Squirmy WIrmy

My poor little brain is over-taxed and overflowing with things to say. Unfortunately, my poor little computers are all in worse shape! My trusty laptop has developed a severe allergy to its power source and is sitting in a state of brokenocity on the chair over there. My big ol desktop unit has, unfortunately, fallen prey to the latest and greatest attempt to discredit Bill Gates. Yep. THE WOLF HAS A WORM!!!! No clue how to get rid of it. I will probably have to break down and (gasp!) pay somebody to fix it all up as soon as I start rolling in the dough from this high paying teacher job! (You guys ARE all reading the sarcasm in that reference to high paying, arent you?) The point of this whole long ramble is that my computers are down and I am having internet withdrawal! Ill get here as I can though-you better betcha.

Week 2 is under my belt. For all of you expressing amazement about the early start of school down here-yep. Its too damn early. Kids finished last day of May and are back on 6th of August. Just 2 months. Didnt we have 3 months off when we were kids?

Interesting doesnt begin to describe my life right now. Exhausting does a pretty good job though! Last week my two 7th grade classes made English-muffin pizza, my two 6th grades made Monkey Bread and my 8th grade class (henceforth to be known as the Jaded Grade) made choc chip pancakes. The pancakes tasted AWFUL, they renamed the Monkey Bread as Monkey Poo and the pizzas… disappeared before I even got them completely out of the oven.

I have cornered one of my Jaded Graders for a mini chat. I acknowledged her position as a leader… and then requested she use her powers for good rather than evil. She smiled. Im praying that was a friendly smile indicating cooperation rather than an evil and malevolent smile that may be foretelling doom. Well find out on Monday I suppose… stay tuned for the update. If there is no update ever again-it will be safe to assume that it was indeed, the malevolent smile.

We have bell work every day. What that consists of is an instruction to write some simple something or other out every day to take up the first few minutes of class so I can take roll and get situated. Its county policy-everyone does it…I suppose. Soooooooooooo I had my Raid Graders (that would be the 7th grade group) do the following for Bell Work: Describe a decision which you made that you later regretted. Explain why you regretted it. Anybody sensing the danger in this question already? Silly me didnt. I started reading the answers. Some pretty standard stuff-I made my momma cry; I didnt study and got bad grades; I dropped out of band; yada-yada-yada. Then I got to the more meaty answers: I killed my sisters dog and I set my friends car on fire. OK. I quit reading. Who knows what the NEXT paper would have revealed and I dont want to have to call the police in the first 10 days of school.

The little Staid Graders (6th, right?) are still pretty cute. As part of our lesson on table manners and setting the table correctly, we did napkin origami. They stayed enraptured for more than half the 70 minute class period by the intricacies of such intricate folds as the Heart and the Cow and the Snow Capped Mountains. They folded once, then folded again. I even had em turn one in. Like Im going to grade folded napkins! Heh.

And now its off to beddy-bye. Got a full week ahead of me starting tomorrow morning. More manners and cooking on the horizon. Just call me Julia-Emily Post-Child.

Yes, we DEFINITELY had three full months of summer vacation! I’d have pitched a fit back then if they’d tried to drag me back to school in mid-August.

Sigh… I once had a laptop, and it died of a virus too. Or that’s what the repair guys I took it to said as an excuse for being unable to fix it. I LOVED that laptop, I could go out on the porch and type instead of being stuck inside… 🙁 Hope you get yours fixed!

LMAO you crack me up. I hope it was not a manevolant smile. We get out around June 13th or so, and start again around the 25th… it’s about the same time, but in MI, if we got off in the last week of May, half of our break would probably still be spent in snow. LOL j/k, but it didn’t warm up this year until july… Good luck with those crazy kids– I hope they don’t cook anything poision… lo

Yup we had the full three months off when we were kids & up here the kids still do. Oh my, you are so funny. The oragami napkins sound like fun. But, those older kids with the notes were kinda scarey. Good luck with the coming week and getting your computer fixed. *with a big hug & warm smile*

The virus war seems to be directed at Microsoft PC’s, and William of Gates specifically. My iMac’s have never had virus trouble.

Certainly sounds like they are gona keep you busy, hon! hope the pc situation gets better soon. Hugz

was reading another diary earlier…about “da worm”..check out *cobalt*illusions* for a possible fix…~peace and hugz~

Okay Sunshine…what did I miss and what are you teaching…Somehow I had the idea you were teaching computers…duh…where did I get lost here…. Sounds like you are having a blast so far…and I am sure your students are thoroughly enjoying a teacher with a fresh outlook and a real grasp of what teaching should be about…We need more teachers like you! Smiles,

What an interesting idea. Turn in a napkin? You’re easy. 🙂 Good luck with the PC.

Hmm, I should have used your idea when I was a Juvenile Officer — could have gotten some nice confessions.

“Killed my sister’s dog”??! ACK! School ain’t what it used to be, but I’m sure diggin’ reading about it! ~:D ArtImp, nsi

Hard to tell sometimes if the kids are making something up, especially since they could also be capable of what they claim. And what is Monkey Poo? — I mean Monkey Bread? RYN: Anyone can request an “interview.”

I always knew there was a reason I’d wanted to grow up in a US school… six paltry weeks we got for the summer! hmmm, set fire to friends car, killed sisters dog. I reckon that’s one clumsy child! Have fun cooking!! Please don’t start with the ironing any time soon 🙂

*grin* Why grade them when you can save em for dinner next time? ^_^

RYN: sorry for the amount of entries… the kids have been in Cornwall for two weeks and I’ve obviously had FAR too much time on my hands!.. despite the filling in of forms for solicitors and writing essayd for my universtoy course… and dentists appointments. I need to get out more I think *grin*

“I killed my sister’s dog and set my friend’s car on fire?” This wasn’t from the smiling one, was it? I sense malevolence in the smile, if so. With a shake of my head…

Oh, and re the worm, do you have AVG? It caught the worm when someone inadvertently tried to send it in an email to me. You can get it (AVG, not the worm) free from http://www.grisoft.com and it’s a great anti-virus. With a warm smile…

Wher do I begin to tell the story of how great your notes have been.. the oldest story of how much they mean to me they bring me hope…Hmm! This all sounds familiar somehow! But thank you for it is so nice to be red..read oh hell thanks for reading. I am afraid about the worm too…Why?? does someone have to screw up our writing lives? This did not happen in the time of Pliny and co. Alexias

Man you make me wish (almost) that I could go back in time move to florida and take your class..Honestly LOL good to see that things are going well… things on the jdc front are also going pretty good Lael

“monkey poo”? *snickers* i don’t understand how school seems to start earlier every year. college here begins right after labor day, but high schools/etc. have been in session for a couple weeks now. hope you find a way to eradicate that nasty worm!