Random happenings.

May is a crazy month around here.

It is full of busyness and more busyness.

School is insane.  Insane I say! 

And it is much like the chaos of Stresstember although there is a lot more fun thrown in.

I hear parents complain all the time how teachers shut down after testing (and especially in the last two weeks of school) but I am hear to tell you, that is simply not true.

We are, in fact, in over-drive.

Working on projects and writings and art galore.

Stressing over plans and classes and decisions being made for the next year.

Making our rooms pristine and pretty for Open House all while spending hours upon hours of our lives working on paperwork and cumes and grading and reports.

By the last week everyone is spent.  And by everyone I mean e-ve-ry-one.

The students are wild.

The administration is exhausted.

The teachers are spent.

And so the last week of school becomes a week to celebrate a job well done all around.

A countdown to freedom for the students and a few weeks of rest for the staff before we are back to training and organizing and preparing and  planning.

A week to celebrate with movies and games and maybe a few thousand cupcakes thrown in for good measure.

Because after a long, hard year of work, we all deserve a little fun in our lives.

But praise the Lord tomorrow is the last day because goodness gracious, trying to control 29 restless forth graders is like trying to herd a clowder of cats.

Aside from the chaos of school, our life around here has been filled to the brim as well.

We've been having our own little summer break from homeschooling, and it has been pure bliss.

My plan is to start back up again when we get home from vacation in a couple weeks.

Hit it hard for a month or so and then take a break when our wee little one arrives.

Which should be in 66 days or less, if anyone out there cares to freak out about that a little bit with me...

We've had some heat waves and some cool days.

We've had day trips and a few glorious kid-free nights away.

We've eaten lots of chili dogs.

And become way too addicted to ice-cold Coca-Cola.

 We've enjoyed lots of baseball, both on the little league fields and on the radio.

Always cheering on our Boys in Blue through good times and bad.

We've made plans for vacation.

Which include having no plans at all.

We've gone on neighborhood walks. 

And spent lots of evenings at our wonderful community park.

Summer is close.

So close I can taste it.

And I'm literally counting down the hours until I can lock up my classroom for the summer.

And enjoy a precious nine more weeks with this sweet little family of three before our wee one arrives.

Welcome, Summer.

You are so, so welcome.

A few last things...

School starts tomorrow.  Which means I will now disappear off the face of the plant for 4-6 weeks.  Haha.  The last week was busy squeezing in a few final fun things in while still trying to get my room ready for a new year.  I cannot believe I am about to start my 8th year of teaching.  How did that happen?  How did I get here?  I've officially come to the point where my first set of students (junior high kids) are now out of high school, and my first set of 4th graders are now in high school.  Scary.  

Last weekend we headed up the canyon to the Kern River.  We spent a lazy four hours drifting down the river in our wicked awesome raft, enjoying some homemade PB&Js, and drinking ice-cold drinks.  It was heaven.  I cried a little I was so happy... I'm not even joking.  I've become a bit emotional in recent times.  I cry when I'm sad.  I cry when I'm happy.  I'm a cryin' fool all the time, I'm telling you.  A cryin' fool!

Oh, excuse me while I grab a drink from my cool little ice chest in the middle, thankyouverymuch.

I'm slightly (but just slightly) embarrassed to say I've become super engrossed in Teen Mom.  Except I only watch it on Netflix so I'm like 85 seasons behind the rest of the world.  I purposely picked the longest line at WinCo so I could read through this magazine without actually paying for it.  #1.  I don't think OK! Magazine is the truthiest (is that a word?!) gossip mag in the stacks.  #2.  They lead you in with a SHOCKING secret and then it ends up being something super lame that is neither surprising nor shocking.  Darn magazine covers.  Suck me in every time.  

What is this pattern/style of table cloth called??? I love it!  I have been looking everywhere for tablecloths like these and my awesome mother-in-law found one and gave it to me.  Any ideas??  I want a million more of them.

I've becoming home to this mess every day for almost a week.  I love it.  I love the little imagination Swee'Pea has.  I love that he will play with this for hours and hours and hours.  I love seeing him interact with Popeye and makeup stories and characters and scenarios.  But it is now officially driving me crazy and I am ready for the boxes to be packed back up for a month or so.  Sometimes seeing messes makes me hot and itchy and clausterphobic.  Is that weird?!

Remember my post last week about the less than glamorous time I was having with Swee'Pea?  Well guess what.  This week has been GREAT.  Only a few tears and fights (some over food, several over clothing).  And not only does he now eat carrots, he ASKS for carrots.  Sometimes a few times a day.  And what is more, he asked me to make him a smoothie.  And when he sipped his cup of spinach and romaine and bananas and berries and exclaimed, "Mmmm mom!  This salad smoothie is GOOD!"  (until the next day.  when he refused to drink it.  but whatevs.  little victories, people.  little victories!).

School supplies are out.  I contained myself and did not fill my cart with Hunger Games pencils and water cups and notebooks covered with pictures of Katniss and Peeta.  I did however buy my own supply of markers and pens and notebooks and index cards.  I keep these separate from Swee'Peas.  I am kind of a stickler when it comes to keeping my supplies pretty and looking fresh and new. 

You guys.  Look at this sweet boom box.  You can plug your iPod in.  And just roll down the streets bumping your tunes.  I really need this for when I walk down to katygirl's house.  All the kids will be jealous.  Jealous, I say!

Swee'Pea is about to start his second season of soccer, and his first with AYSO.  We picked up his uniform this week and he is so, so excited.  Having a kid is so fun!!!  I love watching him out there on the field playing and interacting with other kids.  I'm so excited for soccer season to start!

My class room is all set-up and ready to go.  My job-share partner and I are all organized and ready to go.  I'm praying to Jesus that my little ones will be well-rested and excited tomorrow and all ready to go as well.  

Speaking of back to school I'm back to drinking copious amounts of coffee again to get through my days at work.  I also got my traditional back-to-school pedicure this week.  I get them twice a year, in March and in August.  Every time I go, my pedicure lady yells at me for not coming in more.  I think she was sweating filing my feet.  She might have whispered a few choice words in Spanish under breath as well, but I can't be sure.  I was too engrossed reading the free stack of gossip magazines and catching up on the lives of Caitlynn, Maci, and Farrah.  I am super obsessed with them.  If you do not know who I am talking about, please refer to picture #3 above.

Good-bye summer.  It's been grand.  See ya in ten months!

Dear future students...

At the end of every school year, I have my students write letters to my next year's students telling them about my class and some of the things they can expect in their year as a fourth grade student.  I put these letters out on the desks on the first day of school for all the new students to read.  

Here are a few things my students wrote to my future students...

*Dear little kids: 4th grade is more than just being older and wanting to be popular.  It's a lot of hard work.  For example, what is 32 divided by 8?  Yeah.  You don't know the answer.  It is 4.  Because 8 x4 = 32.

*Dear 4th grader: Miss Olive Oyl is a great teacher.  She has a baby named Swee'Pea.  And she lets us bring water bottles to class.

*Dear new student: Here are some tips.  Don't get the teacher mad.  You will write an essay and it won't be fun.  Trust me.  But if you are good she might let you read instead.  So be good.  

*Dear new student: You are now in Ms. Olive Oyl's class and you may not know much so I will help you.  The thing you should remember the most is that you should not throw things in class.  When I was in class a few people were throwing things and instead of hitting each other, they hit me!  Another thing to remember is that you should not make weird sounds.  That is a a student's table was moved to the side of the room with no one else near it.  If you follow the teacher's instructions, you'll do fine.  This is all the information I can give you.  You figure out the rest for yourself.

*Dear fourth grader: This class is well.  Our teacher has a baby called Swee'Pea.  She lets us bring snack only in our lunch.  Then if we be good she would let us talk.  Then if we don't be good she would get mad.

*Dear students of the future: Some teachers are nice and some are mean, but Miss Olive Oyl is nice.  But when you are bad she is mean.  If you know your ABC's, this call will be a breeze.

*Dear fourth grader: Do good in this class.  Be nice to the teacher.  Don't disrespect her or else you'll end up like me.  Please take care of this desk.  Please don't write on the desk.  Then if you do, you will pick up trash or be suspended.  Don't write on books.  The hardest thing in this class is math.  If you don't listen, you won't pass the test.  Please listen and do better than me.  Take care of her baby on the screen.  He is so cool, he is the best.  She is the best teacher ever.  (I have a picture of Swee'Pea as my desk top, and when I turn on the projector, they see his picture every day.  They love him.  He has come to my class a few times and they take him out to recess.  I'm not sure who has more fun... him or the 23 kids chasing him around the playground!)

I'm going through more letters tomorrow... so it should be interesting to see what they write.  Although I have to say... I'm seeing that it really doesn't matter how I teach.  As long as I let them drink water and bring my kid to class, I'm pretty cool in their eyes.  :)  But watch out... if you talk or write on your desk or books, you may have to sit out of recess on the pole!

You do what you gotta do...

My students are obsessed with this guy.  And strangely enough, they totally know how to do fractions now.  Thank you, teacher tube.  And thank you weird teacher-man who spends his days thinking up raps to help my students learn fractions.

"What's that?  Lights, camera, action..."

Fourth-gradeisms...

Story #1:

A little boy in my class accidentally "clothes-lined" another boy in my class while playing at recess and caused him to get a bloody nose.  I walk out to talk to my kids while the hurt kid is escorted by a yard-aide to the office.  I see two kids bawling their eyes out underneath the trees and go to check on them.  One is a little girl who says she feels so bad for the boy that got hurt, and she is really worried about him.  I walk her to the office to check on him, and she stops crying and lets me take her back outside.  The other kid that is crying is the boy that "clothes-lined" the hurt boy.  He feels so bad for hitting him, and says it was an accident.  He cries and cries and then all the other kids huddle around him and pat him on the back trying to comfort him.  Bloody boy comes out and is fine.  He joins the other kids who have now finally stopped crying.

I have to admit, it almost made me cry seeing all of them crying.  It was incredibly adorable to see how big their hearts really are and how much they truly care for each other.  Even if they are sometimes over dramatic about it.

Story #2

The kids in my class are working on some projects and chatting as they cut and draw and glue.  I overhear a girl telling her partner, "Well, I only have two real sisters.  I also have two half sisters and a step sister.  But my mama is going to try at get on Maury Povitch because my daddy has another daughter that is older but my mama says she doesn't feel right when she comes around and so she wants to call Maury to get on the show so she can get a DNA test done and get to the bottom of this!"

Seriously.  I don't need cable.  The drama in my classroom is way hotter than any story line cable TV can come up with.

The new life...

Things have gotten out of control crazy around here since my return to work.  I keep wanting to post, but what about?  Our busy mornings... my lack of healthy cooking... the fact that I haven't done any actual grocery shopping since March 30th... the frustration of having too little time to do anything that really needs to get done, let alone those things I just want to get done... BORING.

I used to write posts in my head while I cleaned or cooked or gardened.  Now?  I'm making lists of what I needed to run-off in the copy room the next day... of which parents I need to call to report that their son or daughter hit/kicked/chewed gum/stole another person's pencil and lied about it all day... how early I need to get up to get completely ready, or if I can get away once again with wearing my hair in two buns and calling it a day.  

Being a working mom for some may be a nice break away from your child.  You get to drink coffee, sit at a nice clean desk, and converse with intelligent and friendly adults.  My job?  I'm dealing with 25 kids all day long.  25 KIDS PEOPLE.  You think it is tough being at home with your one or two?  TRY 25.  You know how kids whine?  Yeah, that times a million.  "She hit me..."  "He is breathing on me..." "She smells like farts and old milk..."  I PRAY for recess to come just so I can get down to the office, relieve my aching bladder, and try to catch up for 10 precious minutes with my peers who are also equally frazzled and exhausted.

Next week we have state testing.  I don't even want to get into the ridiculousness and the politics of state testing.  But for those who are fellow teachers or parents, I'm sure you know the insane amount of preparation that goes into these crucial tests.  I've spent the past five days trying to review 500+ pages of math and even more English and Language Arts curriculum with my students.  And just to give you a taste of what goes on in a typical elementary classroom, I give you a snippet of just a few of the conversations that have gone on during my review sessions this week:

Example #1:

Me: "Okay class, let's continue reviewing homophones.  Okay, who can give me a meaning for the word 'blue'..."

Student A: "The sky is blue."

Me: "Okay, very good... anyone else?  Remember, we are doing homophones..."

Student B: "I am feeling blue."

Me: "Excellent, excellent.  Anyone else?"

Student C: "Um, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this one... because when I said it on the playground I got into trouble."

Me: "Well, then I guess we better not say it, can you think of anything else?"

Student C: "No, this is a good one.  It is using the word blue.  But I don't want to get into trouble for it."

Me: "Okay... you just keep that one to yourself then... Let's move on..."

Example #2:

Me: "Now on to synonyms.  Listen to this sentence, "The bird was singing in the tree."  Now, can anyone think of a synonym for 'sing'?"

Student A: "Chirp?"

Me: "Excellent!"

Student B: "Mrs. Olive Oyl!  Do you remember in Shrek when Princess Fiona sang to the bird and it exploded???"

Rest of Class: "Yeah yeah, that was so funny."  Lots of laughter and imitating the movie at increasingly loud volumes.

Me: "Thank you.  Okay... let's settle down..."

Five minutes later random students are still making random noise of singing birds exploding.

Example #3:

Me: (I've just finished doing like a 10 minute explanation of how the testing will work, our time frame, and exactly what days they will take certain tests...).  "Okay, any questions about the test.  About the test only."

Student A: "Um, so, when do we get snacks on the testing day?"

Me: "That is not about the test... anyone else?  Questions about the test only."

Student B: "What if I have to go to the bathroom during the test?"

Me: "That is not about the test.  Anyone else?

Student C: "What if someone looks at my paper and I look at theirs?"

Me: "Again, not about the test."

Student D: "When can I retake my multiplication test?"

Me: (I say nothing... I just stare at the kid for a minute and move on...)

Student E: "Are we going to have homework?  Are we going to have to take other tests next week, like in Social Studies or something?"

Me: "Um, well, we haven't done any Social Studies in the past two weeks, so we probably won't be having any tests on it since you haven't learned anything new about it...."

Student F: "Wait, we have to take a Social Studies test?!?!"

Me: (eye roll... go back to my seat and pray for bell to ring immediately.)

 I totally don't want to make it seem like my days have been all horrid.  I've enjoyed seeing lots of my students again, and they are always good for a funny joke or a random story that brightens my day.  But between budget cuts, people fearing for their jobs, and the fact that I have to hold my bladder and bowls for HOURS before I can get a restroom break has kind of put a damper on returning to work.  But on good days, when kids are behaving and the not-so-nice ones are absent for the billionth day in a row, I really enjoy what I do.  I know I'm lucky to have a job with this economy... and that not everyone gets so many holidays off or has the freedom to leave work at 3pm every day if they really do need to.

But even with that, I'm not going to lie... I'm quite happily counting down the last 28 school days until I'm free for the summer. :)

Back to the grind...

Sorry I've been a little absent from my blog lately.  Things have been a bit... hectic.  Tomorrow I return to work after a loooooong and so desperately needed sabbatical.  The past four months have been pure bliss.  And while the first two-and-a-half were spent with me passed out on the couch or staring at the ceiling late into the night with insomnia, the past several weeks have been simply wonderful.  My stress level has been greatly reduced, my anxiety is more under control, and I've learned a variety of ways to help get myself out of the funk and junk of the depression I've been fighting for far too long.

I've been busying myself with all the odds and ends that need to be tied up before I go back to work.  Taking care of my garden, deep cleaning my house, organizing and stocking my cabinets with food to make shopping while working easier, cleaning the garage, organizing Goodwill piles, and generally just trying to make the transition to work much easier.

All that, of course, in addition to the lounging, baking, reading, journaling, coffee drinking, and playing I have been doing... trying to enjoy my last few days in the beauty that has been this time as a stay-at-home-mama.

I have generally tried to avoid the subject of my returning to work.  I knew it was coming, but chose to instead focus on the more joyful things in my day-to-day life instead.  Junior Miss practices... sewing dates with friends... planting flowers with my mom.  It breaks my heart to think of all the things I'm going to be missing out on when I return to work.  But I know that right now, it is where I am meant to be.

There are so many little things that I am going to miss about being at home...

mornings with Swee'Pea, having our milk and coffee as we watch a morning cartoon

warm days in the garden, weeding and planting and tending to my plants as Swee'Pea plays beside me

doing my quiet time in the sunshine of my patio as the breeze blows through the citrus trees in my yard

riding my bike to the store in the mornings to pick up fresh bread, berries, and yogurt

spending time with my mom, shopping and planting and going to Disneyland for the day

having energy in the evening to pick up the house, cook a good dinner, and stay up past my usual 8:30 bedtime... even on a week night

chatting on Gchat every day with Toni about ridiculously hilarious things like Gingers, reusable lady pads, and deep fried gerbils

emailing Jill every five seconds because she can no longer access Gchat and I must "talk" with her regularly or I feel deprived

getting my hardcore deep cleaning and 12-13 loads of weekly laundry done on Mondays leaving the rest of the week free for easy pick-ups and clean clothes

reading books above the 4th grade level... on subjects other than talking dogs, tiny mice, and children who live in boxcars

shopping at Target, Costco, Home Depot, Vons, and WinCo when nobody else is in the store and all the staff is so eager to help me

enjoying my evenings with my husband as we relax on the couch or cuddle in bed, rather than feeling stressed or anxious or busy with grading papers and essays

knowing that anything is possible every new day that I wake up, and feeling positive that each day will be more incredible than the last

As tough as it is to know I'm no longer going to be staying at home, I am trying to remain positive about my return to the work force.  Some of the things I'm looking forward to about going back to work are... 

unlimited supplies of freshly sharpened pencils and fresh packs of paper

the giddy children who greet me each day on my ramp

the recess chats I have with my colleagues and friends about everything from the ridiculousness of some of our students to our plans for the weekend

the pride I feel when a struggling student aces an area he or she has worked so hard to learn

going out to eat on Fridays at yummy Quiznos, Chipotle, or Cesar's Deli

having a schedule that gets me up and motivated each day

regular showers... without a small child invading my privacy

knowing that at the end of the day, my sweet Swee'pea and my sweet Popeye will light up when they see me walk through the door

and if we are totally being honest, I'm really, REALLY looking forward to June, July, and August...

Forgive me if I'm absent for the next few weeks as I get back into the swing of things.  But I promise that I'll have a double dose of Savory Saturday up for you this weekend, as well as a already-in-draft post about our beautiful garden and my already blossoming plants.

Off to prepare dinner I go!  Only 13 1/2 more hours until the alarm goes off and I'm back to the daily grind!