Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Only her 4th birthday!

Today was Monika's 4th birthday, but she is sweet 16 years old. I think she had a good day. Last night Jessi (and I) painted the rock for her in the rain. Jessi was afraid it would wash away. I was just glad it wasn't covered in snow. One of the secretaries announced it was her 4th birthday over the loud speaker which was extremely special. The last time someone wished a kid happy birthday all personal announcements were banned (that happened last year for Lindsey!). She had cookies and croissants to hand out in her classes. After Jessi's basketball practice we went out to dinner to help make it special. Even though she ACTUALLY has a birthday this year, she's celebrating it with a party on Saturday. She's invited a bunch of kids and rented a party room and ordered a big cake. She won't get to take her driver's test until mid-March. I wish I could get her a new car, but that's just not in the stars. She's going to Europe this summer-- I guess that's pretty special. 

My day was pretty non-eventful. I was supposed to have a meeting after work but I opted out in order to get a walk in with Balt before going out to dinner with the girls. Monika and I came home to work on school work while Jessi joined her team mates for a bb gathering. Her last game is tomorrow and we are both eager for track season! I'm just eager to be able to wear sandals and not have my face freezing when I take Balt out to walk.

Taking the Lead

I often think back to my high school years when working with high school students. I wasn't much of an athlete after my freshman year but I recall being involved in student government somewhat during my sophomore and junior years. I ran for office a couple of times but was never elected. I got involved in the newspaper and yearbook my junior and senior years and found my niche. I certainly didn't do as much as my kids do in high school, but it wasn't because I didn't want to. 

Today we pulled the student government leaders during 4th hour, fed them lunch and talked about school activities. As class president, Monika is among the students who lead. As an adviser to student government, it's fun for me to be a part of her high school experience. I know it's not easy for kids to have their parents as teachers at their school, but it isn't uncommon, at least not at Memorial.

I recall Erika joking with one of her friends who's dad was an English teacher, that they should start a support group for the hand full of students who were in their situation. After informing Jessi that she had to go to the Winter dance, she found out that her friend was also told she had to go by her mom who is a teacher as well (they ended up going together with a few other friends). She asked me, "what's up with teacher's making their kids go to the school dance?" Yeah, maybe it's because we know the kids who aren't at the dance are either naughty or lame. Parents don't want that. I want my kids to be well adjusted, involved and successful in their pursuits. 

Constantly Waiting

For the past year I have been woken up by a dog who is eager to get up and go. He either needs to pee, poop, eat or walk and he's waiting for me to get up and get to it. Once I'm up it's go, go, go. At work things slow down at times but not always. On PCT/Backyard Mondays, they are a blur. Once home, Balt is there again, waiting for all of the same reasons above. Today's walk was nicer, warmer, but still cool and brisk. Once home again, I deal with the girls, dinner, cleaning, etc. Jessi was swamped with homework and I finished up making a few additions to the newspaper to send in downtown for print. It took too long to make it to a yoga class. I went up stairs early to read and blog but passed out reading. I was woken by the snort of a dog snuggled up next to my leg... sleeping but dreaming of romping through fields I think. Even in his sleep, I believe he's waiting for me.

Dog Shit & Other Amusing Stories about Dogs

I apologize for my crass-ness; I was torn between using the word "poop" or "shit" and shit just sounds funnier.

I have a weekly calendar that hangs in the kitchen that tells all what activites are going on. This week's quote is from Gilda Radner, “I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.”  I added it to my email signature because I found it quite meaningful. BUT the reality is their love is partially coxed with food... or at least my dog's love is. That maybe because dogs seem to take on their owner's characteristics. Is Balt motiviated by food because I am? This morning he woke me up at 7am eager to go out and waited patiently for me to edit the March issue of the student newspaper. At 9am, I finally took him to our nearby field where he romped gleefully. He didn't get that from me.

There are no nearby dog parks on the near west side of Madison. Many dog owners, myself included, have turned a local empty feild into a dog park of sorts. About once a week I travel 15 miles up highway 12 to Indian Lake or I go 10 miles south to Pairie Moraine in Verona, but on a daily basis it's to that empty field a couple of blocks away from my home. I have found that since there are no bag dispensers or trash cans, hardly anyone picks up their dog's poop. Someone out there is bagging their dog's do-do and leaving bags all over the field which I find annoying. Let the crap decompose! I heard a comedian joke about future generations wondering why we cherished dog waste so much because we bag it up and keep it from disintegrating. Balt is kind of modest and will find a bush to leave his meadow muffin behind. I have found he runs from his own doodle but doesn't mind sniffing other's doody. He's even been tempted to eat an occasional loaf found-- at which I scream, "NO-NO!!"

This afternoon I went down to the basement to get a load of laundry started and grab a sweatshirt. Balt followed me down, which is normal, but then poked his head into a back corner where a pillow was and started pushing a dirty pair of underwear over. I looked over to see what he was burying and low and behold he had shat in that corner earlier this week. Under the pillow was several dirty underwear and a couple of dried stools (his I hope). He was just checking on it and adding to the pile. Hilarious! 

Note how big Balt is compared to last January!

A Day Off

Balt let me sleep in until nearly 7am. I fed him, built a fire and started reading. I dozed off at some point and was awoken by my phone ringing at 9am. My husband was hoping to meet me at the dog park in Indian Lake. I rushed to get my snow gear together and was there in less than 20 min. We had a good but chilly hike with Balt. We came home and made a late breakfast for everyone- even Erika was home. It was a nice morning. I helped Erika with financial aid paperwork that she is working on for the UW as well as some other work I needed to do. I watched The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) in bluray with the girls and then went to yoga. After yoga, I just wanted to sit and relax. Everyone else went out and I stayed to read, not wanting to eat too much for dinner. My husband and I ended the evening watching The Way Back (2010) on Netflix. I didn't get a lot done today, but it was a really nice Saturday.

I hate to admit it.

1. I love the snow... or at least I love looking at it. It snowed last night and I woke to a winter wonderland. It wasn't deep enough to cause problems. It was a heavy wet snow. Balt went nuts tossing his nose into the fresh snow, jumping about. I walked around the block with him at 6am and then came home and got ready for a professional development day. The girls got to sleep in.

2. I enjoy being at work because I feel more productive there. I find that if I need to get a lot done, it doesn't  work to take a day off to get it done.

3. I save old Starbucks cups so that when I make coffee at h ome I can take the used cups to work and people will think I've gone to Starbucks.

4. I actually felt happy for the team that beat Jessi's--it was their very first win of the season and it was clear to me that they wanted (deserved) the win more. Jessi's game was at Beloit tonight. They were the only team Jessi's team had beat, so I had expected another win. Jessi has been sick all week with a bad cold, so she wasn't sure if she'd get to play much. I decided to drive all the way (an hour drive) to catch the hopeful win and see her play. While I saw her play, she didn't play much and her team didn't play well enough to win.  I felt bad for Jessi. Her coach was in a really bad mood and demanded silence on the bus ride home. I had hoped she could drive home with me. While she was miserable I had a fun ride with blasting music. I got her McDonalds once home.

 

In my room

I'm enjoying a more simple schedule this semester-- metals all day. My day goes by quickly, and a bit less eventful. I'm still busy, but much more focused. It's so nice being able to leave a mess in my room and knowing I'm the only one that will need to deal with it. There's never a need to hurry to clean up now. As much as I love photography and the digital world, playing with metal and glass is exciting. No one ever bleeds in the photolab.

Afterschool I ran home to get Balt and take him for a walk. He loves being at daycare but when he's home he seems content. I just know he's eager for some exercise. After a chilly walk in our nearby fields, I ordered chinese and picked up Jessi from practice. Monika invited friends over so I bought extras. Jessi left for the boys basketball game and a girls night out while more of Monika's friends came over. I had hoped to go to yoga, but Jessi took the car. So I sat reading for most of the night in my room. Once Monika gets her license I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with 3 people sharing 1 car. I might have to cancel my yoga membership and just walk more.

Finding Happiness

I got an email from my husband. He made the news over in MN. It's a minute or two of fame out of his 15 minute total. As difficult as his living in another town in an adjacent state is at times, I know he's happier. For the past 20 years he's dreamed of being a full time professor for a university. He's livin' the dream. It's not always fun, I know he's working hard, but it's what brings him happiness. I've been living that dream for a while now so I get it. Today I had a couple of kids show off the rings they made in my class with pride. I love it when kids create something that they feel good about-- artwork that I know they will keep. It gives me a professional satisfaction like nothing else.

Ash Wednesday was non eventful. I dressed up in my usual Ash Wednesday outfit-- all black, tights, skirt, shirt and nice shoes. I am often asked why I'm dressed up (I think Geof asks me every year). I'm not Catholic, so it's kind of weird that I get into this holiday as much as I do. This year I didn't fast as I usually do. I've decided to give up bread but not gluten (Monika can have gluten-free bread, I can't, but this way I can have whole wheat cereal). I know it's kind of trivial, but it's something to offer as a reminder how much I have. I went to the grocery store after school to get Monika rice noodles and corn flakes. I purchased a bunch of Easter candy too. I picked up Balt from daycare and went home to a root salad that I had prepared this morning. I met up with some teachers for book club (I didn't read the book this month because I'm too much into my own book) and then left early to pick up Jessi from basketball. I made her a late dinner and eagerly got ready for my day to end. It was a good day.

King Cake

I baked King Cake for Monika this morning. I made two, one flat one that would be easy to transport and another round one for us to nibble on. I ate more than my fare share. To make matters worse, Melissa brought King Cake to all of her classes, so I had a couple pieces from her as well. It definitely feels like Fat Tuesday.

While I am not Catholic, I still very much like the tradition of Lent and giving up something. Monika is giving up gluten again which she may to put on hold for her birthday celebrations. My husband claims to be giving up hard candy and I believe Jessi & Erika will continue to give up doing laundry or any cleaning of any sort. For me, after last year's fast on cereal and soup, I am looking for something more normal, like chocolate or sugar. I will spend some time tomorrow deciding for sure.

Today was a nice day. All art teachers were back in action except Joe, who's sick as a dog. There's something going around kind of flu like because a lot of kids are absent. Jessi went home feeling ill and slept it off all afternoon. I ran home after school to walk Balt in a blistery windy 44 degree afternoon. I went to Noodles to get several pasta bowls that Monika and I sampled and thoroughly enjoyed the variety of flavors, while watching the Bachelor. Tuesday nights have become quite the lazy evenings.

Stop Pushing

So Monika tells me today that she's going to block me on Facebook. For someone who hasn't been on Facebook all month apparently I'm pushing alot of posts and it's ticking off my kids. I recently hooked up my Twitter account to Facebook so when my other social media (that already pushes to Facebook) gets pushed to Twitter, Twitter pushes it to Facebook. Monika said she was informed that I was at the dog park yesterday half a dozen times between Instagram, Foursquare and Twitter. It made me laugh and then I pulled my Twitter off Facebook. I apologize if I've been annoying others. Once I'm back on Facebook I may find I've lost a few friends. I found out from one of my kid's friends that their parents un-friend-ed me from Facebook because I posted too much. It's what I do!

Josh and I were the only art teachers at work today-- us two and three subs. It made for a boring day (not that Josh isn't incredibly entertaining). I got out as quick as I could and took Balt for his walk. I was hoping 44 degrees would feel warmer than it did, but Balt loved it. I got Culver's for the girls (Erika was home sick) to celebrate Lundi Gras. I went to yoga and came home to make King Cake for Monika's French class. 

Hope is a good thing.

Balt and I spent the morning up at Indian Lake. I left shortly after 9am and we got home around 11. Balt is drawn to the water- always. The lake is solid ice but the shoreline has doubled over in areas and the water was barely noticable until Balt went over and weighed down a chunk of ice. He was slipping around as the water moved up. He seemed to enjoy the experience and when I called him to get going, he ran away gleefully as if he had just drank in a bit of spring. Oh, I'm in for trouble once that lake melts. He's jumping in everytime, I just know it. 

I came home with an exausted dog to a hungry family. I made egg sandwiches and enjoyed a very leasure afternoon. I read and napped until my 3pm yoga class. After I went shopping and came home to make dinner. It was a wonderfully restful Sunday. Jessi has to write a paper on the movie, The Shawshank Redemption (1994), so we watched it with her. It's a wonderful story (adult family stuff- not for kids). Morgan Freeman should have won the oscar for it (Forrest Gump got it). It was the second time she had watched so she was able to catch a lot of references to the themes of hope, redemption and deliverance. It made for good family conversations and a few great laughs. We all busted up loud when a prison guard said he had to go "pinch a loaf." We then proceded to debate whether he had said "pinch" or "pitch". My husband insisted it worked either way. 

Knock on Wood

The Memorial Boys won the state championship and Jessi was there with her swim team mates to help cheer them on. She had to rush from the meet to her game in La Follette tonight, missing an earlier shoot around time in order to support the boys team. It's a hard transition for her sometimes to go from the swim team world to the basketball world. As much as she likes playing basketball, I know she absolutely can't live without swimming.

My Saturday was nice. Balt gets me out of bed early which isn't terrible but it'd be nice not to have to get up at 5am to let him out to pee. Once he's got me up, then he's eager for me to get going. I put him off until 8am, then we went walking for a good hour. The morning looked kind of nice, sunny, but it was cold-- 27 degrees.It got up to 39, so it was a mild day. I worked on laundry and vacuuming, then did yoga with time for reading. I picked up Jessi from the swim meet and rushed her to the basketball game across town. The girls seemed to have a chance at winning for a while but lost it by the 2nd quarter. Jessi nearly fouled out in the first half so she didn't play much in the 2nd. We both came home eager for the evening. I just want to read while she made plans to go out and celebrate with swim friends.
 

Am I Not Turtley Enough?

I dreamt I was running with Balt last night and then woke with terrible cramps at 4am. The morning proceded in a fog. Yesterday had felt like Friday, so today was like some crazy day between Friday and the weekend. Luckily the school day went quickly and before I knew it I was out in a field walking Balt. I'd like to run with him, but I'm not ready.

I have a student who is on twitter making turtle drawings for anyone who tweets in a request. Of course I got in on the action and got my picture this evening (it took a while). I am pictured with torch in hand and goggles on. Today I had my first casting failure. It was a turtle design ironically. The metal spilled out and got all over. I burnt my shoes- nothing else. The kid's turtle only got metal in his feet-- he was not happy. I'm at a 7 to 1 success rate now. Not terrible. I should just avoid casting on days I am in a fog.

My husband came home for dinner and together the two of us made a fire and sat reading. He started a movie but I was unable to keep my eyes open long enough to enjoy it. He's a late night type and the older I get the harder it's getting for me to stay up. I pretty much pass out in any position, under almost any conditions if its after midnight.

FARCH?

It was a long day and kind of ugly. With a high of 47, it seemed kind of warm outside, but I felt cold all day. Monika got me up around 5:30AM for soccer practice. I had hoped to swim during lunch but skipped out in favor of eating lunch with my friends. I had a student steal an iPod during my 7th hour which got me all pissy with my class. The kid turned it in after I told him I was taking the matter to administration. I was glad it ended well, but hate that kids can't just leave stuff alone. I volunteered to help in the consession stand after school today before Jessi's game, so I only had a bit of time to run out to pick up Balt from daycare and get him and Monika home before getting back to school. The game was awful until the 4th quarter when a few of the girls seemed to get fired up and start scoring. The effort was way too late but at least it got the score up to less embarassing numbers. Jessi and I both came home exhausted but Jessi came home to a ton of homework and studying to do. I felt bad for her. At the game one of my teacher friends called this time of the year, "Farch" --the time between February and March that is ugly, Everyone is weary of winter and ready for spring and while the weather is warming up, it's still cold and wet. Basketball is gearing down, soccer and track is eager to start (oh, and baseball/softball too, but I'm not really into those sports... sorry Stacy).  

Spin me 'round...

I started my day with a walk. At 6:30 am it was 33 degrees and it felt like spring. The morning went quickly and my lunch time was spent in a meeting. I ran home after lunch to let Balt out and we enjoyed a quick walk around our front lawn. I rushed back to school to spend my prep gearing up to cast. I practiced with a ring I had made last year and then cast a couple more rings during class. 3 for 3 success. Casting is the most dangerous thing I do all year. After a couple of weeks of working on wax rings, the kids invest them into cans. I burn out the molds and together we cast metal rings from heated scrap metal. I've only burnt myself seriously once and I've never hurt a kid, but I sometimes wonder how it is I'm still able to do this project. I suppose it isn't as dangerous as it seems. Of course I make it sound super scary to the kids! I want them to think they are risking their life making this project.

After school I had another meeting but was interrupted by a phone call from the girls' math tutor. I pay $40 for a 50 minute session every Wednesday. The girls take turns each week taking the session but today neither Jessi nor Moni showed up. I rushed out to get Monika so that I wouldn't waste the whole session. Jessi was supposed to take the time, but was unable to leave her basketball practice. I was livid. $40 is a lot of money to waste for poor communication. Jessi didn't think to tell Monika she couldn't make it after all. Monika felt bad, but it wasn't her fault. Jessi was just frustrated because she wanted the session but didn't think to make arrangements ahead of time with her BB coach. When I ran to get Monika, I grabbed Balt and walked around the school cooling off. Monika got about 20 minutes of tutoring ($2 a minute for that session). I took Monika and Balt back home then went back to school to decorate the girls basketball locker room with the left over decorations from the dance (sorry no pic). I took Jessi home and then went back to school for Monika's orchestra concert. I had gone back and forth from home to school so many times throughout the day, I quite relieved to finally be home and get to bed at 8:30pm. I'm done.

Valentine Serenade

I left treat bags out last night for the three girls to have when they woke. I went to work with treats for my friends but not my students. One student offered me a kiss and I gleefully accepted reaching out my hand for chocolate. I worked on a department poster during my free time and went swimming at lunch. During 5th hour the chorus class went around singing to special students. Jessi was chosen and I was there to record it (above). After school I went out for a pedicure and had to spend an extra 10 bucks for them to get rid of my calluses. I picked up Balt from daycare. I had them wash him so he had a new bandana for Valentine's Day. I went back to school to pick up the girls and do a few things in my studio. We grabbed some sandwiches on the way home and sat watching the Bachelor while we ate. It's been a Tuesday tradition for the past month. We have a good time discussing who we think Ben should chose. Once the show was over everyone got to work-- school work for all three of us. It was a nice day but it would have been a little nice with a husband in town. I think he may have plans to make it up to me on Friday.

Scream and Pout

At 4am Balt started whining. It was too early. He went to the vet last week for shots and I was told he needed to lose 8 pounds. The vet said to just reduce his food by 20% and he would never notice. Wrong. He gets hungry earlier in the morning now. I have him trained to run out to pee in the morning only to the front lawn and come right back. If he does this he gets a biscuit. At four this morning I was hoping the biscuit would buy me some time. As I went for the front door in my pj's with my blanket draped over my shoulders, I heard a god-awful scream. I knew it was my cat, but I couldn't see him under the blankie. As I spun around, he continued to cry out in pain.

I felt terrible once I saw it was Lewy under me. I scooped him up to find his toes smashed and bleeding. Per my podiatrist, I was not barefoot. I set him down and let him out, hoping the iced walk might help but as he limped along yelping, I realized that would not do. I ran outside to bring him back in. Meanwhile Balt had done his business quickly and was waiting patiently for his biscuit. I set Lewy down on the cat tree and took care of Balt. I returned to Lewy to investigate. I was sure he'd need a vet, but at 4am there was nothing to be done, so I went back to bed for a couple of hours. Once the alarm rang at 6am, I ran to check on Lewy. His feet were no longer oozing blood, but I could see a lot of redness. He seemed fine unless I touched his toes, then he screamed out. Well, it seemed he'd survive while I was at work. If things got worse I would call the vet. I came home during lunch to check and he was no where to be found. I wasn't sure if he'd gone to die of broken toes or if he was just afraid of my heavy feet.

After school I came home to find him on the couch with Erika. I told her about what had happened and she assured me he was fine. He's toes seemed only sensitive when prodded and no longer even looked red. I was amazed to find he could heal so quickly. Had he used up a life for this? I was quite glad not to have to go see the vet again. I took Balt out on his walk and made sure he ran. The vet seems to feel that less food is more important that more exercise. She told me to offer him carrots instead of biscuits.The one I gave him this evening is still on the floor next to the couch. It's funny that he has a sweet tooth-- like Jessi, he likes fruit, not veggies. He's got a funny habit of sucking on his bed now at night. He looks adorable, but I think the poor guy wants more food.

Out in the Cold

I knew I had been cheating Balt out of quality walks lately, mostly because of the cold. So I bundled up at 8am and went to Indian Lake Dog Park. It was about 14 degrees. With a high barely at 30, it didn't make sense to wait all day. I've learned there's little difference between 10 and 20, especially if its breezy. The big reason to wait is if it's going to get above 33. Balt was very happy but I couldn't do more that about 40 minutes. It was less painful with the wind behind me, but I could only manage that half the time.

I bought a box of bagels and made my way home in time to enjoy a leasure morning sorting socks while the girls watched last night's SNL. I very much enjoyed the laughter. The spoofs on Clint Eastwood's Chrysler commercials were hilarious. I took Jessi shopping and then went to yoga. We had dinner while watch Pretty in Pink. The girls did homework while I made some Valentine Brownies for a friend. I absolutely love Sundays. There is something so restorative about them-- maybe more so now that I have a dog to walk in the morning. Spring will only make the day more wonderful.

Queen of Hearts

The sophomores are in charge of the Winter dance and Monika is the sophomore president. If the dance was a failure, she'd have a hard time being president next year (the Juniors are in charge of the Prom). Well, I think she pulled off a very successful dance along with her fellow officers (of course). I did not plan on spending most of my day helping out but I did. After an early morning frigit walk with Balt I took Jessi to basketball practice and Monika to school to start decorating. I ran a few errands, ate breakfast with my husband and then went to school to help out. I managed to slip away for my yoga class. Jessi invited a bunch of her friend over to get dressed up, take pictures and then go out to dinner before the dance. Monika had a tennis match before the dance but managed to meet up with friends. I think they both had a really good time. I enjoyed my time as a chaparone. I always enjoy seeing the kids dressed up.

Snuggle Buddies

Both Jessi and Monika needed to be at school early this morning-- Jessi for basketball and Moni for Student Voice. I got in early to prep for a demo on buffing. The day was uneventful. During lunch and 4th hour I went to student government meetings so I ran home during 5th to check on Balt and eat lunch. The day as so cold I wanted to snuggle up on the couch, but I knew I'd never make it back to 6th hour if I did. 

After school, Jessi took a bus with her team to Sun Prairie for a game. I rushed Monika to a behind the wheel driver's lesson. I would have liked to have gone to a yoga class but I knew Balt was eager to walk. It was about 20 degrees and blistery cold. I couldn't do more than half an hour and he seemed okay with it. We went home together. I feed him, made a fire and got a good hour of reading before having to pick up Monika. My husband came home and we went out for Mexican. Monika had a party to go to and Jessi had her game. I felt bad missing Jessi's game (she reported via text it was a close game, she started and played well). Instead my husband and I enjoyed a warm night at home alone with a blazing hot fire (of scrap wood from the art department) and good books and a news show playing. He made decaf and had little chocolates to enjoy the evening even more. Balt left my couch for his own while sat with blanket and the three cats around me... very snuggley.

Melting

So far the month of February has been a slow melt. Everyday we get a tad over freezing, so it's still cold, but not quite cold enough to keep the snow around. The feeling of Spring seems closer than it should at this time and there's a magical feeling of winter melting away. We can only hope. 

Today in art, all of my students were hard at work, allowing me to get a lot of other paperwork done. I found a place to post the newpaper (in the window of the tutoring center) which actually took quite of bit of emailing and asking around. I started working on a poster of our department class offerings (photo from my class shown-- finished poster to be posted in a couple of weeks). I met with my newspaper kids to plan the March issue. I had a lunch meeting and an afterschool meeting. I ended up leaving the building the same time Jessi did, after her basketball practice around 5:30pm. I picked up Balt from daycare and then after feeding and dropping him off, Jessi went shopping for a dress for the dance on Saturday. It took a while but we finished in time for me to make it to a yoga class. While I was in the middle of the class, I looked over and saw Erika practicing only a couple of mats over from mine. Neither of us noticed each other right away-- funny. She introduced me to her friend after, which was nice. But I got out quick, eager to get home and get to bed.

Good Fortune

My alarm went off at 6:25am which got me up and going until 8:25pm... non-stop, no breaks. There were times in my day I had a hard time finding time to use the restroom. I was scolded today that I do too much, too much for my children, too much for my students, too much foe the kids I advise. I had dinner with Monika at Chins this evening, we were talking about her stress levels, her homework and responsibilities. I encouraged her to write a grant for a need she sees at school-- yes, to do more. Later I picked up Jessi from basketball and took her through drive thru of McD's to help unwind her stress (Shamrock shake) as she had to run extra because she was a couple of minutes late to practice (my fault). Both girls are at such exciting times of their life-- I remember when I couldn't get enough of life at their age. The only stress I remember was feeling bored and wanting more, more, more. Perhaps that's part of my enabling my kids and students to constantly heep it on? I recognize that a part of me lives vicariously through them. It's part of my good fortune-- to be surrounded by family and friends who let me share in their exciting lives.

Low Key for Me

I live with a lot of stress around me so it's easy for me to get caught up in it all. But, I'll be honest, it's also easy to let go of it all. My life isn't really stressful-- not really. This morning started with a 5:30am wake up to get Monika to soccer captain's practice. I came home, made coffee, checked email then showered. At 7am I ran back out to pick up Monika then drop off Balt at daycare. Today was one of those super cold mornings I was so glad not to have walk him. Jessi had tutoring at 7:30 and then I went back home to make lunches and pick up Monika for school. I have a lot of running around at times, but as long as I have some coffee, I feel fine. My morning classes are all so mellow. Everyone is eagerly working on their first projects, it makes teaching so nice. A lunch meeting got put off, so I had time to get into the pool. I ran a few errands (I needed drill bits and bandages). I stayed after school to meet with a parent and putz around since Balt was taken care of. I ended up in a nice conversation with a couple of teachers and a principal. I left school at 5pm, picked up Balt, went to the post office, grabbed a couple of take n'bake pizzas and then picked up Jessi from basketball. We had pizza for dinner while watching The Bachelor (I know it's reality drama tv at it's finest). I got sucked into the show and skipped out on yoga again. I just want to snuggle up and read tonight.

Out of the Loop

I've gone a whole week without Facebook and it has been inconvenient at times, but mostly I just feel out of the loop socially. I'm used to knowing a few things everyday about a few students or collegues. Sometimes it's just what was for dinner or that someone got something new. No one is going to email me to let me in on whatever mundaine stuff is happening. I've been checking twitter, using foursquare and instagram-- both post my where abouts and photos on Facebook. Of course, I'm still blogging. So everyone is getting my mundaine stuff; I'm just not getting everyone else's. I'm reading more in the evening--alot more. I've been checking the New York Times more often as well as reading my nook. So I don't have any idea what my students or friends are up to tonight but I learned about creating petitions on change.com, that men and women who routinely work 11 hours+ per day more than double the risk of developing depression, massage help heal sore muscles (duh!?), and that Madonna decided not to cause any controversy last night (I guess it's not worth it after 50).

ps- Today was just a boring Monday. Jessi stayed home sick, Monika is selling dance tickets at lunch and I ran through the day quite non-eventfully. Balt woke me this morning at 5:30am and what I looked forward to the most was going back to bed tonight. Is that wrong!?

A Game of Thrones: Book One Review

Monika had a soccer game out in Fitchburg this morning. I dropped her off and went to a nearby dog park (Prairie Moraine) which is right next to a Lutheran church. I found it interesting that the dog park parking lot had nearly twice as many cars as the church. Sunday morning worship is quite popular at the dog park, I know. It seems to be a family tradition for some. I am used to trekking out on my own. I took my nook with me, because it's gotten to a point I can hardly put it down (unless I'm falling asleep). Well I finished book one (A Game of Thrones) at the dog park. Luckily it wasn't too cold. I like taking the nook out on walks with Balt but I've found if it's below freezing the nook also freezes. That's when I wish I was reading a paperback.

I've read quite a few captivating books in my life and this is up there among the best. I love the different story lines, that are woven together with great detail. I especially enjoyed the 13 year old exiled Daenerys' story and how it ends with her (I won't be a spoiler-- but it's so awesome!). Geof initially mentioned the HBO series to me over winter break and then while wondering in B&N, I came across the book series and began reading it. When Monika got her nook for Christmas, I found I could download a portion for free. That's how I got hooked. I forked over $30 to download the whole series into the nook. I figure someday Monika will read it. It'll be a year or two before I'll be able to stream the HBO series on netflix, so I figured I might as well read it first. It's won awards and been on the best seller list for good reason. 

After the dog park, I came home and made lunch for the girls. I was eager to begin reading the next book, but spent some time cleaning. I went to yoga and then grocery shopping. We had a nice family dinner and while Jessi and her dad watch a movie, I got my nose back into the nook (Monika did homework). Superbowl? No one cares about it in my home and with no television, it doesn't matter anyway.

Saturday Basketball

All Jessi had going on today was basketball. She had practice at 1pm, then a game to be at 5pm. Monika had a behind the wheel lesson and I had cleaning, laundry and yoga. It was a pretty nice Saturday with not a lot going on.

I took Balt out for a 10 minute quick walk at 6am and then talked him into going home to help me make coffee and together we sat on the coach reading. I promised to take him on a real walk later in the morning when it was warmer. The fire I tried to build went out and I ended up falling asleep. The exact samething happened to me at the end of the day after Jessi's game. I came home to an empty house-- the girls went out with friends while my husband is being commander in Milwaukee. I eagerly made hot decaf tea, built a fire and began reading on the coach. I had a cat by my head on a couch pillow, one on my lap cuddled warming me, and Balt next me. I was asleep after a chapter or two and my fire was out (I think the wood must be damp?). It appears I am in need of catching up sleep.

Sweet nothing.

It was a wonderful February Friday with absolutely nothing going on after school. Monika and I ventured over to a nearby hotel to check out a party room for a possible birthday place. Jessi had basketball practice. I took Balt on his walk to his nearby field and then sat reading the NY Times waiting to pick up Jessi. The article I linked here made me cry-- about service dogs. As much work as Balt is sometimes, he's wonderful to have around and I know Jessi especially enjoys him (and she's not dissabled really). I ran to get the girls burgers and then came home to read in bed (after getting some laundry going). It's wonderful not to have to go anywhere or do anything for one evening!

A bit more than half way...

Second semester is underway. It's nice knowing everyday gets us a little closer to spring and then summer. I got into the pool today during lunch and enjoyed a brisk swim with a teacher friend who's looking at retiring in the next couple of years. I understood her excitement to reinvent herself. I'm not really close to retirement. I've got at least 10 more years if I retire early at 55 which I like to think about, but I shouldn't.

After school I had to run downtown for a meeting and then I had to rush back before 6pm to pick up Balt from daycare. He had a very active day, so it was nice to drop him off at home and not worry about walking him so that I could go to Jessi's basketball game. They played West, which is a big local rival. Jessi's been playing against many of the girls on that team since she was in elementary school playing at the YMCA. BUT the West team has somehow made it's way to the top 10 teams in the state. A mom was explaining to me that back in middle school the West girls were practicing everyday and playing year round. It's really paid off for them now. There's a lot of excitement in their gym. Our girls lost 26-50, but made a good effort. Jessi said they're the most aggressive team she plays. I remember her saying the same thing about them back in middle school.

Finally February

With a high of 44 degrees it felt very spring like. My walk with Balt this morning was very pleasant and I imagine that as the weather warms, getting up early to walk with him before school will only get easier. The school day was nice. I'm still getting to know my students but they are all eagerly beginning new projects. With a two hour prep right after my lunch, I have a huge chunk of time to get stuff done. Today at lunch I heard they were putting a new electric marquee in front of our school. I ran out to snap a photo and was delighted by the sight of melted snow.

After school I had a meeting, Jessi had BB practice and Monika had tutoring. I got home around 5:30 and took Balt for a walk in the dark, but it was still quite mild. I picked up Panera for dinner and then went shopping for the gallery opening tomorrow morning. I was home by 8pm and eager to get to bed early. Monika now is getting up early twice a week for morning soccer practice at school (6am!). Spring is just around the corner!