More Pictures

I’ve uploaded what Mom tells me is the last of the pictures. These are of Dylan’s birthday. He smeared cupcake all over himself. His present was a truck. All you need to do is look at the Spring Photos album.

My students (and Sarah) are taking the CRCT for the rest of this week and part of next week. It makes for quiet days that seem to pass more quickly. That’s good. But I really hate this climate of testing in our society right now. I know it is designed to hold schools accountable, but it stresses the kids out, stresses the teachers out, and interrupts learning. That’s right, it does. I wish there was some other way we could accomplish the same goals.

I received an e-mail from a parent about her son yesterday. She is also a teacher. I think she teaches music at a nearby elementary school. She said “his self” twice in the e-mail. She’s a teacher. Grrrr. She had to take English in college. I’d wager money it wasn’t her best subject.

Papers don’t grade themselves, so I had better go. If I invented self-grading pens for teachers, I’d make a mint.

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I Volunteered to Do This

If you haven’t read Anne’s latest, you should. It’s first rate. I add only that women who do this job are volunteers. Our only pay is the joy of doing the work.

I had a moment this week when I put my head down on my desk and wondered why I was there. I should have run screaming when I was offered this middle school job. I know I’d have done better in high school. And I doubt I’d be looking for a job now had I been patient, waited a week, and interviewed a few more places. But I knew at that point what being without a job is like, and I was afraid. I’m afraid now.

I am really enjoying The Da Vinci Code. I took it to school yesterday in case I had a free moment. Everyone who saw me leave with it stopped me to tell me it was good. And so it is. I am amazed at the level of research done. It’s very impressive.

Mom sent me the pictures she took of our visit during Spring Break last week. I have added a new photo album if you’d like to see them. Most of them are of Maggie, though there are a few of Dylan (who turned one year old yesterday!) and Sarah. My grandparents and mother make an appearance. Oh, and I’m in two of them, too.

Spring Photos

I have new pictures of the kids at my Yahoo Photo Album. I added several, so rather than link them all, I ask you to follow the link to the album. Click on the new additions, which start with Photo 10 (labeled “Dylan”). There are five new pictures in all: two each of Dylan and Maggie and one of Sarah. These were taken at Sears yesterday (April 8, 2004).

I’ve had bad luck with Sears photographers in the past, but this lady did a great job. The kids were cooperative, too. Sarah was the hardest one to coax a smile from! Oh, and Maggie the Ham didn’t want to vacate the post so Sarah could get her pictures made. Little diva in training, that one is.

Teacher Workday

How is it I get less done on teacher workdays when the kids are out?

Anyway, wish me luck. I may have a decent shot at a job I heard about.

I am starting a Family Heritage/Genealogy scrapbook. Found too many cool things at Making Memories. Scrapbook stores are evil.

Tomorrow is Maggie’s birthday. She’ll be three. I can’t believe it! She’s very excited. She’s itching to get into her cupcakes for snack at school tomorrow.

My grandparents are coming to visit my parents for Spring Break. I can’t wait to see them. They’ve never seen Maggie or Dylan.

My mom was just diagnosed with diabetes. Both of her parents have it, too. I think they’re going to try to control it with diet. My grandparents have to take medication, I believe. But then, my grandmother can’t have been really trying with the diet. Not if I know her.

Speaking of family, I may be getting a new cousin. My uncle, who divorced my aunt after about 25 years of marriage a few years ago, is trying to have a baby with his girlfriend (who is only a few years older than me). My aunt left him for some loser. I think my uncle deserves happiness. Still, it will be weird to have a new first cousin so much younger than I am. Maybe it won’t be weird. I don’t know. Certainly not as weird as it will be for my cousin (up until now, my uncle’s only child), who never imagined he might have a sibling.

New Photo

Just a short entry to tell you I posted a new picture of Maggie and Dylan.

Also, I’m working on getting a radio blog up here, like the one Cranky Dragon has, but I’m not sure if I can upload the necessary files to Upsaid. Meanwhile, check out Cranky’s radio blog, because she has some really cool music up right now. Cranky, you and I are kindred spirits in more ways than you know. How many other people my age do I know that like that sort of music?

Move Over, Mr. LeTourneau…

[This is an oldie but goodie from the vaults of my husband, reprinted here with his permission.]

I have lost my wife to a 12-year-old too.

I knew the first time I saw his round, sensitive blue eyes and the way she seemed enthralled at his every act, word, that there was trouble.

Oh, I kept saying to myself, no way, not Dana!!

She’s above all that, she’s…*sniff*… but now it’s official. I think she was with him again last night, and I know for a fact she’s with him right now… I can hear them in the other room. He’s… entertaining her again.

And here Maggie and I sit, all alone, no sheets on the bed, she with only a plastic box to play with and the lone chicken nugget she’s been working on for the last half hour.

What do I DO??? I can’t take this cuckolding, made only worse by the youth who has stolen her affection from me — that little BASTARD!!

I can’t do any of those manly revenge things — like jump him in a blind alley and drop a garbage can on his head and beat it with a brick, or put sugar in his gas tank… he isn’t OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE!!!!!

Not cars, anyway.

So that’s it, everyone. Now you know the tragedy of Dana and Steve. I am a cuckolded man. Thanks to that evil, winsome, athletically and spiritually gifted….

HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!

Come back, my love…I can forgive you, I know I can. Just…put…the remote…down…*sob*….

Goodbye, Midnight Bayou

My first BookCrossing book will be released tonight. I went ahead and released it online, as I may not have a chance to discuss its release again until tomorrow. So even though it says it’s at the mall, waiting near the A&W and Chik-Fil-A, it won’t be there until tonight. Here’s hoping that Midnight Bayou, by Nora Roberts finds the next reader happy and leads them back to chronicle their encounter with the book (and pass it on!)

In other book news, my Maggie, who will be three next month, asked me last night if we could go to the “libary.” How about that? We’ll probably stop by tonight after we hit the mall to release my book and eat.

I am hoping the students will find today’s lesson interesting. We are looking at Ethics in Journalism: court cases, rights to privacy, censorship, slanting the news, etc.

Last night when we got home, Dylan wanted to play. He’s so cute, it was almost irresistible, but as I was dead tired… Well he tried, tugging at my hair for about two hours with mixed results. In the end, we shut off all sources of light, after which he must have slept, because my hair was left alone.

You know, there really aren’t words to describe exactly how cute my son is. He’s incredibly, heartbreakingly beautiful.

Goodbye, Midnight Bayou

My first BookCrossing book will be released tonight. I went ahead and released it online, as I may not have a chance to discuss its release again until tomorrow. So even though it says it’s at the mall, waiting near the A&W and Chik-Fil-A, it won’t be there until tonight. Here’s hoping that Midnight Bayou, by Nora Roberts finds the next reader happy and leads them back to chronicle their encounter with the book (and pass it on!)

In other book news, my Maggie, who will be three next month, asked me last night if we could go to the “libary.” How about that? We’ll probably stop by tonight after we hit the mall to release my book and eat.

I am hoping the students will find today’s lesson interesting. We are looking at Ethics in Journalism: court cases, rights to privacy, censorship, slanting the news, etc.

Last night when we got home, Dylan wanted to play. He’s so cute, it was almost irresistible, but as I was dead tired… Well he tried, tugging at my hair for about two hours with mixed results. In the end, we shut off all sources of light, after which he must have slept, because my hair was left alone.

You know, there really aren’t words to describe exactly how cute my son is. He’s incredibly, heartbreakingly beautiful.

Thou Shalt Not Park Here

Ugh. We all have colds at our house. The small children have streaming noses (so does Dad). We’re all whining, coughing, and spewing snot. Stay far away from us. I’ve had a sinus headache for a couple of days. I’m just exhausted, but I am supposed to “monitor” a basketball game tonight. I am completely disinterested in going.

I just feel like I have no time to do anything. I wanted to write requests to some area private schools and public school systems for teaching applications, but I haven’t had time.

My husband was hired on the spot as a tenor soloist at a presbyterian church in one of Atlanta’s northern suburbs. Pays well. And they have a children’s classroom that they let us use while we waited for him at practice. Dylan is crawling very well now. Maggie knocked him down a couple of times (on purpose). But they had fun. Best of all, you know the congregation has a sense of humor when the “No Parking” signs read “Thou Shalt Not Park Here.”

That said, I am worried about Sarah. She seems extremely socially inept. She is not aware of others and doesn’t seem to worry what they might think. I am afraid middle school will be torture for her. She played with the kids last night. I am grateful that she doesn’t think she’s too cool for them and that she likes to play with them. It worries me that she plays like them. What I mean is that they had two little plastic rocking horses. And she got on one and rode it. It is probably unsuitable for anyone over the age of four to play with, and Sarah is 10. She climbs, skips, hops, and crawls at inappropriate times. She has few friends, but it doesn’t bother her. It’s like she’s in her own little world. She’s bright. She often uses words in everyday speech that I’m not sure my middle school students know. But she’s just… immature. I don’t want her to go through the pain of being teased. Maybe she’ll be okay. Guess I’m just being a “mom.”

Grandpa

Yawn… Baby Maggie is fighting sleep tooth (well toothless) and nail. She’s exhausted, but she won’t settle down. Poor little baby. She’s just nosy. That’s what my mom always says about her — that she’s a nosy baby.

I have very little of interest to say tonight.

I guess my cousin got married today. Today was also my great-grandparents’ 72nd anniversary. Yes, you read that right. My great-grandparents are still alive, and they’ve been married for 72 years. They married when they were teenagers. My grandfather has Alzheimer’s and lives in a nursing home. I had the distinct feeling last time I saw him that I wouldn’t ever see him again. He is 91. I have had that feeling about two other important people in my life, and so far, I was correct both times.

Grandpa no longer remembers who I am. I was scared of him when I was a kid. It’s funny that he knows my daughter Sarah is his great-great-granddaughter, but he doesn’t remember me. Sarah was born before he got really bad, so he remembers his link to her. Let me see — I think he has 5 great-great-grandchildren now (6 if you count step-great-great-grandchildren) and one on the way. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many great-grandchildren he has, but I’m the oldest.

Grandpa’s brother came over for one of their anniversary parties. I think it was the 65th. Anyway, Grandpa pointed proudly at Sarah and told his brother that little girl was his great-great-granddaughter. Grandpa’s brother said, “Well you’re getting old.” Grandpa said, “Not too many of ’em gets to see their great-great-granddaughter.” That is true indeed.