Schedule for 2010-2011 school year

Mr. Reyes sent out an email with out tentative schedules for next year.  He said that these will probably be THE schedules, and I'm really hoping so!  We've known since before school was out that we are going to a five period day next year.  Classes will be 78 minutes instead of the 96 minute four block day we've been on for forever.  That will take some getting used to, but honestly, I think I'll like it.

So...my schedule for next year.  First semester, I will have planning first period (block?? What are the class times called??)  Then I will have English 12 for the ENTIRE day!  YEA!!!!  That makes me SOOOOO happy.  (It takes very little to make me happy.  Really.)  Now, having planning first and then having to teach four classes back to back will be a killer until I get used to it, but I do like first period planning.  (Sadly, the older I get, the longer it takes for me to get used to the beginning of the school year.)

Second semester, I'll still have planning first, but my second period will be English 11, and then the rest of the day will be English 12.  I've done English 11 at least once every semester since my second year in general ed, so I know the material, but it certainly isn't my favorite.  British lit, however, I looooove!  Give me a book about the English monarchy, and I am in HEAVEN.  (I just finished The White Queen.  Phillipa Gregory's next book to come out is The Red Queen, and of course, I will buy it.)

Misty, the other teacher who does English 12, will have only one "regular" English 12 each semester, but she will have two AP English 12 classes which will meet all year long.  She will be the coordinator for the AP English classes at the high school, so in addition to her normal planning, she will have a class period that is AP Prep.  This means that I will have almost all of the seniors.  The AP classes are usually smaller than the "regular" classes, and our "regular" classes have been running about 30 students each. 

I almost started planning a couple of weeks ago, but I'm glad I didn't now.  I will get started next week on the British lit.  I'd been thinking about making a couple of changes to my plans--trying to add a few things and taking out a few things.  I can wait about doing anything with American lit 2 until later.

I guess that's about it for today.  We worked in the yard here at the lake from about 8 until about 2, and I am TIRED.  (Not only that, but before my shower, I was stanky.  I don't know who said that Southern girls don't sweat; they glisten.  But today, this Southern girl was pouring sweat.)  The yard looks great though.  Katy and Sam are coming up tomorrow, so I'll need to rest up tonight.  :)

Have a GREAT day!

On my book list

So far this summer, I haven't read nearly as much as I usually do, but we've been busier this summer than usual.  I haven't spent an entire week at the lake yet!  (That's coming up next week, and then maybe a couple of weeks after.)

But I have read a few books.  I think I started off with The Secret Life of Bees.  I actually started reading this before school was out when I had my last week of dungeon duty (aka bus duty.)  Because I was reading it only sporadically, it took me a couple of weeks to finish.  (I KNOW!  It's not a long book, and it isn't a hard one to read.)  I finished it at the beach, and then I read something else while we were there, but for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of it.  I enjoyed it, though.  LOL

I currently have two books going at the same time:  one here and one at the lake.  Usually, I finish one before I start another, but I left The White Queen (love me a book about the English monarchy) here when I went to the lake, so I grabbed another one from my bag (don't remember the name of it, either.) 

I also read Making Rounds with Oscar.  I strongly recommend that one for anyone who is having to learn to live with Alzheimer's as a family member/caregiver.  Yes, Oscar does spend time with nursing home patients who are in their final hours, but the stories that Dr. Dosa shares about family members of those Oscar visited explain as much about being the husband, wife, son, or daughter of an Alzheimer's patient as it does about Oscar showing us how important it is just to spend time with them.  I can see my husband and his brothers and sister in some of the people in the book...the desire to hold on to what is left of the person their mother was, the avoidance of making the decision to place her in a facility for dementia patients.  It's hard.

In my bag, I have Deja Dead (this series is the basis for the show Bones), A Change in Altitude, In the Lake of the Woods, The Sound and the Fury,  and Beowulf.  The last two are primarily to take to school, but I would like to re-read them before the summer is over.  In the Lake is by Tim O'Brien who has a short story in our 11th grade lit book.  I thought I'd get it, read it, and take it to school.  Some of my guys might enjoy it.

Do I think I'll finish everything?  Probably not.  I think I got a little book happy this summer, but that's okay.  They won't go anywhere.  IF we didn't have so much going on, and I had spent a couple of weeks at the lake already, I wouldn't have had any problem reading all of them, but some things take precedence. 

We're leaving Sunday to go to the lake for a week.  We would have gone today when John got home, but Jess and Lance have a couple's shower tomorrow, and we're going to that.  (Precedence!)  I'm sure I'll finish the two I have going now.  I may get another couple read before summer (my summer...) is over.  Heck, I may get all of them read if I stop doing anything else and simply read.  hahaha 

As always, have a GREAT day!

After all these years

On May 31, 1985, the 48 members of the graduating class of Oakman High School gathered at the stadium.  We were filled with nervousness and anxiousness, ready to begin the new chapter in our lives.  We swore that we'd never lose touch and that we'd be friends forever. 

Like all classes, we stayed in touch for a while with some, and we lost touch almost immediately with others.  Over the years, some of us, like myself, lost touch with practically everyone.  Oh sure, we sent Christmas cards and made the occasional phone call, but as far as maintaining the life-long friendships, we didn't.  We got busy with our lives and our families.  We moved away and made new friends.

Then we joined Facebook.  John has never created a page and sees no use in it.  I, on the other hand, love facebook.  It is because of fb that I have reconnected with many of my high school friends. 

Last night, a few members of the Class of '85 gathered, 25 years later, to relive memories, catch up on lives, and make new memories.

L to R:  Mike "Woody" Woods, yours truly, Cindy Harbison Bentley, Donna Wade, Alan "Jim" Jones, Anita Burke McKinstry, Barry Thomason (kneeling), Brian Pendley

Really, none of us have changed much at all.  Oh sure, a few pounds have been packed on by everyone except Donna, Jim, and Anita, and a few gray hairs shine through, except for Barry and that's simply because he has no hair for us to know if it is gray or not.  =)  Otherwise, I would have recognized any of them if I had run in to them. 
What was so wonderful is that even though it has been many, many years since most of us have seen one another, we picked up just like this was a monthly gathering.  The only way to tell we were catching up for the first time in close to 20 years was to listen to our conversations.  "Where do you live now?"  "How many children do you have?"  "Do you parents still live in the same place?"

Last night proved that TRUE friendships can and will overcome all times and distances.  I just hope it isn't another 25 years before we get together again.

Before I close, I want to include a few more pictures from the evening.

Anita and Donna

Barry and Sharon (Sharon dates Mike)

Jim, his wife Kay, Brian, Cindy

Mike, Barry, Anita

Mike, Jim, Kay

Brian, Donna, Sharon

As always, have a GREAT day!

I don't know what I did...

But I am HURTING!  John came in just before 6 this morning to tell me he was leaving, and I was fine.  Gave him his bye kiss and told him I'd talk to him this afternoon.  I went back to sleep until about 8:30.  When I woke up then, my lower back was KILLING me. It was one of those "I don't know if I can get out of bed" hurts, but get out of bed I did.  Slowly.  Very slowly. 

I thought that once I got up and started moving around it would loosen up and I'd be fine.  That's usually the way that it works when this happens, but today has been different.  This backache has hung on all day long.  I've iced off and on, and I've taken Alleve, but relief hasn't come yet.  (It's time for the ice pack again.)

About four years ago, I strained my back muscles and suffered for a couple of weeks before I finally broke down and went to the doctor.  About three months after that, I did the same thing again.  Both times I knew what I did and when I did it.  This feels the same way, but I was SLEEPING.  How did I strain a muscle sleeping???

I guess it's just age.  Getting older stinks (but it is better than the alternative.)  In the last few days, I've noticed a few times when I've had to rub my eyes because things were blurry.  I'm not quite ready to think that MAYBE it's time for reading glasses.  I've made it to 43 without needing them, so I'm going to believe that the blurriness was from something else.  I'll figure out soon enough (like August, when school starts) if my vision is changing.  LOL  Oh, it isn't because I'm vain and don't want to have to wear glasses.  I've already decided that I will have all of those funky, colorful (cheap) readers.  I just don't want to think I'm getting old.  (Now that IS vain.)

I'm going to the bridal shop with Jessi tomorrow for her dress fitting, and I want to feel chipper for that.  I really want to feel better for the three hour drive to the lake, too.  That's a long ride/drive when my back doesn't hurt, so I know it will be torture if I'm still hurting.

OK...gotta ease myself out of the chair and get the ice pack.  As always, have a GREAT day!

Our silly little man

When I went to the beach, we ate at Lulu's at Homeport Marina.  The wait was just over an hour, so I went through the gift shop to look.  Naturally, looking turned into buying.  I found this shirt for Sam:

The child LOVES him some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so it was a perfect shirt for him. 

On my way home that Monday, I stopped by to give him his shirt and his Crocs and to give Katy her goodie.  (Phillip got left out then, but I have him a little something now.)  I spread the shirt out on the ottoman to show it to Sam.  He kept walking over to it and smiling SO big.  It really cracked me up.

A couple of days later Jessi told me that Katy said he was obsessed with his shirt!  At Jessi's shower Sunday, Katy showed me a picture of him wearing it, and then today, she sent me this picture:

He is carrying his lovey (which is like Linus's security blanket), a ball (which is his FAVORITE thing in the entire world to play with), and his shirt.  How hilarious is that?  Of course, it tickles me to death that he loves it so much.  Maybe I should have gotten one in every size.  LOL

As always, have a GREAT day.  And go put on your favorite T-shirt.  :)