Night Musings

The first week of school is killler. I'm glad we don't have a full week. I don't know what I would do. I say this because it's very exhausting. I remember the first year I taught the Olympics were on TV. The first day was a Wednesday and that night someone great was doing something. I don't remember the details, but I do remember coming to school the next day and being asked if I saw it. I said no, I was asleep. The principal at the time said 'it happened around 730!'. That is how my first week goes. This week was no different.

Wednesday we got out at noon. Colleen came down around 3 and we watched a little TV then made our way to the mall. I wanted to get a book, and we checked out the bargains. We got back to my house around 8 and I was doing alright--pretty awake. I walked her to her car as my front door shut, locking me out with my phone (and shoes!) inside. She took me to Connie's so I could get Jeff's number so I could call my roommates. After a phone call to Nebraska to get Connie's number (she wasn't home) I was on my way to the Burkees to meet up with my roommates so I could come back with them. A piece of pie later I was on my way to bed. Not terribly late. What I didn't realize is how much it would kick my butt on Thursday then a little today/tonight.

Thursday was a good day, got up, worked out, taught, bought some skis, sat in a restraunt way to long, and by 9:30 I can barely keep my eyes open! I call my dad and have to let him go because I can't stay awake to talk. This morning I wake up and hear all about this terrible storm that I didn't hear all night. Apparently the thunder was constant and loud and the lightening bright. I have no recollection of this storm. My students asked me about it, and if I hadn't watched the news and talked to the other staff I probably would have said "what storm?" Chrissy told me that she got up and made sure that it really was thunder and not someone breaking in! Who knew?

So yesterday I got some skis! They aren't the pretty pink ones posted here, but they will do. They were about $120 cheaper than the pink ones. They are blue. Now I just need the boots! And maybe a ski pass! Those Rocky Mountains are mine this winter (now I just have to graduate from the green slopes and go on to blues...maybe blacks...either way I'm sure to be a bit black and blue the first few times!)

This past month I read a couple great books and thought about how it would be great if my students would just read books for the heck of it. Of course I still want them to read for book reports, but I want them to read because it's good to do so! And if they read they will improve in all academic areas. So I was going to set a goal for them to each read X amount of books. The problem with this is that there should be a reward...and do you reward the one student who does it if no one else does? How? So I decided instead to challenge them. I challenged them to read more books than me in the next 8 months! Now this only works when I take the average of their books. I know of pastors who have shaved off beards and people who have kissed pigs and other wild things when people step up to challenges. Well since I have no beard and I don't really think I want to kiss a pig, I told my students that if they read more books than me this year I would dye my hair blue or whatever outrageous color they chose for the last two weeks of school. I'm kind of nervous about this--so I've been reading like crazy whenever I have a free moment!

Well, I think my ramblings are about done. I'm going to post a picture of Maddie and I from the children's museum. I took her there for her baptismal birthday. So fun!

She was very serious because some guy was taking the picture for us...I don't think she knew what to do. :)