8:49 PM
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the best part about teaching at a year-round school is the three-week break I get every nine weeks.
I'm officially on my spring break and loving being a lady of leisure for the next three weeks...if I get into anything fun I'll be sure to let you know!!!
2:22 PM
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All of my students seemed to be dragging today so I offered up an idea. I put on some relaxing "soundscapes" type music and told them they could put their heads on their tables or read a book. After the initial whispers, they really settled down. I even had one student fall asleep. It was about the last 20 minutes of our afternoon before my planning periods, so I figured, what the heck, they need a little rest and relaxation. Some chose to read but I just sat in my chair watching them all with envy. See, I am exhausted. Actually, I'm not really sure if that even defines what I feel-- all I want in the world is a nap.
Well -- I did it.
I think I sunk to a new level.
I took a nap at school. After I escorted my students to their related arts class, I came back up the three flights of stairs even more tired than when I went down...found a blanket they I have kept in a closet...laid it on the floor...set a cute timer that I have to check their reading fluency...and fell asleep on my floor. It was only about 13 minutes and if anybody needed me they could have buzzed my room...but I think it was the most relaxing 13 minutes I have had in for-ev-er. Now I am feeling refreshed and ready to tutor my kids after school...
THEN I'm getting a massage...saaaaaaa-weet.
3:34 PM
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Um. Massage. Oh, how I love thee.
Unfortunately, I did not have a fabulous experience two nights ago.
I had a massage Monday night, my first professional one in at least a year and it was less than stellar to say the least. I have decided to outline the high and low points of this massage;
word to ya mother;
1. it was relaxing
2. it was quiet
3. it was dark
4. I could sum up numbers 1-3 by saying the atmosphere was perfect, but I am trying to give him a little more help than he deserved.
5. It was warm, nice and cozy while it was about 17 degrees outside
bites a big one;
1. he spoke very softly, I could barely hear him talk
2. the music was too loud. I mean, it may be relaxing to lay in a rain forest while fairies dance around playing the pan flute, but not when they are playing the pan flute and ungodly decibels.
3. he gave me for-ev-er to get undressed. as he could probably see, I was only wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, I already took off my jacket, scarf, and mittens...I was left alone long enough to take off a lace-up wedding gown with a full corset, garter belt, and thigh-highs. . .
4. when I asked him what he would prefer I do with my hair he said he would like me to put it up...he asked if I had a hair thing, I told him I did, he left for another 5 minutes so I could put my hair in a ponytail.
5. he rubbed me with the intensity of an 82-year-old lady, and not a strong 82-year-old lady; the frail kind.
6. he only rubbed my legs to about 5 inches above my knees
7. he tickled my feet when he rubbed them. and not in a good way.
I guess it wasn't all that bad, I had a gift certificate I won from a Working Women's Wednesday so I didn't pay much for the massage and it was relaxing, for the most part. I would have expected it if I went to a student, not a massage therapist at a pretty upscale salon in my town.
But I have ridiculously high standards due to my previous massage therapist that righted all the wrongs in my world when I saw him. He worked out every single knot, kink, any little thing, he fixed. And, he didn't tickle my feet when he did my reflexology. But he has moved onto bigger and better things and no longer massages, even though now, after a craptastic massage, all I can think about is how good I felt when he worked on my back. Ugh. Maybe I can get him to come out of 'retirement'?
On my way out, Mr. Craptastic informed me of all the knots that I had in my body. I wanted to ask him why he didn't get them out, but instead I just simply said, "uh huh". He then wondered why I had so many knots, I let him know that I am a teacher that only teaches girls between the ages of 10-12. He thought that could be the source of stress on my body...ya think?!?!
After paying and begrudgingly giving him a nice tip he asked if I wanted to go ahead and schedule my next massage...
"no thanks you suck, I'll just call when I'm ready..."
2:55 PM
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Well, since I am becoming a dedicated blogger...AND because I can already think of letters A-D; I am going to try yet another 26 days/26 letters type of postings. Now, I don't want you to get all excited and check in on me everyday, because fact of the matter is, I'm probably not going to be able to post every single day. But my loyal 2 or 3 readers out there will certainly understand.
Ok.
A is for AT work....
yes, I am back at work. As a school teacher there are a few breaks that I look forward to throughout the year. However, I have an added bonus. I teach at a year-round school. For those of you not in the educational world, that means we go to school for nine weeks and then have a 3 week break in between nine week sessions. Yes, that means I work over the summer, gasp, but it really is NBD.
Anyhoo...I had the best break ever. I will probably post more about it later, ya know, as the letters in the alphabet come up...but needless to say, I wasn't ready for my break to be over. I love my students, most of the time, and they are, for the most part, good kids, but they are not my family. I had such a good time hanging out with my family over break. Especially my sister and her boys. She always looks forward to my breaks so we can run around together and I totally miss it! I also really miss the fact that her boys take naps in the afternoon. I am finding myself increasingly more jealous of my little nephews because I am seriously draaaaaaaaaagging right now! We hung out in the morning Christmas shopping and stuff, the boys fell asleep in the car on the way home, we carried them to their beds, then I would go to my own house and take a nap as well!
I am however happy to be back at work because I will start eating better again. I mostly pack a lunch at work but got pretty used to eating fast food everyday during break! Let's see...only 44 more school days until spring break . . .
I wonder if I could talk my principal into letting fifth graders take naps after lunch???
9:34 PM
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Well. I must admit. I have three new obsessions. Ok, not exactly all of them are obsessions, but I feel like I have to at least say one is a new obsession so maybe I will stick with it.
1. Running-- Ok,this OBVIOUSLY is the "obsession" I am not too zealous about. My sister and I have begun running in hopes of trying our first 5k this October. I have never, ever, EVER enjoyed running for sport but I am trying my hardest to get into it. Last year...actually, almost exactly one year ago, my brother-in-law ran in our local distance run. My sister and I went along to stand on the side of the road cheering him all the way to the finish line. Somewhere along the way there was this really hot chick running in a sports bra and spandex shorts. MA and I said that next year, that would be us. Well, at the time, MA was 9 months pregnant with Bertlebee and I was a MAJOR fatty. We haven't quite made it down into our spandex yet...but at least we are trying and we are shooting for on October run here in our hometown...We are trying to run as much as possible and we are following a couch to 5k program...hopefully more info on this later!
2. This new CD by the lead singer of Bright Eyes. I am obsessed with Bright Eyes mainly because husband and I shared our first dance to their song First Day of My Life played beautifully by my brother on the guitar. I have been finding this cd to be very calming in my mostly stressful job. I love my job, it is just VERY stressful right now...but that is a whole other post in and of itself. . .
3. ZUMBA ZUMBA ZUMBA!!! This is TOTALLY my MAJOR obsession in my life right now. I have jumped on the bandwagon and if getting off is wrong--- I don't wanna be right!!! My girlfriend recently got certified to teach Zumba in our area and started 2 classes per week at a school on the end of my road. She could honestly teach a class 7 days per week and I would be there EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! The best part about this for me is that I don't really feel like I am working out...it feels more like a dance party, and let's get real, who doesn't LOVE a dance party?!?! I have also seen a difference in my body since I began Zumba-ing...there are subtle changes I can see in my body just on a weekly basis, and, as I said before, I don't feel like I am working out so I don't hate it!!! Anyway...I hope this keeps up and if my body starts looking better I may even post some pics!
Anyway, that is all for now, I am sure I will have something to blog about soon when I get my students' state standardized test scores back. . . WISH ME LUCK!!!
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