I will miss working with you, Mrs. Johnson! Continue reading

Congratulations to Claire on her high school graduation!! Continue reading

Graduation went well and the kids are high school bound. But first, they get to enjoy their Sneaker Ball. Their photo area is set up! Continue reading

But I haven't forgotten the blog and I'm back. It has been a crazy busy spring teaching these 8th graders - but the end is in sight. We had our awards ceremony today. Tomorrow we have "graduation" rehearsal. Friday we have the Moving Up Ceremony in the morning and the formal dance, a "Sneaker Ball," from 6-8 pm. At 8 pm, we have to take down all the decorations we just put up and clean before we can finally go home so lonnnnggg day there. Monday we have a Teacher Workday where we have to process report cards and cumulative... Continue reading

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We're holding our own. Continue reading

Chloe’s results are in! Claire and I will have our results in two weeks. I highly recommend this process as it is very enlightening. If I’m reading this right, Chloe isn’t a lab at all so I need to change my intro blurb. Someone in Boone, NC had a purebred Great Pyrenees who met with our otherwise identified mutt. The offspring were dumped in a tree stump, and fortunately found and adopted out. Be responsible with your pets, people! The puppies were malnourished and their skin was a mess. I hope the others are loved and doing great like Chloe.... Continue reading

Luckily, Dad works from home and is here every day! Continue reading

This was our last overnight trip together. We traveled to Quantico to honor my dad - 50th year reunion of Marine Corps Officer Training School and a memorial for him and the rest of their fallen from that year. I’m so grateful we were able to go. Continue reading

Claire and I had fun with the strange sample collection process. Chloe was incredibly tolerant of having her lower gums swabbed for 60 seconds; Claire said "She'll let you do anything!" (That's because ChloNoNo's also my girl.) If only my other ideas like getting a classroom of my very own or finding our "forever home" could have been orchestrated so quickly. Still - two out of three down. We've got this. Meanwhile, I will let you know what the results are for the three of us as soon as I know... Continue reading

Claire and I were just chatting about our roots and the current awfulness in the Ukraine (some of my precious Grandpa Artie's - my father John's Dad - people apparently hailed from the Ukraine which I didn't know until last summer when cousin Sue told me). Ten minutes later, we have genetic tests ordered from Amazon for Claire, myself, and Chloe (because we think lab-shepherd-husky is accurate but who knows with her either?). One of my core memories of Mom: It was the end of 1999 and I called Pat to tell her we'd adopted an 8-lb girl puppy. "What... Continue reading

This was taken and approved by Claire and Dave, haha. Yes, Dave is biting his lip. Where did I get these guys? Continue reading

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That’s the bad news. The good news is I have content for days and days! I’ll get on it. Continue reading

I worked Friday evening after work, all day Saturday, and a half day today. This was the most productive weekend I’ve had ever. Grading and planning is caught up, at least for the moment. That said, I’m kind of scared. Looking into the next five days of middle school craziness coming up like 👀. Continue reading

Keep thinking something has to give, but it doesn’t. I’ve covered so many “split rosters” this year where we watch each other’s kids while someone else is out. Tomorrow, I’m going to my checkup. Heaven knows I need my blood pressure medication refill with all of these (atypical) middle school behaviors! Continue reading

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I just went to the front of the building for my first covid screening test (I was tested once before when I was sick, but fortunately it wasn't covid or the flu back then - just a bad cold and cough). Anyway, cases are up in the community and on campus. They're going to come back once a week to do these tests - results return in about 24 hours. I also authorized tests for Claire and Dave at their school too. Continue reading

David and I ate dinner after school, all was well. I pulled out of our parking spot and managed to scrape the whole side of my Odyssey on the fender? of the (gigantic) Ford F-150 in the spot next to me. Just another load of hassle to toss onto the growing pile of aggravation. (If you’re keeping track, it was 17 years since my last accident when I was rear ended. At least that time it wasn’t my fault.) Continue reading

Creating lesson plans and the mental stamina for six more months… Continue reading