It's Come To This

Blogging once a week. It's all I've got time to do. Again, I don't know how everyone else who works the daily 9am-5pm does it. Maybe I just suck at time management.

The work week seems neverending to me. I'm like a newbie all over again trying to get used to the daily grind of a work routine. What a wuss! Actually, my body has adjusted to the early morning disturbance of the annoyingly cheap alarm clock from Target. I have gotten used to skipping my breakfast (not good!) because I'd rather use that time to prepare my clasroom. And thankfully, my whole lower body has adjusted quite well to the whole being-on-your-feet the entire day. Nice. I guess my complaints revolve around the planning-correcting part of the job. It's every teacher's nightmare...when that immensely huge pile of papers NEVER seem to get smaller! You've heard the saying and I tell you quite honestly that it's true: a teacher's job is never done. Yah, yah, you've heard that about other jobs, too, but c'mon, really, I feel like it's some cruel trick being played...right when I think that I'm done correcting a pile, there's always something else. Always.

Our Open House/Back to School night was last Thursday. I always tend to feel sorry for parents on that night because not only are they required to come straight from work, but they have to endure a general presentation from the principal AND the teacher. I have nothing against Open Houses, but in order to keep everyone happy, both parents and teachers, let's keep it short and sweet! In the past, I have always brought a light snack and drink for the parents. I remember the first year that I did that, the gesture was truly appreciated. By that time in the evening, many have not had dinner yet and even a little cookie helps curb the growling tummy. And I also thought to myself, hey, if that were ME, I'd like to have something to snack on, too! So the idea to bring snacks was born...and happy to say, many other teachers have decided to adopt the idea as well.

Open House is always nerve-racking for teachers. Standing in front of 28 pairs of lil' bodies is one thing...standing in front of 28 pairs of adult eyes is another. Those same pairs of eyes that stare you down, that try to analyze and nitpick about everything single thing, that look at you and have to understand and accept that the person standing before them is the one and only person that is taking care of their perfect little angel is not an easy thing to stomach. Sure, I can do the whole smile and nod reasssurance dance, but it's almost as if I have to convince each and every parent that I am worthy to be their child's teacher. And today's parents are of a whole different generation from when I was a child. The OG parents of long ago looked up to the teacher and backed up whatever the teacher had to say. Teachers back then had the full support of the parents behind them. Unfortunately, that is not the case of today's generation of parents. Not to say that is how ALL parents are. On the contrary! I'm just saying that somewhere down the line, there was this attitudinal shift that took place where the teachers lost that respectable place in society. I'm not saying that teachers should be put on top of a mantle or anything like that, but for goodness sake, recognize the fact that teachers are the ones molding today's kids. Some people do not realize the extent of what a teacher does in a classroom. Some may have this conception that learning means that their kids can memorize information and spit it back out. That ain't teaching to me. That's just plain regurgitation. Some think that the more homework we give to kids will make them smarter. But it's all about QUALITY, not QUANTITY. And lots of people just don't get it. So to those parents who just don't get it (and by goodness, I would LOVE to say the names of those in MY class!), get a grip. Stop your sorry ass complaining and use all of that energy to being a good, nurturing, and encouraging parent. And for God's sake, keep in mind that your kid is only 8 years old....give 'em a break.

ANYWAYS....whew..where did THAT come from?! =) The rest of Open House was okay. I wish that I could say that I was a dynamic speaker to my parents, but I wasn't. Instead, my presentation was often interrupted by my bouts of coughing, hacking, and clearing my throat. Sucks to be sick. Sucks to be sick AND required to be present. Ugh. As was my plan, I used my sickness to keep my presentation short and promised them that I would have them out as soon as possible, but well, it never turns out that way. I will say this though. I had my students make a card for their parents and that brought a smile to the parents' faces. But as a closing activity, I had the parents write a note BACK to their kids. Not only did the parents think that was a good idea (I stole it from my niece's teacher!), but if you saw the students' faces the following day as they walked into the classroom, all of the naughtiness or whatnot just seemed to fade away in the background! I did get a chance to read the notes that morning (they were on sticky notes on top of the desks) and some of the things that the parents wrote totally touched my heart. They ranged from the "Good morning son!", "Don't forget to turn in your homwork today!" to the "You're the best kid I know!" and the "I'll always love you no matter what." It was a great way to start the Friday, not only for me, but for the kids as well. It also made me see those kids in a whole different light and I'm grateful to that. Sometimes I have to admit, it's hard to erase the previous day from my mind. So if Kid #1 was naughty yesterday, I have to pray really hard that day to wipe his/her slate clean. But I do and it makes all the difference.

And ultimately, that's what I want to do. Make a difference.

If only everyone else could see it the way I do...

Shout-Outs

*My Apu (grandmother) turned 89 years old last week. Had lunch at her house yesterday and 'twas great to hang out with the lil' (not so lil' anymore!) cousins. Apu is still going strong for 89, but gradually slowing down. She looked happy and content to have lots of family around and it was just so nice to see her. Happy 89th Apu..and many more to come!

*My lil' cousin Rod is going off to UCLA this week. Up and leaving the nest and going off to be that college kid. Damn. Where did the time go? All of the lil' cousins that I remember being born are all in college now...heck, one of 'em was even drinking a Corona at the party and I had to ask her if she was old enough! (She's 23.) When did THAT happen? Aiya...where does the time go? In any case, good luck in UCLA Rod...kick some ass!

*Mr. Stud Muffin Gee turned the big 3-0 last Wednesday! Welcome to da club, my friend. Sorry I couldn't make it to the birthday picnic...but glad to hear that ya'll had fun. Happy Happy 30th you old man!

*Belated anniversary wishes go out to EastBay and AI. They celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary last week. So guys...when's the baby, huh??? I'm sure Doh wouldn't mind being Ninong! (wink, wink)

*Belated birthday wishes go out to Mr.Francis G, our former choir director at Epiphany. His position at Gap relocated him to London for a year! Although he is coming back, it still won't be the same without him here. In the 6 years that he's directed, the choir has grown from a handful of people to an altar full of kids. Congrats and best wishes...say hello to the Queen for us!

*Speaking of the choir, just wanted to say thanks to Mrs. Gee, MeAnn, and Bhic da Man for coming out and having lunch today. Ate at the new Hawaiian joint on Sloat Blvd, Ono Hawaiian BBQ. 'Twas alright, huge portions, decent prices, but I've had better mac salad. We headed to Ocean Beach afterwards to enjoy the sun...yes, SUN in San Francisco! Thanks for hanging out today, guys...let's not wait too long for the next get-together.

*Belated birthday shout-out goes to J.Cabrera. Old friend from my Larawan days who I just reconnected with via Friendster...that thing really works! Lol! Hugs to you!

*Wanted to wish one of my best galpals, VirgoCapri, much love and happiness as she tied the knot to her man yesterday. The wedding was in Atlanta and as much as I wanted to go, unfortunately could not. I did talk to her on Friday night and she was busily preparing the bouquets for the following day. Love and congrats to you!

Last, but Not Least....

The devastation of Hurricane Katrina is still fresh and I just wanted to take the time to ask ya'll to remember the victims in your prayers. It's easy to take for granted the everyday necessities that we've been blessed with, but for many that which has been destroyed and taken away. The destruction may be halfway across the country, but it affects us all. In today's world, we may feel helpless in terms of what we can do or how we can contribute, but I have found that prayer is a powerful thing. The list may seem endless- the poor, the sick, the hurricane victims, the tsunami victims, the homeless, war-torn countries, and so many more. But if it's the only thing that we CAN do and afford, then by all means, do it. It will make a difference.

So Much To Blog About, So Little Time

It's been such a long time since the last time I've blogged. Looking back, there's so many events worth sharing about, but because it's been a while, everything is all old already. Plus, there was a moment recently that I seriously contemplated getting rid of this blog altogether. Long story not worth getting into. Not to mention, since school started up a few weeks ago, I take the time usually dedicated to blogging to just plain resting. I even thought about changing the theme of this journal to all about my day as a teacher of third graders. Because believe me, there's ALWAYS something worth sharing about that! LOL!

The teaching thing has been a major adjustment. Even though I taught at the school prior, there are just way too many changes to catch up with. Since it's been two years that I've been away from any sort of classroom environment, I honestly feel like a 1st year teacher all over again...with the exception that I don't have that nervous feeling at the bottom of my stomach each morning, nor do I have that intimidated feeling towards my fellow teachers. Oh, and it totally helps that I kept practically EVERYTHING from my years of teaching that I have some things to refer back on and remind me of what I did. Okay, okay..so it's not like my 1st year of teaching in that sense, but again, the whole readjustment period has hit me hard...like this neverending pile of papers that needs correcting. Argh.

Albeit that I'm only going to be with these kids until January, I already know that I'm going to miss them like crazy. Though they are a talkative bunch, they're really sweet and funny kids. Okay, so there's a kid that has the attention span that lasts all of 10 seconds...oh, and there's one kid that just stares at me when I'm talking to him as if what I'm saying is totally foreign...oh yah, and there's another kid that has trouble with volume, doesn't understand what the heck it means to be quiet or to whisper...and let's not forget the one kid who has an incredibly whiny voice who likes to blame her mom for not packing her backpack for her the night before. EXCUSE ME? Is it your mom's responsibility to do that? Is YOUR mom wearing that PE uniform? Is it YOUR mom's homework that needs turning in every day? I DON'T THINK SO, MISSY! And when I say "whiny," it's almost in a "Valley-girl" way...."Um, I don't knoooooooow." Egads...drives me crazy.

I have to constantly remind myself that these are only 8-year old kids. While many of these kids are capable of doing a lot, it blows my mind how much pressure some of these parents put on them. Those reports in the newspapers about kids getting hernias, stress attacks, and all of those unnecessary ailments are true! While I applaud schools to be more academically challenging, I do not agree with parents who do not allow their kids to just be kids. I'll tell you right now, I already have some "problem parents" that ya'll will be sure to hear about in future posts. Double Argh.

Work aside, hubby and I made our trek from MN to CA this past Labor Day weekend. The drive itself was approximately 38 hours. It probably would've been shorter had we not gotten lost in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Wyoming...that was scary. And plus, we had to do a bit of extra driving around Cheyenne, Wyoming looking for a place to stay. Just our luck, we arrived in Cheyenne during a cowboy convention! Yee-haw! No jokes people. Let's just that we really felt out of place out there...hoping that them cowboys weren't going to get into a game of "roundin' up the brown folks." I kid you not!!! Lol!

The most exciting part of our trip has got to be stopover in South Dakota. We made a slight detour to visit Mt. Rushmore and let me tell you, it is just an awesome sight to behold! Just thinking about the time that it was built, the types of machinery and technology that was used, and looking at the remarkable details on the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln just blows me away. And you know that all the other tourists felt blown away, too, by the way they just sat there and stared. On our way back down the road, we actually passed by the Crazy Horse monument, too...still a work in progress, but definitely recognizable and equally cool. Halfway through South Dakota (and egads, S.D. just seemed to go on forever!), we hit the Badlands National Park. While I may not be the most knowledgable of American history, this was the very spot of one of the famous battles between the U.S. and the Indians. The Badlands is actually this long stretch of land, approximately 40 miles, that is filled with unusual rock formations. Depending on where you are, it could almost look like a mini-Grand Canyon, just not as deep. You see the different colors from where it used to be underwater and just the funky formations that have formed and lasted these many years. I have to say, the first five miles or so were pretty awesome. Again, another cool sight to behold...I mean, in the freakin' middle of South Dakota...in the middle of the freakin' United States! Yah, it was cool! But after that, the winding road started looking the same turn after turn. Then after a while, it was like, "Are we done yet?" Don't get me wrong, I don't regret driving through and paying the $8 per vehicle fee to see it. Heck, when is the next time I'm ever going to see this??? I'll tell you right now- not any time soon. In any case, seeing that part of the U.S. made me see a different beauty about this country that we live in. There's just something about being away from the big metropolitan cities...to be able to see stretches of land that seem to go on forever into the horizon...and to be able to experience some of the most serene and calming sunsets. While we were driving through South Dakota and Wyoming, you get that sense that it really is God's Country out there.

So that was our trip....I'll leave the part of the stop-and-go traffic that we hit on our last day to the Bay out as well as the crazy muther-effin drivers out there we encountered. I'm grateful that my beloved Honda made the journey without any complications....just a million or trillion splattered bugs on the front grill. I will say this though...if ya'll ever have a chance to drive cross-country anywhere- DO IT! Do it, even it's it's one time. It may take a long time and you may not enjoy being stuck in a car for so long, but there's a lot of beauty out there that remains to be seen. Check it out and explore people! (Although honestly, you could really skip out on Wyoming....there really ain't shit out there!!! Lol!)

Pictures of Mount Rushmore and our trip coming soon....have a great weekend ya'll!