelly:  "Can't you buy me stuff AND Santa buy me stuff? That way I can help you pick out stuff that I want just like Sissy does."  

Me: "Well, once you are too old to get toys, I will buy you clothes just like I do for Sissy.  Are you too old for toys?  Do you want me to let Santa know that you just want clothes for Christmas?"

Jelly: (Sad face) "No.  I guess Santa can get me my presents again."

And this, folks, is why it is NEVER a good idea to take a 6 year old Christmas shopping.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my school district gave to me....

ANOTHER-DAY-OFF!!

Four mind blowing questions, three inches of ice-cream, two bags of gifts, and forget that one day work week!

I'm so glad that I set my alarm for 5AM this morning, got up, sat here writing my blog, only to see the message on Facebook telling me that due to some freezing rain that's currently going on there will be no school today.  Don't let that sentence fool you in to thinking that I'm complaining.  It doesn't bother me a bit that I'm up this early and I don't have to go to school.  As much as I miss being at work, I was NOT looking forward to going back for one day.  I now get another three days to figure out exactly what I'm going to do next week to finish up where we left off, and take care of the Christmassy stuff we were supposed to be doing.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my school district also gave to me...

Six hours to finish up shopping!

ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, four puzzling questions, three inches of ice-cream, two bags of gifts, and forget that one one day work week!!

Now that school is cancelled, I know EXACTLY how I'm going to spend another day off work.  Completely finishing up my Christmas shopping.  I'm going to get out before the weekend and make sure that I have all the remaining gifts, stocking stuffers, and I may even go ahead and buy the family gifts even though that's usually done by my kids.  I don't even want to think about what the stores will be like over the weekend with everyone being snowed in for a week.  CRAZY, I guarantee that!  Yesterday was bad enough with traffic and such, so I can't wait to get out and finish it all up today.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my school district gave to me...

Seven days till Christmas break! 

Six hours of shopping, ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, four puzzling questions, three inches of ice-cream, two bags of gifts, and forget that one day work week!

For the month of December, I will only be working 8 1/2 days.  I got to work three and a half days the first week, got an entire week off because of snow, go back for five days, and then get two full weeks off for Christmas.  Once again, who has the best freakin' job in the world?  This gal!! And, no I won't be complaining because I have to go extra days in the summer.  I might be a little tired and stressed when they take away all of our days off between January and May, but having all this extra time to prepare for Christmas and spend with my kids for the holidays is so worth it!!

On the eighth day of Christmas, my playlist gave to me...

Eight Christmas movies! 

Seven days till break, six hours of shopping, ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, four questions, three inches of ice-cream, two bags of gifts, and forget that one day work week!

Every year, there is certain Christmas movies that are a MUST watch at some point or another.  They are:  Elf, Polar Express, The Grinch (Jim Carrey version), A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol, Santa Clause, Santa Clause II, Santa Clause III, and a new addition to the line up is Arthur Christmas.

So far, we've watched Elf and The Polar Express.  I also watched Jingle All the Way and Saving Santa a few days ago, but I still have plenty of my movies left to watch between now and Christmas.  I think that I'll be getting some of those checked off the list tomorrow.  Jelly's watched A Christmas Story several times, already, but it's just not Christmas until we've watched the rest of them... except for A Christmas Carol.  For some reason, my kids aren't in to that movie as much.  That's more of a favorite of mine that I will probably have to watch by myself at some point or another.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my Facebook gave to me..

Nine new notifications!

Eight Christmas movies, etc. etc., ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, so on and so on, blah, blah, blah...and forget that one day work week!

Now that school's out, my Facebook has been blowing up with new notifications and messages.  I love Facebook, but I really love it during times like no school days.  There's so much more interaction between the people I work with.  I know it sounds of corny, but I enjoy the interaction we have.  It's funny to see the different reactions about having school or not having school.  I love how moods change and opinions change.  One minute everyone is hoping we go back, the next everyone is rejoicing that we get another day off.  I've been WAY too glued to my Facebook the past week, but I've really enjoyed watching everything play out.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my school district gave to me...

Ten days off!

Nine notifications, eight movies, a week till Christmas break, shopping, ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, questions, ice-cream, gifts, and forget that one day work week!

Yep, once again, I've had ten days off.  It's been ten days since I've been in my classroom, wrote a lesson plan, done any grading, seen my co-workers, or seen my kiddos.  Half of that makes me happy, the other half makes me sad.  Don't get me wrong, the break has been AMAZING.  Usually this amount of time off work has me pulling my hair out, but it's been so nice to just relax, spend time with the kids, not have to worry while my mom is in the hospital, and sleep as little or as much as I've wanted. Of course, I miss my co-workers and kiddos.  Facebook has kept me connected to my co-workers, but I sure have missed the faces of my sweet students.  I'll be so glad to see them again on Monday and hear all about how they got to spend their time off.  I'm also curious to see how many of them did their homework while they were away.. HA!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my P-Momma gives to me...

An amazing Christmas Eve!

Ten days off, nine notifications, eight movies, Christmas break, shopping, ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, questions, ice-cream, gifts, and forget that one day work week!

Christmas Eve, in my house, is just as much of an anticipated event as Christmas Day.  The kids count down the days until Christmas Eve with excitement.  You see, while most kids are complaining how long it still is until Santa arrives, and parents are trying to keep kids entertained while the clock seems to be going nowhere, we are spending the day with P-Momma having our first Christmas of the year.

Before P-Momma came in to my life, I HATED Christmas Eve.  It was a day that seemed to never end. The kids were too excited and wound up to amuse themselves.  I was too excited and wound up to amuse them.  We would try watching Christmas movies, making some kind of Christmas craft, and even bake some sweet treats.  Yet, after all that, it still seemed like there were HOURS to go before I could put the kids to bed and get ready for Christmas Day.  

Now that we have P-Momma, we spend our Christmas Eve with her.  She cooks a wonderful meal, we open gifts, and the kids play and have a great time while P-Momma, Hubby, and I all sit around the table talking.  Our time there flies by, and before I know it I'm having to drag the kids home in order to get them to bed so that Santa can come before the wee hours of the morning.  I love Christmas Eve just as much as I love Christmas Day.... but, now the day before Christmas Eve has turned in to that annoyingly long day that seems to last forever.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,  my true loves will give to me...

An AMAZING Christmas Day!

Christmas Eve, Ten Days Off, Eight Movies, Christmas Break, Shopping, ANOTHER-DAY-OFF, questions, ice-cream, gifts, and forget that one day work week!

There's no doubt in my mind that twelve days from now, I'll be enjoying an amazing Christmas morning watching my kids open up their presents.  Of course, it will probably be all over with by now.  My kids tend to get up at the crack of dawn, because something (*cough* me *cough*) wakes them up.  I'm a bigger kid than they are on Christmas morning, and it's the one day of the year that I don't need any form of alarm to wake me up before the sun even comes up.  I'm definitely NOT one of those parents that kids have to yell and scream at in order to get out of bed.  If anything, I'm the one doing the yelling and screaming.  I've been known to turn on some bedroom lights before my kids wake up with the hopes that it would wake the kids up.  

Once the gifts are all unwrapped, and the kids have had their fill of opening everything up to check it out, we'll be getting ready to head to my mom's for Christmas number 3, more gifts and Christmas dinner.

I'm so excited, I can barely wait!!  

Today, despite icy road conditions, I am going to get out and finish up my Christmas shopping.  I want to be done, finished, finito!  I can then enjoy the rest of the stuff off of this list between now and Christmas Day.

I also plan on going up to see my mom, and maybe spend the night with her if the roads get icy again this evening.  Oh well, it's only been 3 hours since I started this blog post, think it's finally time to call it quits.

Have a safe and fun Friday, everyone!!