Well this is my second day of Holiday Break. YAY! I have never wanted a break more than this one ever before.
My classroom should have been delivered to the new school. I had 78 boxes, and many, many tagged odd shaped items. Everything was completely done by 3pm on Friday. The kids really pitched in, and the last day was the least stressful of the week. This break is different for many reasons but the biggest is I literally have NOTHING to do for the classroom. The new school will open Jan. 2nd, and until then everything I have for the classroom is literally off limits. This might be the most relaxed break I may have ever had. I literally have NO school work to do. I am still a little bit in shock.
All of the puppies, and momma dog, Ginny, are gone. We are back to just our two girls, and two cats. It almost makes the house seem HUGE, and a little empty. I am writing this while in bed surrounded by my two dogs, and Earl on my lap. I think everyone is happy to have our house back to normal.
My car broke down Tuesday evening, and I had an utter mental breakdown. With all of the stress of puppies, then getting the puppies homes, then getting the house back in order, then packing my classroom up, then the car breaks down....that was the last straw. I sat in McDonald's parking lot just sobbing. Sobbing so hard that Jacob couldn't understand me. After about 20 minutes of uncontrollable crying I felt so much better. The couple that picked me up in the tow truck were the best people and I realized on my way to the dealership that God probably just needed me to slow down and enjoy what I have in life. I found I have great friends who came to my rescue, and helped me get rides to and from school. I am truly blessed. The car is fixed and I am back in action taking life a little bit slower.
I came down with a cold on Monday, and it is still sticking around. I am pretty stuffed up, but have taken the last two days to rest, and sleep. Today was our Christmas service at Buckhead Church, and it was amazing! I am in the reason for the season and feeling great on the inside.
Jacob and I leave the 23rd for our Christmas Cruise with Dad, Gary, Trisha, and Rob. It is our Christmas presents from Dad and Gary. I could not even think about it until now, but I am READY. With no school to think about I am so ready to relax in the sun. I have about 10 books to choose between, and hope to get through at least 3 of them on the cruise. I am going to plan nothing, and do nothing. The best kind of trip I could ask for. It will be great for Jacob and I to get away together too.
I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday, and a happy new year!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Out of TAPE and BOXES!
Well life is what life is at this time of the year. Mine is slowing down a little bit. Happy about that.
So at school we have built an entire new school that will hold grades 3, 4, and 5. Then we get word the church that we have our Kindergarten in will not let us re-sign the lease, so the kindergartners have to be out at the end of Dec. So where do we put them? In the building we are in now, and that means we have to move classrooms out. So why not move the entire school....during holiday break? So that is what we are doing! So for me and my classroom that means we are moving 5 minutes down the road to a brand new classroom.
CONS (because then we end on a positive)
We are packing ENTIRE classrooms - text book, desks, everything the school owns on top of what I own in the classroom
We are still expected and need to be teaching during this time. So planning became just so much more important
The boxes are SUPER small. They fit 10 textbooks. We can only use the boxes provided to us from APS
Anything that does not fit in the tiny boxes....we have to move....perfect
We are moving EVERYTHING...including file cabinets, wall screens, and wall maps. But no one to take those down...that is up to me to take apart....good thing my step-dad insists I keep a tool box in the classroom
I stabbed myself with a screwdriver while taking apart my file cabinet. This happened while children were in the room...and I bled a lot....also would have yelled a lot louder had children not been there. I then had to look up my immunity records to see if I had my tetnus shot recently...
We have kids on the 18th of Dec. But we are to be completely packed, all desks, chairs, and bookcases moved out on the 18th...so what do I do with the kids?
The rooms are smaller in the new building
There is no parking...well strike that. There are 14 parking spots, but 56 staff members.....
I will have to unpack and have a fully functioning room when the kids come back Jan. 6. So that means lots of hours during my break.
PROS
I get to start off a new classroom
All of my desks will be the same kind and same size....and all my chairs will have all of the bottoms so no chairs will rock
Rumor is that we will get Smart Boards which is AMAZING in the teacher world
We have big windows!! Lots of natural lights
Now, I can see the pro and con list. I understand one is bigger than the other. I am trying, trying, trying to stay positive in such a crazy time. But my favorite email of all time was received in my inbox today. It read....
We are out of boxes and tape. We have asked for some more but unsure of when they will arrive.....
perfect....
So at school we have built an entire new school that will hold grades 3, 4, and 5. Then we get word the church that we have our Kindergarten in will not let us re-sign the lease, so the kindergartners have to be out at the end of Dec. So where do we put them? In the building we are in now, and that means we have to move classrooms out. So why not move the entire school....during holiday break? So that is what we are doing! So for me and my classroom that means we are moving 5 minutes down the road to a brand new classroom.
CONS (because then we end on a positive)
We are packing ENTIRE classrooms - text book, desks, everything the school owns on top of what I own in the classroom
We are still expected and need to be teaching during this time. So planning became just so much more important
The boxes are SUPER small. They fit 10 textbooks. We can only use the boxes provided to us from APS
Anything that does not fit in the tiny boxes....we have to move....perfect
We are moving EVERYTHING...including file cabinets, wall screens, and wall maps. But no one to take those down...that is up to me to take apart....good thing my step-dad insists I keep a tool box in the classroom
I stabbed myself with a screwdriver while taking apart my file cabinet. This happened while children were in the room...and I bled a lot....also would have yelled a lot louder had children not been there. I then had to look up my immunity records to see if I had my tetnus shot recently...
We have kids on the 18th of Dec. But we are to be completely packed, all desks, chairs, and bookcases moved out on the 18th...so what do I do with the kids?
The rooms are smaller in the new building
There is no parking...well strike that. There are 14 parking spots, but 56 staff members.....
I will have to unpack and have a fully functioning room when the kids come back Jan. 6. So that means lots of hours during my break.
PROS
I get to start off a new classroom
All of my desks will be the same kind and same size....and all my chairs will have all of the bottoms so no chairs will rock
Rumor is that we will get Smart Boards which is AMAZING in the teacher world
We have big windows!! Lots of natural lights
Now, I can see the pro and con list. I understand one is bigger than the other. I am trying, trying, trying to stay positive in such a crazy time. But my favorite email of all time was received in my inbox today. It read....
We are out of boxes and tape. We have asked for some more but unsure of when they will arrive.....
perfect....
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sometimes Life just hits you.....
The majority of this post will surprise many of you. I started this blog not really to help me with what was going on with life, but to keep people posted. Well the reasons for staying tuned have ended, and I think it is time to start writing for me. I started a diary on the first day of sixth grade and continued one all the way through my Freshman year of college. And can you believe it I have every one in the basement....my mom had saved every single one. ;) Well now we all write online and seriously I can type way faster than I can write anymore. So here goes my first blog of really just stating ideas about life.
FIRST lets get a few facts out of the way...
* All the puppies but Rose have been adopted. Ginny (mom) has been spayed so she is ready to go. Jacob and I hope that at the adoption open house tomorrow they find fabulous homes. It has been a real relief to just have one puppy to take care of. So much more manageable.
* It is true that my school is moving school buildings over Holiday Break. I am in the mist of packing my entire classroom, and then will be unpacking it at the beginning of the year. Just to add a bit more stress around the holidays.
* We will be on a cruise over Christmas so Jacob and I have decided that we will not be decorating for Christmas. SHOCKER I know. But the way we see it is that it is one less thing to be placed on the to do list, and one less thing to stress out about. We are working on getting our house back in order after having 7 puppies in the house, so we will focus on that right now.
NOW....onto my thoughts about life in general. KIDS.....
Not the kids in the classroom, but what the word family means to Jacob and I. We recently just turned 26, and have been married for 3 years ( 5 if you count eloping), and the question on every ones lips is " so when will you be having kids?" I understand people just poking fun, and joking, but there is a bit of truth from that question every time it is asked. First off it is weird to see people get married just because they love each other and not because they already have kids together, or have kids soon on the way. And it is just assumed that a teacher of kids should want kids of her own. SO WHEN??
Truth be told this has been more and more on our minds. MANY of our friends from high school are pregnant with their first, second, or for some third. People who were married the same year as us are working on their own families. So we have to think about what that means for us. Do we wait until we are ready? What if we are never ready? When is too young? When is too old? How many? How many years apart? Then come the serious question: Will I be able to have kids?
The word family comes with so many addition issues for me personally. When I was 20 years old, I was told I would have a high risk pregnancy, and possibly be bed ridden for months because of my low blood and the fact I am anemic. Well that was a whole year before I was diagnosed with ITP where I was told I could would not be able to carry a child to full term. WOW! Hit in the face when you are 21 years old. However, I was lucky because Jacob was open to adoption, or no kids, so we still eloped months after I received the news. So for my early 20's I knew I couldn't carry children. No ifs, ands or buts.
Then came chemo and remission. I turn 26 and the doctor says as long as I am in remission, and am in constant communication with him, I could try to have my own children. WHAT?! Now there are options. Great....this just makes life a bit harder.... The doctor says I could carry a child, and the chances of passing on ITP are very, very slim. I would be bed ridden but probably not until 8 months. I would be more likely to have a C-section, because I would lose less blood. The stress on my body could bring on ITP again, and I might have to do chemo after I gave birth.
So at what cost do we want a baby? Now that I have been given the option of having my own child...it kind of sounds nice. It would look like both of us. But then come all the consequences we have to consider. Am I willing to take a chance on giving an innocent child a blood disorder? Can I spend a month or two in bed? Do I want to be cut up, and know that natural child birth is not an option for me? And then the big one....can I deal with giving birth, and then doing some rounds of chemo and hoping I am placed back in remission? WOW! So much for one brain to consider and think about. Yes, the miracle of medicine has done amazing things, I have the option of having my own child, but there are so many other ifs that it makes my head spin.
So there you have it. This is what is going on in my head, almost daily. At this age there are so many people have babies, that it is a common conversation. And it is bound for the question to arise..." When are you going to have children?"
As I roll my eyes I think "Well.....where do I begin?????"
FIRST lets get a few facts out of the way...
* All the puppies but Rose have been adopted. Ginny (mom) has been spayed so she is ready to go. Jacob and I hope that at the adoption open house tomorrow they find fabulous homes. It has been a real relief to just have one puppy to take care of. So much more manageable.
* It is true that my school is moving school buildings over Holiday Break. I am in the mist of packing my entire classroom, and then will be unpacking it at the beginning of the year. Just to add a bit more stress around the holidays.
* We will be on a cruise over Christmas so Jacob and I have decided that we will not be decorating for Christmas. SHOCKER I know. But the way we see it is that it is one less thing to be placed on the to do list, and one less thing to stress out about. We are working on getting our house back in order after having 7 puppies in the house, so we will focus on that right now.
NOW....onto my thoughts about life in general. KIDS.....
Not the kids in the classroom, but what the word family means to Jacob and I. We recently just turned 26, and have been married for 3 years ( 5 if you count eloping), and the question on every ones lips is " so when will you be having kids?" I understand people just poking fun, and joking, but there is a bit of truth from that question every time it is asked. First off it is weird to see people get married just because they love each other and not because they already have kids together, or have kids soon on the way. And it is just assumed that a teacher of kids should want kids of her own. SO WHEN??
Truth be told this has been more and more on our minds. MANY of our friends from high school are pregnant with their first, second, or for some third. People who were married the same year as us are working on their own families. So we have to think about what that means for us. Do we wait until we are ready? What if we are never ready? When is too young? When is too old? How many? How many years apart? Then come the serious question: Will I be able to have kids?
The word family comes with so many addition issues for me personally. When I was 20 years old, I was told I would have a high risk pregnancy, and possibly be bed ridden for months because of my low blood and the fact I am anemic. Well that was a whole year before I was diagnosed with ITP where I was told I could would not be able to carry a child to full term. WOW! Hit in the face when you are 21 years old. However, I was lucky because Jacob was open to adoption, or no kids, so we still eloped months after I received the news. So for my early 20's I knew I couldn't carry children. No ifs, ands or buts.
Then came chemo and remission. I turn 26 and the doctor says as long as I am in remission, and am in constant communication with him, I could try to have my own children. WHAT?! Now there are options. Great....this just makes life a bit harder.... The doctor says I could carry a child, and the chances of passing on ITP are very, very slim. I would be bed ridden but probably not until 8 months. I would be more likely to have a C-section, because I would lose less blood. The stress on my body could bring on ITP again, and I might have to do chemo after I gave birth.
So at what cost do we want a baby? Now that I have been given the option of having my own child...it kind of sounds nice. It would look like both of us. But then come all the consequences we have to consider. Am I willing to take a chance on giving an innocent child a blood disorder? Can I spend a month or two in bed? Do I want to be cut up, and know that natural child birth is not an option for me? And then the big one....can I deal with giving birth, and then doing some rounds of chemo and hoping I am placed back in remission? WOW! So much for one brain to consider and think about. Yes, the miracle of medicine has done amazing things, I have the option of having my own child, but there are so many other ifs that it makes my head spin.
So there you have it. This is what is going on in my head, almost daily. At this age there are so many people have babies, that it is a common conversation. And it is bound for the question to arise..." When are you going to have children?"
As I roll my eyes I think "Well.....where do I begin?????"
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