It is what it is

We were in the middle of Mt. Vernon when the rain started. Sprinkles at first and thank goodness we made it to the welcome center cause guess where the umbrellas were? Finally back to the car and it poured! For a long time too. What a beautiful dark colorful warm (73 degrees) fall day. I found out more about George Washington today than I ever knew but it was all very interesting and old. Very cool trivia stuff and scenery. Guys watching football and I am reading magazines and catalogs and getting very sleepy at 8:00 pm. It is what it is!

Slept until almost 9:00. Had a hard time sleeping so I ended up on the couch. Took a long time to get back to sleep. There is a reason they call it ouch with a c! It is cloudy and darkish. Can't tell if it is raining. Spent yesterday on the mall. Took the metro in after walking to the bank to get $ due to "lost" debit card. Spent an hour or so at the American History museum. Julia Child's kitchen was crowded! Walked to the Air & Space and had a $12.00 lunch! Then to the Natural History Museum where we spent the rest of the day. I love looking at the rocks, gems, baubles etc. Also the stuffed animals are cool. You get to see real things you would never otherwise see except on tv or photos. Around 5:00 we walked back to a very crowded metro and were back here by 6:00. Poor Andrew had driven to Baltimore for the day and had to fight Friday rush hour. It was late when we walked to the restaurant "VAPIANO" . It was crowded! Today we talked a...

I have to write this down. The day started normal. By early afternoon, one of my students threw up and the room reeked the rest of the day even though I was burning a pumpkin spice candle. Then I found out the teacher next to me was taken to the hospital by EMS as she was disoriented and had a fever of 104 and didn't know what was going on! After school we had to get the meap tests ready for tomorrow, raced to the ADK dinner in Clawson which was nice but at $3.00 a coke after paying 18.00 for a whitefish dinner, felt the coke charge was unnecessary. It wasn't that nice. Had to race out of there, took an hour to drive home thru the traffic and hit every light from the east side (GPS took me non-highway), changed and off to bell rehearsal. I didn't get home until 9:30 and still have to pack. I am so glad to be leaving as soon as the Science/Social Studies MEAP is done at lunchtime. I am going to kick some Z butt if he is gone another day like today. I sit on the oth...

Haven't blogged in a couple days. Nails done, car washed, package mailed, still working on Study Island to make it more user friendly to all. (A meap based program that students can work on to play games, answer questions etc.) Had a parent argue with me that the one way parking lot to our school did not have a sign posting it as a one-way staff parking lot. DUH. How f-ing stupid can you be when all the cars are parked one way and it is connected to our school and gated until 3;00 every day!!!! They get stupider with each passing year, but like my boss says, " don't get into a fight with a skunk because you will lose". I tried to tell her she is putting our children in danger, roaring backwards thru the parking lot. It is what it is!

Saturday has such a magical ring to it! Slept in after good Friday night, got all my shopping and errands done and outdoor work too. Took KC for a walk. Happy to be home tonight burning a candle (scented), ready for Halloween and having our first fire of the season in the fireplace. Washed windows probably for the last time this year. Likin' haircut, ready for Halloween, package mailin' to the girls in Phoenix and feelin' caught up for the first time this fall. Ready to head down to D.C. next Thurs. No more snow in Pennsylvania for next week please!!!! Watchin' Grey's. It is what it is and I actually heard a mom say this to her kid today in a store!!!!

It is getting darker earlier daily. Things better with Christopher. Better day at school. He has been my struggle (with several others too). Days go so fast. I am looking forward to our trip to Washington next week and can't believe it has been 4 weeks since I was "tanning" and everyone was home for the wedding. Halloween will fly by and then Thanksgiving and everyone will be home again yeeeaaahhh! Ok, better change and get ready for bell choir rehearsal. Busy weekend and it's time to get out the Festival of Tables plans for December!! It is what it is!

One day of testing down. Cold is settled in. Can't breathe! It is cold out and I have a couple evening things to do. Not going to Bible Study. Otto has been gone since yesterday to a Grand Rapids food show and will be home in an hour or so. I have to stop running all the time. When do I get free time? I think I need to stay home tonight and not spread any more germs than I have to! Flu shot doesn't stop a cold. I made it 5 weeks into school. 6:00 and time to turn on lights! What will it be like after daylight savings ends? It is what it is!

Ok so I posted today and yesterday on West Lake. Where have the years gone? It seems like yesterday when we sold the cottage and moved here, said goodbye to Barbara (who is now 86) and strapped Andrew in the front seat and Nikki our German Shepherd in the back and drove off with the promise to visit regularly. Ok our cottage is gone, a $400.000 house sits on the same lot and we don't know anyone there except Barbara. So many changes but the lake, the drive, the fall changes look the same. I miss it so. I miss so much and I missed so much. No do overs, just lots of memories! It is what it is. Thank you for missing my blot entries. I always wanted to be a writer. A columnist! It is what it is. Off to try to save the day again tomorrow!

Off to see Barbara and Carole in Kalamazoo. Former neighbors. Hope to have enough time to drive around a bit...maybe at Western and KVCC. A lot of years have passed. Beautiful day but cold. Poor KC has to stay alone. She does not like that! School work is done for the weekend. Still taking computer to do a couple things in car. Got out the cards I bought last Dec. and will start signing. Also time for the big letter. Ok off to the shower. Sundays go fast. Hope someone will go to the Henry Ford with me to see the Lego Castles display. More up my alley than Rock Stars & Guitars. Also want to go to the Halloween nights in the village. Oh and the Harry Potter display over the holidays in Chicago. I think it is at the Science & Industry Museum. Still beautiful out! It is what it is!

buzee day. Trying to do way too much....go figure. I have lovely nails and did many errands today. Can't believe Christmas stuff in stores when Halloween is a month away. Developed a sore throat today..gee made it to the 5th week of school. Beautiful fall day: sunny but cool all day.. getting a cold front tonight with frost expected. Stop! I want my summer daze back! LOL It is what it is.

How does it keep getting worse? My kids are awful this year. No respect, they just don't give a damn. I try way too hard teaching a split. They just won't cooperate. I don't know what to do. This restorative justice crap is the pits. Referrals and suspensions aren't working. Any ideas? Amanda is sick with strep. One of my student's lost their home in an electrical fire this week and we are doing what we can to help. MEAP next week....can't wait. I got a new student today. 11 and never been to school. Just got off the boat. Zero English. Probably will have to take the MEAP though. He was in the 3rd grade in Bangladesh. (I had a translator) and they put him in the 5th grade and he sits there all day. Doesn't that make sense? And they are cutting us 165.00 per student. I have 28 students in a split. Most of them can't read worth a damn. They are at least a year or two behind due to lack of English and yet they have to take the MEAP an...

Tiger's game and a real nail biter. Room almost done 5 weeks into the year. Stayed until almost 6. 4 out today......nice quiet workable day :) One of my former student's house burned down today. I have her sister and had a brother. Wish there was something we could do to help. There must be something......it is what it is. No Mustang Monday yet!

Finally home for the night. Worship committee short, the talkers were absent! Busy at school, tomorrow I need to start my class again. 4 suspensions for bad behavior on Friday when I was absent. The sub today was a body breathing. That is the new requirement to be a sub. She expected me to stay and help her and called the principal when the kids told her they had nothing to do. I had given them their work for the day/week and she listened to them. Then she had smooth jazz playing and the room was all dark and I don't know what planet she was visiting from but we blocked her so she will never be visiting Holbrook again. What a loser. It is what it is but never will be from her again! Where do they find these negatives?

oh crap oh crap! The pool is officially closed. Matt & Otto took the level down and the cover is on. Only 2 weeks ago I was still tanning and floating. Now it is Oct. (forget the frickin heater) and cold, rainy and a full moon and I am so crappin' busy for school that weekends are trying to catch up. I am glad Matt came home to help me out of my funk! Gosh, I can barely squeeze into my jeans and khakis I had too many margaritas and not enough exercise. I will not give up and buy bigger pants ever. Spent the week doing school work and getting out the fall and Halloween decorations. It seems like we just opened the pool and put the yard junk out. You know what sucks? We went to the Spree appreciation dinner last night and danced the night away but I could barely walk this morning. Think I blew out a him flexor! Fall is here. Windows are closed, air and fans are off and the potpourri burner is on 24/7. I was out 2 days this week. Accomplished much but feel bad t...

Ok , I am so sorry that the week has passed me by and there has been so much going on my head is spinning! I finally got a chance to teach this week for 3 days until I was pulled for school improvement committee this morning. I had to start over! My kids told the restorative justice teacher that "she is never here" How sad. I am out tomorrow for more school stuff and Monday to work on a report for the state. I have never been so torn. This is sooooo hard. I am behind in everything, my room is a mess after 4 weeks, we have the MEAP in 2 weeks and I am so ready to take some time off. The longer I teach, the harder it is getting and then......I was asked to be on the district school improvement team. I don't know whether to be flattered or flip-out. How much can one person do? When will I experience the empty nest syndrome? Gosh, I can barely keep up with lesson plans. My dog misses me! Help!!! I did say no to a weekend in Ft. Wayne for a handbell festival s...