I Have a Problem

While cleaning Saturday morning, I was forced to deal with a problem that I have been avoiding.  I've known about this problem for sometime now, but I have just, as they say, swept it under the rug. Rather, it has itself skittered and scattered under the tables, around the chair legs, beneath the bar, and into the corners. My problem - Jakebunnies.

Here's Jake.

Here's Jake and Lovey watching TV. They watch a lot of TV.

And here's a Jakebunny under the table.

 Here's another in a corner.

The Jakebunnies are taking over my house. Then again, so has Jake. He is still a puppy, only about a year old - curious, clumsy, and full of energy.

 And love, see above picture with Lovey. In just a few months, he has worked his way into our hearts.

Like a kid, he makes big messes.

Toys. Everywhere.

They go here, but I can't convince Jake to put any back before he gets another out. Some days I come home and the toy box is empty. Well, except for the Jakebunnies who live at the bottom.

Toys and Jakebunnies have taken over. I'm fighting a losing battle. Jake went to the groomer.

I thought shorter hair would reduce the Jakebunnies. I just made them smaller. And faster. Harder to catch.
So, if you come for a visit - step over the toys and ignore the Jakebunnies. They aren't nearly as annoying as the lick in the ear you are going to get  when you sit on the couch.

Is if Friday yet? I mean May?

Every Tuesday, rain or shine, hot or cold, I have parking lot duty before and after school. I had duty today. So I know it must be Tuesday. Just Tuesday. Not Hump day or Friday eve - just Tuesday. Why, oh why then am I so tired? Not sleepy tired - plum, wo' out tired!

Might be the past weekend just catching up. Brooke, Jared, and I took the UMY kids to Hot Springs for Veritas 2011.

Early mornings.

Blacklight raves.

Workshops that made us think.


Praise and worship services until late hours. I did lose some sleep, but the weekend wasn't draining at all. It was uplifting. Don't get me wrong - I did come in and crash on Sunday afternoon. But I just felt sleepy, not drained.

Today I feel drained. And am looking forward to Friday and the weekend. I'm really looking forward to Friday about 6 weeks from now. These next few weeks are always stressful. Testing looms heavily in the future for me and my students, but it actually starts rolling next week with Literacy EOC's. It's hard to believe really. A year of planning, teaching, learning, all measured in a test that takes just a few days. But because so many areas and grade levels are tested, we will have testing going on almost each week from next week until the first week in May. It does slow down the last few weeks of April, but still there are tests.

My students have projects due this week. I am anticipating great things! I have seen a few works-in-progress that have piqued my interest. Students will actually be presenting next week, so I've got a few days to wait. And students have a few days to practice their presentations and tweak their materials. This is the first time I have done a nonfiction independent reading project this way. Even though I am not the one designing and developing the projects, these things are very difficult on me. For all of you parents who have cursed a teacher for assigning a project (and I know you do, I'm a parent too), just imagine having 90+ projects that you must keep tabs on. This afternoon for afterschool tutoring, I had 22 kids working on 22 different projects at 22 different levels of completedness in a tiny computer lab with only 18 working computers (Okay, I farmed a few out, but I did have to keep tabs on them).

So no, it is not Friday yet, nor is it May. We still have several important skills to cover. Tests to conquer. And a few more duty days.

On the upside, tomorrow is Wednesday.....teacher t-shirt day!