Tuesday, December 22, 2009

DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was supposed to be my last day of student teaching. I say "supposed to be" because we're having a snow day instead. I was brushing my teeth this morning when the phone rang at 6:15 which is never a good sign. It was my cooperating teacher informing me of the snow day to which my reaction was "Really?" as I looked out the window. We'd had about 3 inches of snow which isn't enough to call off school in Northern Illinois but the coming ice storm/freezing rain/rain/blowing snow/Holocene Ice Age complete with woolly mammoths (basically the weatherpeople have no clear idea of what is coming, just that it is coming and it could be a doozie) was enough for the superintendent to cancel school. So today is very anticlimactic. I had expected to finish strong. I wasn't expecting cupcakes like the 5th grade gave me on my last day (yummy!) but still, some type of closure. This, dear readers, is like anticlosure.

Actually I had a problem. I am currently one credit short of earning an geography endorsement so I've been taking a class online to fulfill that credit. (Which is the topic for another post) Since students have been taking finals, all the grading is caught up, and there was nothing for me to do, I brought my textbook to school with me so I could study. Yesterday I left it at school thinking that I would studying this morning. Hence the problem. So I drove to school after leaving a message with my cooperating teacher, hoping beyond hope that maybe, just maybe the secret back door entrance would be open, I could sneak in, and grab my textbook. And guess what??? Today was my lucky day because the back door was open!!!!!! I grabbed my book and cleaned off the rest of my desk. Still anticlimactic but better. So as soon as Wisconsin decides that yes, I'm a teacher, Illinois and Indiana can make the same decisions. Then I can find a job, start getting paid again, and basically become a productive citizen (again.)


The rest of the afternoon will be devoted to Christmas cookies. Today: fudge, both chocolate and peanut butter. Maybe as a reward for finishing student teaching, I'll let myself lick more than just the spoon.....

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Yay for Snow!!!

We had our first snow and received about 10 inches. It's hard to tell because it started blowing everywhere. Now it's beginning to look like Christmas! Of course, it's also very cold but that's ok.

We haven't had school for two days now: Wednesday because it was still snowing and today (Thursday) because it was still blowing and minus double digits temperature.

The best part is that I don't have to make these days up. They are an extra vacation for me!!!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Do I have the Christmas spirit or just a cold?

I can't tell!! I think its Christmas spirit though!

Our tree is up and decorated. Our nativities are out, and both cats have pretended to be presents by sitting under the tree. I figure those three things make it Christmas if we don't have any snow yet.

I have two and 1/2 weeks of student teaching remaining. I figure I can make it. It's also kinda hard to think that after this I can teach. This is all I need to be a teacher. I keep thinking that there must be more! But thankfully there isn't!!

We had a good Thanksgiving. My parents came up for a visit and it was wonderful! We had both sets of parents over for Thanksgiving dinner and between all of us bringing food, we had a great meal and even better conversation and time spent together.

I love this time of year. It's so much fun and such a happy time of year. The anticipation is everywhere. Today was the hanging of the greens ceremony in church today and it always puts me even more in the Christmas spirit. Our church goes from bare to festive in an hour! Yay!