A light hearted break...

I am attempting to scour my apartment...and I am beginning to hate everything I own...clothes, etc. there's just too much of it!

So I was cleaning out a box, and I found this article that I had ripped out of a Real Simple, who knows how long ago it was...it's called "my year in haiku" by Kathryn Higgins. Here are some highlights...I shall attempt my own later today, perhaps cleaning will inspire me!

Daylight saving time.
Oblivious, I go to
church an hour late.

The spring comes again;
it's time to file taxes-
lots of money gone.

Frozen food again.
No time to cook a good meal-
no complaining please!

Fall is here at last!
My neighbors' leaf blowers roar
while I rake and rake.

A soccer mom bends
to tie her son's shoelaces.
What's that? A thong? Ugh!

Decorate the tree.
Cook and bake and clean a lot,
then take down the tree.

I awaken with
clear head; unfortunately
it's also empty.


Creative little idea don't you think? I think I shall try to write a haiku for each month and keep it somewhere, or maybe have my students write haiku's each month and put them in a book...can 2nd graders write haiku's?? We'll see!

Summer is here!

I shall start with a hearkening to the summer days of yore...the yore of 2009: here's to many more reenacting sculptures, beach trips, and sinfully delicious apple muffins!

I am sitting in my living room...watching Gilmore Girls...reading my Real Simple...drinking very strong coffee with unsweetened soy milk, the amount I like...and eating a very chocolaty chip cookie (thanks Dad!)...And I'm also perusing online...what a lovely past time. All this to say yes...I am done! My 4th and 5th graders happily walked (read ran so fast some got stuck in the doorway) out the door, and down the hall to their summer (obviously someone hadn't told the weather). Then Thursday we did our final meetings and the Crystal Apple Awards...which is exactly like the Oscars for teachers, entertaining only if you know and love the people present, which I do. Then onto the meetings, oh the never-ending meetings, though I was allowed to traipse my way to Mabel Rush and rejoin my lovely family for some final meetings and planning for next year. Where we ironically were quite productive...K-3rd met together (a feat in itself) and not only managed to stay on topic, but got through an entire science curriculum planning K through 3rd...I'm completely shocked that we were actually productive, and excited that we have some thought behind what we're doing. Novel concept, having a plan, based on the standards, and then actually teaching it...shocking! :) Then onto boxing up the stuff. My wonderful and very studly significant other brought me many boxes and helped pack things up. Then Friday I was complete! Checked out, move request in (little known fact: the district will move your boxes for you, you don't have to do it yourself. They only make you think you do so that they don't have to move them, but I have caught onto their plan...made a very large mountain of boxes and will now sit back and enjoy my summer NOT moving boxes...really it's the least they can do for me after the disaster of budget cuts from last year...I don't ask for much, but this is one less thing on my plate!) And now I am free...until July 14th (summer school). I have a list a million miles long...but for today I am going to eat the cookie, drink the coffee, and watch the Gilmore Girls. There is a large part of me that feels bad for not being productive...but I took that part hostage and offered it cookies and coffee to shut up. Then while gallivanting through stranger's blogs (not like stalking...like window shopping) I found a challenge...and well I am most definitely up for a challenge, it is summer after all...and it is a GREAT challenge...a FABULOUS challenge...a Narnia Challenge! And in the spirit of summer and the fact that I not only adore Narnia, but truly believe that perhaps CS Lewis really is my long lost great grandfather, I shall take this challenge! What a lovely way to spend July...getting lost in Narnia...