Great news … the kids are doing really well on the math portion of
the test from what I’ve seen.  I feel so much better about
it. 




Not so great news … open house is coming in one week and I’m a
basketcase.  I spent the day trying to get three projects done at
once with everyone in different stages of completion on each one. 
The fast workers, of course, had finished everything and decided to
spend their time taking turns asking me if I needed help or just
plopping down at the table to share whatever happened to be passing
through their minds at the moment. 




“Miss G., my dog has cute ears.”


“Can I help you with something, Miss G.?”


“Yesterday my hair was much cuter than today.  My mom is trying a new style on me.”


“Can I help you with something, Miss G.?”


“I can make paper airplanes with my eyes closed, Miss G.  Wanna see?”


“Can I help you with something, Miss G.?”


“I had Cocoa Puffs for breakfast.  Do you think that’s making me hyper?”


“Can I help you with something, Miss G.?”


“My sister’s new school says she can’t wear any jewelry.  Can you imagine that, Miss G.?”


“Can I help you with something, Miss G.?”




(See, I was listening.)




Finally, I had to stop everything and explain that the best way to help
me would be to find something productive to do and stop asking me if I
need help.  I felt like I literally had someone in my face all day long!  By the end of the day I felt so cranky.  
I warned the kids that I was feeling like a grump, but they looked so
sorry that I had to laugh.  “You’re not grumpy, Miss G. 
You’re laughing!” 




 So, anyway, I’m sure you can’t guess what happened when I got
home. Toshi had spent the day working on the floor at home alone …
and he’d saved up a whole day’s worth of random thoughts I just had to
know the moment I stepped through the door.  Aiya! 




I am now enjoying a very brief moment of solitude.  Then I’m off to bed.  Where did the evening go? 



Quote of the Day:

For disappearing acts, it’s hard to beat what happens to the eight
hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.  ~Doug
Larson

I am so proud of myself!  I finally figured out how to put music on my site.  Yes, I realize that it can be kind of annoying, but I promise that it won’t loop.   
And you can always use your mute button … or just subscribe so you
can visit me sound-free in your subscriptions.  See?  I’ve
got it all worked out for you!



So, now who’s gonna tell me how to get the more sophisticated heart?  The smiley one ( ) is so five minutes ago!



The language arts portion
of testing is officially over.  Woohoo!  Our kids always do
much, much better on math.  That’s why we save it for the second
week … so they (and we) have something to look forward to as they
suffer through all that reading.  Their performance was really
disappointing, but it’s behind us now.  There’s nothing we can do
to change it, and in a way, that’s a big relief.


On a more cheerful note, I received a card today from
two of my former students wishing me a happy mother’s day.  It was a
“to our ‘other mother'” card.  It was so touching.  The two girls who
gave it to me are sisters who were in my class five years ago … they have been through so much, and if I
could adopt them, I’d do it in a heartbeat. 


Anyway,
I came home in a great mood, it being the weekend and all, and Toshi
and I proceeded to get in a big argument.  Yes, Indigolady,
your prediction was correct; remodeling leads to all manner of
conflict.  Our fight was over something totally stupid, too. 
One of those “it wasn’t what you said … it was how
you said it” arguments.  It started at Home Depot, our new home
away from home, and ended in our kitchen with “So now I can’t even
empty a spaghetti sauce jar to your satisfaction?”  Yep, it really
was that ridiculous.  Have I mentioned that I can’t wait for this
whole process to be complete?


Okay — very
sleeeeepy.  Will save visiting and commenting for tomorrow when
hopefully I’m not experiencing residual grouchiness. 


Quote of the Day:




When you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you’ve growled all day long.  ~Author Unknown

I think that kids
only have about two hours of “well-behaved and civilized” in them for
each day.  Normally, it’s spread out throughout the day, since in
a regular day we have outlets for the antsiness.  During testing,
however, we use up all two hours at once, meaning that for the rest of
the day they are WILD!   If we didn’t have Open House two
days after testing ends, I would just let them have movies, art, and
P.E. for the whole afternoon.  Unfortunately, I have to continue
to crack the whip through much of the afternoon or we’ll never be ready
in time.  Somehow everything will get done, and even if it
doesn’t, life will go on.  But, in the meantime, they are driving
me nuts! 

Ever since coming back from spring break, I have felt the impending
departure of my kids weighing on my heart.  Half of my class has
been with me for two years because I had a combo class last year and
got to keep my second graders when they became third graders this
year.  That makes it especially hard to let them go.  Not
every year is like this.  There have been years when I’ve felt
like doing cartwheels on the last day of school, but this isn’t one of
those years.  So, even though they are being naughty, I can’t bear
the thought of them leaving in just a few short weeks.

Quote of the Day: (in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day)




If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one
time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to
be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist,
without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence
for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom
teacher’s job.
                   
                   
                   
                   
              ~Donald D. Quinn

Okay … two days
down, seven days to go.  Yesterday’s test wasn’t so bad … it was
spelling.  Today was another story … much akin to driving by a
horrible accident on the freeway.  You know you shouldn’t look,
but you just can’t help yourself.  I can’t divulge details because
of the security affidavit I signed.   (No, I’m not
kidding.  Anyone who will be sharing the same air space as 
THE TEST has to sign one.)  Suffice it to say, the fact that the
kids have been doing something since Kindergarten is no guarantee that
they will perform said act when it counts.  Now if a question is
challenging or tricky, I completely understand them missing it, but why
the easy ones … the no-brainers?  And it isn’t the kids who are
struggling who are missing these easy questions … it’s the ones I
recommended for the gifted program.   That’s when I just want to assume the fetal position under my desk.  Have I taught them nothing this year?

Seven more days … then we get to cram all of the music, art, science,
social studies, P.E., field trips and fun that we’ve been skipping all
year into the last three weeks … it’s the best time of the
year.  Although it’s bittersweet, I’m looking forward to really
enjoying the last few weeks with my babies. 

“You can’t jump the track, we’re like cars on a cable


And life’s like an hourglass, glued to the table


No one can find the rewind button, girl.


So cradle your head in your hands


And breathe… just breathe,


Oh breathe, just breathe …”

   
              
              
              
             ~Anna Nalick, Breathe (2am)

The
Oprah wore off, I had an ugly day, it’s a week before testing, I want
to wring my kids’ necks, and I’m sure they’d like a crack at
mine.  I’m itching to escape from my life, but this is what it is
right now.  Just breathing and wondering when my real life is
going to begin …

We didn’t
time our Netflix return very well this week, so no movie this
weekend.  Instead we  decided to watch some of the Oprah
collection Toshi gave me for Christmas. 









On the first disc there was
a compilation of some of the stories that had most moved Oprah over the
years.  Wow … I boohooed through the whole thing!  The
stories were so amazing and inspirational and helped me get some fresh
perspective.  I am so blessed; I really am.  It always amazes
me how strong people can be in the face of adversity; in many cases, I
think they probably even surprise themselves with the strength and
courage they manage to find in times of trouble.

then I can quit my griping about grandma’s party and
be grateful for all of my many blessings.  And although it may
sound corny,  you number among those blessings.  Thank you
for letting me bend your ears (or rather, your eyes ), for your words of encouragement, and for a more-than-occasional guffaw.  




Quote of the Day:

People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the
sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed
only if there is light from within.  ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Before I
tell you the latest news, I need to tell you a bit about my
grandma.  As I’ve written before, my grandma is actually my
stepgrandma.  She and my grandpa got married when she was about
65.  It was her first marriage.  My grandpa passed away a few
years later, and she is now the only grandparent I have. 



My grandma is a not a
sweet, soft, cookie-baking type of grandma.  She’s the type of
grandma who rewraps gifts you’ve given her and raffles them at a Christmas
party where you’re in attendance … the type of grandma that invites
you to said party only to exploit you as kitchen help and waitstaff, making you eat in the kitchen …
the type of grandma who invites you to tea to dig for dirt on your
siblings … the kind of grandma who talks about “coloreds” taking over
the world … the type of grandma who prays that you will overcome all
of your shortcomings (listed aloud) in the prayer before Easter
dinner.  I do love my grandma, and I know she loves us. 
However, sometimes she can be so self-centered and self-righteous …
and just damn annoying.



So now that you’ve had a
little introduction, maybe I don’t really need to explain why I wasn’t
so excited about attending the party to celebrate her newly-acquired
citizenship.  Yes, the one that requires that attendees wear
costumes from their native country.  Yay.   
Well, I agreed to go to the party because I felt badly for her …
since the rest of my family bailed.  I just figured I would go
there, hobnob with the prayer group ladies for a few minutes, and then
make a quick exit. 



Well, last night grandma
called.  She asked if I could help her with a couple of things for
the party.  Of course, this is when my can’t-say-no-itis kicked
in.  I agreed to help her, and then she laid the details on
me.  The party is at 2pm, but she wants me to get to her house at
9am and run several errands with her and then help get the party set
up.  Then during the party she wants me to be in charge of the
guest book, meaning that my ENTIRE day would be taken up by her
party.  You need to know here that this woman regularly drives
herself all the way to Canada from LA … so it’s not like she needs a
driver.  In fact, she’s planning to do the driving … which is
just one more reason that I don’t want to go.  The woman drives
like she’s on a soap opera … you know … the constant little back
and forth action with the steering wheel even though she’s traveling in a straight line.



Anyway, I got off the
phone, cried, and then got in a fight with Toshi.  In trying to
console me, he said, “I love you, but sometimes you are just too
nice.  You let people take advantage of you.”  Hello? 
Ahem … look who’s talking, Mr. Wouldn’t Still Be Here If I Weren’t So
Nice!  So then I called to whine to my mom because I know she can
relate since she’s the one I inherited the can’t-say-no-itis from in
the first place.  She then got my sisters together to come up with
a good excuse to get me off the hook. 



But I just don’t want to
lie … I know I have to be a big girl and face this.  All day
I’ve been planning my speech.  “Grandma, I have testing and open
house coming up and have a million things to do.  I have to get my
old car smogged so I can transfer the registration, and I need to
prepare the house for Toshi’s friend who is coming to stay next
week.  You can have two hours of my time.  Use them as you
wish.  I can run errands for two hours, go to the party for two
hours, or split the time, but two hours is my limit.” 



Right before dinner, I
worked up my nerve, disabled the caller ID, and made the call (planning
to hang up if it wasn’t the answering machine ). 
Well, it was busy, so I know she’s home.  I guess I’m really going
to have to be a grown up and talk to her live … dammit.  Really,
if I do this, it will be a big step for me, second only to the moment I
finally came to the conclusion that I don’t have to answer the phone
unless I feel like it. 

Who can turn the world on with her smile?


Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?


Well it’s you girl, and you should know it


With each glance and every little movement you show it




Love is all around, no need to waste it


You can have a town, why don’t you take it


You’re gonna make it after all


You’re gonna make it after all
            
              
              
           
      –Mary Tyler Moore theme song

Ah,
I’m having a Mary moment; if I were wearing a cap, I’d whirl around and
toss it in the air right about now.  Called grandma, stood my
ground, and we compromised.  She was a little huffy, but she’ll
get over it.  I’m going to join her on her errands but take my own
car.  That way I can leave the party whenever I feel I need to
go.  Oh, and it starts at 11am, not 2pm.  I can’t tell you
how relieved I am to not have to spend my whole Saturday doing the dog
and pony show.  Yay for me!  I actually said no and lived to
tell about it.

Go, Kelly!

It’s your birthday!

No, it’s not …

It’s the day you said no to grandma!

    Okay, so the last line isn’t that catchy, but I’m still feelin’ it.

It’s a dark, dark day …

The store says they are going to give us other “special” deals instead,
but thus far, I have been witness to no such “special” deals. 
Hmpf …