So maybe I need to get my ass in gear and stop lurking around reading about other people's lives and actually write about mine ( Read more... )

I have that same pit-of-stomach dread about tomorrow that my kids have. The holidays are over and the grind starts anew. For me, it means Monday and Tuesday student teaching, Wednesday and Thursday in mini-mester seminar. This pattern goes for three weeks, after which I student teach full time until mid-May ( Read more... )

So my 8th grader plays clarinet in the school band. He goes to rehearsals two mornings a week, but his enthusiasm is minimal. He doesn't complain about going, but he doesn't exactly seem enthused, either. As in, I have yet to hear him practice the damn thing this semester ( Read more... )

For the last three years, I've made Thanksgiving dinner at our house. In years prior, we packed everyone up and traveled to points north: Pennsylvania, New York. It's so much nicer to stay put, even though the food and house prep gets frenetic. And since I'm not the best housekeeper (heh), this involves a lot of last minute Swiffing and stashing ( Read more... )

So I've spent the last couple of hours working on the lesson I'm teaching tomorrow. We're doing a poetry unit, and most of the students want to talk about rap, listen to rap, write rap... So I'm doing a short history and a lesson based on a Kanye West song (Family Business). I'll be curious to see if they'll actually take on writing something or ( Read more... )

So aftrer waking up uncharacteristically early for a Saturday, we got dressed and ready and decided to go out for breakfast. But the key wouldn't turn in the ignition of the Jeep. The lock seemed loose and jiggly and the damn key wouldn't turn. The reliable old minivan (which is just about paid off so ya know that means it will fall apart soon) ( Read more... )

So these days I am completely strung out trying to balance motherhood with going to school full time. I'm getting a Masters in teaching middle/high school English. I have three night classes and I student teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The house has gone (further) to hell; there are piles of crap everywhere. Dealing with bills is depressing ( Read more... )

My letter to the editor, Baltimore Sun ( Read more... )

The cat just carried in a set of blue plastic rosary beads, dredged up fom somewhere in the basement playroom. She had them in her mouth, mrrr-rowwww!

Who wants to pay five bucks to pet my miracle cat?

So I'm waiting at the Giant deli counter, and this older woman (70?) strikes up a conversation with Zoe. She complimented her dress and shoes, asked her how old she is, the usual. Zoe volunteered that she has two brothers, and the lady asked if they were big or little. Zoe said big, but she didn't know how old they were. I said "Jonah is 10, ( Read more... )