Random Sampler

I don't have one  big thing to write about, so I'll give you a mosaic of quick moments over the course of the past week.

*****

When leaving the tutoring room early in the week during the transition to morning recess, I overheard one of my students ask himself "Does this coat make me look fat?" as he walked with the masses outside to play.  He is in fourth grade.  I just laughed at him and told him he was a goof.  When he asked again, I assured him that it did not and sent him on his way.

*****

In theory, holding tutoring sessions on the last day of school before Christmas break seemed totally doable.  And, for the morning session it was no problem.  But the afternoon session?  Those kids were on the biggest high you've ever seen!  Bouncing off the walls would not be a figure of speech, but rather a reality with this group.  I would rather have been thrown inside a burlap sack with a couple of fighting cats.  Yup.  It was, in fact, that fun.

*****

There weren't supposed to be any new teachers at our school this year.  We got downsized and many good teachers were forced out to other schools in the district.  However, this past fall there were a couple of teachers who quit unexpectedly, so there are a couple of new teachers.  The new teachers keep coming up against this wall of ignorance when it comes to school culture and traditions.  No one thinks to inform them because everybody else just knows from past experience.

For instance, class parties.  Everyone knows they are to be scheduled in the last hour of whole group instruction time, to make it easier for the moms throwing the parties to be able to take their kids with them when they leave, rather than having to make two trips to the school... one for the party, and another to pick up the kids.

Everyone knows except the new kids on the block.  Yesterday, I expected to only have one afternoon class, because of class parties.  Except I ended up having one of the classes unexpectedly because the teacher thought she had to hold her party early, in order to not miss art.

It's no biggie.  I didn't mind having them, of course.  She just felt sheepish because she didn't realize she could have held the party at the end of the day.  Instead, she was stuck doing routine educational stuff AFTER the party.  Honest-to-goodness, what a nightmare!  If you doubt me, let me refer you back to random sample no. 2.

*****

Bill brought me lunch at school again, yesterday.  Mostly so he could let me know that he decided to head to St. George for the weekend on a mountain biking adventure with Russ, the physical therapist.  He wanted to say goodbye, because he'd be gone before I got home from work.

I honestly don't mind him taking off into the wild blue all the time.  I occasionally get grumpy about being left with all the chores and child raising while he is off having fun.  But, truthfully, when he is gone, I am free to do selfish stuff, like stay up til four in the morning reading or (as was the case last night) having a movie marathon.  And, of course, there is no one there to make me feel guilty for sleeping in until 11:00 am the following day, either.

*****

Our school faculty does a treat potluck in the last week of school before Christmas.  Everyone signs up for one of the days and brings something unhealthy to share.  For the last three days, there has been a massive smorgasbord of cookies, cakes, candies, and cheese ball platters to clog even the healthiest arteries.  I submit that it is physically impossible to walk past that spread without partaking.  We all grazed every time we walked past it on the way to the work room.

I signed up for Friday.  I did not have any time whatsoever to cook anything this past week, so I figured I'd pick up a Costco container of peppermint bark, or some such thing.  That seemed lame, though, because someone else had done that on all the previous days.  Then I got a great idea!  We've been enjoying our Mick's pepper jelly around the house (I'm out, now, by the way, Mom... hint, hint!) and I suddenly realized that would be the PERFECT treat to bring!  Very few people around here have ever heard of pepper jelly.  So, I picked up crackers, cream cheese, and some pepper jelly at the store.  The only jar I could find, in fact.  Not Mick's, of course, but you can't have everything when you live so far from the Market.

I was all excited to set it up to share, certain it would be unique.

Two other people brought the exact same thing!  And they beat me in setting it up.  Drat!  I just ended up bringing mine back home.  It was certainly not needed, in any case.  Friday's sign-up had more people on the list than any other day and there was "no room in the inn", so to speak, for my plate o'goodness.

Incidentally, I think it was just an incredible fluke that we all brought pepper jelly on the same day.  Both of the other ladies who brought it told me they had picked up the liking for pepper jelly while visiting Seattle.  Is it regional, I wonder?  It was definitely a novelty for most of the rest of the faculty, who were pleasantly surprised by how yummy it is.

*****

I am now basically finished with Christmas shopping, save for one gift for my brother-in-law.  But I know what that is going to be and it will be simple to take care of this week.  He lives here, so shipping is not an issue.  I am also done with the wrapping, too!  So now I can sit back and RELAX this week!

That makes me so happy I am almost giddy!

Here's to a happy lead up week to Christmas, y'all!