Short and Semi-Sweet

It's a kind of long story, but the bottom line of today is that some people I know aren't kitten worthy. On a bright note, my friend who had heart surgery did well, and another friend and I are planning to go see her on Wednesday.

That is all.

Creeper

Well. I tried to give this man a chance, thinking that he surely couldn't be too bad or So And So wouldn't be with him. And it's just your mind playing tricks on you and are you that egocentric that you really think he's looking at your breasts? Those little things? Last night I ran into him and he started asking me about school and I was so uncomfortable that I crossed one arm over myself and put the other up to my chin to pretend pick at my face. I don't even think it's about me, really. I think he just DOES that when he's talking to a woman or he wouldn't be so comfortable doing it. It makes me want to do something obscene, like touching one of them with my middle finger while he's "sneaking" a peek. Or violent, like putting a knitting needle through one of his eyes.

The Strange World of the Internet

Confession: I have the somewhat unhealthy habit of checking Facebook most mornings while I drink my coffee. I say it's unhealthy because I know my time might be better spent simply sitting on the front porch, or reading a book, or...but I still do it. This morning, one of my friends had this long statement on privacy on there, with the warning that if people didn't re-post it at least once they were basically just allowing people to use their content and having NO PRIVACY. I posted back that I think we knowingly give up some of our privacy just by signing up and posting content, but I seem to be an oddball for thinking this. My stance is that it's the freaking internet and if you want privacy, don't post about private things. Is that weird? Am I expecting too little privacy? I don't know.

In the knitting world, I'm making some lace dishcloths for my cousin's house warming party that's this weekend. My mom and I are putting a gift basket together with those, some other kitchen items, and probably a candle. Candles just make a house feel warm. I'm also working to finish up a sweater that I started a few months ago. I fell in love with the pattern, bought the yarn, and knit feverishly on it until I got to the sleeves. There is just something about a sleeve that makes me feel like time has slowed to a crawl. I feel guilty for not finishing it and wearing it. The yarn is a wonderful superwash merino that deserves better.

In the education world, I have to do a pacing guide for 7th grade grammar and writing by the 15th of this month. This is seriously going to cut into my knitting and internet sacrificing of privacy (Facebook) time. Also, I need to do some work in our school's library because I never finished a book project I started. I decided to apply clear shipping tape to the new paperback books to hopefully extend their shelf life, but still have about 20 left to do. Busy, busy, busy.

On Soakers and School

I haven't blogged in a while, and I think it's just because I haven't really had much going on. Today I'm excited because I made some wool diaper covers for a friend's baby shower a while back, and she has been using them and likes them. And she wants me to make her some more! She said all she could find that is similar are wool pants, and those aren't the same. I'm happy about this because they are handmade and useful, and if we ever have a baby and use cloth diapers, I know I'll be able to make some effective soakers.

Pretty soon I'll have time to knit a lot more, because we only have two weeks of school left. This has been a bittersweet year. First, I have been really happy with some of the progress my students have made. There is one student in particular who had a lot of behavior problems (mainly disrespect and arguing) last year who has made tremendous improvements with her attitude over the course of this year. Last year, her behavior issues kept her out of class a good bit, but this year she was able to keep it together and she made a 4 on her writing assessment! I am so proud of her, and I know she's proud of herself because she showed her score to every staff member she passed on the way out the day she received it. So far, no one has earned less than a 3, so I'm happy. I feel like that the students who got 3's did their best, so I'm okay with those numbers.

Now on a not so happy note, we are losing four assistants next year. At our school, there are typically two adults per classroom-one certified teacher and one assistant. The assistants are very important because they help with one on one attention during the time students practice their work, they respond to codes (crisis behavior problems), and they help with discipline issues we need to take care of but could not effectively on our own, like taking kids to the gym if they are being too disruptive to remain in class. We're losing four people due to special ed budget cuts. Of all the places to cut funding, special ed? Really?

The four who are leaving are going to positions elsewhere in the county that are funded differently. I'm happy that they'll still have jobs, and I know we'll pull together and get whatever we need doing done, but it will be so much more difficult. One time I told a student that most things worth doing aren't easy.  I guess I'll have to tell myself that often next year.

Underwear Should be Concealed.

I am so tired of a particular student sagging his pants. It is offensive to me to have to see someone's underwear. It's not like I'm some perv looking at their bums, but if the pants are in the wrong position and there is color between the black shirt and khaki pants, then one can't help but notice. I thought my head was going to explode when I confronted him about the issue for the second time. Last week, I told him if I saw him sagging I would write him up. I guess he thought that applied only to that day...wrong! We went back and forth for a few minutes and it got to the point where I had to ask another staff member to take him to another room for about fifteen minutes so I could have a "time out" without leaving my other students. I wish students would understand that if they are clearly doing something it is pointless to deny it, and that if I correct them on something on one day, the expectation transfers to every day after that. Argh.

Deconstructive Criticism

My mom came to our place on Thanksgiving, which I was fairly excited about. She never came to a Thanksgiving when I was married the first time, so I thought it was a big deal. I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, straightened up the living room and dusted the coffee table. I made the food the way she used to when we had the meal at our house. I thought things were well prepared.

Well, one of the first things she said to me was, "You need to get him to get all that grass out from under the lawn mower. I don't see how it runs." I said, "You looked under the lawn mower?" She didn't really give me a straight answer, but I can picture her running her hand underneath it to check. She was later really nice about helping me with the dishes, which I appreciated because I hate that part. While we were in the kitchen, she went to throw something away and said, "I'm going to wipe that down. Look," and she pointed out that the underside of the trashcan lid was dirty. So she cleaned it and I felt like a slacker.

She met my future in-laws, we ate, she did compliment the food so I felt relieved at that. However, when I was at her house yesterday she said, "I just couldn't get over all that cat hair. Nathan's shirt was covered in it. I didn't know if I wanted to eat after seeing all that." We have three cats inside, so yeah we have a pretty good amount of cat hair. And yeah, I didn't clean the couch as well as I should've. But shit fire, I did what I thought was important to get things ready for company. Plus, she even told me not to wear myself out cleaning because it was just family coming over. Now I feel like I need to go all Martha Stewart on the house and lawn.

If all that wasn't enough, she's now anti-marriage. He worked for a rehab center which is under investigation for some things, and has been laid off for about a month. She interprets this as us being in the poor house for ever and ever. I don't think that way. At the end of the company's investigation they'll either reopen and put him back on the schedule, or he'll find something else to do. I asked her what she would've thought about people judging her and my dad because he worked for a paving company and was laid off every winter for about two months. She said that was different. Of course it was.

She told me I needed to ask if I was "bettering myself" by doing this. I told her it was a marriage, not a business move. I don't care that he doesn't have a college degree like I do. He's smart. He likes to read. He understands and loves me. What else could I want? Hell, I was married to a paramedic who made good money, we had a bigger house than Nathan and I do, and yet...there was so much missing. I don't know that I can explain it to her well, or that it would matter.

I don't see why she has to voice all her negative opinions. I guess I halfway get the whole I'm the only child and she just wants what's best for me idea, but when she says stuff like this it bums me out. I wish that she would consider my feelings before she comments. I don't want to tell her that though, because I'll sound weak and whiny, like this post does. I don't even know why I'm still typing when I could be cleaning. Ha, ha, ha.

A Very Good Sign Indeed

I'm not overly superstitious, but I do like to read into things. On Saturday I went to school to work on lesson plans, and my cousin called to see if I was going to be headed to my mom's soon because they were about to leave. I hadn't seen her in a while, so I left school and went to my mom's. I was going to visit with her anyhow when my planning for the week was done, and I didn't mind putting it off a while longer anyhow. I got there in about ten minutes, and we hung out on the back porch since the weather was nice. While we were talking about the subject of my wedding, my mom suggested that I try on her wedding dress, because she's like for me to wear it!

Now, this is a HUGE shift from her attitude toward my previous marriage. I can't see her offering the dress as anything except a good sign toward this union. I am so very excited to say that her dress did fit, and if the cleaners can get out a few rust stains from the hanger, I will be wearing it during the wedding ceremony.

My in real life friends know that I have been hand knitting a wedding dress to wear, and I have decided to finish it so that I can wear it at the reception. So all that knitting is not thrown out of the occasion.

Oh, and I did go back to school today to finish my lesson plans. I feel prepared for the week ahead, and that's always a good thing too.