Almost there

Only 1 more day to get through and then we are off to Wisconsin. We're leaving right after school (the principal basically kicks us out at 3 pm before vacations). Thank goodness for Bill Nye the science guy...he saves my sanity. I bought my kids some of the mini candy canes...bribery with sugar is always a good thing, right? Maybe we'll take up some more time in class with what my drama teacher in high school used to call "creative roll call"...when attendance was taken, instead of just saying "here" you would answer a question, like "what is your favorite kind of ice cream?"

D's dad is going to be home for Christmas for the first time in two years. It will be great to have a Christmas with a family that is together and happy. No gifts this year, just being with each other will be enough.

I'm coming down with a cold. I hate it when this happens...it's like my body says "oh, no more stress? Now you have time to be sick! Congratulations!" I hope I'm not sick the entire break. That would make me very unhappy. My nose is raw from blowing it yesterday. Today I took a pseudoephedrine and that is helping, but it is still running. Plus the medicine is making me really thirsty.

Cutest gift ever: "Snowman Soup" from the Climate Committee at school. A packet of hot chocolate, marshmallows, Hershey kisses and a candy cane to stir it up. It was my breakfast this morning.

Are we there yet?

Two more days, two more days, two more days. Having some time away from these kids is going to be a good thing. There are about 5-6 kids in my 5th hour class that need a serious attitude adjustment, and it's starting to get on my nerves. Even when we do a lab that is kind of fun, they have a negative attitude: "this is dumb" etc. I'd really like to smack some of them upside the head, but that probably wouldn't help matters. Yelling and getting angry is not working. What else can I do?

More political funnies

How many members of the Bush Administration does it take to change a light bulb?
The answer is: 10
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed,
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed,
3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the light bulb,
4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either "for"changing the light bulb or "for" darkness,
5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton for the new light bulb,
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner: "Light Bulb Change Accomplished,"
7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally in the dark,
8. One to viciously smear #7,
9. One surrogate to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along,
10. And finally, one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.

only 3 more days and I'm done for a week and a half. This break will be so relaxing--it's nice to get out of town on occasion. We'll get to see friends and family, D is an usher in a wedding on New Year's Eve, and hopefully we'll have enough down time to satisfy both of us. We're driving back on the 1st so that we can take the 2nd to regroup before school restarts.

Tee hee hee

Emailed to me...
HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it `George W. Bush.`
3. Send it to the trash.
4. Empty the trash.
5. Your PC will ask you, `Do you really want to get rid of George W. Bush?`
6. Click `Yes.`
7. Feel better.

One more week and 3 more days, that's all it will be until we're gone!!
They are painting my room right now and I'm itinerant for a few days. It stinks. Literally, because one of the rooms I'm in was recently painted and still smells. I had a headache Friday from the fumes. Grrr. All I want is a few minutes of peace and quiet. Is that really too much to ask?

Good cop, bad cop

We got a car on Saturday. We played good cop, bad cop with the salesman. D was the good cop-he did all the research and was nice to the guy. I was the bad cop and played hardball. We got the car we wanted (02 Accord, silver, leather seats, 6-disc in-dash CD changer, and got them to throw in fog lights as well) for almost $2000 below blue book retail value. Sweet. I was liking it-the negotiation made D uncomfortable, though. I drove it to school this morning--the first time I've driven on that route since the accident. I was okay but tense the whole way. My carpool buddy was in the car with me, for which I am grateful. It would have been more tense by myself.

School is making me exhausted. Lots of teachers have been having behavior problems lately. I'm being observed next week, which is making me nervous. I hope I do okay.

We have a school Christmas party on Friday-dinner and a show at a comedy club. Should be fun. D is going with me.