Home from school

Nothing is worse than having a kid stay home from school because they are sick - that "kid" today is me.
Teaching is not like a lot of other jobs - when you stay home from work in most jobs you do not have to prepare for someone to come in for you. You may have a person fill your spot but that person is familiar with your job and responsibilities and all you need to do is make the phone call that you are not coming in and then you go back to sleep. Sure there may be worked piled up for you when you return but essentially, other than thinking about the buttons to push on the phone to call your contact person, you really use no other major brain energy.
As a teacher, each time you think you need to call in sick - whether for yourself or your child - you first do a mental run through of your lesson plans for that day to determine if it would be more work to prep for a sub so just go in - or if that day is an OK day to have another person cover your stuff. Sometimes you have no option but to get a sub so you either go ahead with the plans for the day or you have to scrape something else together that is productive. Either way, you have to write out detailed notes for each class, have all the necessary copies and materials, make notes for certain students or periods, have your room clean enough to fool the sub into believing you are always neat and orderly, and cover every variable that seven periods and nearly 200 students would require. As a result, there have been many days when I should have stayed home in bed that I opted rather to go to school b/c it was just easier than getting a sub.
Not really complaining as much as explaining. I chose this profession and I love my job, there are many many perks that come with teaching (there have to be b/c the pay stinks). It is just such a pain to miss school that any other teacher truly understands that no teacher likes having subs - I hate it. Don't get me wrong, most of my subs are great people who do a thorough job - but it just creates so much more work for the teacher and is stressful in preparation.
Anyhow, after spending a good three hours (beginning at 2am) in the bathroom (enough details there) and tossing and turning in bed, my husband convinced me to stay home today - and I am glad he did. The migraine meds have kicked in and though I am starving I am still too shaky to get up and make something for myself. Maybe if I go back to sleep I will wake up invigorated...or at least capable of standing long enough to eat and shower without breaking into a shaky sweat.
Hoping you and yours are well.

Going to the chapel

This past weekend my sister got married. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very happy event. My sister looked gorgeous and she was vibrant and glowing all evening. I was so incredibly happy for her and just wanted the evening to be succesful and memorable for her - and I believe it was.

My family was all there too which doesn't happen often so that was another thing to celebrate.

Johnny Appleseed

Aine LOVES this prayer before supper and always wants to say it. We compromised and now say this as our lunch prayer and then say another-different one at dinner. The really cute thing is that when we serve lunch, if Mike and I are not seated with them, the kids will start this and do it in unison; here ever we are in the house at that time, we can hear them shouting Johnny Appleseed.

Where have I been?

Hi again,
It has been awhile since I posted, hope you haven't completely given up on me. Truth is, we cancelled our land phone and with it - our internet. You don't realize until you no longer have it how dependent you are on the internet. We got another internet provider and it is terrible. I won't say which company but Mike has been spending a great deal of time at work looking into other options before our trial period runs out on our current provider. I rarely use the internet at home now - it is so slow, I get kicked off line, and losing my patience takes less time than the pages I want take to load. Needless to say, I haven't blogged b/c I haven't been able to maintain my patience long enough with our internet.
The timing of this could not be worse. Mike has two online courses this term - a religions of the world course as well as a developmental psychology course. I too am taking a course that requires continuous use of the internet. The course is in digital writing which I am very excited to take. I have been so excited lately about various school/coursework happenings that I have been in an incredibly great mood. The digital writing course is exactly what I need and want to take right now - I am so happy I was enlightened (thanks to a classmate - Ann) about its existence(somehow I missed it). Not only that but for the past three years I have wanted to take the steps to get an AP program going in our school and turned down because of lack of support and no funds - but after speaking with an awesome friend I use to teach with who has gone through the program, I now have the information I need to get things going...yes...these are the things that make my day - and these are the reasons my husband has officially labeled me a geek. Must say though, it is a lot of fun being a geek - not nearly as much pressure to be perfect or cool.
Well, I am writing an awful lot about nothing much - just wanted to post so it was clear I didn't disappear.