12+ hour day. Just got home from work and I still have to do.

Still need to finish packing...

And I have some work to do online this weekend. A teacher's work is never done!

up b4 the sun. so much 2 do b4 i go 2 taos.

Hmm...

Half the time when I tell Kaylee to "Go get your toy!" she runs and pounces at Sheba.

I think we need to redefine the word "toy."

Bowling Again!

I had an offer to join a bowling team but had to pass it up because I couldn't afford to bowl every week.... but today I got a call asking me to bowl only the last 2 Mondays of every month... that's half the price - and I can afford that.

So... I'm bowling again! Yay! I was really missing it.

Glee party was awesome! They even had slushies! Jealous?

Go Gleeks!

OMW 2 a Glee Parrrrty!

Kaylee's big day!

I worked at a couple of football games this morning, we won one and lost one.

I brought Kaylee with me and she hung out in the press box while I worked the score board. At one point one of my student's little brother came into the booth and played with Kaylee, chasing her around the booth. It was really cute.

The same kid came back later with some friends and asked if they could take her for a walk. They went to the car, got the leash, came back up and took her for a walk. I expected a short one but they were gone for 20 minutes.

When they came back they put her leash up and got her bowl from my car. The four of them each gave a little water from their own water bottles so that Kaylee could have plenty of water to drink!

I couldn't believe it! What a considerate kids! We're talking 4th maybe 5th graders.

Kaylee had a blast - A walk. People playing with her. People loving her. People telling her how cute she is.

No wonder she always wants to go with me!

She's worn out now. She crashed the second we got home.

got acupunctured 2day. can breath a little, but didn't do anything 4 this sinus headache :(

Best Sleeping Bag Ever!

ThinkGeek :: Tauntaun Sleeping Bag

Smarticle

Do you ever have one of those moments... one of those ideas... where you go "I'm a freaking genius!"

I have one....... maybe every 5 years..... if I'm lucky.

I had one this week.

For the last two years I've felt like I was pulling teeth, begging my students to send/bring me pictures for the Yearbook.

My idea?

I started a Facebook account for me as a teacher - very restricted - very professional - and I'm inviting my kiddos to be friends. They can tag me in a photo and Facebook sends me an email with a link to the photo. I then drag that picture to my computer and - BAM - I have pictures for the yearbook!

I set everything up and gave 4 of my classes time to go onto FB and tag photos for the yearbook. (Maybe 10 minutes per class today.)

The result? From what they did in school and since they've been home I have over 80 pictures.

GREAT pictures. Pictures from in school, at recess, field trips, and best of all outside activities. Kids in my school do such a range of activities: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, hockey, tennis, golf, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, cross country, track, rodeo, ice skating.... the list goes on and on.

In the last two years it was all I could do to get ANY pictures. Now I have a bunch of great pictures and more on the way. I even have pictures from the out-of-school activities which I never had before.

This works because FB is something the kids use all the time - it is part of their lives and part of their "social networking." They already take pictures. They already load them onto FB. Now they just have to click a few times and they can submit pictures to me. It's practical, easy and relates to what they're already doing. I'm also using it to teach responsible use.

That was my one genius idea for the next 5 years.

I think it was well spent.

Thank goodness the anti-biotics seem like they *might* be working. I finally got a good night's sleep last night, which was much needed. I had an in-service today and I just got back from working at a football game. I am also working 2 games tomorrow.

Time for more sleep.

Eek gad

I just went to doctor and she confirmed I should be feeling much better by now (on meds since last Sat). So she's prescribed a new anti-biotic and she wants me to take it for 4-6 weeks.... Her thinking is that maybe we're just not getting it all and that's why I keep getting sick every 2 months.

BTW... this new anti-biotic gives new meaning to the words "horse pill" - *GULP*

You know what I've realized? There's a very basic thing that I've taken for granted for most of my life - the ability to breath.

The ability to take a nice deep breath any time I like is something I miss. Not just when I have a sinus infection, though that makes it much worse.

It's not the altitude, it's the allergies.

I go back to the acupuncturist on the 17th. Let's hope it works.

it's pretty bad when the pharmacist meets you at the drive-thru window w your prescription in hand and says "here you go aspen"

I think I'll do what I've done in the past when I'm sick and grumpy....

After I pick up my prescriptions I'm going to come home and watch something I haven't seen in a while... what will it be this time... ?

Crash, Burn, Float, Explode

Expect all of the above when you combing Middle School students and model rockets.

10

This is the 10th sinus infection in the 2 years I've lived in Colorado.

And THANK GOD I had one prescription of each of the two medications I need still at the pharmacy. Otherwise I would have had 2 options:
1. wait until Tuesday to get help = me realllllly sick or
2. gone to an "Emergency Clinic" and paid their exorbitant fee = Ouch!

But this has got to stop.

Seriously.

I've been to several family practitioners, an otolaryngologist (ent), an allergy specialist, and I just had my first found of acupuncture last week.

SOMETHING has to start working. Fast. I'm sick of being sick and I can't afford to keep missing work.

At least this time I have 3 days off to try and get it under control.

Strange Coincidence?

I had a dream last (earrrrly this morning) that I was back in New Zealand, but I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off because I hadn't made any plans. In my dream I was aware that I was super lucky to be back in NZ, something I'd wanted for years, but I didn't want to miss a single thing. I was beating myself up because I hadn't planned an iternerary - to make sure I could get to everyone/everywhere I wanted to while I was there.

And if you know me, you know I ALWAYS have a plan.

The coincidence? NZ is back in the news: Powerful 7.1 quake hits New Zealand's South Island

Grace + Aspen = NOT

Managed to get finger stuck/pinched in office chair while attempting to adjust it - while at work - with a classroom full of students. Good thing though, since I had to get a student to help me get unstuck. I was sitting in the chair and couldn't reach around the other direction far enough - what with being stuck and all.

I had to get someone to come cover class while I treated my wound. And I had to ask for key to nurse's cabinet and explain to three co-workers that I injured myself while adjusting my chair.

Classic.