I remember growing up and going on vacations and asking incessantly, Are we there yet? Those of you with kids (or were a kid once) know these words well.
My battle cry this week has been, Is it over yet??? What an exhausting week both physically and emotionally. Both of my sisters are dealing with health issues which could kill them; my dad thinks he has a blockage in his heart (leading to poor circulation in his legs); the surgical site for all of my surgeries is hurting so much this week I have been taking more pain pills than I have in the past month; the kids at work think school is finished and are behaving so badly I don't even recognize my kids. Maybe that is a good thing. The ones giving me the hardest time are the same ones leaving our school to go to Middle School next year. I always dread having the kids leave, fearing if they come to say goodbye to me, I might shed some tears, but I believe this year, I might possibly cheer and send up balloons!!!
My sister, Judy, finally got her surgery scheduled. It was to happen today at 2:30, however, the surgery taking place before hers took longer than anticipated, so hers was postponed until Monday. I can't imagine having to postpone a surgery which could leave me crippled or dead and having all weekend to think about what "could" happen. I know I would be thinking these things, and since we say we are twins, I imagine she is doing the same. It is nerve wracking.
My other sister, Cheryl, has postponed her trip to the cardiologist for her ventricular tachycardia until the end of June because she would rather risk her life going to her granddaughter's graduation, than take care of her own health. So we have a month to wonder and wait about if her heart will hold out that long and with the cabin pressure of the airplane, it could cause her to have mini strokes, which she has had numerous times in the past.
My father has great difficulty being mobile due to the fact he is 85 yrs old; had diabetes; and he has heart problems. He has himself convinced that the reason he has pain in his legs/feet is not due to peripheral arterial disease (diabetes) but because there is a blocked artery which having a stent inserted will remedy for him. He went today for a nuclear stress test. Now we wait for those results.
This week I have had numerous workshops teaching how to bring drama into the classroom to teach science, social studies and reading. It would be great if I had an entire class, but it is very difficult to dole out parts from a story when you only have 5-6 kids in a class. Those same kids have been "hell on wheels" since after our state assessment was completed. For some reason when FCAT is completed, the kids (and a lot of teachers) believe there is no more to be taught for the year. They take their kids to recess now (prohibited prior to FCAT), they show movies, have parties, and go to the park. The kids have stopped completing their assignments and this week, when I had a substitute with them during the times I was in my workshop, they were rude, disrespectful and REFUSED to speak English, knowing the sub did not understand a word they said. I do not know Spanish well, but I know it enough to understand the gist of their conversations. I also let them surmise that I am fluently listening to their Spanish conversations and I "call them" on much of what is being said.
Today, when I returned to class, I had 2 of my 3 classes writing letters of apology to the substitute (who happens to be the man who took my class during my 5 month leave of absence.) They know him and like him so for them to be so outright rude and disrespectful is totally unacceptable. I had treats for my third class, but the other 2 classes did not partake! I made sure they knew my 4th grade was having donuts and a movie because they have not stopped working and are not being disrespectful!
This week was also my summative observation done by the principal. We plan a lesson, present our plans and the principal comes into our classroom and watches us teach and how the children respond to what is being taught. It was scheduled for Thursday afternoon at 1 pm to 1:30 pm. The kids were going to do a compare and contrast lesson using various multicultural Cinderella stories. I have about 12 books of different versions of Cinderella. We read most of the books and then we divided into 2 groups and each group chose one version to break down into the parts of fiction; we came back together and made a Venn Diagram which helps us see how things are similar and different.
Well that morning, in the middle of the workshop about drama, I was told she had 2 observations scheduled at the same time so she would be coming to my class 30 min earlier....which would be fine but since the teachers are taking the classes out to play, the kids have been coming to me 10 - 15 min late everyday and THEN need the bathroom and drinks. I do not have a bathroom in my classroom so all of them must go to the "gang" bathrooms. I made arrangements with their teachers to send them 15 min earlier (in my lunch period) so when the principal came in, she would see them already at work.
She came in and they were very involved and participating and actually remembered the rules of the classroom.... and 10 min into the evaluation, we had a fire drill!!! Everyone had to evacuate the building and march up the hill to the bottom of the hill and away from the perceived fire. I am unable physically to race up and down a hill for a fake fire, so usually my fellow teacher takes them with his group....which he did Thurs. I told the principal he had the kids and she said, are they all there and I said yes. She went up and down the hill in her stillettos she wore that day, and when we returned to our class, she did not. So the observation was only 10 min. I am glad it is over, but she did not see the entire lesson. I got a good score although it did not "stand out" and there were no "innovatives" given to my report. There were no negatives and everything went well.
Today, I have had so much pain I could not stand it. I did promise that class if we "passed" the observation, we would celebrate, so in the morning I got hot chocolate and donuts and we watched a movie of a book we had read this year. So much sugar....so little time. One of the girls gave me a Mother's Day card and a plastic bag of various soaps, samples of shaving cream, and hair combs. The card read "Happy Mother's Day, Daughter, with love". I laughed; hugged her, thanked her, and watched her grin from ear to ear. She was so funny.
Tonight and tomorrow I am alone in this quiet house. I am thankful for that since my roommate usually whirls around amidst all the chaos of school, volleyball and anything else she can stir up. I am taking my pain meds and plan on sleeping "until I wake up" tomorrow morning. Maybe I will treat myself to breakfast out and a good book. Maybe if Mesut gets lucky he will get internet connection and I can see his beautiful blue eyes. Tonight apparently when he "tried his lucky", it did not work.
So until another day, I bid you goodnight. I am thankful for a quiet house; no bad news from any family members, at this point, and the sweet, overwhelming pain relieving feeling overtaking my body.