Congratulations Class of 2008! In the words of Dr. Seuss:
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
Please grow your wings, but remember your roots. We’re proud of you Gowanda graduates!
I’m 29-years-old. Did you know that? I am. I had my first son at an early age (23) and my 2nd son quickly followed. Although I began both my career and family at 23-years-old (when many of my friends were still going out until 4AM and vacationing in Cancun) I had become a grown-up. A real adult. I had others to take care of, an alarm to answer to, a mortgage payment, all that good stuff. I effecienly ran my household (the cooking has since dramatically improved, I must admit) and was an extremely responsible employee of my school district. Still, I had a mother, father, an older sister and an older brother. I was still considered “the baby.” I didn’t make the holiday plans rather, I was told when and where to show up. I didn’t organize family gatherings except for my kids’ birthday party. I was never the first one informed on any news of health issues or family problems because my mom didn’t want to “upset” me. I was still in the minds of my family a child….I had been so for so long, that the adjustment of Shannon the Free Spirit to Shannon the Adult was a tough one for them. I don’t think it ever crossed their minds that as a teacher, my job is to be the boss to 120 kids. I am the adult in the classroom. I make the decisions, I discipline the kids, I am in charge. In all honesty, I didn’t mind that I was still treated and thought of that way in my family. Really. Until recently. It was just all getting a bit old.
Here’s how this past week went down:
My mother needed to have surgery, and it was scheduled for this past Wednesday. The recovery process was expected to last about six weeks. That wasthe big news surrounding our family: who would help out dad, who would visit the hospital at what time so there was always someone there, which days we were going to help at the house when mom was recovering, etc, etc. Then Monday night, my sister’s son was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. My brother took my two neices (ages 11 and 3) to his house to spend the night. At 1 AM my sister-in-law and I were still on the phone making arrangements and plans as to how we were now going to balance caring for our neices while Holly was in the hospital with Spence, as well as care for my mom at the same time. We figured out who would meet with Spencer’s teacher and explain the situation, take Emma back and forth to daycare, take care of Kaylena while Emma was in daycare, take off of work to be with my dad on Wednesday morning while my mom had surgery. We hammered out a plan, delegated responsibilities, and that was that. My sister was floored, my mother amazed, and I am no longer the baby of the family.
I’ve been promoted. It just took 29 years.
It’s the end of the school year, and I have no students today. I am spending the day doing last minute grading, cleaning out my cupboards, and taking down pictures and student work. It is sad seeing the year come to an end, reflecting back on the fun moments in the classroom, the “YES! They did it!” moments. Yet, in some sort of delusional fantasy that I have, in just ten short days I can lounge around the house, float lazily in the pool, and read at my leisure. Like I said, delusional fantasy.
Ha! Maybe if I didn’t have kids! Instead I’ll be waking at roughly the same time I do now, watching Noggin and Nick in the morning (gotta love The Upside Down Show!), arguing about the importance of not eating freezy pops for breakfast, going outside and playing about twelve games of Around The World and Pig, and be completely wiped out and tired by 10 AM. The only thing that’s somewhat the same from my fantasy summer compared to my reality is floating lazily in pool. I will float lazily, but that’s only because I’ll have this big ol’ pregnant belly in my way.
Oh and one more thing. I will be spending my days with two of the best kids EVER. Ten more days!
As I was cleaning the bathroom yesterday, I was thinking that there is nothing in the world that I enjoy doing less than cleaning the bathroom. My mind began to wander, which thankfully passed the cleaning time much more quickly.
This is the list of my most un-favorite things/pet peeves/strong dislikes (in no particular order. Just assume cleaning the bathroom is at the top of the list):
1. When students walk around with i-Pod wires attached to them at all times. Seriously, the world is not going to end without music pumping into their ears while they walk 3 doors down the hall to their next class. No one talks anymore, they just walk around with music blaring into their ears.
2. Those who drive under the speed limit. Especially when I’m running late for work.
3. When people say “I seen” instead of “I saw”. Did they not pay attention in middle school English class? I seen gets the helping verb ‘have’ before it.
4. Weak handshakes. Just because I am a woman, please don’t give me a weak handshake. It makes me think you had bad parents who didn’t teach you better.
5. When my children whine.
6. Men drinking out of straws. It just isn’t right.
7. Those bumper stickers that have the picture of the kid peeing on a different make of vehicle.
8. Cleaning the kitchen floor.
9. People who take forever to make a right-hand turn.
10. This statement from the mouths of students: “Are we doing anything today? Do I need my stuff?” No. We’re just going to sit and stare at the wall for 84 minutes. Of course you need your stuff, and of course we’re doing something today! In fact, we’ll be doing something everyday so stop asking!
Other than that, I’m a happy camper :-)
My 3-year-old told me the other day that he wants to be a garbage man when he grows up. He loves garbage. I mean, all aspects of garbage. He has all types of garbage trucks to play with, he loves to take out the recycling bin and he knows that Tuesday is garbage day. It’s like a freaking holiday for him. He waves to the garbage man and sometimes makes me walk him down the sidewalk so he can follow the garbage truck from house to house. We are slowly turning into sanitation worker stalkers. The best part of this whole thing, is that he also added to his “I want to be a garbage man when I grow up” line that he wants to stand on the back of the truck and yell, “Helllooo! Give me your garbage!” How awesome is that? Can you imagine having a garbage guy who entered the neighborhood every week with a loud “Hellloo Everybody!”??
Well, whatever. He’s fascinated. He’s learning about community service jobs, and helping the earth through recycling. He hates litter and wants to pick it all up. Most importantly, he’s not watching TV but busy zooming trucks around the yard instead. Which brings me to my next point: wouldn’t it be great if it were socially acceptable for adults to run around and act out their dreams in creative play fashion like that? We’d have full-grown women in tutu’s doing ballet in driveways, men well past their prime tackling each other in full-contact football games, random people doing random things all over the place. It would be like the whole world was in one big state of drunkenness! Oh, it would be great. The world would be such a happy place if we were able to indulge in our innocent childhood dreams. I would even be able to gather the carts at Tops. What I’m really interested in knowing is, what would you be doing?
