Just Checking In

I didn't have rehearsals this weekend, so I got to spend Saturday babysitting my niece. Since school started, I haven't had many opportunities to see her. She's a little ball of fire, though, so I really had to be on my toes. Around 7:00, I began obsessively checking the clock to see if it was bedtime yet; I was just as tired as she was!

I spent the rest of the weekend building up my sleep reserve. With school, my grad class, rehearsals, and school play auditions coming up, I am looking at a lot of lost napping opportunities.

I've been reading a lot about Sarah Palin and her family this weekend. I think it's pretty despicable how some media outlets have characterized some members of her family, particularly her daughter Bristol. I'm still on the fence about her, myself--I'm not so sure about some of her policies--but while she's fair game, her children should be off limits.

I think it's a good indication of how this election is going to be run, actually; both parties have stooped pretty low already, and there are months to go yet. I'd like to think that they'd both show some class, but based on past events, I don't hold out much hope.

There are only four days of school this week, and I'm glad of it. We've already been in school for a month; how ridiculous is that? Pretty darn ridiculous.

My English class started "The Cask of Amontillado" last week. It becomes more clear to me every day just how much I hate teaching English. HATE. Even the so-called "fun" stuff loses its flavor when I'm standing in front of hazy-eyed robots who will remember my words for approximately 2.45 seconds before spilling them out in favor of Guitar Hero licks.

On the other hand, I LOVE my reading classes. I could teach them all day, and I wish I did. I'm so much more enthusiastic about the material, even though I've taught it a thousand times, and the Scheduling Fairy must have been smiling on me, because all three of my classes are full of inquiring interested students.

Like, the first week I didn't have a book to read to them, so I just pulled an old copy of Encyclopedia Brown off the shelf and read the first chapter ("Let's work on our deductive reasoning," I said). And they LOVE Encyclopedia Brown! When they walk in the door, they ask if they "get" to read him today! I am constantly amazed by their excitement over things that previous classes found boring. I hope it lasts.

Lyndie seems to be getting better, though it's hard to tell. I fight with her every morning to get her to take her medicine, and for my trouble I have received multiple scratches and today she spit on me. With love, I'm sure.

If I don't post again this week, it's just because I'm busy, not because I'm dead. Well. Probably.