Research...UGH!!!

Today was the due date for the second set of note cards and outlines.  Because we've had some crazy, mixed-up days, I had them go ahead and turn in note cards, but I told them that we'd be in the library tomorrow, and they could get help on formatting their outlines.  (FYI:  I despise formatting outlines.  I am sure an easier way exists than the way I do it, but no one has yet to show me in 11 semesters of teaching research.)

I probably should wait about using this cartoon until the final papers are done, but I couldn't find anything that showed somebody poking his/her eyes out.  That's exactly what I want to do right now.  It isn't that their note cards have been that bad.  I just hate grading note cards.  It's a tedious job, and the only satisfaction I get is when I've looked at the last one.

Now, when I read their rough drafts and take points off because they didn't include any parenthetical citations, or when I return their final papers and tell them I will NOT grade them until they have included parenthetical citations AND they will lose 50 points PER DAY until I get the paper back, they will look at me with the most confused looks and swear they have never heard of parenthetical citations and that I should have told them they had to have them.  Never mind that I've mentioned it no less than 25 times in the last three weeks.  THAT will be when I really want to dig my eyeballs out of my head.  With a rusty fork.  Found under a pile of cow poop.  OK, so I'm a tad bit dramatic there, but seriously...if I had $5 for every time I used the words parenthetical citations, I could retire and be filthy rich.

I still have 18 sets of note cards to grade, so I better go.  I was waiting for one of my students to come by for help on her outline.  She came, and it was an easy fix.  She's gone, so now it's back to the grindstone.

Have a GREAT day!!!!

THIS makes me proud!

In my post last night, I said that one of our players had been hurt, but at the time, I didn't know what the injury was.  This morning, I learned that he has a broken ankle, and that he will likely miss the rest of the season.  Since the high school regular season is only 10 weeks, and we've played four games, it would highly unlikely that he would be able to return.  I hate this for Bryant, but at the same time, I am SO very thankful that it is only a broken ankle.  At one of our neighboring high schools, a player was seriously injured a week or so.  He is home now, and from what I've heard, I think he will be okay, but when a player ends up with bleeding on his brain, it is scary!

This morning, one of my students posted the picture above from the game last night.  You can see Bryant and I'm sure his father (who is our head coach, by the way) near the goal line, but what touches me so much is what you see in the foreground--our players, cheerleaders, dance team, trainers, and coaches praying for their team mate/classmate/student.  As I said last night, we haven't had the best record for the past couple of years, and honestly, it even goes back farther than that.  Had a player been injured three or four years ago, I don't know if this image would have been captured because I don't know if this coming together would have happened.  That isn't to say that I don't think there would have been no concern, but it just seems to me that the WILDCAT PRIDE is back this year.  When you have that pride, it makes a difference.

I have the privilege of being a part of many of these kids' lives, and I am so very thankful for that.  They touch my life in a way that I can't explain, and I hope that I have a tiny impact on their lives.

Get well soon, Bryant!  We want to see you leading our Wildcats for the next two seasons!

Everyone have a GREAT day today!

WHOA!! What happened??

I've been gone almost a month, and when I come back, blogger has a new interface.  I'm always willing to give new ideas a shot before I decide how I feel, so instead of reverting back to the old interface, I'll post a time or two (maybe) before declaring my feelings.

So, what's happened in our life?  Not too much, and certainly nothing that is earth-shatteringly exciting or devastating.  (Thank you, God, for keeping disaster out of our lives!)

Football season has gotten underway, and I am currently tied with two other people for 2nd place.  Not too shabby for a chick.  This is the second year that I've not been the only female, so I'll admit that I feel a tiny bit of my competitive nature coming out.  Every Monday when the results come out, I first look to make sure that what I have for my results and what Andy has for me match.  Next, I check my overall results, and then I compare that to everyone else's results.  And when I see that I've done better than the other chick, well, yeah, I gloat a little.  I really gloat, though, when I look at the guys and see that I'm doing better than some of them.  I know, I know...it's all for fun, but I grew up in a family that was competitive, so it's just in my blood.  And now I've probably jinxed myself and I'll do a crappy job of making picks the rest of the season.  It wouldn't be the first time!

Sweet Layton is growing like a weed!  He is such a happy, easy-going baby.  Since school has started back, we haven't seen him (or Jessi and Lance) nearly as much.  Several nights, I've been in bed asleep by 8:00.  And since Jess has started back to work, it isn't like I can go to their house straight from work because she doesn't get home until 5:30ish.  Barring any unforeseen problems, we're going Sunday.  We won't get to visit a super long time, though, because I have note cards to grade.  Oh joy...

We are FINALLY going to watch one of Phillip's games in a couple of weeks.  We've said for the past three years that we were going, but we never planned it.  When the high school schedules came out in the Birmngham News, I looked to see when Spain Park played at home, and when Bama was on the road.  It turned out that the week they play Mountain Brook, Bama was on the road, and it's right after Katy's birthday and right before John's.  I checked with Katy to see if it would be okay for us to come take her and Sam to dinner and then go to the game.  She said it would be great, so we have it on our calendar.  We are so bad about saying we're going to do something or go somewhere, but if we don't ever schedule it, it doesn't usually happen.

I guess that's about it for now.  I was wanting to stay up to see how my CATS did tonight against Stanhope-Elmore.  We were losing 17-7 (I think) at the half, but we ended up with a 21-17 victory!  We're now 4-0 on the season.  The last couple of years were hard--we won only one game each season--but Coach Horn has been here long enough to get his system into place and to get the guys working and playing according to his style.  I know those two losing seasons were tough on him because his teams in Clay County were ALWAYS on top.  The only negative for tonight is that one of our guys was hurt and taken to the emergency room.  I don't know anything other than that, but I'm praying it is nothing serious.

I hope everyone has a GREAT football Saturday!

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!