Sorry, it's been a crazy few weeks.
Yes, I am done with National Boards - at least until I find out I didn't pass (although I certainly hope I do!) I took the test on May 30 - it was actually so much fun. I quite enjoyed reading the new literature and writing about it. By the 6th essay, I must admit I was pretty tired - and that last one is a piece of student work. You pick out errors and tell what you would do to correct them. (I am allowed to say this - the directions are available online). I was so tired and the sample had so MANY errors, I kind of got stuck on where to start. I wasted 10 minutes of my 30 just looking at it and thinking, "Umm, all these errors are massive. Where do I start?" Other than that, though, I got done and felt a bit disappointed it was over.
I am sure I qualify as a geek.
I had a very short break, in which I tried to clean the house and organize things, and then I started Summer School. We're only on day 4 of Summer School, and I am totally exhausted. Teaching two 3 hour classes is much more strenuous than teaching four 80 minute classes and one 20 minute class. I think it's the fact that lunch is only 30 minutes. Also, I have 23 papers to grade every three days - detailed grading with a ton of descriptive feedback. It's a lot of fun, but I am tired.
Over the weekend, I walked 12 miles (my usual walk, two days in a row) and then we hiked to a waterfall and swam. It was a very nice weekend.
The hens started laying a new spot and now it's like Easter all over - they keep moving their laying spot. My husband is getting there on the new chicken coop with the fancy laying boxes, though, so hopefully, this will be a problem of the past soon.
I have looked at the greenhouse and thought about planting lettuce - isn't that lazy of me? We have two coffee berries on one of the larger seedlings - which is exciting, but isn't going to make anyone even a cup of coffee. Maybe a teaspoon of coffee.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Easily Pleased and Other Flaws
I work for an extremely generous organization. They offered me two days off to work on National Boards. I took them. I usually don't take the offered days off because I would seriously rather be in my classroom, but I am finishing up on my last two entries and I needed this day.
One of my co-workers told me to go to a coffee shop to do the work, but I wasn't that tempted to do laundry or clean the floors or go outside and weed. I just want to finish this thing and upload it and forget about it until December, when they tell me the scores. I'm at the point that every time I re-read my entries, I find something I can do better, and I just have to finish it. I have been doing every end-of-the-year checkout thing they send me right away and turning right back to National Boards. (Except, well, I haven't graded the 75 essays - though I have been hounding the kids who didn't turn them in). I did spend 7 hours in intense concentration, finishing the penultimate entry.
But now I am distracted! At this moment, my son is pole vaulting at the State Finals. I wish I were there. I wish, at least, my daughter was there so she could text me. I have no patience - I just want to know if he got a PR. I would be happy with a PR - and so would he, which is more important. It won't get him even in the top six, but it would be cool.
So, I am sitting here, distracted, needing to hoʻomau and just get through this last stupid entry. Thinking about my son. Thinking about (everything else that needs to get done).
I am also thinking that the sound a chicken makes after laying an egg is awesome. It's like trumpets announcing a present when you have old hens who are sporadic layers. Yay! An Egg!
I am easily pleased. I admit it. I am easily pleased; I forgive at the drop of the hat if someone is even remotely kind; I have the sense of humor of a 15 year old. I consider all these things both flaws and blessings - blessings because I am pretty happy a lot of the time, and flaws because I look foolish a lot of the time, too. I mean, who has chickens for years and still gets ridiculously excited when she hears that egg-laying cackle?
Okay, time to get back to work. I really want to not have to do this tomorrow. I want, on the contrary, to go to work tomorrow and scan my entries on the nice copier and upload the entries on their nice internet and then finish writing my final exams, grading papers, and studying for the test portion of National Boards. Tests I like better than watch videotapes of me teaching over and over and over and over again and then writing about what I see. Ugh. I guessed I am not so easily pleased when it comes to myself.
One of my co-workers told me to go to a coffee shop to do the work, but I wasn't that tempted to do laundry or clean the floors or go outside and weed. I just want to finish this thing and upload it and forget about it until December, when they tell me the scores. I'm at the point that every time I re-read my entries, I find something I can do better, and I just have to finish it. I have been doing every end-of-the-year checkout thing they send me right away and turning right back to National Boards. (Except, well, I haven't graded the 75 essays - though I have been hounding the kids who didn't turn them in). I did spend 7 hours in intense concentration, finishing the penultimate entry.
But now I am distracted! At this moment, my son is pole vaulting at the State Finals. I wish I were there. I wish, at least, my daughter was there so she could text me. I have no patience - I just want to know if he got a PR. I would be happy with a PR - and so would he, which is more important. It won't get him even in the top six, but it would be cool.
So, I am sitting here, distracted, needing to hoʻomau and just get through this last stupid entry. Thinking about my son. Thinking about (everything else that needs to get done).
I am also thinking that the sound a chicken makes after laying an egg is awesome. It's like trumpets announcing a present when you have old hens who are sporadic layers. Yay! An Egg!
I am easily pleased. I admit it. I am easily pleased; I forgive at the drop of the hat if someone is even remotely kind; I have the sense of humor of a 15 year old. I consider all these things both flaws and blessings - blessings because I am pretty happy a lot of the time, and flaws because I look foolish a lot of the time, too. I mean, who has chickens for years and still gets ridiculously excited when she hears that egg-laying cackle?
Okay, time to get back to work. I really want to not have to do this tomorrow. I want, on the contrary, to go to work tomorrow and scan my entries on the nice copier and upload the entries on their nice internet and then finish writing my final exams, grading papers, and studying for the test portion of National Boards. Tests I like better than watch videotapes of me teaching over and over and over and over again and then writing about what I see. Ugh. I guessed I am not so easily pleased when it comes to myself.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Progress
Not farm progress - well, that, too, I guess. My husband jerry-rigged the tractor to mow the lawn (we've been having a problem with the belts - the expletively expensive John Deere belts that break the first time out). It looks great. He still gives credit to Gibby Crazy Horse for keeping it mostly mowed and making it easier. The new hens are completely integrated with their older flock mates with not much squabbling. And I weeded a little, a very little, around the greenhouse and in the asparagus.
No, the progress is on my bid for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. I think I am done with two of the four entries. I feel like I dived deep into writing today during my Study Hall, during my preps, during my meeting (cancelled) period, and during lunch. I barely looked up from my drafts or computer screen. I can't believe I've been in this room for 10 hours. Fortunately, there were two periods with kids in here, but other than that - yikes. I can't even tell if what I wrote makes any sense. I need to step away and not think about it for a few hours.
In the middle of all that, I fielded tons of email and wrote one version of my final exam - two more versions to go! I corrected one paper - just 74 more to go! I texted my husband to ask him to pull something out of the freezer because I am so fried, there is no way I can cook tonight. I had the temerity to ask my walking buddy if she wanted to go for a walk, but she's getting the school newspaper out, so I went back and persevered with my National Board. Good thing, because one part I thought was pretty solid -I re-read it and it was utter crap. Well, half utter crap, and half so-so. Now it is all so-so. Sigh. I don't think any of it is perfect, but it's due, so it's done. You know what I mean?
No, the progress is on my bid for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. I think I am done with two of the four entries. I feel like I dived deep into writing today during my Study Hall, during my preps, during my meeting (cancelled) period, and during lunch. I barely looked up from my drafts or computer screen. I can't believe I've been in this room for 10 hours. Fortunately, there were two periods with kids in here, but other than that - yikes. I can't even tell if what I wrote makes any sense. I need to step away and not think about it for a few hours.
In the middle of all that, I fielded tons of email and wrote one version of my final exam - two more versions to go! I corrected one paper - just 74 more to go! I texted my husband to ask him to pull something out of the freezer because I am so fried, there is no way I can cook tonight. I had the temerity to ask my walking buddy if she wanted to go for a walk, but she's getting the school newspaper out, so I went back and persevered with my National Board. Good thing, because one part I thought was pretty solid -I re-read it and it was utter crap. Well, half utter crap, and half so-so. Now it is all so-so. Sigh. I don't think any of it is perfect, but it's due, so it's done. You know what I mean?
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Lunch from My Garden
Well, more or less...
I dug up a sweet potato, picked some bok choy, flat parsley, and garlic chives and combined then with green lentils and black beans from the pantry and seasoned it with paprika, coriander, turmeric, and tahini. It's not very pretty, but it tastes good.
We're thinking about ducks. I haven't had much truck with ducks, but I am interested in trying. We generally have a standing puddle-like pond - it only ever disappears in a real drought. We almost never have even two completely dry days in a row, so it's not much of a worry - if we ever did, we could just put out a kiddie play pool. Now, I am just researching how much of a pain in the butt ducks will be. I like the idea that they eat slugs and lay large eggs that are good for baking. And they are more of a meal than a chicken would be, also a plus. Muscovy's are very popular here, so I am leaning along those lines. If anyone has positive or negative feedback about ducks, I would love to hear it!
In other news, my son is "under consideration" for the State Finals for Pole Vaulting. We'll have to wait until maybe Tuesday to hear if he's made it to the event on Friday. It's on Oahu so if he goes, there may be an opportunity for grandparents. On the other hand, the school where it is taking place is actually kind of a pain to get to, so maybe not. For any Grandparents who are reading - Pole Vaulting is several one second bursts of adrenaline interspersed between rather long periods of waiting (or other parents' bursts of adrenaline), and Your Grandson is clearing about 12 feet and the top guys in the state are older, have more reliable access to a proper pole (long story), and will probably clean his clock. It's still a great opportunity, so prayers and crossed fingers in order, please.
We were so cheap we didn't want to pay the $20 to get all of us in to the Regional Finals, so we stood at the top of the hill outside the fence where we had a decent view. We still couldn't see the height placard, so I texted the running coach who was down on the field and asked him. I do love technology.
My younger daughter has decided to start running next week. Track is over and conditioning for Cross Country doesn't start until June, but she heard the times for the upcoming 9th grade girls on their 8th grade Big Run and is a bit scared about her place on the Varsity. Nothing like someone nipping at your heels to get you going, as the sheep would say.
I dug up a sweet potato, picked some bok choy, flat parsley, and garlic chives and combined then with green lentils and black beans from the pantry and seasoned it with paprika, coriander, turmeric, and tahini. It's not very pretty, but it tastes good.
We're thinking about ducks. I haven't had much truck with ducks, but I am interested in trying. We generally have a standing puddle-like pond - it only ever disappears in a real drought. We almost never have even two completely dry days in a row, so it's not much of a worry - if we ever did, we could just put out a kiddie play pool. Now, I am just researching how much of a pain in the butt ducks will be. I like the idea that they eat slugs and lay large eggs that are good for baking. And they are more of a meal than a chicken would be, also a plus. Muscovy's are very popular here, so I am leaning along those lines. If anyone has positive or negative feedback about ducks, I would love to hear it!
In other news, my son is "under consideration" for the State Finals for Pole Vaulting. We'll have to wait until maybe Tuesday to hear if he's made it to the event on Friday. It's on Oahu so if he goes, there may be an opportunity for grandparents. On the other hand, the school where it is taking place is actually kind of a pain to get to, so maybe not. For any Grandparents who are reading - Pole Vaulting is several one second bursts of adrenaline interspersed between rather long periods of waiting (or other parents' bursts of adrenaline), and Your Grandson is clearing about 12 feet and the top guys in the state are older, have more reliable access to a proper pole (long story), and will probably clean his clock. It's still a great opportunity, so prayers and crossed fingers in order, please.
We were so cheap we didn't want to pay the $20 to get all of us in to the Regional Finals, so we stood at the top of the hill outside the fence where we had a decent view. We still couldn't see the height placard, so I texted the running coach who was down on the field and asked him. I do love technology.
My younger daughter has decided to start running next week. Track is over and conditioning for Cross Country doesn't start until June, but she heard the times for the upcoming 9th grade girls on their 8th grade Big Run and is a bit scared about her place on the Varsity. Nothing like someone nipping at your heels to get you going, as the sheep would say.
Friday, April 25, 2014
So Much Fun!
I kind of had a bad day. I was thinking, as I sat through lunch proctoring standardized testing for stragglers, that I really should have stayed home. The virus is not giving up, and I feel like that ball of dust bunny under my couch - muffled, confused, and cranky. (Hey, I think dust bunnies are cranky - they probably don't want to be stuck under the couch and shouldn't be there anyway).
My last period class cheered me up, though. They did an amazing job at their monologues, told me repeatedly how much fun they were having (can we do this EVERY WEEK?!) I told them I'd wanted them to prepare a poem for discussion next week (something they usually like to do - the discussion part, at least - so they like to think of questions to stump the crowd), but instead I wanted them to tell me what it is like, or say something profound, about being a teenager in 2014. The catch was - they had 25 minutes to plan, act/film, and vine or instagram their 6 second story. I told them to go outside and surprise us.
It was so much fun. I learned that teenagers like to sleep, eat, text, talk about the opposite gender, and that they stress about school. I learned that teenaged boys have too much energy and sometimes just have to act dumb.
I already knew those things, but it was still a total blast. What a great way to end the week. My room looked trashed - desks everywhere, scripts everywhere, but I said, "Hey. we've got one minute before the bell - can you put the desks in order and clean up?" And it was done, like magic. Too bad that doesn't work at home.
My last period class cheered me up, though. They did an amazing job at their monologues, told me repeatedly how much fun they were having (can we do this EVERY WEEK?!) I told them I'd wanted them to prepare a poem for discussion next week (something they usually like to do - the discussion part, at least - so they like to think of questions to stump the crowd), but instead I wanted them to tell me what it is like, or say something profound, about being a teenager in 2014. The catch was - they had 25 minutes to plan, act/film, and vine or instagram their 6 second story. I told them to go outside and surprise us.
It was so much fun. I learned that teenagers like to sleep, eat, text, talk about the opposite gender, and that they stress about school. I learned that teenaged boys have too much energy and sometimes just have to act dumb.
I already knew those things, but it was still a total blast. What a great way to end the week. My room looked trashed - desks everywhere, scripts everywhere, but I said, "Hey. we've got one minute before the bell - can you put the desks in order and clean up?" And it was done, like magic. Too bad that doesn't work at home.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Darned Cold
Not the winter kind of cold, the virus kind of cold. I never catch colds, really, I don't, but I have a doozy this time. I guess all those kids sneezing and hacking away finally got to me. I am a big baby when I have a cold, too.
I did do a lot of my National Board stuff yesterday and a little today, and I went to see my son Pole Vault at the track meet. (He did well, a personal best!) I whimpered and hacked and sniffled through all of it, though. Such a whiner, I freely admit it.
I am hoping I feel better tomorrow. I have a gigantic (free) ham I got from the save a tape promotion at the local food store, and I want to dig up some sweet potatoes and use some of those baby greens out in the greenhouse to make a nice Easter dinner. We are hoping to go to the 7 am Mass - I love the sunrise Mass the best on Easter - but it will mean leaving home by 6 am. That's going to be a tough sell for our kids.
I see two Saanen goat kids on Craigslist. I am tempted to call; I know the people that own the dairy, and they take good care of their goats. I want milk goats in the worst way, but they don't say whether the goats are doelings or bucklings - and at the price they're asking, I am betting the latter. There are also Aussie-Heeler-Catahoula pups....It's dangerous for me to go on Craigslist. It really is. It's just that one of my favorite dogs in my life was Aussie-Heeler. My husband would kill me if I brought home a puppy, because he would be the one who would have to deal with it, since I am gone 6 days a week. They are soooo cute, though.
It must be Spring - I want ducklings and goat kids and puppies. I already gave into my craving for chicks; you know how chicks go, though. Now they are just small chickens - lovely but in no way cute and cuddly.
I did do a lot of my National Board stuff yesterday and a little today, and I went to see my son Pole Vault at the track meet. (He did well, a personal best!) I whimpered and hacked and sniffled through all of it, though. Such a whiner, I freely admit it.
I am hoping I feel better tomorrow. I have a gigantic (free) ham I got from the save a tape promotion at the local food store, and I want to dig up some sweet potatoes and use some of those baby greens out in the greenhouse to make a nice Easter dinner. We are hoping to go to the 7 am Mass - I love the sunrise Mass the best on Easter - but it will mean leaving home by 6 am. That's going to be a tough sell for our kids.
I see two Saanen goat kids on Craigslist. I am tempted to call; I know the people that own the dairy, and they take good care of their goats. I want milk goats in the worst way, but they don't say whether the goats are doelings or bucklings - and at the price they're asking, I am betting the latter. There are also Aussie-Heeler-Catahoula pups....It's dangerous for me to go on Craigslist. It really is. It's just that one of my favorite dogs in my life was Aussie-Heeler. My husband would kill me if I brought home a puppy, because he would be the one who would have to deal with it, since I am gone 6 days a week. They are soooo cute, though.
It must be Spring - I want ducklings and goat kids and puppies. I already gave into my craving for chicks; you know how chicks go, though. Now they are just small chickens - lovely but in no way cute and cuddly.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Blood Moon
It was pretty cool. I wish I'd thought to grab my camera, but on the other hand, I know from experience my camera doesn't take good pictures of the moon - kind of diminishes her to a small point of light.
I was just shocked we could see anything - it's always (always!) cloudy at our house. It's particularly always cloudy when there is something cool to see in the sky, it seems. Last night we got lucky right up until the actual moment. It rained in town, I hear, so many of the kids came to school fairly sad about that.
It looked red - like a red disc was eating away at the moon, which went through a month's worth of phases over the time of the eclipse.
It was actually windy and a bit nippy, so my daughter and I ran out a few times, said, "Wow! cool!" and then ran back inside.
At least we have something to talk about today.
I was just shocked we could see anything - it's always (always!) cloudy at our house. It's particularly always cloudy when there is something cool to see in the sky, it seems. Last night we got lucky right up until the actual moment. It rained in town, I hear, so many of the kids came to school fairly sad about that.
It looked red - like a red disc was eating away at the moon, which went through a month's worth of phases over the time of the eclipse.
It was actually windy and a bit nippy, so my daughter and I ran out a few times, said, "Wow! cool!" and then ran back inside.
At least we have something to talk about today.
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