It never fails...

For the past six years that I have been teaching, we have always had some crazy weather during Catholic Schools Week. Today was no exception. Yesterday it was near 50 degrees and raining and then when I woke up this morning it was 1! Yes 1 degree with a wind chill around 25 below (and I wonder why I have a sore throat and a nagging cough). So needless to say we started on a two-hour delay at 5:30 this morning and by 8:00 school was cancelled. So I have spent my time cleaning the house, taking hubby to a doctor appt., and then working out. I still need to go to the post office and then off to get my 6 month cleaning at the dentist today at 5:30. What a fun filled day for me!

Hey look...

I was on the South Bend Tribune site tonight and hey it is my cousin Frank standing with Bishop John D'Arcy while they are blessing the new beautiful addition at Holy Cross.

Heat please!

Jay and I came home from dinner with my parents last night around 8:00 and then I went downstairs to clean litter boxes while I was down there the furnace was running and running and running. I watched the ignitors light and then go out in a matter of seconds and then it would try to light again after a couple of minutes and do the same thing. Gee I thought to myself, there is no way in heck that it is going to warm up upstairs. So I proceeded to call my father and he told me that the switchy thingy is going out and to call my furnance people because they are on call 24/7. So I called them and they proceeded to give my information to a tech who then called me at 8:30 and told me he could come out on Sunday night or wait until Monday. Gee Jay and I weren't going to freeze all night, so we told him to come on over. Well within 20 minutes he was at our door. Needless to say he fixed our heat along with another part that he said was on death row all within 30 minutes. Then I mention that my dad told me to call him because he was joking around that his bedtime was 9, then I mentioned my dad's name because my dad knows the guy (I just have a different last name so no one recognizes me, which could be a good thing!). He then said that he would send the invoice to my dad because he got him out of his house. Hey I will go along with that! I just really don't want to see the bill, but we really did need heat here in good ol' South Bend in the middle of January going into February! Oh well, heat is good no matter what the cost!

A touch of spring

I just had to share a pic with you because it is so nice just to have a touch of spring in my house. It makes me joyful because I know this is what is going to be around the corner here in a couple of months!

Happy 100th!

Happy 100th day of school. Yup we have now been in school for 100 days and that only means that we have 80 left to go for this year. I still have so much to accomplish during these 80 days that we have left!

Catholic Schools Week

So next week is the National Catholic Schools Week here in the United States. What this means for all of us Catholic schools is that we get a break from our routine and get to do fun things during the week next week. We have our prayer service on Monday, followed by the staff vs. the 7th and 8th graders in Volleyball on Tuesday, on Wednesday we are having an all school BINGO, then we get to watch a movie on Thursday, followed by a school spelling bee in the morning on Friday then Mr. Basketball in the afternoon (I'm still trying to figure out what it is about). So you see it is one big week of pure chaos and the students are nutty. Oh so much fun for me!

But to start out this fun fantastic week next week, all of the Catholic schools get together and celebrate mass with the Bishop at the JACC. So the entire school piles onto three busses and makes the trek up to Notre Dame. This is the part of Catholic Schools week that I absolutely love. I guess because I am a people watcher and I love just seeing who makes up all of the schools. But the main reason is because I LOVE the songs that are picked out. If I could find a CD with just songs that we sing during Mass, I would be a happpy camper. The mass was lovely, however the only thing that irked me was the fact that we were told that we would be sitting on the floor this year near the altar. Well we were late getting up there because the Lake Effect Snow kicked in earlier this morning so it was a pain in the butt getting up to Notre Dame so we were late getting in the JACC, so I think they thought we were not coming and filled in our spots with another school. Grrrrrr.....the students were really looking forward to it!

I love this picture that the South Bend Tribune took at the mass:



The ride back to Plymouth was a nightmare because once we hit Lakeville it was near white-out conditions and the road was crappy. I felt sorry for the bus driver who had at least 65 kids on this bus trying to drive in the dang weather. Well we made it back to school safe and sound and the students got to eat lunch at 1:00 because it took us a good 45 minutes to drive back. The poor things were starving because we eat lunch at 11:15 everyday so 1:00 was pushing it a little too much. So needless to say after lunch I was lucky to do some grammar and reading before we packed up and went home for the day. Needless to say we didn't get anything done, but the day was worth it!

Cabin Fever

The weather for the past weekend has been down in the single digits and it is kinda yucky with the wind chills. This means that the students have been cooped up inside for who knows how long. Because of that fact, I get stuck with students who have the attention of a flea and want nothing to do with schoolwork. I had one student today out of 12 that was ready to work. I felt so bad for her because all I kept saying all day was be quiet, sit down, take out your______ workbook for the 100th time to the rest of the 11 students. These students need to get outside and burn off some of that energy. Then another teacher complained to me about a student who was not listening and backtalking her after school. Gee welcome to my classroom today. I had to burn off the frustration with a good workout. So an hour and a half I spent at the gym tonight switching between the elliptical, the treadmill, and doing crunches. Needless to say I am tired and ready to curl up with my book and pray for a better day tomorrow. :D

My child does no wrong...

So last Thursday I had a student out on the playground put two rocks in his hat and then start to swing his hat towards a group of girls. Needless to say he did not succeed in hitting anyone because the other third grade teacher got to him before he could swing no more. She took it to the assistant principal and then she talked with the parent after school and was going to go to the principal for what punishment he should receive. Well we had no school on Friday and then the parent came and talked to the principal yesterday and I have no idea where it went from there. Anywho I was talking with the third grade teacher today and she mentions that the parent called her at home last Thursday evening and asking her if she actually saw her son hit anyone and how big the rocks were! Excuse me does it matter how big the rocks where if he was trying to hurt someone? It just seems with students today they do no wrong and no parent can admit that their children will make mistakes. I know I don't have kids, but I am around enough of them to know that they are kids and that they will make mistakes. They are children, that is what they do, that is how they will learn. If they don't learn it what the heck will happen when they become an adult? It is a scary thing to think about!

So this same child today along with two others found out that one of my girl students hurt and bruised her toe really bad. So what do they do...they decide to chase her around trying to step on her bad toe during recess Then they succeed in her falling to the floor in which I guess they start stepping on her toe some more. So I had to write 3 letters to parents explaining what their child did and what discipline action was taken. So I expect some phone calls tomorrow or nasty letters asking if I actually saw it happen. Gee this is the part I LOVE about being a teacher!

Keep your fingers crossed!

So as of right now at 8:32 PM, Saint Michael is not delayed or cancelled! I have so much to do and I now have to cram Fridays' lessons into Monday's with what we regularly do on Monday. Gee the students are going to work hard and then exhaustion will set in. And the funny thing is that we have a 1/2 on Wednesday due to a Teacher Inservice.

In retrospect the long three day weekend was a nice treat. I went with my mom to the new Farmer's Market in Elkhart. The building is huge! They have food items on the first level and then crafty things on the second level. I LOVE the handmade Amish tables. They had a beautiful round one with awesome chairs. I didn't even check the price because I know it would be way out of my league. I do however already have a beautiful Amish made table with a hutch that my parents bought Jay and I for our wedding present.

Saturday was spent working my other job. I work for about 3 hours at the gas station with my family. I put in the charges for the week and update the monthly spreadsheet. I get to listen to my music and I get paid! I really needed something to make up the difference of the high gas prices because I fill up about twice a week. So it does come in handy to have some cash!

Today I spent the day bumming around the house. After six loads between yesterday and today, I finally got laundry finished. I was also productive in putting up the insulation the basement to help with heating costs, even though I ran out of insulation, the rest will be finished another weekend. I graded some things and watched the Colts lose. My mom called me up wanting me to bring over the picture book that Laura and I made from our trip in Europe to my Grandparents because my Uncle Leo was in town from Germany. So I stopped over there and then my mom and I went to my cousin Rachel's 16th birthday party at T.G.I's. The food was yummy and I will probably need to spend an hour on the ellipital tomorrow at Fitness USA. But the best part of the evening was my Nana telling the Friday's server that it was Rachel's birthday and to have them sing to her. Well at the beginning of dinner Rachel wanted no part in the singing. Nana however snuck it past her! So here is a pic of Rachel standing on the chair looking thrilled!

Boat trip anyone?

I started the week off on Monday getting my classroom ready for the students for Tuesday. Then rolled along Tuesday, we had a very pleasant day of school. The students were well behaved or they were just sleepy and had not woken up yet. Wednesday came and we had a two hour delay because of flooding in Plymouth from the Yellow River. Then came Thursday another two hour delay. I thought to myself I really like going into work at 10 AM everyday, I could get used to this. By the end of school yesterday we were put on a delay again because we don't need a bus load of children get swept away in the flood waters. However last night, they closed us! I was happy with my two hour delay! But driving in Plymouth has become a nightmare because you cannot get from point A to B without taking massive detours. So at the rate of closures we have had this year and if we continue to go with the trend we will be going to school until the month of July. Hey I always wanted my birthday to fall during the school year! :D

See what happens when we get 15 inches of snow and then it warms up to 65 degrees the next week. The school is about a mile away from all of the flooding. However we are dry.

I'm dedicated to my job, but not like this!

Teacher sleeps in classroom during storm

OGDEN, Utah - Intimidated by snowy, slippery roads, a teacher cracked open a can of chili and slept in her classroom. Emma Clisante had a sleeping bag, pillow, toothbrush and fresh clothes Tuesday night at Ogden Preparatory Academy.

"I'm from the Dominican Republic, and when I see snow on the roads, it scares me to death," Clisante said.

She read, surfed the Internet and caught up on other tasks. She turned off the lights when custodians left at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

"Every hour, I would wake up," Clisante said. "I locked the door from the inside and tried to hide myself under my desk."

Principal Kathy Thornburg was impressed.

"It warms my heart and shows the quality of educators we have at the school," Thornburg said.

Is it January?

So much for the 14 inches of snow we had last week, it all melted with the 64 degree weather we had today. On top of the spring like weather, I was coming out of the exercise club tonight I had to run through puddles of water. Yes puddles because it is thundering and lighnting at the moment. My feet and shoes are soaked. We are also under a tornado watch until about 2 A.M. Last I checked it was January, am I correct?

House Project

For the past two weeks I have been painting at my sister's house. This is a house that we have gutted the kitchen and the bathroom and painting every room in the house. This is the reason why I have 7 kitties living in my house right now because her 3 kitties are guests until we finish this house. I am including some pictures of the kitchen of some before and not quite finished pics. At the moment we are installing cabinets (well my parents are while Rosie and I finish painting, although I am determined to learn) and the green paint around the windows will be replaced with antique white once the windows get replaced. Go us!

I'm feeling accomplished!

So the majority of yesterday was spent to working on school stuff. I didn't realize that I had that much to grade and five hours later and no where close to being finished I think I worked my students to no brain function activity. Poor third graders! I believe that they went brain dead by Wednesday of that final week of school because their spelling tests were horrible and the handwriting stunk. But I am proud to say that I made a major dent in the pile of work that I brought home by 8 o'clock last night considering I started at 11 o'clock. I entered all of my grades into the computer and now I just have to upload when I get to school on Monday for our teacher work day. The only things I have left to do is read and grade a bunch of writing assignments and then enter my lessons into the computer, something I haven't done since August. Gee that is going to be loads of fun! However the plan is to get all of this completed that way I only have to do lesson plans for next week, arrange the room, and get a sub for a half day on Wednesday. Gee I go back to school for one day and then the students get to have a sub! They are going to love that!

Jay has to get a CT scan done on Wednesday and I thought it best that he not go by himself. He has been having stomach problems for the past three or four months. He has nausea everyday and he is hardly eating because it makes him sicker. Plus I can hear his stomach making noises from across the room. I just tell him he is pregnant, he doesn't like that explanation. So Wednesday morning off to the CT scanner to see inside him. Lucky us!

So now off to tackle that pile of writing papers, but maybe first I will go to the gym to work off the lovely holidays!

The end may be in sight...

oh wait the news just said it could be ending before midnight and sunny but chilly tomorrow. Hey I will take the sun!

Snow anyone?

Okay so the snow started New Year's Eve about 7 o'clock at night and the dang stuff is still falling! I love snow but now that there is 14 inches on the ground outside and it is getting a little tiring. I have been out to shovel at least 4 different times. Now I get to venture out in the lovely white stuff in about 30 minutes to pick up hubby because we weren't sure if they would have plowed the parking lot at work and since I have the all-wheel-drive it made more sense for me to take him. However since I have been snow bound in my house I have accomplished a lot by cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the kitchen, taking down the Christmas decorations and watched a movie. I guess I will do anything not to do school work. Which is what it looks like I will be doing tomorrow because papers just don't grade themselves. If only I could teach the kitties to grade...