Okay, so we made it through to here.
Guess it's been awhile. In a nutshell---I worked really, REALLY hard and finally got it mostly together--with help from a lot of sources. Much appreciated. Took a break from the incoherent, unimaginably craptastic-nothing-works technology situation at work to go for a bit to the Point--and it was lovely. Slept in the Subaru which I loved. Plan to do it some more. Easy way to camp. Can't bring so much stuff. Caught up with old friends and played games with family. Ate good food. Took a long walk and am contemplating a field trip out there for secondgradelanders. This week has been fine. The students are sweet. Today the gloves should come off and we can get to the business of being ourselves. Not sleeping much myself but I will. I am enjoying the time with the students and I have also managed to grow myself a shield, a way of being detached, from the drama and posturing and tight energy swirls that sit like dust bunnies in the corners and around the mouths of some people who work there. Me, I've got my organic green tea with ginger, a bucket of tennis balls (my latest tool for fun and learning), and a group of people who are happy to be there for the most part----except Legolas Boy who made it clear that he really doesn't like school and pretended not to like it when I caught him with an expectant smile on his face as we were cominginto the building yesterday and I happened to mention that it was P.E. day, Music day, and Library day and we were going to be working with the modeling clay while we listened to stories about an amazing kid named Timothy. He also was kind of into a new read- aloud about a kid named Horace who is the Cupcaked Crusader against a group of second grade attackers...we will have to read more of that one. Today we get to begin our learning journey about Japan. It will begin with "Do you know where Japan is"?And we will take it from there. I just love the Burke Educational Kits you can get from the museum--full of hands-on artifacts and other exceptional materials for our use. Brings things to life. Also received the Rick Steves catalogue for European Trips -just dreaming. Nothing will happen in that realm for 2009 but maybe 2010. Who knows?