Uh oh...broken.

So, just how much trouble am I gonna get into since the mammoth dog across the street was barking and bellowing so loudly that when I banged on the window pane, I broke the glass?

That was NOT a great idea.

Future Plans

I've decided that for the rest of my natural life I would like to do nothing but sit in front of my fireplace.
I have a sinus headache that is making even my hair hurt.
And I don't want to move.
Ever again.
ever.

In School Suspension

I am the yearbook advisor. I haven't worked on a yearbook since the days of t-squares and orange grease pencil, but since we didn't have an advisor--or even a yearbook--I offered. It's pretty easy. Take some photos. Upload them to a site. A lot of clicking and dragging. Nothing noteworthy or award winning. Just 68 pages of random memories...and a lot of misspellings.
But today was different.
We started late--5 months late, and I lost my entire staff from last year.
Today the ISS squad showed up.
Seriously.
Even administration laughed when I named my roster.
I don't know why the worst kids in the school decided to come to yearbook after school for 2 hours, but they did.
I groaned.
I inwardly protested.
I think I even stomped a foot.
But only when no one was looking.
And then I introduced these kids to the wonders of yearbook.
Only, they were already prepared.
They don't take books to class or even go to class on a regular basis.
But they came with lists of pages they wanted to do.
They came with categories for superlatives.
They had ideas.
They had excitement.
They wrote stuff down, offered suggestions, made changes.
And they didn't want to leave.
Not even for pizza.
And the two who are by far the worst...not the worst of yearbook, the worst in the school...were my best.
I chose them as Editor in Chief and Assistant Editor.
My prinicpal laughed.
The assistant principal snorted.
And the lady who works in the office got misty-eyed.
She felt where I was coming from.

The Bug

Saturday was my niece's birthday.

She turned 13.

She, like me, was the first: first child (for my little brother), first grandchild, and first niece.

I know I sound like a sappy grandmom, but I remember exactly where I was when my brother announced she was coming. I was at my grandmother's house mourning the loss of one of my favorite uncles. As one life ends, another begins.

My very first thought of Victoria was one of comfort.

I wrote a letter to her the day she was born, not even fully realizing how amazing that kid was going to be.

She is one of my favorite people on the face of the earth.

There are parts of her that are all her daddy. Some of her is just like her mama.

And then she's got quite a bit of Aunt Jenny in her.

I've apologized to my sister-in-law countless times for this.

Some fun facts about Victoria:

• When she was little, she wanted to be a girl farmer. (emphasis on the girl)
• She is smarter than everyone I know.
• As I drove her home from kindergarten one day, she posed a rather interesting question as she sat with my beagle in the backseat of my brand new car, "Dogs don't like gum, do they Aunt Jenny?"
• She always loved perfect shoes and fancy dresses.
• She is not a fan of "the fizzy kind"(soda) and she hated (or loved??) pizza with spots.
• She has a belly laugh that will bring tears to your eyes.
• When she was little and her mama turned on praise music and cleared out the living room furniture, Victoria would dance and make me cry.
• She loves having her back scratched, and for a while, the fountain song was her absolute favorite.
• She has a vocabulary that most adults don't know. When she was about 8, she knew how to use the word "plethora" correctly.
• She thought for a while everything red was "Bob."
• She is genuinely happy.
• I owe her $20 because she didn't cut her hair for months before my wedding.
• She told me, at the age of 5, that she was a news kind of girl.
• You want the entire world to end when you see her cry.
• She can read a classic novel in about a day and a half.
• Kory says she is the coolest girl he's ever met.
• I miss her every single solitary day of my life.

Back to Work

Today was amazing. I had my first class in 6 months, and it felt so good to be with the kids again. I only have one course I'm teaching, but it was so much fun. They came in literally cursing and yelling that they had the "mean" teacher (they used much more colorful language, but my niece reads this occasionally!), and by the time class was done, they were complaining the bell rang too early.
THAT is the mark of a good day.

The answer to my question is...

Nope, don't have to go back to work tomorrow.
Guess a school building without water is NOT a great idea, so we have another day off (well, technically not off since we're still meeting, but since I don't have to get up at 5:30 AM to get to work at stay until 5 PM, I'm good to go.)
Laziness prolongated.

Aw, man!

Do I really have to go back to work tomorrow?
I was just getting used to doing nothing all day. I kinda like wearing pjs until 3 in the afternoon and not brushing my hair until minutes before Kory came home.
I actually enjoyed cleaning my house everyday and doing laundry.
I'm not buying the line, "oh, you'd get bored after a while."
No. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.
I'm industrious. I can find things to do.
And I think I might be okay with bored.
BUT...I'd be a stay-at-home mom, but I don't have kids, and try as I might, Charlie does NOT count.
Guess I have to go back to work.
man...

Repeat

Snow Day!!!

AGAIN!

Of course, I still have to go in, but later than usual.

I don't mind.

The building is quiet; for the few of us there, there is time for comraderie; we all get so much work done, and all is well with the world.

(PS. It hasn't snowed in days, either. We're only getting the day because it's supposed to be -15 tomorrow, but who cares why!)

The dark part is a shadow on the snow that packed up against the door. It was about a foot above the door jam, and some even sneaked underneath and lined the floor inside!

Took me a minute to even get the door open!

Poor Charlie couldn't understand why his feet kept sinking. He gnawed on his paws a few times to get them up in the air.

So Lazy

After two almost-full weeks off school, one day back at work was just too much.
So they gave us today off.
Actually, it was -2 degrees outside this morning when the kids were supposed to get on the buses, so they called it off. I can't imagine anyone sending their child out in weather like that on UNPAVED roads after two weeks of snow, but it happens.
It's stupid.
But it happens.
So instead of potential lawsuits over freezer burned toes and buses sliding into trees, we get to stay home.
There are some days I love being a teacher north of the equator.
Miami never had "cold" days off school.

Happy New Year!

I would write about something spectacular, interesting, or even mildly exciting...but I won't. I can't.
The reason why?
I've been lying on the floor wrapped in a blanket snuggled between Kory and Charlie in front of a blazing fire for the past 8 days.
I am not sure I'd trade that spot for all the fireworks in the world.