End of Season

Yesterday was the end of sweetE's soccer season. He loved it, even if he did get bored and just wander around the gym. But he is four and even that is cute. He got a new trophy. He wanted to know if he got to keep his soccer shirt. I missed a good chunk of his season, the games were early and Saturday is my day to sleep in. But I made sure to be there a few times. He would wander and then all of a sudden run after the ball. He was too polite to kick it away from anyone, but he was happy to kick it if it came his way.

Tonight before he went to bed, he ran downstairs to get his trophy. He came back up with his new trophy in hand and his medal from the spring season around his neck. He had a blast and that is all that matters.

A Stroll

It has been a busy week. I usually stay late on Fridays and attempt to get a handle on the week that just finished as well as the week coming up. However, I volunteered to help at sweetP's school with their craft night. I came home early from work so I could spend an hour with the boys before scooting out the door again.

So shortly before six, I headed out the door into the rapidly darkening night. As I strolled along on my way to school, I remembered one of the things that I love about fall. I was walking through the leaves on the sidewalk, enjoying the crunching, rustling sounds they make when you walk through them. It is the only time that I drag my feet to make the dry leaves fly into the air. I slowed down to enjoy the light crispness of the air, the sound of the leaves and the relative quiet of the neighborhood.

I hope the rain holds off for the rest of the weekend, so I can get some more good walks through the leaves before they get flat and soggy from rain.

Moving On Too Quickly

Driving home from work on Tuesday, I spied with my little eye, something green and cone shaped. It could not be. It is too soon! So I assumed I was wrong. Driving home last night, I looked again. Yes, it was. There is a house with a Christmas tree up in their window. On the 5th of November. I hope it is fake, so it is not a fire hazard. I know there can be legitimate reasons for decorated trees, special visits or people leaving. But, wow it makes the year seem to go by that much faster.

I could not believe that the Christmas lights were out for sale at Target before Halloween. This is insanity. I am not ready to be Christmas-y just yet. Pretty soon the Christmas/holiday season is going to be six months long. I do love the holidays, but I have Ducky's birthday, Thanksgiving and the end of the trimester to get through before I can think about it properly.

I know I promised to start my education discussion posts today, but I am still assembling a few facts. So stay tuned.

Moving Along

Now that the election is behind us and the victory was by a large enough margin that we won't be waiting for recounts, let's move on. This election season was nuts and it went on forever.

I am happy to report that my pay will not be determined by my students multiple choice tests. Thank goodness. Tomorrow I think I will start a little series on my thoughts on education. I am buried up to my eyeballs in it, so maybe I can start a good discussion what is working and what is not.

Today, I need to get my buns in gear and shorten the stack of papers I am carting around. And get caught up on laundry. And try to shake this cold. Oh, and go to work and teach about exponents and plural nouns and the nervous system.

Seriously So Possessed

Yesterday was possessed. It started when I was in the shower. The lights were flickering and not in that way that flourescents usually do. There were fleeting moments of darkness. At the same time Alfred, the new Roomba, started chiming. The sound he makes when he returns to his dock. And my dear sweetE was downstairs watching Backyardigans (coolest kid show ever) so I know it wasn't him.

The lights eventually drove me nuts and I just turned them off. The flickering didn't help the migraine that was beginning to form. Only I thought the headache had to do with cold that I have been fighting since Saturday. So I popped my Advil and headed off to work. And then I popped more Advil after school. And then I came home and was possessed by what was the worst migraine I have had in some time.

I put sweetE in jammies at 6:30 and followed suit still thinking my headache was cold induced. At 7:30, after helping sweetP with his homework and piano, I gave up. I just went up to bed without a word to anyone. I had taken a migraine pill at 7 and hoped and prayed that it would work fast. If not, the nausea was going to overtake me and I hate that. I was so thoroughly possessed by that headache that I didn't get to put the boys to bed.

At 9:30 I finally felt better. So I got up for a bit to get ready for bed. Then I was possessed by insomnia until 2:30 in the morning! Dang 6:30 comes fast when you fall asleep so late. So we'll see how today goes.

Make sure you get possessed to vote! I did. I hope Obama wins and I hope he is the change we need and that he has promised to be. I don't think I can handle four more of the same. There are too many important issues at stake.

Time for Change

I woke up this morning to the pitter patter of little feet. Completely forgetting that the clocks were supposed to have changed. It is not like I needed to be anywhere. But, do they really have to subject us to the twice yearly upheaval to our circadian rhythms? I am strongly considering putting a measure on the ballot that would keep us on Daylight Savings Time all year round.

Speaking of ballots, please remember to vote. My ballot has been cast and I am waiting patiently (okay, maybe not so much) for the election to be over. The negativity to end. To find out what direction our country is headed in. And to find out if my paycheck will be directly correlated to how well my students can answer multiple choice questions. Because we all know that life is multiple choice.

Silly Things

A little over a week ago, sweetE was being silly. Not that that is rare in our house. But it was bedtime, and I always say, "I love you, good night, sweet dreams." Never fails. The boys each say those things back. And there are many mommy kisses to go along with.

But sweetE decided that instead of sweet dreams, it should be sweet beans. So now every night I tell him, "I love you, good night, sweet beans." And he replies, "sweet peas."

And another silly tradition may have been born. I love childhood.