The Joys

I'm going to miss these little sixers. This is our last day together. I would feel sadder, but they were so persnickety yesterday. We're all ready for a break. Probably my major mistake this year was announcing back in October that I wanted all their trick or treat almond joys. I've been eating joys regularly for months and I'm not at all tired of them. Every time someone goes to the grocery with a parent, they pick up a few joys for me and bring them in. Yesterday 2 sixers gave me snack pax of joys for goodbye gifts. As they signed year books and screamed and chortled and rolled around on the rug, I ate the joys and tried to keep everyone from injury. I fully expect more joys will be handed over today. This madness has to end.

The Docket

Good news...last weekend of grading. Bad news...gotta grade quite a lot today. Then the report cards. I'm almost done, but I'm suffering from low motivation. Saw 2 movies yesterday: Hot Fuzz on the big screen and Jesus Camp on the small. Both good, but JCamp creeped me out. I really have to redouble my efforts next year to indoctrinate our nation's youth toward the liberal left. Those evangelicals have madskillz when it comes to getting said youth to do their bidding.

The Punking

There's this one sixer, we can call him Demonchild, who interrupts my class every day 50 to 100 times. He is highly literate, but low in the behavior dept. When I talk to him about shaping up, he always has some lameass excuse or spouts some nonsense about how I've misconstrued his intentions once again. Today he wasn't that disruptive, which was odd. As he walked out of class he remarked to me, "Guess I didn't disturb your teaching today, did I?"

I responded, "No you didn't. Are you just trying to butter me up because that C minus is arriving at your house next week?"

He whirled around in the hallway and yelled in a panic, "I'm getting a C MINUS????" I started laughing and then everyone else did. D-child stood there staring at me in a kind of shock. 3 cincos ran up into his face and screamed, "You got PUNK'D!"

The laughing continued as he finally found words to say, "You really enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Yes, mah frond, I did. How could I not?

Foto Credit of Shanghai Dept. Store: Husbandman, happy to be back with fam.

The Future

I'm surprised to think that only 7 school days stand between me and summer break. I look around the town and cobble together days of lakeside walks and poolside happy hours in my vivid imagination. It's all going to be so awesome. I will finish my dissertation as well, probably.

Foto credit: Husbandman. (It's the Great Wall). (Of China). (Just fyi).

The Garden

I bought a bunch of plants this week and I haven't put them in the ground yet. I'm feeling badly about that. I also need to get on the exercise trail. And grade about 90 pieces of writing. It can be done.

The Quiche

Whenever Husbandman goes out of town, friends worry that my offspring will go without food. Some even wonder if they should organize meal deliveries for us. One awesome pal took action and brought over a delicious quiche (omg, it's so good) last night. At first I felt a little embarrassed, (I have a credit card after all) but then I merged into delight and gratitude. The quiche is one of my top five favorite foods. Just fyi: Don't worry about us this coming week peeps, Ann and Dan arrive today and we are assured of at least 3 squares per day. Husbandman's flowchart of driving responsibilities will be handed over to my dad and I should have the pinnacle of mac and cheeses on the table by this evening.

The Echolocation

Today was fun. I went to pal KvdS's classroom and worked with some kids on their power points. I learned about echolocation and blubber in dolphins. I learned about farmers being disgruntled with bobcats. I learned that male kangaroos fight before they mate. It was a fun afternoon that ended up with teachers yakking in a little pub. A perfect end to a perfect day. Merci beaucoup KvdS. And to your big sister jw for letting me tag along.