The World According to Leslie

Exams started yesterday at my school.  That means that the kids only have 4 days left.  It means that *I* only have 6 days left.   I’m excited at the prospect of sleeping beyond 3:30am!    I can’t believe that the Princess will be in middle school next year.   I have so much on my mind, but not enough time to write it out right now.  Hopefully I get more writing time this summer to get some of these things out of my head.

At this point in the school year, I’m not doing anything new.  I teach an elective class, so I get the privilege of writing my own exam. I don’t have a state exam.  So, in that case, what do you do with 20 days left in the year?   You give them a 3 page study guide with specific instructions for how you expect it to be completed.  Then you give them time in class for two days to complete it so that they can’t whine as much about the amount of work.   Then you give them the answers to the study guide, assign them a specific part of it, and have them reteach that part of the information to the class.  That is the beginning of the review.   Then we play games (that they come up with and that I already have) for about 2 weeks.    Then it’s time for exams!    20 days of school left….. 15 teaching days/5 exam days!  This is the best part of being a teacher…. reviewing to get to the exam!

Today begins that last quarter for the school year.  I’m kind of excited!  Actually…. I’m really excited.  With all the snow days and, therefore, snow make up days, we haven’t had a break since February.  It gets kind of tiring for the teachers and the students.  But, now, we are in the home stretch.  If we can survive 9 more weeks, we will make it until Summer Break!   This weekend, the Softball Fairies were not on our side. We didn’t get to start the season as planned. We are hoping that there will be no rain this coming weekend so we can get the season started!  Our team is starting to shape up very well, I think.  I know that we are going to have some tough games, but we are going to have a good time doing it.   Countdown Update: 6 days (counting today) until Softball Opening Day 14 school days (counting today) until Spring Break 9 weeks until Summer Break

Many of the countdowns in my world are slowly getting smaller and smaller.  It’s exciting.  This time next week, I will be able to say that we have SINGLE DIGIT weeks left in school.    This week, we have a snow make-up day.  We were supposed to be out of school on Friday, but we are having a snow make-up day instead.  The best part is that it is only a HALF day!     What is 1025??  That is the number of boxes of cookies that the Princess ended up selling.  She earned her iPad mini!  She will get it at the beginning of May (supposedly) at the celebration for kids who sold more than 500 boxes of cookies!  We are excited!  For us, it will be the first (personally owned) i-anything in the house.  We are Android people, except for Tony’s work phone.      Our softball team is pretty cool.  We have a couple of girls who have never played before, but that comes with any rec team.  This ye...

As promised, here are some of the pics from Hilton Head.  We arrived on Friday to this room.  Nice…right?  The only problem was that we were supposed to have queen beds.  We had doubles.  (A little short, but they worked!)   That evening, Tony and the Princess walked to the beach.  It was a little far for me.  My legs and back were hurting from being in the car for so long.   In order to get the fabulous deal we got, we had to go to a 90-120 minute presentation on Saturday at noon.  It started at noon, and we were back in the car by 2pm.  If we were going to buy a timeshare, these would be the people to deal with.  They weren’t pushy.  When we said “no,” they did make ONE more effort (change price, down payment, etc.).  BUT…after we said “no” again, they shook our hands and took us back to the front door.  Friendly.  Polite.  Did not seem upset that we did not purchase.  Nice. W...

Yesterday was a day of traveling!  We got up early and left Hilton Head.    However….we did not head straight home.  Tony’s brother and sister’s  grandmother died.  (They are his step-siblings!)  We went through Laurens, SC to pay our respects to the family.  We didn’t get to see many people—most had to work until the funeral tomorrow.    But, we got to see their mom.  We haven’t seen her since the Princess was about 3-4 (maybe 5).  We really should make time to see the family more.    I had told my mom we were going through there, but I had not called my dad.  About 1/2 way there, I got a text from Dad asking if we were coming home.   That meant a lot.  It meant he missed us.    So I texted to let him know what was going on.   As soon as we got into town, I called my mom. We came home, unloaded, and went to their house.  Really?  You thought I’d do anything else fir...

I can’t believe that in the morning we are going to be leaving to head home.  The weekend is almost over!  That’s crazy!   Now I am going to need a vacation from my vacation!  LOL  Isn’t that how it always goes?

So we are in Hilton Head.  It’s beautiful.  Everything is “hidden” behind trees.   Points of issue: 1.  The “beach resort” is a 10-15 minute walk to the actual beach.  2. It’s hot!  (LOL  No one can control that.  But… you all know I prefer winter!) 3. Most everything we have wanted to do is across the bridge.  That means $1.25 each way for the toll.  4. It’s still hot!   I guess those are my only real complaints.   Darn!  I was hoping to find something to complain about!  (Just Kidding!!!)   Guess I’m just having a good vacation!

Wow!  I can’t believe I went two days without writing.  I have gotten in such a habit that now it just feels strange.   There isn’t much going on in these parts right now. 1. Saturday—Softball was cancelled, but they are rescheduling for THIS Saturday.  8:30am!  (Hooray for waking up early on Saturdays!)   2. Sunday—We officially told our pastor and his wife that we are leaving the church.  They tried really hard to get us to stay, but we aren’t leaving because of them.  It’s the other stuff (some other people) that are killing our church.  Unfortunately, it’s really the only church the Princess has ever known.  We started attending there in June 2003.  She was born in August 2003.  10 years!  A decade!!   3. Monday—I took my dad to get his hearing aid fixed.  Simple enough… the filter was clogged.  He had already cleaned it.  But…. still clogged.  New filter—no charge—now he can hear...

I know you guys are probably getting tired of hearing about my countdown.    I’m just so excited that the Princess is almost finished with this year at school.    So….today is THE LAST MONDAY for her (and me).  After Friday of this week, she can hang out, watch TV, play/read on her Kindle Fire, and relax……until August.   Of course, she LOVES to read, so we will see how many books she reads this summer.   I’m still trying to get some writing jobs for the summer. Just to make a little extra cash.  There are some that are for doing book reviews.  I would love to do those.     But….for now, I’m going to enjoy my last Monday.  Even though it’s pouring rain outside.

Last night, I attended my last required meeting for Girl Scouts for the year.  We did our Adult Awards Banquet.  That means that my year as a Service Unit team member is over!    That also means that all I have left is to complete my Troop Scout Year, and a little paperwork, and I am finished for the year.    Our final troop meeting is the week after school lets out so that I have time to go get badges/awards for the girls!   Then, we have some fun stuff, camping/trip/etc. over the summer, but other than that, we don’t do anything until August!    I’m so ready for a break, and I think my girls are too!   18 school days left (12 teaching—6 exams!)

The current countdown is for the number of days left in school. Unless I counted incorrectly (which is totally possible) we only have 34 days left of school!  That means that we have 7 weeks (excluding ONE Monday for Memorial Day!)   That means that I have 6 weeks and 3 days to finish everything I am going to finish with them!  I have to get a lot of stuff completed, but my kids are great!    At the end of this week, they will have fewer than 30 days left!  I think that will excite them.  I’m hoping it will get them working harder!     We are starting something new today.  I hope they will like it!

We all know I love a good countdown! So…  not that I will do this EVERY day, but I will update some.  The official get-me-to-summer-break countdown is on!   9 more weeks 8 more Mondays (We get Memorial Day off!) 38 actual teaching days 6 exam days   So, that means… 1 more progress report.  1 more report card. And, for me, 36 happy students!    I think I might actually put this up as a countdown on my board today!  Think the students will mind?   I think they will get REALLY excited to see it in three weeks when we have less than a month left in class!   Now, the concern here is…. how in the world am I going to get everything taught that I still need to teach???  OMGeeee!    It will all get done!  Luckily, I don’t have Seniors!  Luckily, I’m not still in school myself!     So….  say it with me now….. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!!!

At 8am this morning, I am going in to work for 3 hours.  :(  Then I am leaving.... claiming my munchkin from my mommy's house (since she had a sleepover there to avoid getting up so early this morning)...and going Easter SHOE shopping.  We have the dress, we just need cute little white shoes or sandals to go with it! Then I am going to come home....sit on my couch...and do NOTHING until time for softball practice tonight.  My Spring Break starts at 11am today!  I'm so excited to have NOTHING on the agenda (except some rest and munchkin time) for the next week!!!! :) Then the countdown is on until Final Exams and Summer Vacation!!! :)