Hip Hip Hooray!

We made it to Edinburgh! Hosea is darling.

We are sleepy. More posts and pictures to follow (maybe).

Transportation: the Old Fashioned Way (sorta)

You know when your car is (still) in the shop, and you suddenly remember you have a dentist appointment? And that all of your friends are working or otherwise appointmented. But then you look online and see that it's only 2.7 miles to the dentist and you can cut through two parks on the way.

I'm going to walk there and run back! Yay! Exercise, parks, fresh air, and it's above freezing!

Respite!

One hour and eight minutes ago Christmas break began. I came home thinking, Man! I'm going to clean my room! After walking in the door, however, my legs decided they had had enough for the day and collapsed. So I'm sitting in the Comfy Blue Chair for a while until I can stand up again.

We went caroling today. I have Navidad Navidad Navidad Rock thoroughly stuck in my head. It was fun and bone-weary exhausting.

I will not set my alarm this week.

In one week, we're going to Scotland!

Love,
Mary

A Merry Christmas link

From the Holy Family.

Students

I encourage my students to doodle when they finish a test early. Sometimes it's really amusing. However, some of my third period boys like to draw doodles along a particular theme:



Yup. Death.

Sometmes I tell them to draw things I say in Spanish to check comprehension. We just learned ugly:





They're funny kids.

some news

The bad news: Ice can make your car inexplicably and tragically attracted to big poles.

The good news: It's snowing and pretty. I'm ok. Nothing was leaking/exploding/smoking, which the tow truck guy assured me was a good sign. Three people stopped to ask if I was ok. That was nice. One even almost got hit by another car that was spinning down the hill (I mean spinning literally). He had to jump out of the way before the car smashed into his truck. He's ok.

The lessons learned: Don't procrastinate snow tires. And don't drive on 14th.

Airing of Grievances

You know that little dragon-whisper that sneaks in sometimes and tells you, "Wow, you're trying So Hard, and you're still Not Good Enough." It's been plaguing me for the last few weeks. And I always underestimate how deep that not-good-enough wound is.

There was another loony mom last week. I don't want to talk about it besides saying that I have never before been spoken to so rudely and I would be a happy woman if she takes her spitefulness and immaturity far far away from me.

I have a cold.

I spent three days this week at school later than 5:30, one was about 6:45. That's a lot of working. And I still feel behind in grading, planning, organizing, and the PILE of miscellaneous paperwork that appears magically, as if summoned by aforementioned dragon.

No one ever thanks teachers.

I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, even on good days.

I am an unstable crazy woman to Mystery Man. Luckily, he is patient and kind.