Last I posted here, I was excited about branching out into a new part of public education. I was seeking out a teaching assignment that would allow me to start teaching either Language Arts or Social Studies. I was hopeful that I would be able to stay at the campus where I spent my my entire teaching career, and I wasn't really looking all that hard at teaching assignments that would have me change campuses.
At the start of last spring semester, I decided to start graduate school because I have a low tolerance for boredom. In the middle of the spring semester, Miss GG and I married because she has a high tolerance for talkative teachers who forget to mention that they have registered for graduate school (but that is another blog post entirely). By the end of the school year, it was obvious that if I wanted to move away from teaching Special Education, I would need to change campuses. So I chose to stay put. Still, in the middle of the summer I did interview for a new job, on my campus and in Special Education.
The new job would have taken me out of the classroom and shoved me into a 8x8 windowless office. Though I was excited to move to a new role, after completing the interview process, someone else was offered the job (and the luxury office). So I returned to the familiar, teaching Autistic students and students who struggle with communication and behavior, making it difficult to succeed in a classroom without some support.
This has been the start of a great year! My class is busting at the seams. I have a millionty-seven kids on my roll sheet. And I am glad that I returned to my same old, never-the-same classroom.
I have continued on with graduate school and will be a certified School Administrator/Principal in a few more months. Unlike the last time I went to a college class, I seem to be staying on schedule with my classes and I now have a GPA that I didn't know was a mathematical possibility in 1996. 4 more classes and I'll be done with school for ev er. Again. Until next time.
Showing posts with label Year 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Year 3. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Monday, April 2, 2018
3 weeks and counting
Galaxy Girl and I are getting married in less than 3 weeks!
It's sort of wedding crazy around here. There is lots left to do in a short time, but this time is a lot different than twenty 23 years ago.
There is lots of busyness, but there is very little stress. There is a lot of cash going out, but its been very thoughtful and purposeful spending. The lady is getting hitched in a dress she bought online. I'm wearing my best suit.
Later this month we will be spending a chunk of change on a great party. That's where we choose to spend our efforts and cash. We are getting married in a party space at a local restaurant. All of the food and drinks will be top notch, and because everything will be done for us, we get to spend our time with friends and family.
Cheers to a good time and a happy marriage!
It's sort of wedding crazy around here. There is lots left to do in a short time, but this time is a lot different than twenty 23 years ago.
There is lots of busyness, but there is very little stress. There is a lot of cash going out, but its been very thoughtful and purposeful spending. The lady is getting hitched in a dress she bought online. I'm wearing my best suit.
Later this month we will be spending a chunk of change on a great party. That's where we choose to spend our efforts and cash. We are getting married in a party space at a local restaurant. All of the food and drinks will be top notch, and because everything will be done for us, we get to spend our time with friends and family.
Cheers to a good time and a happy marriage!
Friday, January 19, 2018
There just is no other way to put it
I'm pissed.
Yes. I know I said at the outset of this neglected blog that everything is wide open and that will help keep me accountable any time I feel the desire to rant about my situation, or more specifically, about my ex wife. But it is time to get on a good rant. I imagine she has forgotten about this space. If not, then, OK.
Today there was a simple situation involving our youngest. She needed a ride home from school mid-day because she was feeling lousy. She had not slept well last night. It's allergy season. Whatchagunnado?
If you don't know, I work at the school where the youngest goes. Our school is right next to her big brother's school. The ex lives about a mile away from the schools, but she works about 45 minutes away. It has not been uncommon since we separated that I run the kids to her house. Permission slips left at mom's house? Forgotten lunch? Missing uniform pieces? Gotcha covered.
It gets a little more complex when the kid is sick and it the week their mom has custody. Then, I try to bring their mom up to speed and we generally make a decision about the kid staying at school or leaving early. This happens a few times a year. In similar situations I have always dropped the kid off at her house, made sure they are comfortable, and then gone back to school. I can make that round trip in 15 minutes or less.
Today was different. I don't know if she was busy at work or whatever. That can be one of the upsides of a finalized divorce. I don't want to/need to/have to know what happens in the daily happenings of her life. Regardless, the conversation went sideways as quickly as it started. I heard way more than enough nastiness and venom in a few minutes.
Eventually, it was decided that The Girl needed to go home. At that point, I was still planning to do a favor and drop The Girl off.
The ex knows me well, including the best way to get under my skin. When it comes to our children, my biggest pet peeve is when she continually refers to the kids as a singular responsibility. "My kids. My daughter. My son." It doesn't bother me when she is speaking to anyone else. But when she says those things to me, I am pretty sure there is nothing she could say that would be more demeaning to the amazing 8 year run we shared when I was a Stay at Home Dad or to the awesome relationship I continue to have with these wonderful teenagers.
I don't reciprocate. These are not "my kids" when I am speaking to their mother.
So, for the first time ever, after enough garbage being verbally hurled at me, I decided that she would have to deal with this situation like any other single parent. 'Yes, I am 15 feet from the kid. Yes, you are 45 minutes away. Yes, I did change my mind because I am really tired of your nastiness.You'll have to come get her."
The end result, the kid still got to her mom's house two hours early. I feel like apologizing a hundred times to The Girl for not dropping her off. I never want either kid to feel stuck in the middle. For the most part I have done a good job of mitigating that. Today, maybe not.
On the other hand, today I stood up for something right. I sent an inconvenient message that I am tired of the nastiness.
Yes. I know I said at the outset of this neglected blog that everything is wide open and that will help keep me accountable any time I feel the desire to rant about my situation, or more specifically, about my ex wife. But it is time to get on a good rant. I imagine she has forgotten about this space. If not, then, OK.
Today there was a simple situation involving our youngest. She needed a ride home from school mid-day because she was feeling lousy. She had not slept well last night. It's allergy season. Whatchagunnado?
If you don't know, I work at the school where the youngest goes. Our school is right next to her big brother's school. The ex lives about a mile away from the schools, but she works about 45 minutes away. It has not been uncommon since we separated that I run the kids to her house. Permission slips left at mom's house? Forgotten lunch? Missing uniform pieces? Gotcha covered.
It gets a little more complex when the kid is sick and it the week their mom has custody. Then, I try to bring their mom up to speed and we generally make a decision about the kid staying at school or leaving early. This happens a few times a year. In similar situations I have always dropped the kid off at her house, made sure they are comfortable, and then gone back to school. I can make that round trip in 15 minutes or less.
Today was different. I don't know if she was busy at work or whatever. That can be one of the upsides of a finalized divorce. I don't want to/need to/have to know what happens in the daily happenings of her life. Regardless, the conversation went sideways as quickly as it started. I heard way more than enough nastiness and venom in a few minutes.
Eventually, it was decided that The Girl needed to go home. At that point, I was still planning to do a favor and drop The Girl off.
The ex knows me well, including the best way to get under my skin. When it comes to our children, my biggest pet peeve is when she continually refers to the kids as a singular responsibility. "My kids. My daughter. My son." It doesn't bother me when she is speaking to anyone else. But when she says those things to me, I am pretty sure there is nothing she could say that would be more demeaning to the amazing 8 year run we shared when I was a Stay at Home Dad or to the awesome relationship I continue to have with these wonderful teenagers.
I don't reciprocate. These are not "my kids" when I am speaking to their mother.
So, for the first time ever, after enough garbage being verbally hurled at me, I decided that she would have to deal with this situation like any other single parent. 'Yes, I am 15 feet from the kid. Yes, you are 45 minutes away. Yes, I did change my mind because I am really tired of your nastiness.You'll have to come get her."
The end result, the kid still got to her mom's house two hours early. I feel like apologizing a hundred times to The Girl for not dropping her off. I never want either kid to feel stuck in the middle. For the most part I have done a good job of mitigating that. Today, maybe not.
On the other hand, today I stood up for something right. I sent an inconvenient message that I am tired of the nastiness.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Fire! Fire! FIRE!
I've worked all summer, reinventing our backyard space.
About 15 years ago I started building a simple swing set. After years working in public parks and recreation, I knew just enough about playground design to waaay overbuild a backyard swing set. I wasn't satisfied with the swing hangars available at the local hardware warehouse store, so I ordered commercial swing hangars. They were sturdy. Ridiculously so. But 15 years swung by and they never wobbled or wore out.
The overbuilt swing set morphed into an overbuilt playscape. Each Father's Day, Christmas Day, Birthday, the kids, with a little help from their mom, I suspect, would give me accessories and material to add to the 'scape. Ours was a well used backyard playspace!
Continuing on with the overbuilding of the play space in the back yard, I added a pea gravel-filled fall zone around the swing set and climbing structures. I added a LOT of pea gravel. To paraphrase U2, 'Maybe, maybe too much pea gravel' It really was a lot of pea gravel. Literal tons.
Anyways, 15 years later.
The swings sat unused for 6 months. The climbing tower and slides were starting to lean to a worrisome degree. The space underneath, built out as The Princess' playhouse, was taken over by our flock of backyard hens as a favorite hangout spot on sunny days. It was obvious that it was time for the playscape to be retired when I found a crack in the main pressure treated support beam. A couple of hours with a reciprocating saw and the playscape was in pieces, stacked beside the house. Yes, I was crying while cutting it up. There were a lot of good memories in that wood pile.
I started moving the pea gravel out of the fall zone several months ago. Ten shovels full to a wheelbarrow full. A million wheelbarrows full to an empty playscape fall zone. This week I finally finished that lowly task. Now there is a giant bare patch of earth just waiting for topsoil and turf to be put in place this fall. Yeah, more wheelbarrow work and stooping!
I decided that the replacement for the childhood play space would be an outdoor area where teens might be enticed to hang out. As it turns out, my kids will fall for s'mores. Burned up marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate all smooshed together near a backyard fire pit. Last week Miss GG, the kids, and I lit the the fire pit for the first s'mores roast. The kids hung out long enough to eat. It ruled! I was a happy dad.
A couple of nights ago the Princess and I sat out by the fire pit for more than an hour; the s'mores were long gone. I heard her talk about everything and nothing. She told me about school and her friends and stuff. I sat. I listened. I loved every second of it.
I cannot be happier with the re-imagining of our backyard space. This fire pit is going to get a workout this fall!
About 15 years ago I started building a simple swing set. After years working in public parks and recreation, I knew just enough about playground design to waaay overbuild a backyard swing set. I wasn't satisfied with the swing hangars available at the local hardware warehouse store, so I ordered commercial swing hangars. They were sturdy. Ridiculously so. But 15 years swung by and they never wobbled or wore out.
The overbuilt swing set morphed into an overbuilt playscape. Each Father's Day, Christmas Day, Birthday, the kids, with a little help from their mom, I suspect, would give me accessories and material to add to the 'scape. Ours was a well used backyard playspace!
Continuing on with the overbuilding of the play space in the back yard, I added a pea gravel-filled fall zone around the swing set and climbing structures. I added a LOT of pea gravel. To paraphrase U2, 'Maybe, maybe too much pea gravel' It really was a lot of pea gravel. Literal tons.
Anyways, 15 years later.
The swings sat unused for 6 months. The climbing tower and slides were starting to lean to a worrisome degree. The space underneath, built out as The Princess' playhouse, was taken over by our flock of backyard hens as a favorite hangout spot on sunny days. It was obvious that it was time for the playscape to be retired when I found a crack in the main pressure treated support beam. A couple of hours with a reciprocating saw and the playscape was in pieces, stacked beside the house. Yes, I was crying while cutting it up. There were a lot of good memories in that wood pile.
I started moving the pea gravel out of the fall zone several months ago. Ten shovels full to a wheelbarrow full. A million wheelbarrows full to an empty playscape fall zone. This week I finally finished that lowly task. Now there is a giant bare patch of earth just waiting for topsoil and turf to be put in place this fall. Yeah, more wheelbarrow work and stooping!
I decided that the replacement for the childhood play space would be an outdoor area where teens might be enticed to hang out. As it turns out, my kids will fall for s'mores. Burned up marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate all smooshed together near a backyard fire pit. Last week Miss GG, the kids, and I lit the the fire pit for the first s'mores roast. The kids hung out long enough to eat. It ruled! I was a happy dad.
A couple of nights ago the Princess and I sat out by the fire pit for more than an hour; the s'mores were long gone. I heard her talk about everything and nothing. She told me about school and her friends and stuff. I sat. I listened. I loved every second of it.
I cannot be happier with the re-imagining of our backyard space. This fire pit is going to get a workout this fall!
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