While roaming the lands of Florida, I ran into a not so nice Tree Ent... I had to beat him into submission before he would release my two favorite hobbits! Here is a picture of the tree... and then the hobbits after their ordeal!



Ok. So it's not REALLY a willow tree... but I'm sure it's an Ent nonetheless.

yeah yeah, I know.. look how out of date this place is... I just got back from my vacation to FL yesterday, so things here are a little dusty... lets see if I can find the broom and mop

Did I mention that I made reindeer poop today?

Three cheers for first days of vacation! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray!

Three cheers for last end of semesters! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray!

Three cheers for trips to Florida in the middle of the winter! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray!

Three cheers for buying Christmas presents! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray!

Three cheers for graduations from college early! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! (Yay Zann)

Zann, have I told you, lately, that I love you?

So my work week started out with a bang. Let's talk about the positive first. I began making holiday cards with my students. I was set about on a project for a friend of a friend. She's in charge of volunteer activities at Camp Pendleton, and asked if I would have my kids make cards for the men and women serving overseas this year.

I wanted to do this last year, but wasn't exactly sure who to send the cards to in order to get the job done. Now I know, and the cards are being made quickly. I only have a week to work with, so we're going to make as many as we can in that short amount of time. So far I've set four classes, including my own, upon the task. Tomorrow I'll ask the older kid's teachers to help out as well. I figure if every child makes one card, I'll have over 100. And I know that my class is going to make more than one a piece, so hopefully we'll have a nice number to send out by Friday.

On a negative note. My teacher's aid (the one I complain about often) has gotten himself into a heap of trouble this time. Today he was accused of stealing one of the children's jackets and carrying it out in a black garbage bag. No one stopped him to check what was in the bag, but when something turns up missing and you're seen being suspicious what do you expect? (Not to mention that he's been caught taking things that don't belong to him before.)

But what annoyed me even more, was the fact that one of my students fell and bumped his head during morning play, and Mr. M didn't inform me. So the scene played out like this. The child's parent came to pick up little N at the end of the day, and saw the bump, which I had not noticed. (All kid's heads have bumps on them, naturally. Unless it's your child and you know the exact layout of his/her head, you're not going to notice anything that isn't absolutely obvious.) N's dad is furious because he wasn't contacted about the accident, and I look stupid because I didn't notice the bump. N's dad complains to the assistant director, and I get the phone call, because I'm the head teacher and it's my responsibility to keep track of these things.

Even though the child claims to have told Mr. M, Mr. M failed to tell me, and thus I had no clue as to what was going on. I'm a very thorough person. When a child gets hurt in my care, I immediately inform the director, the parents, etc etc. They are kids, after all, and accidents will happen. Even when the kid comes in with a bruise or a bang I contact the parent to make sure they're aware of the problem. It just annoys me that this child could have had serious injuries and I would have had no explanation as to why he needed medical attention due to a grown man's idiocy. I even let N go to sleep on his cot this afternoon, which is a big no-no when it comes to head injuries.

I hope Mr. M shows up tomorrow, and I hope that when he does, they fire him. Irresponsibility with children goes around too often these days. We don't need someone else aiding the cause.

Ah. Peace and quiet for the first time in days. No kids screaming, no computer games, no mouse clicking in the back ground. Just, silence. Very enjoyable. More after I clean my room.

Check this out. My favorite flash animation thus far. Nose Pilot

Having a cold is bad. Having a head cold and being a "nose-breather" is really bad. Having a cold, being a "nose-breather" during the middle of a snow storm is incredibly bad. Nyquil. Nyquil is good. Nyquil is an angel in disguise. At least it's finally stopped snowing.

What's the worst day of the week that makes us all depressed? M-O-N-D-A-Y S-U-C-K-S! Monday sucks! Yeah!
I now officially have nine work days before I take a three week vacation over the Christmas holiday. Boy I'm looking forward to having some time off. Thanksgiving break was a tease compared to what awaits me at the end of the month. And it will be time off well deserved.

This break makes me feel like I'm still in school, eagerly awaiting the end of classes and exams. It's interesting how I still feel stuck in that mind-set. I suppose when you live one way for seventeen years old habits die hard. It's as though when I return in January after the break, I'll be starting all over again, but it won't be so. There will sit those same little faces, knowing only what I've managed to teach them thus far.

Do you remember when you were young and three weeks to Christmas felt like an eternity? When the hours of Christmas Eve would never end... when Santa stopped time to reach every child's house, and you had to sleep through that entire time warp?! Now I'm a grown up and three weeks shoots past like so many speeding cars on the highway of life.

I now understand the quote "Youth is wasted on the young". By the time you get old enough to appreciate such values they are twice as slippery and I'm not as quick as I used to be.