So today was our end of the year celebration (can't call it graduation because it's developmentally inappropriate sayeth my director) and things seemed to go fairly smooth for a classroom of jumpy kids and their parents. It's funny how the kids get even spazier when their parents are around. It's much easier to get them to sit and listen when mom isn't in the room.
We had some special activities, a pinata, we sang songs, watched a slide show of the children and our year, and had a pizza party. Why are pinatas these days so damn hard to break? Seriously each kid tried two turns to break it. Finally, one of student assistants had to whack away at it before it would even come off the hanger. What happened to paper mache? Not that I was thrilled to have the kids hopped up on candy anyway. Due to 4 year old Jacobs suggestion, we changed the lyrics to "Six Little Ducks" to "Four Little Ducks" in honor of our four duckies. I also changed the song further to reflect our duckies names:
Four little ducks that I once knew,
Flip, and Shrek, and Peanut too,
But the one little duck with the feather on his back,
Quackers led the others with his quack, quack, quack.
Quack, quack, quack. Quack, quack, quack.
He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.
The song goes on but let me tell ya it was cute and the kids loved the fact we had our ducks in the song.
The powerpoint killed me...that sort of thing always does. I've kind of been in denial about the end of the year coming. Seeing all those little faces on the screen to the tune of "It's a Wonderful World" did me in. Especially the end with the big "Thank you Ms. Jennifer we love you" On the screen. I love my babies and I have some very special ones going away to kindergarten.
So I went home a little early, it was kind of a crazy, sugar filled day and I was going to take a nap but I got a call from my mom. Seems the place my grandpa in isn't very good...my grandpa's all unshaven and his hair's a mess. He can't see to use the restroom and he was yelling for someone to help him get there. My aunt is coming down and they are going back tomorrow to see him.
Then she tells me my prick of an ex husband called my grandmother to tell her he missed her and my mother. Yeah whatever, like he ever wanted to see them when we were together. Drama I tell you. I still haven't gotten that pitiful 3 am, I can't believe we're divorced call yet. I'm surprised. I got them all the time but drunk when we in the beginning stages of our divorce. I'm glad though cause I don't care to hear it.
Then my mother tells me the principal of the school she works at, my old elementary school, wants to meet with me about a job and do I have all my stuff together. Ack!!! More stress. I will have to get my emergency credential and apply with the Diocese of Monterey right quick before I blow my chances and when exactly do I have time amid teaching and parent-teacher conferences? *sigh* And here I thought my stress was relieved. It's my dream school to work at though so all I can do is my best and hope.
5/29/03
Two More Weeks You Say?
Time for a lunchtime rant hehe...
Inequity really bothers me, especially inequity in the workplace. I love how my co-teacher fells entitled to do whatever she wants. This includes coming in late 10 to 15 min late every day, or making up excuses so she doesn't have to go on the play yard.
What am I saying, she doesn't say anything she just doesn't go out, or she stays in the doorway. I don't like going out all the time either, especially when it is cold, like today. But the children need to run and get some energy out that they just can't inside. She'll make sure she takes her break when we are outside, saving herself 15 (or 20 depending) minutes outside and then sometimes fiddle around afterwards. Today she put all the sleeping mats out and fiddled around just so she could stay in. Interesting seeing how I put the mats out during lunch and if I was ever busy with a parent to do it you'd think her arm was broke cause she "couldn't do it". It just shows that we humans can do anything if we put our mind to it ;)
Anyway enough of that crap. Tomorrow is my assistant's last day with us for she is heading to her camp position in Maine and then heading on to a new life in D.C. I'll miss her terribly. This past year she has been an incredible support. We think very much alike and I really needed that sometimes as I was often set adrift in the sea of Head Start (Ms. Jenn will know what I mean). I never felt she was an assistant...to me she was truly a peer and I hope she felt that. The kids will also miss her, I know. I wish her all the luck and attractive, forthcoming and intelligent men she can handle.
Lose von Liebe und Dank, und können wir treffen wieder.
Inequity really bothers me, especially inequity in the workplace. I love how my co-teacher fells entitled to do whatever she wants. This includes coming in late 10 to 15 min late every day, or making up excuses so she doesn't have to go on the play yard.
What am I saying, she doesn't say anything she just doesn't go out, or she stays in the doorway. I don't like going out all the time either, especially when it is cold, like today. But the children need to run and get some energy out that they just can't inside. She'll make sure she takes her break when we are outside, saving herself 15 (or 20 depending) minutes outside and then sometimes fiddle around afterwards. Today she put all the sleeping mats out and fiddled around just so she could stay in. Interesting seeing how I put the mats out during lunch and if I was ever busy with a parent to do it you'd think her arm was broke cause she "couldn't do it". It just shows that we humans can do anything if we put our mind to it ;)
Anyway enough of that crap. Tomorrow is my assistant's last day with us for she is heading to her camp position in Maine and then heading on to a new life in D.C. I'll miss her terribly. This past year she has been an incredible support. We think very much alike and I really needed that sometimes as I was often set adrift in the sea of Head Start (Ms. Jenn will know what I mean). I never felt she was an assistant...to me she was truly a peer and I hope she felt that. The kids will also miss her, I know. I wish her all the luck and attractive, forthcoming and intelligent men she can handle.
Lose von Liebe und Dank, und können wir treffen wieder.
5/26/03
Today was a Good Day
So today was a good day.
I slept in, got to spend some time with my honey, played with duckies, and avoided some work but later returned to it.
Found something curious on my fridge calender...the one I haven't updated in ages...lol. Alex redid it last since I left it at March (it's a dry erase) with how busy I'd been. So on the bottom he had written 6/16-JP. Now what's that? My paranoid and curious self wonders if it means to be a reminder to propose to me. Like Jennifer Propose. 6/16 would be two years from the day we first met.
Of course I am most likely reading waaay to much into it. Just thinking about it made me peruse the net for wedding dresses as I do so often. Isn't that horrible? I just had by divorce finalized after 2 years of lag and I'm already planning a second one. To be honest I was planning with Alex almost from the get-go. We knew right away we were meant to be together. We started talking about getting married before we even met in person. Crazy.
The duckies were soo cute today. Yesterday Alex had made a pen out of cardboard and set it up in the dining room. We have a big plastic tub they swim in whenever they want and a ramp leading up to it. They are much quieter now than when they were in their little duck house. Of course that could be interpreted as not very quiet at all...lol Quackers especially lives up to his/her name and is super loud squeaking away. They really like to squeak when I leave the room. Too funny though to watch them swim away in the clear plastic tub and hear them go flap flap flap with wet feet on the floor. Tomorrow they go back to school and I'm sure they'll hate it. Poor duckies, cooped up in their cage again.
Like me at work sometimes...lol Just kidding ;)
I slept in, got to spend some time with my honey, played with duckies, and avoided some work but later returned to it.
Found something curious on my fridge calender...the one I haven't updated in ages...lol. Alex redid it last since I left it at March (it's a dry erase) with how busy I'd been. So on the bottom he had written 6/16-JP. Now what's that? My paranoid and curious self wonders if it means to be a reminder to propose to me. Like Jennifer Propose. 6/16 would be two years from the day we first met.
Of course I am most likely reading waaay to much into it. Just thinking about it made me peruse the net for wedding dresses as I do so often. Isn't that horrible? I just had by divorce finalized after 2 years of lag and I'm already planning a second one. To be honest I was planning with Alex almost from the get-go. We knew right away we were meant to be together. We started talking about getting married before we even met in person. Crazy.
The duckies were soo cute today. Yesterday Alex had made a pen out of cardboard and set it up in the dining room. We have a big plastic tub they swim in whenever they want and a ramp leading up to it. They are much quieter now than when they were in their little duck house. Of course that could be interpreted as not very quiet at all...lol Quackers especially lives up to his/her name and is super loud squeaking away. They really like to squeak when I leave the room. Too funny though to watch them swim away in the clear plastic tub and hear them go flap flap flap with wet feet on the floor. Tomorrow they go back to school and I'm sure they'll hate it. Poor duckies, cooped up in their cage again.
Like me at work sometimes...lol Just kidding ;)
5/25/03
And So it Was Done
Yesterday was a hard day.
My mother and I moved my grandpa into the home. The day previous he had stated that he would try the place out but if he didn't like it he would come back home. Yesterday after talking to him it seemed as though he was taking it as a vacation of sort...certainly not permanent. My crazy step grandma had convinced him he should live there with her and I guess he now believed so. He also told me that he was VERY unhappy with my two step uncles, how they were taking things out of the house. He couldn't "see so he couldn't really do anything about it."
So off we went to this place, my grandfather already crying as he left the house. We get there and my step grandma (sg) comes into the room. She didn't even acknowledge my mother and I and proceeded to drag my grandpa around the place and demanding that her sons bring more furniture to the home for his room, furniture that would take up more space and be in his way.
Maybe she's trying to trip him and make him fall down like she did before she hit him with the skillet. She would change the furniture around in the night, blocking his way with chairs.
She seemed rather worse for wear and that was very sad. It was sad that she ignored my mom and I. It was sad seeing two old people hug each other and my grandpa cry. He just sat there confused about the whole situation. According to him "It was the worst day of his life". My mom and I told him over and over that he would just have to say word one and we would get him out and take him home. *sigh* We'll just have to see what happens.
Then, when I got home, Alex and I got into a huge fight, our second ever. I can't take it when the other person runs away and refuses to talk it out. It frustrates me to no end. What is it about guys? They always pull the "fine then I'm leaving" crap until they realize you're crying your eyes out and then they wise up. I hate fighting...I did it too much in my marriage and I don't want to do it in this relationship. This one means too much to me to let it go that route.
Later we went to the tail end of a grad party for my friend Jenn and in the evening I went out with another grad friend Heather. I felt badly about missing their graduation but family stuff had to come first yesterday. The evening events were interesting. I should have gone out with Jenn most likely but the group I went out with was pretty fun but extremely hyper and I was not in that space. Things perked up a bit when we met up with one of the girl's roommates. He's the language lab head and I knew him from my ASL days at school. Cute! Anyway it was nice to chat with him because we had quite a bit in common, age, eurotrashness, and divorced (his was going to be final today). We weren't in the get trashed frame of mind so it was good to bond.
We ended up at Denny's *eye roll* How 1992! Hehe And played "I've Never"...and...I LOST. Go figure. I always do. But Gus came in a close second so we laughed over that.
Today was a fine day. Played with the ducks and went to a students b'day party. Happy 4th birthday Teagan :)
My mother and I moved my grandpa into the home. The day previous he had stated that he would try the place out but if he didn't like it he would come back home. Yesterday after talking to him it seemed as though he was taking it as a vacation of sort...certainly not permanent. My crazy step grandma had convinced him he should live there with her and I guess he now believed so. He also told me that he was VERY unhappy with my two step uncles, how they were taking things out of the house. He couldn't "see so he couldn't really do anything about it."
So off we went to this place, my grandfather already crying as he left the house. We get there and my step grandma (sg) comes into the room. She didn't even acknowledge my mother and I and proceeded to drag my grandpa around the place and demanding that her sons bring more furniture to the home for his room, furniture that would take up more space and be in his way.
Maybe she's trying to trip him and make him fall down like she did before she hit him with the skillet. She would change the furniture around in the night, blocking his way with chairs.
She seemed rather worse for wear and that was very sad. It was sad that she ignored my mom and I. It was sad seeing two old people hug each other and my grandpa cry. He just sat there confused about the whole situation. According to him "It was the worst day of his life". My mom and I told him over and over that he would just have to say word one and we would get him out and take him home. *sigh* We'll just have to see what happens.
Then, when I got home, Alex and I got into a huge fight, our second ever. I can't take it when the other person runs away and refuses to talk it out. It frustrates me to no end. What is it about guys? They always pull the "fine then I'm leaving" crap until they realize you're crying your eyes out and then they wise up. I hate fighting...I did it too much in my marriage and I don't want to do it in this relationship. This one means too much to me to let it go that route.
Later we went to the tail end of a grad party for my friend Jenn and in the evening I went out with another grad friend Heather. I felt badly about missing their graduation but family stuff had to come first yesterday. The evening events were interesting. I should have gone out with Jenn most likely but the group I went out with was pretty fun but extremely hyper and I was not in that space. Things perked up a bit when we met up with one of the girl's roommates. He's the language lab head and I knew him from my ASL days at school. Cute! Anyway it was nice to chat with him because we had quite a bit in common, age, eurotrashness, and divorced (his was going to be final today). We weren't in the get trashed frame of mind so it was good to bond.
We ended up at Denny's *eye roll* How 1992! Hehe And played "I've Never"...and...I LOST. Go figure. I always do. But Gus came in a close second so we laughed over that.
Today was a fine day. Played with the ducks and went to a students b'day party. Happy 4th birthday Teagan :)
5/23/03
This Week Just Gets Better and Better
In case people couldn't tell, I am being so sarcastic.
A while back my step grandma had a stroke and in turn became nutty. She tried to kill my blind and nearly deaf grandpa with a cast iron skillet. It took 4 officers to pull her off of him. It would sound amusing if it didn't happen to be my family. My step grandma ended up being sent to a home while my grandpa stayed on at the house with a live in helper, a wonderful woman. My step uncle however wanted my grandpa to be sent to the home while his mother stayed at the house. Both my mother and my aunt put their feet down and said no.
So, I get a hysterical call from my mom tonight (to add insult to injury with my current state of mind)saying my step uncle called her to say they were moving my grandpa to the home on SATURDAY!!! and selling the house, saying it's done. I am so upset I can't even describe it. Somehow he manipulated my grandpa into thinking he wanted to be put in this home even though not even a week ago he told my mother he didn't want to leave his house. Seems he took my grandpa to visit my heavily drugged grandma and made it seem all wonderful or something. Needless to say myself, my mother, my aunt and my cousins are livid.
First of all why would they even think to send a poor defenseless old man to a home with a nutty wife who already tried to kill him once and threatened to "straighten him out" on other numerous occasions? Secondly they will sell the house which for some reason was put into both my step grandmother and grandfathers names. This means the house will be split up 4 ways, my step-grandma's two sons and my grandpa's two daughters. This is so fucking unfair you can't even believe. My step grandma had her own house...which her oldest son currently lives in...rent free. If nothing from that house would ever go to my mom and aunt why in hell should my grandpas house (which my grandmother resided in before the divorce and in which my mother and aunt were raised) be split up between her sons too?
They're already moving crap out of the house. Funny how they tell us one day before the move...probably so we can't do anything about it. Alex is going over to talk to my grandpa tomorrow morning and my aunt and cousin are traveling down to go to the house with my mom. I don't get to go cause accreditation is showing up tomorrow. Of all days. Personally I could give a damn, my family is much more important than work.
Plus I burnt my hand to blistering by some steam on dinner. Isn't life grand? I swear when it rains it pours. I'm so sad and frustrated right now...
A while back my step grandma had a stroke and in turn became nutty. She tried to kill my blind and nearly deaf grandpa with a cast iron skillet. It took 4 officers to pull her off of him. It would sound amusing if it didn't happen to be my family. My step grandma ended up being sent to a home while my grandpa stayed on at the house with a live in helper, a wonderful woman. My step uncle however wanted my grandpa to be sent to the home while his mother stayed at the house. Both my mother and my aunt put their feet down and said no.
So, I get a hysterical call from my mom tonight (to add insult to injury with my current state of mind)saying my step uncle called her to say they were moving my grandpa to the home on SATURDAY!!! and selling the house, saying it's done. I am so upset I can't even describe it. Somehow he manipulated my grandpa into thinking he wanted to be put in this home even though not even a week ago he told my mother he didn't want to leave his house. Seems he took my grandpa to visit my heavily drugged grandma and made it seem all wonderful or something. Needless to say myself, my mother, my aunt and my cousins are livid.
First of all why would they even think to send a poor defenseless old man to a home with a nutty wife who already tried to kill him once and threatened to "straighten him out" on other numerous occasions? Secondly they will sell the house which for some reason was put into both my step grandmother and grandfathers names. This means the house will be split up 4 ways, my step-grandma's two sons and my grandpa's two daughters. This is so fucking unfair you can't even believe. My step grandma had her own house...which her oldest son currently lives in...rent free. If nothing from that house would ever go to my mom and aunt why in hell should my grandpas house (which my grandmother resided in before the divorce and in which my mother and aunt were raised) be split up between her sons too?
They're already moving crap out of the house. Funny how they tell us one day before the move...probably so we can't do anything about it. Alex is going over to talk to my grandpa tomorrow morning and my aunt and cousin are traveling down to go to the house with my mom. I don't get to go cause accreditation is showing up tomorrow. Of all days. Personally I could give a damn, my family is much more important than work.
Plus I burnt my hand to blistering by some steam on dinner. Isn't life grand? I swear when it rains it pours. I'm so sad and frustrated right now...
5/22/03
Work Dumpster
AAAAAAAAAccccccck!!! Nothing bothers me more than people putting words in my mouth and making me seem like a liar.
I have been working on these assessments for months now, it is the second round of them which are due at the end of the school year. My co-teacher is on a different schedule with hers since she's a Head Start teacher and I'm a State Preschool teacher. I have been struggling with mine since we are to conference with the parents together and she hadn't had any of her information together. Now it is down to the wire and we haven't met at all. Today we were to have a meeting to go over three children's files and she wasn't there.
Seems later the center director talked to her sup. and it was brought up that I had told my co-teacher that I couldn't meet or some such nonsense. No wordage resembling such a statement ever came out of my mouth. So of course to her her sup. I look like a big, huge, nasty liar. Grrrr.
When my co-teacher finally did come back to the center she wouldn't speak to me. I brought up the fact that I was disappointed we hadn't met to discuss the children. She then goes on and on about how before she had left for her lunch I had said that "I was stressed out with all my paperwork". Perhaps it's some language barrier thing but I'm sorry, saying I'm stressed out in no way shape or form means I can't meet with you. I'm direct, I'll say, "I can't meet with you today". I told her I was sorry that she took my statement to mean that we couldn't meet, that it certainly wasn't meant to be taken in that way.
I won't even get started on how she treats the aides and assistants like maids, despite the fact that she doesn't even have her AA. Sometimes I really think Head Start needs to get their head out of their ass.
Sometimes I just want to pop people one :(
I have been working on these assessments for months now, it is the second round of them which are due at the end of the school year. My co-teacher is on a different schedule with hers since she's a Head Start teacher and I'm a State Preschool teacher. I have been struggling with mine since we are to conference with the parents together and she hadn't had any of her information together. Now it is down to the wire and we haven't met at all. Today we were to have a meeting to go over three children's files and she wasn't there.
Seems later the center director talked to her sup. and it was brought up that I had told my co-teacher that I couldn't meet or some such nonsense. No wordage resembling such a statement ever came out of my mouth. So of course to her her sup. I look like a big, huge, nasty liar. Grrrr.
When my co-teacher finally did come back to the center she wouldn't speak to me. I brought up the fact that I was disappointed we hadn't met to discuss the children. She then goes on and on about how before she had left for her lunch I had said that "I was stressed out with all my paperwork". Perhaps it's some language barrier thing but I'm sorry, saying I'm stressed out in no way shape or form means I can't meet with you. I'm direct, I'll say, "I can't meet with you today". I told her I was sorry that she took my statement to mean that we couldn't meet, that it certainly wasn't meant to be taken in that way.
I won't even get started on how she treats the aides and assistants like maids, despite the fact that she doesn't even have her AA. Sometimes I really think Head Start needs to get their head out of their ass.
Sometimes I just want to pop people one :(
At the Salt Mines
My grandmother always used to call work the "salt mines". How did that phrase come about anyway? Are there even that many salt mines around? Somehow I don't think so.
Today is a usual school day except for the fact school is about over for many of their parents. It's finals weeks and the kids are reflections of that fact. Can you say CRAZY! It's also very cold today, a huge departure from my short stint in Florida last weekend. To think I actually cursed the heat...lol. My students went for a walk today to warm up, it was that cold.
Our class ducks are just over a week old and boy are they getting big. They are uber messy as well. I barely change their newspaper and they've got all of their water dumped out and have crapped everywhere. Good thing they're adorable. Some day I'll figure out if I can upload pictures to this thing (still getting the hang of lj and all).
I'm STILL working on the class DRDP's. I am so tired of all these assessments. I'd laugh in anyone's face who thinks all Pre-K teachers do is play with playdough and sit on the floor. Oh, if that was all my job consisted of it would be pretty kush.
Today is a usual school day except for the fact school is about over for many of their parents. It's finals weeks and the kids are reflections of that fact. Can you say CRAZY! It's also very cold today, a huge departure from my short stint in Florida last weekend. To think I actually cursed the heat...lol. My students went for a walk today to warm up, it was that cold.
Our class ducks are just over a week old and boy are they getting big. They are uber messy as well. I barely change their newspaper and they've got all of their water dumped out and have crapped everywhere. Good thing they're adorable. Some day I'll figure out if I can upload pictures to this thing (still getting the hang of lj and all).
I'm STILL working on the class DRDP's. I am so tired of all these assessments. I'd laugh in anyone's face who thinks all Pre-K teachers do is play with playdough and sit on the floor. Oh, if that was all my job consisted of it would be pretty kush.
5/21/03
And So It Begins
I have yet again started myself on something that I probably shouldn't, however it most likely is needed.
I haven't had any type of journal outlet for a long time, since I got engaged 9 years ago actually. Funny how when I really needed it most I gave it up. That part of my life over and my life moving on, I am journaling again but in a different form.
And so it begins...
I haven't had any type of journal outlet for a long time, since I got engaged 9 years ago actually. Funny how when I really needed it most I gave it up. That part of my life over and my life moving on, I am journaling again but in a different form.
And so it begins...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
