Yesterday was a Joan Crawford day for me. Today is midterm at school, and I had 600 papers to record (didn't get them *graded* but I do have them *recorded* as in my possession). I didn't get home from school until 4:30, when I had to wrestle Xandri and her huge paper heart and balloons, Asa and his Valentine "plane" (paper, zooming all around), Max and his carrier and bag, and Jack who proceeded to empty his entire backpack, coat, and boots all over my car before we could get inside the house.
After we sorted all that out, we had to have a snack, clean up the Valentine holocaust, get all of Jack's coat, shoes, boots, book (which was outside on the side-walk, btw) inside the house. Then we had to clean our bedrooms. Then we cleaned the table for dinner. Then we fed the baby, held the baby, everyone tried comforting the baby. By then, it was 6pm, no dinner had been made, and everyone was cross. It's a good thing we exchanged Valentine's gifts in the MORNING when we weren't so cross!!
Dinner ended up being leftovers, none of which I could eat because all things bovine bother Max, and the veggies were cauliflower & broccoli. I ended up having a sandwich and then we all had a "deck" of chocolate cards. I bought a "royal flush" box of chocolate, so each person got theirs: King (daddy ate Max's), Queen, Jack, Ace & I ate the 10. Then, the kids went to bed and I stayed up until 3am to grade papers.
Wow. Do we know how to celebrate love, or what? Jack couldn't even write notes on his Valentines for his friends because "We're having note problems at school, mom. People are sending notes that say, 'I hate you.'" I guess that starts young, too.
Hope your day of love was more celebration than ours. It did have its moments: When Asa gave me a Valentine "tiss", when Xandri opened all her Valentine's in my class telling me which people she liked and which she didn't, when Jack told Max over and over that he loved him because he was the perfect brother... It had its moments. I guess it can't be all fireworks and parades. This year was definitely full of quick bits of love.
15 February 2008
11 February 2008
Sick-os
John woke up middle of the night, fever & chills. Seems to be a repeat of what I had Friday and Saturday and what Xandri had Sunday and today. So... he didn't even feel guilt calling in sick (although we don't think he GETS sick days, actually. It's never been discussed before.)
I went to a conference, and my A4-call-the-police ESL class asked why I was so happy today. Today I found a program that will actually tell me, test level/lexile level how well the students read.
My top student reads at an 8th grade level. My bottom student doesn't/can't speak English at all---needs a translator. God bless us, the Future of America can be so scary!! Hopefully this kid will learn English because his goal is to play baseball at BYU, marry a beautiful woman, and then go home to Mexico. Isn't that *everyone's* dream??
I went to a conference, and my A4-call-the-police ESL class asked why I was so happy today. Today I found a program that will actually tell me, test level/lexile level how well the students read.
My top student reads at an 8th grade level. My bottom student doesn't/can't speak English at all---needs a translator. God bless us, the Future of America can be so scary!! Hopefully this kid will learn English because his goal is to play baseball at BYU, marry a beautiful woman, and then go home to Mexico. Isn't that *everyone's* dream??
10 February 2008
No, Really, Who Would You Vote For?
I'll admit it: I'm a liberal. Hannity would call me a liber-nazi. I post NEA pickets in my front yard. I'm a pacifist. I openly detest guns. I have more than several sets of gay friends, and I discuss them (and even have traveled with them and to them). I'm not a normal Utah Mormon. I also don't vote, so my neighbors don't worry about me.
My students view me as "An Adult" which lumps me with everyone Establishment over the age of 25. (HA! That number looks so young now!) They are very concerned with Politics and "The Race" because some of them can actually vote in this coming election, and Mitt Romney is no longer a candidate! Who, they ask, WHO will Utah vote for.
I adore politics. I don't know if it's because I can't vote that they fascinate me so, or if it's because I like being the "Switzerland" of voting in my neighborhood... or just what exactly. I do remember when I became a Democrat (during the first Gulf war) and that being openly in favor of the ACLU was one of the reasons my dad didn't want me to go the the University of Utah or to become a lawyer. Now that I'm really going to become a citizen, I realize this WILL be the last election I'll be neutral. Who would I vote for?
When my students asked me this question, I looked back at the old Nielsen's Chocolate map of Canada hanging on my classroom wall. I won't be able to argue politics in my classroom once I am an actual voting citizen. I might be seen as biasing the vote. I will miss that, miss it very much. We did discuss who Utah might vote for, as we know Utah despises Hillary. It will be a very "Anyone-but-Hillary" campaign in Utah, but the Republicans are also facing an uphill battle because it's not nice to call people un-Christian, Mr. Huckabee; and Senator McCain isn't looking too popular either.
As we discussed political candidates in my classroom, I was laughing to the point where I had tears coming from my eyes. One of my students seriously believed that if Hillary were elected, she'd be the First Lady and Bill Clinton would be President again. I said, "No, Bill Clinton will be the First Lady. If he wants to have a tea party in the Rose Garden, he can. He can choose the drapes in the White House, but he can't be President again." I think that's part of Hillary's problem: the voters can't separate her from Bill. I can honestly say, I wouldn't vote for Hillary.
The real honest answer is that I've always felt smug that *I* never voted for ANY of the politicians. I never caused any of this mess. I have always been above, without, divorced. Next time, I won't be. This is my last chance to be "Switzerland."
My students view me as "An Adult" which lumps me with everyone Establishment over the age of 25. (HA! That number looks so young now!) They are very concerned with Politics and "The Race" because some of them can actually vote in this coming election, and Mitt Romney is no longer a candidate! Who, they ask, WHO will Utah vote for.
I adore politics. I don't know if it's because I can't vote that they fascinate me so, or if it's because I like being the "Switzerland" of voting in my neighborhood... or just what exactly. I do remember when I became a Democrat (during the first Gulf war) and that being openly in favor of the ACLU was one of the reasons my dad didn't want me to go the the University of Utah or to become a lawyer. Now that I'm really going to become a citizen, I realize this WILL be the last election I'll be neutral. Who would I vote for?
When my students asked me this question, I looked back at the old Nielsen's Chocolate map of Canada hanging on my classroom wall. I won't be able to argue politics in my classroom once I am an actual voting citizen. I might be seen as biasing the vote. I will miss that, miss it very much. We did discuss who Utah might vote for, as we know Utah despises Hillary. It will be a very "Anyone-but-Hillary" campaign in Utah, but the Republicans are also facing an uphill battle because it's not nice to call people un-Christian, Mr. Huckabee; and Senator McCain isn't looking too popular either.
As we discussed political candidates in my classroom, I was laughing to the point where I had tears coming from my eyes. One of my students seriously believed that if Hillary were elected, she'd be the First Lady and Bill Clinton would be President again. I said, "No, Bill Clinton will be the First Lady. If he wants to have a tea party in the Rose Garden, he can. He can choose the drapes in the White House, but he can't be President again." I think that's part of Hillary's problem: the voters can't separate her from Bill. I can honestly say, I wouldn't vote for Hillary.
The real honest answer is that I've always felt smug that *I* never voted for ANY of the politicians. I never caused any of this mess. I have always been above, without, divorced. Next time, I won't be. This is my last chance to be "Switzerland."
Sickies
We all went to church today, but half way through the singing time, I realized that Xandri was SO sick---burning up with fever. She has slept the entire day, so we hope she's soon better. It seems she had what the boys had last week. Since I have a meeting tomorrow, I guess John will be staying home with her tomorrow.
It's hard to be a working mom when the kids are sick; it's even worse when my mom and dad are out of town and no one can help with any of the sick kids. Mom and dad went with Mark & Kris to Kauai to stay in a presidential condo. Mom scheduled it for Mark... but it looked so good that she and dad went, too. It's supposed to be 30 degrees (F) and snow like mad on Wednesday here. Hawaii sounds good today!!
Vivian called tonight and said that the temperature was -36C in Edmonton, and with the wind-chill it was -54C . NEGATIVE. In CELSIUS. Goodness. That's way too cold.
It's hard to be a working mom when the kids are sick; it's even worse when my mom and dad are out of town and no one can help with any of the sick kids. Mom and dad went with Mark & Kris to Kauai to stay in a presidential condo. Mom scheduled it for Mark... but it looked so good that she and dad went, too. It's supposed to be 30 degrees (F) and snow like mad on Wednesday here. Hawaii sounds good today!!
Vivian called tonight and said that the temperature was -36C in Edmonton, and with the wind-chill it was -54C . NEGATIVE. In CELSIUS. Goodness. That's way too cold.
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