I’m having a hard time today. I woke up feeling worse than I did yesterday, probably because I ran all over town yesterday, still not getting anything done on the grading front. So today I really need to grade. There’s a big pile of grading that needs to be done — and if I would just get it done, then I’d be free. Free. I need to focus on that. And the projects don’t need comments, just grades. And then free free.
Instead I’ve been so grumpy that it’s been easier to plunk on Facebook, paying attention to Occupy Wall Street and We The People petitions (some of which are going really well: one on my favorite issue is almost up to the 5,000 signatory threshold and I finally found one on the whole Citizens United decision debacle — you know, the Supreme Court decision that says that government cannot make laws to limit corporate spending/communications on political candidates because it’s a “free speech” issue; this effectively ends any discussion of real campaign finance reform unless we get an amendment to the Constitution!). Grumpy as in flipping people off on the road grumpy (though not so anyone would notice) for their stupid uninformed bumper stickers and crazy driving.
So. . .I’m going to make myself a hot chocolate.
There. It’s now heating up on the stove. (I know — riveting stuff, but I need all the help I can get.)
When it’s done, I’m going to start with the elective presentations, partly because I already started. My notes on the presentations are already out on the bed. So no excuses.
In addition to just being sick and therefore grumpy, I’m mad at Almost-Three’s Montessori school. When I picked him up yesterday, the assistant said he really needed to work on putting on his shoes and glasses by himself. His shoes. Check. His glasses? So I look at him and his glasses are all cock-eyed and it’s because the part that goes around his ear is in his hair and not around his ear. He’s not even three and you expect him to do something you cannot even do properly? I wanted to say but did not. I was irked that even hours later to the point that the second Lionel came home from work, he asked me what was going on, able to read that there was something on my face.
I love Montessori philosophy, I really do. But I’m getting a bit sick of hearing that a near three year old wanting one-to-one attention is a problem (not to mention that being an only child is talked about as a problem). The fact is that as transplants here we have no extended family and, because Lionel and I both have full-time jobs, few friends here. So when Almost-Three endeared himself to various caregivers at Previous Daycare, it was a relief. He deserves all the loving adults in his life he can get! I know that the Montessori environment will help him to be more self-sufficient and responsible, but. . .all I can say is that it’s a mixed bag for mom here.
I have fantasies of quitting my job and home/unschooling him, not that I would be particularly good at it. But even those fantasies don’t start until his Montessori days are behind him. Right now, in order to keep on keeping on, I’m imagining that we have about three years of working hard to save money and repair my credit, then someone is going to quit his/her job. (We’ve talked about that person being me, but I think Lionel hates his job far more than I do. We’ll see.)
Okay, the hot chocolate is done, complete with whipped cream and cinnamon. I plan to report in at 2 with something more productive to say than that I wasted the day. Hope your day is easy and pleasant. Shana tova to those celebrating the open book of a new year!
***Update 2:30pm***
I am proud to say that I’ve done a fair amount today:
- Organized the stacks of paper!
- Got a fair start on organizing the e-files and data. (Still want to take all the files I got via email and put them in my teaching folder.)
- Graded elective presentations.
- Recorded elective presentation grades.
- Graded freshman presentations.
- Recorded freshman presentation grades.
- Graded 1/3 of freshman process stuff.
There’s still a ridiculous amount of stuff to do, but I’ve made a clear dent in the pile. My dream is to finish up the freshmen stuff this week and have only the fun elective stuff to do next week, but I just don’t think so. That’s an insane amount of stuff for one day, and I’d prefer not to steal too much time from the family this weekend. So tomorrow, I’ll finish that process stuff, then one stack, and revisions. Then Monday, the other stack. Then Tuesday, electives. Wednesday, electives. That almost sounds doable, and like, dare I say it, a plan! Oh, and I have to go in tomorrow also. When will I slip that in?
Anyway, must go pick up Almost-Three, take him to his eye appointment, go to the natural foods store and get the salad dressing I can only get there, and then dash to pick up my CSA share. Ah life. Rust never sleeps.
Way to Go Homesteader 