y'all fixin' for some crawdads?

I think I can honestly say that it is becoming easier to use the word "y'all" I never thought I would admit this day came, but it has. Really. I'm sorry.

Anyway, thank you grandma black for the nice Easter card (and guilt trip for not positing a blog since March 16). Kidding...I keep thinking about things to say, but feel like my life is so mundane, yet annoying chaotic, I don't know what to even write?!

First of all....my trip to Hawaii was frickin' amazing. I know I ended the last post on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Ambjor and I went to Pearl Harbor, hung out in Waikiki, then I drove back to Waianae (I had Maggie's car while she was in school). Friday I went to school with Maggie for the morning, got to see her class and Brianne's class...it was crazy to see what Kindergarten is like in another state (quite possibly felt like another country). Makes me feel like Mississippi isn't as far behind as I thought...or isn't the only state in which public education is downright terrible. Her school had such a different atmosphere, I mean, yeah, it's in the middle of an island in the pacific ocean, how much better could it get? But really, it felt welcoming and friendly...not the hostile feeling I get walking into school each and everyday. I spent exactly two hours that afternoon on the beach and fried my shins....whoopsies. Hey, I got a WICKED tan out of the deal! That night we went to Waikiki and went out and then everyone met on Waikiki beach to spend my last day doing my favorite thing of life...laying on the beach reading Harry Potter. Okay, I was the only one reading, whatever. Our flight left at 9 p.m. that night...got to LA 5 hours later (but it was 5 a.m. their time). Slept on the floor at our gate until Cody woke me up saying we were boarding. Flew to Chicago, sat there for a couple of hours. Flew to Memphis, drove two hours home, went to bed. Was at school by 6:55 a.m. the next morning ready....or at least pretending to be. None of my students really commented on my tan although they all gave me a quizzical look...one student in another grade said, "mannn, all the white teachers came back orange."

Okay...school. I have been FREAKING out since break because we are in our last quarter. I feel like I have some kids that are so low...I don't want to retain THAT many...I don't know what to do to get them to where they need to be...ahhh! Grades were due right after break and report cards went out...so, I had several meetings with parents saying, "uh, unless they get it together and we practice EXTRA hard both at home and at school...I'll be seeing them again next year." It kind of makes me feel like a failure thinking I can't get these kids to where they need to be. However...today I had a meeting with my literacy coach...just me for once...and she basically told me that my kids are doing fine. I am pushing them plenty far this year, they are learning more than enough to adequately be ready for first grade, etc. I had some kids struggling with the word "important" in their books today...really all they need to be able to read are words like "made, bug, truck, gave." Holy hannah...we might get there. Because of a new goofy rule, all teachers have to stay after school until 4:00 now...so that gives me perfect opportunity to tutor one girl who is really on the fence...and hopefully I'll only be retaining two...fingers crossed.

Big weekend coming up. If you only understand how much I like egg bake.... ;) Kidding...the parentals are coming. We're going to get dinner on Beale Street in Memphis, tour Ruleville (that'll last 5 minutes), eat crawdads, spend Easter with Mike and Gretchen in Jackson, fix my car:), hang some curtains, you know all of that fun stuff! They have no idea what they're in for in the middle of frickin' no wheresville!

AH....let me tell you about my day yesterday....it was 9:30...I went to use the sketchy teacher bathroom/closet. I walk in, turn on the light, instantly turn around flipping out because there are two cockroaches on the wall. GROSS. I ran into the janitor in the hall who knows how much I love cockroaches. They were laughing at me. Anyway, I used the kids bathroom which is equally as scary. As I walked past the cafeteria I noticed that there was a strange smell coming from that direction of the school but didn't think much of it. About 20 minutes later, the lead teacher who was in charge because my principal was out of town came in. She tells me we are evacuating the building. To get the children's coats on, bring work, get out the back door and head to the counselor's room. WTF, this is not a joke, right? We spent an hour in the counselor's room watching Peter Pan (it was my planning period, I'm allowed to show movies). Turns out...the maintenance people were annoyed with the sewage smell coming from the janitor's closet. So, first they poured bleach down it. That didn't suffice. Then they poured liquid acid. Thus resulting in an acid cloud INSIDE the janitor's closet. The man who did it definitely inhaled it as well. Once word got out what the smell was, we had to evacuate. Smartie-pants maintenance worker didn't think it would be a problem for children to be inhaling these fumes. He was told to get himself to the hospital and get checked out. Oh the things that happen at JCRE. By lunch the smell was gone and the school was freezing, all of the windows and doors had been open to get the smell out and it was about 49 degrees yesterday.

Last tidbit....the new superintendent of my school district just started in January and has been changing things up ever since. The latest rumor is that both principals and teachers may be moved from school to school. Therefore, we'll sign a contract with the district, but are not guaranteed our same school if they decide to change something. Some people are freaking out. I'm not...I'll worry once I actually see something happen. Plus, I'm a short-term teacher...what's the purpose of moving me knowing I will not be here forever.

SHOUT OUTS....yay to Cassie for not getting lost in New York. Go feed the pigeons in central park like Kevin in Home Alone! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to aunt Jackie for the box of books...we've already read most of them since getting the package!! Happy Belated birthday to Grandma Davis and Ingrid.

.....PS, this is the week I'm supposed to be on spring break in Florida with the crew :( Miss you, all!