I cannot believe that it's been over a week since I posted.
And what a week it was!
I spent the vast majority of last weekend completing my report cards. I had to make sure that each i was dotted and every t crossed. One of my most looming fears is that I will spell something wrong on a report card, especially on a comment informing parents that their son or daughter should take more care in their daily written work!
Then the school week began.
In addition to Monday's report cards and Wednesday's and Thursday's parent-teacher conferences, there was also Monday to Thursday's Book Fair. I hadn't written much about the book fair ahead of time because I wasn't anticipating it being a stressor - not relatively speaking, anyway.
And it wasn't really a huge stressor; but it was a definite time-stealer.
Book Fair is basically a book sale, set up in the library and - pretty much goes without saying - run by the librarian and her assistant, AKA Library Mama and her trusty sidekick.
A company (in this case Scholastic Canada) sends piles and cartons and mountains of new books to us, we arrange it attractively in the library, and we sell them to the students and their parents. Oh - and they also send junky things like cutesy troll pencils and erasers that resemble licorice sticks, and we also sell those, lots and lots and lots of those.
Anyway, a schedule is created and each class attends the book fair and browses or shops. Book fair is also open before school and during recess breaks. Parents come and shop when their children's class attends or during the breaks or when they are at the school in the evening for their parent-teacher conference. Oh - did I forget to mention that the book fair is open in the evenings as well?
In amongst all of this, I also taught regular classes.
And winter arrived this week. We have experienced temperatures in the -20s (Celsius) and we've received over 15 cm of snow (that's over 6 inches for my American friends).
This morning I am sitting at my sorely neglected computer in my plaid pyjama bottoms and souvenir T-shirt from a trip to California we took almost 10 years ago, savouring a cup of strong coffee. The drone of cartoons is in the background, and the little boys are curled up in the livingroom, enjoying their own teachers' professional development day. Main Man has left for work, and #1 is still fast asleep.
Today we plan to have a snowball fight and decorate a gingerbread house.
I think I've earned it.
15 comments:
I'll pass on the snowball fight.
It was 6 degrees here a few days ago...and I had to walk to school! I couldn't feel my hands.
Yes, you have earned it!
Good to have you back:) What a week you had, eh?? Sheesh! I am sure you are glad it is over.
Sounds like a wonderful day you have planned:) #1 sounds just like Brain, they sure do need their sleep at that age, don't they.
Today our kids have a half day. Once they are all back home, they are dressing in holiday colours and we are off to the Mall for our annual Santa photo session. Then, we will take in a Holiday movie and back here to get the tree and get it set up with lights, hopefully. If all goes well, the entire thing will be done before we get settled for the night.
Enjoy your long weekend!
Glad you got through the parent/teacher interviews and report cards. I know it is stressful for teachers.
Enjoy your day and weekend..
Lowa - I hope your day went fabulously! I bet your kids' Santa picture is gorgeous.
Our day didn't go exactly as planned. Another blizzard blew up, so it was a little too cold and windy for the snowball fight. But the gingerbread house is a masterpiece!
Happy - Thank you for your kind wishes. My interviews were wonderful, actually. There were lots of "We're so glad (s)he's in your class!"s, so I guess my worries were all for nought.
I hope you have a great weekend too.
I love Book Fair! I can imagine it is a LOT of work though. I easily spend about $50.00 each time.
Barbara - Even with all the time it takes, I love it too. I love being surrounded by all those new books. I'm not big on the junky-type things, but they sure sell well, so I guess I should be a Pollyanna and be thankful for all the money those things bring it to the library. :-)
Sounds like you've had a lot on your plate and deserve a little down time!
You should post a pic of the gingerbread house! I love days when we have no plans, unless we're snowed in and I get cabin fever but it rarely snows here.
My girls had a Scholastic book fair at their daycare. They had a great selection of books.
Just think, in a few weeks, you'll get a lovely long rest. :)
Hang in there!
Word verification: offxx (see, it's in the cards!)
Jamie - I'll have to post a pic. I assembled the house, and the boys did all the decorating themselves. With the exception of one blow-up, they even managed to cooperate with one another.
Anne-Marie - As far as I'm concerned, Christmas has begun in our household. There's still work to be done, of course, but the major pressure is over now.
The last part of this post was really poignant for me, LM>
How swiftly time passes and with it, the seasons and memories.
Susan - You are so right. And I think I notice it most at this time of year. Christmas brings out the nostalgia in me, I guess.
Wow I think being a teacher has to be one of the toughest jobs out there. I couldn't do it. Kids these days are just to rude and their parents are often worse than the kids. At least here in the US. I grew up in east germany and we would have never dared to speak up or back but those days are long gone.
I haven't been visiting your blog for a while, and now you even posting Chinese characters......
Hey, Mentok, when will you start doing that?
Katy - I'm pretty lucky, actually. I have a great group of kids who are respectful and courteous almost all of the time. Sometimes I find the parents demanding, but I guess you have to take the bad with the good.
X - How great to hear from you! I hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods.
And yes, if I continue on this road, I may have to call on you as my own personal Chinese character consultant. How much would you charge me?
;-)
Things are all right. As expected, it is pretty slack (most of the time) as a bureaucrat with the federal government, haha!!
In the mean time, things will get busy next year, as I will be writing (and co-authoring) three papers before the end of May......should be fun.
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