And just like that, they are gone

Another day down and only 32 more to go until summer vacation! In August, it feels like this time of the year will never get here, but before we have time to turn around twice, the year is almost over.

I always get so nostalgic in the spring. The seniors are all talking about graduation and how they can't wait to "get out of here." I see the excitement of facing the next step in their lives, and it makes me think back to 1985 when I was where they are now. Oh, to be able to go back and take things just a little more slowly. They have so much ahead of them, and they can't wait to get started on that phase of their lives. They always talk about how quickly high school has passed, yet they don't seem to realize that the next few years will fly by just as quickly. As adults, we can tell them to slow down and to enjoy each day because before they know it, they'll be faced with bills and babies and all the other adult responsibilities. They don't listen, though. Very few of us did at that age.

This year, graduation will be a little more meaningful to me. I will be watching my "babies" walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. At Benjamin Russell, we have an advisor program. As freshmen, the students are assigned to a teacher who will be with them as an advisor/homeroom teacher for the next four years. Over that period of time, we get pretty close to most of them. The kids that I have are all very special to me, and I can honestly say that I love them each and every one. Some of them I want to knock upside the head every once in a while, but that's just because they are 18 years old. :) I've loaned money, I've been a shoulder to cry on, I've cried, I've celebrated, and I've counseled. And now I'm about to let them go. Some I'll continue to see in town, and some of them I'll never see again. No matter, I'll rejoice over their marriages and babies, and I'll hurt for them over their losses.

Yes, these 18 young men and women will soon be gone--to college, to the military, to work and a family--but they will always be in my heart. And in August, I'll get a new, fresh group of eager freshmen who will turn around twice and they'll be seniors. And just like that, they are gone.

Weekend at the lake

Another wonderfully relaxing weekend at the lake. Well, maybe not all THAT relaxing. Everyone who "weekends" at the lake--any lake, really--will tell you that there are very few weekends that are spent JUST relaxing. We've come to know that very well.

A couple of weeks ago we stopped by to check things out on our way from Hartselle. We were going to turn the water on so we'd be able to use bathroom while we were there. You can probably guess--a pipe had burst. John got all the stuff so he could fix it this weekend, or so he thought. What should have been a quick 30 minute project ended up taking about 3 hours and two trips to DJs for extra plumbing supplies. He DID get it fixed, though. We checked all the faucets inside, and they seemed to be okay. The trap under the kitchen sink wasn't though. It had a leak. Trip number 3 to DJs on Saturday morning. That's fixed, too.

When they put in the rip rap, the line for the satelllite got cut, so that was project number 2. John got that taken care of yesterday, but when we went to make sure it worked, the receiver wasn't picking up. He had to make a trip to the top of the hill to call the company to have them reset the box. So now we have TV again. He still has to bury the line, but I think we're going to rent a trencher to do that so we can get it deeper than we did before.

We got my elephant ears planted, so hopefully the next time we're up there (next weekend I hope!!) we'll see some beginning to pop through the ground. I want to plant a few other things, too, but that may have to wait.

Our final project was to "decorate." I know that our trailer isn't much, but we want to make it OURS, and I think we've got a pretty good start. All the things we bought at Hobby Lobby last week will be used in our house when we finally get to build, but for now, they are making the trailer look MUCH better! One thing I hope to do this summer is paint. It really shouldn't take long. After all, the trailer is only 48 feet long and 12 feet wide. Then again, any project that shouldn't take long usually does. :) One thing that I really like about our tiny place is that it takes NO time to clean! I can clean the entire trailer in about the time it takes me to vacuum our house.

I got ALL my bib cards and note cards graded. I started on them about 8:15 yesterday morning and finished about 6:15 last night. That is 10 hours!! I didn't spend the entire 10 hours grading--I schedule short breaks after every 5 sets so that it isn't so overwhelming. I'd guess I probably did spend about 8 hours, though. With no TV at the time, no internet at all, and a cold day, my breaks were much shorter than they would've been otherwise. I knew I HAD to get those done, though!

The pups had a great time, as usual. Both of them slept all the way home and are sound asleep on the couch now. I doubt we'll hear much of them before morning. And even then, they probably won't be waking us up to go out at 4:15, either. :)

It's been a LONG day, so I am going to call it a night myself. Only 7 weeks until summer vacation. I think I can make it.

Last night I turned John on

...to Hobby Lobby. Oh, wait. You thought this was about something else? SHAME ON YOU! Get your mind out of the gutter!! ;)

The annual turkey hunt that John goes on with a bunch of his buddies from high school and some of Roger's former team mates from Bama was cancelled for this weekend. Roger called and said some things had come up that he needed to take care of, so we decided to go to the lake this weekend.

I had planned on riding to Hobby Lobby this afternoon to get a "V" stamp for all those 80 million bib cards and note cards I have to grade this weekend, but when John said we'd go to the lake, I told him I wanted to run to Opelika last night to get a stamp. It will be SO much easier to stamp their cards than to write TMV 80 million times! John had never been to a Hobby Lobby; he always thought it was just an arts and crafts store. When we went in, we walked by a display of all this "lakey" stuff--fish, boats, stringers, lures, etc.--and it was on sale. We ended up buying lots of stuff for the trailer, and eventually for our house we build. :) I can't wait to do a little decorating this weekend. I figure I can do a little bit when I take my grading breaks.

It's supposed to be rainy tomorrow, which will be good. If it were 80 degrees and sunny, I would be dying to be in the sun instead of grading.

Responsiblity, people!

As a teacher of senior English, one of the things that I try to stress to my students is RESPONSIBILITY!! Much sooner than they realize, they are going to be out in the "real world" and they are going to be the ones having to make sure bills are paid on time. Momma and Daddy won't be there to prod them (or in some cases, do it for them!) We began the research process last week, and each day I stress to them that I will not accept late work. Misty, the other senior English teacher, and I have a contract we make the students AND their parents sign with a statement that says no late work accepted for ANY reason. If they are absent, they are to make sure the assignments is to us by the BEGINNING of the class period. Today the thesis statement was due, and sure enough, three students were absent. Two of the students sent their thesis statements to me by another student (one even sent hers by 3 students. haha) The third student didn't. About the middle of the class period I get a message from our secretary stating that his dad called and the student is home sick. (Granted, about half the soccer team does have food poisoning and he does play soccer.) Anyway, the message goes on to say that his dad will bring it to me later. When his dad (who was an asst. admin. last year AND had a son who was a senior here last year) comes in, I told him I could not give him the points for it (10 points was all it is worth.) Dad doesn't like this AT ALL and says he will have to take this up with...My principal came to talk to me about it and to see the statement on the contract. Now, I'm waiting to see what comes of it. Unless it can be proven to me that board policy states I must give him credit for it, I will stand my ground.

This policy was put into place YEARS ago because so many students were being absent on the day that assignments were due because they didn't have them done. Then, parents would write notes lying for them and saying they were sick so the absence would be excused and the grade would count. I find it so hard to believe that parents do that! My parents would have NEVER lied for me. If I didn't get something done, I had to face the consequences. Like I said earlier, half the soccer team has food poisoning and he does play soccer, so I know his parents haven't lied about that for him. BUT I have stressed and stressed that they must get the work to me. I even told them that if they had a parent bring it, they better make sure the parent stresses to the office staff that I better get it before the tardy bell rings for their class period. Were that not the case, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on, but I don't think it's going to be an issue. Then again...

Mrs. Thompson

The wisteria is in full bloom!

Mrs. Willodean Thompson was my 5th and 6th grade science teacher and one of the 6th grade homeroom teachers at Oakman Elementary. I had her for homeroom, so that meant she taught me spelling and reading in addition to 6th grade science. She was the meanest teacher in the entire world!! Or so my memories tell me. I'm sure that now that I'm an adult and a teacher myself, I would have a very different opinion were I able to visit her classroom again. She was very strict, and she didn't put up with any foolishness! We had tape on the floor where our desks were to be, and believe you me, if you got your desk off the tape, she made sure you got it right back on! She was an excellent teacher, though, and she taught me so much.

So, what does wisteria have to do Mrs. Thompson? I don't remember if it was in 5th or 6th grade, but she pointed out a tree covered in wisteria behind the school. I don't know if we had talked about wisteria during the plant unit of our science class, if it had been mentioned in a story we read, or if she just wanted to point it out to us, but every year when the wisteria blooms, I think about Mrs. Thompson.

She is one of those teachers that I wish I were able to go back and thank for all she did. One of my strongest desires is that I am making an impression in some way on my students the way Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Hutto, or Miss Smith did on me. I think it is because of these wonderful, wonderful teachers that I made the choice to go into education.

Thank you, Mrs. Thompson!