Almost Friday

Well, I have a pretty boring life so I don't know how much I will have to write about. On the other hand I could start and not be able to stop soooo....

Last night Jim Geddes came to visit. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise and had some decent food. Ate too much, but sometimes you just have to let go. The problems start when you let go every other day. Today I have eaten really good so far so hopefully that helps. Anyways, it was nice to catch up with him a bit. I haven't hung out with him in a smaller group setting before but it was nice. Also nice to have a change of pace during the week. We also watched So You Think You Can Dance before he left. It was fun. I like the judges on that show, so funny.

Then Theresa and I watched Glee. I've decided to LOVE that show. I laughed my ass off when they were dancing to Beyonce. Awesome, just great.

Tonight should be like any other night. Eat dinner with Theresa and work out, otherwise watch pointless television. I am hoping I can convince her to go to the library with me. We keep planning on opening accounts there and don't! It's frustrating, but life just keeps flying by I guess. It will be nice to read before bed. I think we will sleep better. I have a couple of books that I hope to find at this library. If anyone knows of any other good books, let me know. I tend to like sad, emotional, crazy books. I am creepy I know, but I like reading about abuse, accidents, death, love, etc. I guess those things just hold my attention.

School has been pretty good this week. I can't complain. I haven't sent a kid to the recovery room in a few days. I have given out much less fix-its. Behavior is still one of the things I have to work so so so hard at every single day. I am successful with it, as much as any other teacher there I think. It's just exhausting. I am growing to know the kids so much better as well. They love to hug me and say hi to me in the hall now. It's been awhile since I have had that. It feels awesome, it makes me miss the kids from Owatonna a lot too. I have gotten into the content more at school, but they are SO BELOW where you'd think they would be academically that I have been spending all of my time reviewing and assessing what they really know. They are okay with rhythms(some) and most of them are CLUELESS when it comes to reading pitches on a staff. Today a mom came in and asked me about musicals and concerts. I had no clue what to tell her. I really need to meet with my principal and figure out how all of that works here. Before she told me not to worry about yet. In Owatonna things were already set, they had a tradition and all that. Here, all thirty something elementary music teachers do something different. Falk Elem. has had 4 music teachers in the past 5 years so(including me now) and they have all been different too. I'd like to keep something the same, but I do NOT want to do a blues theme and totally focus on OH HEY WE ARE BLACK KIDS. No thanks. I am all for appreciating culture and motivating students to embrace that, but I just want to have a more well rounded program than that. For example, if I do some kind of world music program, I would do a huge variety of cultures, not just african american songs. We have so many more cultures in the school too, plus we have a 30% white culture and don't forget it. I would rather pick a theme like underwater, or time travel, or seasons, or nature so that I can do WHATEVER I want with it. Sorry, I totally got side tracked talking about school there. Woooooooo.

Becky and Rick might come to Madison this weekend and I AM SOOOO HAPPY! I honestly miss Becky a lot. I think I am really excited to see them, and also to have them see our place and understand what our life is like down here. Maybe we can even stop by school and look in my room. I don't care if we get drunk or whatever, I am just happy to see them and have fun conversations and all that stuff. I am also really excited for homecoming. I am already budgeting gas, alcohol, food, and EL PATIO HEAVEN. :) Can.Not.Wait.

So, I know people don't care about school, but I thought you might like to hear some funny things that happen.
1. We give out Falcon Feathers when kids are caught being good. It's a yellow little slip of paper. I hear kids yelling in the halls to each other about them and it sounds, I shit you not, like they are yelling, "I GOT A FUCKIN FATHER"
2. A skunk sprayed near the school, and then when the kids were complaining about the smell, a kid ripped a giant fart, and we probably wasted 10 minutes laughing.
3. I have a kindergartener that always yells, "WHAT THE?!"
4. A 4th grade boy, who is always shy, quiet, and well behaved, was all red in the face, and was covering his mouth looking at the ground, so I asked him what was wrong and this was his responce..."well, you see, sometimes I get addicted to laughing and um...I just have a hard time not laughing at everything." WTF?! I laughed so hard.
5. A kindergartener sneezed and then started to sneeze again but nothing happened(like it passed), and she goes, "OH, that was it I guess!"
6. At morning duty this black girl said, "This is mah rul hair, it ain't no weave you know"
ahhh, kids can be so funny.

Everyone write more!