Currently 10/23

Watching:  

     Life has been pretty busy so I have not really been watching anything on TV. I have seen a few little Halloween specials with the boys. I have enjoyed watching all of the beautiful New England foliage. Our back woods are currently filled with gorgeous yellows, reds, oranges and even a few pretty browns. If it's not raining tomorrow, I will try to go snap a picture.

Reading:

     I am enjoying this book a lot right now. This year has felt a little overwhelming to me. I don't think I'm really doing anything too out of the ordinary, but I have just been mentally and physically tired for a while now. I choose my next "to read" book in a sort of random way so this one came at just the right time. I think I am going through a season of life where some former priorities and not as important to me and some things I felt I "had to do" aren't obligations to me. This doesn't mean that I'm necessarily taking more time for myself, which maybe I should, but that the time I am choosing to protect is spent doing meaningful things. Here are some quotes from the book that have made me think over the past few weeks:

     "Without conscious intervention, this pattern of chronically overscheduling ensures that the priorities you care about most will take a backseat to the urgent priorities of others every time." (Hear me, Sarah?)    I am guilty of this a lot- every day in fact. How often do I stay after to help a student or to chat with a kid who just wants to hang out for a minute while my own kids are home hoping I will have some "free time" for them? It's painful to think about- especially since I really enjoy my job too.  I have recently attempted to fix some of these imbalances.

      "Put more simply, one of the greatest blessings in life is to love your work, to be satisfied in your daily labors." Amen. My job is hard and has many challenges, but I feel that it is my calling so it makes the little stuff easier to deal with. It is also greatly rewarding to follow through what I feel God has prepared me to do and to use my gifts/talents for His glory.


     
     "Relationships, like every other area of life, require regular evaluation, pruning, and strengthening." Hybels says that there are 3 levels of friendship- circumstancial friends, true friends- for a season and lifelong friends. This chapter challenged me. There have been some friends that have hurt me recently. I thought they were lifelong friends, but perhaps they were just friends for a season. Again, they were good friends and I'm not quite sure what happened, but this chapter has made me feel more at peace. I also have some friends who probably feel the same way about me. Truth is, there are sometimes where people just grow apart- especially if they have different values or motives in life.  Examining my friendships and potential friendships has been a healthy activity for me this week.

Listening:
      My normal Pandora mixes. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Scala & Kolacny Brothers. I really like their sound.

Making:
      David and I just made Apple Betty- one for us and one for our neighbors. It is currently baking and I cannot wait to smell the delicious scent of the cinnamon-y apples.  *I may or may not let my kids stay up to eat a piece.

Feeling:
    Physically I have been struggling. I think whatever was causing the hives last spring is acting up. This weekend my whole body hurt. My feet are freezing. My knee and left leg are hurting a lot. (Remember that bursitis and plantar fasciitis? I think they are going to revisit me). It was so painful todaythat I laid down "for a few minutes" and fell asleep for 3 hours. I feel a little better now, but I'm hoping that things don't get worse before they get better. All of these things could be caused by the inflammation that was going on with the hives.  I have an appointment with the allergist in a few weeks. She will then take me off the medicine I've been on gradually. If things are going to return, it will be then. Wish me luck.

Planning:
   It's getting late tonight, but I would like to correct a lot and finish a letter to Monique in The Netherlands!

Loving:
    I'm loving being grateful for small things. Sometimes the small things in life are bigger than they seem. Here are some things that I've been grateful for: -apples, colorful foliage, dates with all 3 of my boys, a delicious latte I had (usually don't drink them) with creme brulee at a new restaurant, new friends, correspondence with penpals, success of students (especially the ones who don't actually like music but work hard because I have asked them to), talent of the next generation, random acts of kindness, film scores (some music is incredibly beautiful. How do these guys write stuff like this?), cool weather, hot chocolate, people who work with church education programs, previous students, sweet gifts from students (like a Yankee candle I just got- or the flowers sent to me for my birthday), my faith, all of the upcoming holidays.

    What are the "small things" you have been enjoying lately?

Currently 6/28

It's been a while! Here's what I've been up to.
Watching: (Movies)

 

Last night my family saw Finding Dory. Here's the review from the kiddos:

David: Dory was so forgetful. You should really see the movie because it was fun, adventurous and funny at some parts. 

Tim: Finding Dory was really good, but it got really boring when good stuff happened then bad stuff happened again and again and again. Also, some of the voices they used and Dory's forgetting things got old very quickly. 

Me: I had higher hopes for Finding Dory. If you liked Finding Nemo, you will enjoy the movie but it was a little slow. A lot of the things that made Finding Nemo funny were also in this movie, but there wasn't anything really mind-blowing. I agree with Timmy that some things got old quick. I enjoyed Hank, the septapus.  

(Live)

 

Yes, I know, I've already seen this- but my "kids" haven't... and by kids I mean my own children and many of my students. We visited the Boston Opera House to see the National Tour on Matilda last week. There were 35 of us in all. For a few students, it was their first time in the opera house or seeing a musical. If you've never seen the inside of the Boston Opera House, it's pretty cool.

Not too shabby, eh? 

 

It was a great show and we had a blast. David was a little tired by the end of it, but it was about 10:30 so I was expecting that. 

    We're also watching LOTS of baseball. The regular season is over. David's team came in 3rd but Tim's team won the Major Division. Both boys had wonderful coaches and they both learned a lot. Timmy is playing All-Stars now. So, more baseball :) I'm really enjoying watching him grow. 

Reading:

     I'm currently reading Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson. It is the 2nd book of the 100 Cupboards series. I liked the first book but I'm finding the second book a lot more dark and less interesting. Maybe it is because it has been a while since I read the 1st one? Here's hoping I get more involved with the story as the book goes on. 

 

   I would like to tell you a little about the book I read before this though. It is called Guardian of the Gold Breathers by Elise Stephens.  This book is about a boy named Liam, who moves into his new step-father's house and learns that he might be the person to fulfill an ancient prophecy after discovering a dragon's egg. I liked this story a lot. (It reminded me of the first time I read The Secret Garden.)  Tim says "It is an intriguing book. I literally can't put it down." I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and the author wrote me a really sweet note in addition to signing my copy. Have I ever mentioned I love Goodreads giveaways? I probably would've never bought this book before reading, but I would definitely get something else by this author.

 

Listening:

     Tim has been into dubstep lately. I usually turn it off because it's a bit too repetitive for me, but I found myself really fascinated by some of the hip-hop dancers at Tim's recital so I've let him listen a bit more.  Speaking of the tap recital. Timmy did well.  It turns out that he is the only boy in his class that is new to dance and not on the competition team. So, all things considered, I was really impressed by his progress. 

Making:

      Food! Both Matt and I enjoy cooking but he usually cooks during the school year since we used to have opposite schedules until recently. Summer break started this week so I've gotten more time to cook. The boys asked to prepare meals today. So, for lunch we had ham and cheese omelettes made by David. (Tim suggested a side of tortilla chips with guacamole... ok- anything to try to squeeze veggies in.) Timmy made Farfalle with zucchini and sweet Italian sausage for dinner. It was a modification of a Rachael Ray recipe. It was pretty tasty. It was also fascinating to see how differently the boys work while doing similar tasks. 

Feeling:

    I feel great. First of all, some of you may know I was dealing with some weird hives issue for over a month. We have figured it out and I've been hives free for a month. So, physically I fell 1000% better. Summer vacation has started. I have made progress on  some tasks I've been trying to get done. Other than our scheduled events, I'm trying to relax and not worry about a schedule. We go to bed when we're tired, eat when we're hungry, etc. It's kind of refreshing. I am appreciating the extra family time and the opportunity to be home more. Maybe it's just that I'm fully home. Many people think that being a teacher is easy and that we leave at 2. I am usually not home until at least 4 and, even then, there are many times where my mind is still at work or I have to finish things at home.  

Planning:

      Over the next few days I would like to write a few letters, continue my progress around the house and come up with a "to do" list for the summer. 

Loving:

     Feeling relaxed and balanced. There is very little that I "have to" do right now and that is quite nice. I'm not used to it. Don't get me wrong, I love working hard and I feel that I have great purpose but it's nice to recharge completely.

 

God bless! 

 

 

Currently 3/13

Watching:
       I have been watching no television lately. Life has been busy with work and my personal life. I have found myself observing people though. I have always been a people watcher. The diversity of human beings fascinates me.  I had the pleasure of watching many young musicians at my music ed conference last week and getting to hear their beautiful music. I also observed many colleagues that I greatly respect and admire.  I love seeing the impact some of these great people have on others. Seeing some of the parents watch their children perform in a select group of musicians was also touching.

Reading:
Treasure Hunters by James Patterson. Timmy read it for a book report once and I like to keep up with what he's reading. It's pretty amusing so far. If you follow me on Goodreads, you may know that I have read some James Patterson but I'm not always super invested in his books. As a matter of fact, I finished Invisible at the beginning of the week. It is slightly disturbing when you're reading a thriller where there is a serial killer (who enjoys torturing his victims before killing them), then you switch to a light-hearted book and realize it's by the same author.  So far I'm enjoying the book written for the kids more than the other book.


Listening:
Simon and Garfunkle at the moment.

Making:
Music. This morning I subbed as the pianist at my old church. It is a great honor and blessing to be able to make music. It's amazing to me how music has the ability to connect people to one another.

Feeling:
   I have been a little overwhelmed lately, to be honest. I have had a lot of things that have been changes for me, but not a lot of positive things going on. I'm looking forward to this week and hoping for some renewed motivation.

Planning:
For David's birthday. He'll be 8 on the 20th. He is one of the sweetest kids I know.

Loving: 
      Having some time to think. Thursday and Friday I went to a music ed conference and learned a lot. It was also nice to 1) be surrounded by people who live similar lives to mine and 2) not be surrounded by a few students who have been trying my patience last week. (I know... I don't often say negative things about my students. It was a rough week and I felt very disrespected by a handful of them). Sometimes I need a little "alone time" to pray and to recalibrate.
     I'm also loving the weather being more spring like, though I feel like this winter was totally lame. 

Currently 10/24

Watching:

     

     It has become a new tradition on Friday nights to watch Amazing Race with the boys. We have enjoyed snuggling on the couch and watching the places where they travel. Timmy mentioned yesterday that he would want to try ziplining or bungee jumping after watching this week's episode. David likes the snacks. 3 weeks ago, we ordered potato skins from a restaurant down the street, 2 weeks was popcorn and last night was a salty snack mix. I enjoy listening to what the boys think of each team and how they process the challenges they are facing. It's interesting to me to see what kinds of attitudes bother the boys and which ones they don't see a problem with. (Neither boy are fans of the cheerleaders, sorry ladies. Timmy's favorite team are Josh and Tanner, above. David's favorite team are Cindy and Rick.)

Reading:

   I entered to win this book in November of last year on Goodreads. I lost but Bill Harrison, the author (and the person who was stuck on the raft), e-mailed me and asked if I would like a copy of the e-book. I finally got around to reading it. Basically, he was serving in the Navy during WWII and after the war officially ended, his ship was sent to clear the waters. They ended up in a tsunami and the boat sunk. He and 8 other soldiers ended up making it onto a life raft. This books tells the story of their 6 days they spent adrift without food and water. Most people who know me well know that I am not a huge fan of the ocean. (Looking at it, yes; being in it, no.) I can't imagine how terrifying it would be to spend 6 days in the middle of the ocean (even on a giant ship. lol), never mind without supplies  or food and surrounded by sharks. Bill tells of how his faith affected his experience and of the faithfulness of God. I really enjoyed this book and his perspective on life in general. He would be a person I would really like to have coffee with someday. 

      I don't know what I'm reading next. (I have a system so I'll know tonight!)

Listening:

    To the Holy Spirit. Ever get a nagging feeling that something is just not the way it should be?  Changing some things I have been noticing lately. Right now I am working on some easy things. I'm planning on tackling some less comfortable things within the month. 

Making:

Cupcakes and new friends. I'm going to take advantage of this cold day to make some chocolate cupcakes. I haven't baked in a while- just simple, plain cupcakes but I'm sure we'll enjoy them. 

     Today I had breakfast with a group of ladies; some whom I have hung out with before and some new friends. I really enjoyed myself and I'm glad that I "put myself out there" when I invited some acquaintances that I didn't know very well. 

     I've been making some backgrounds for my leaf project too. 

Feeling:

     Good. I'm glad that I made the decision to take a break from Facebook. Not missing it at all yet and seriously considering logging on at the end of the month, downloading all my pictures and deactivating. I do love when I log on and reconnect with someone, so maybe I will keep the account but only log on every month or so to update any new friends with contact info. I'll see at the end of the month. 

      This may sound weird, but I feel like I'm FEELING more in general. I'm trying to eliminate some distractions and pay attention to life in general. I mentioned that I wanted to connect more and I feel like that's happening. I found myself really paying attention to what I'm saying/writing to people as well as taking time to relax and listen to other people more. Slowing down is taking a bit of effort but I'm happy for the opportunity.  A friend of mine mentioned she missed playing with me in a concert band I used to be in. I may have time to join it again. I LOVE Christmas concerts and I may consider joining again. 

Planning:

  Last year I did a huge project for my students at Thanksgiving. I made a large tree, and handpainted/designed a leaf for each student who sang for me. On the back, I wrote them each a personal message. It was really impactful to them and to me. I'm starting early so I can sleep that week. :) (Anyone want to cut out leaf shaped for me? Lol. Better yet, anyone have a cricut with lots of leaf cut outs?)

      I'm planning to get at least a few letters done this weekend and to get caught up on my mail log. I'll update the project soon. I think I'm going to hit my "outgoing mail" goal this year. Then what? (Still sadly behind on incoming)

Loving:

I love that the weather is getting cooler. The leaves are beautiful here and the brisk air makes me feel alive. I also rarely get sunburned in the fall, which doesn't mean it NEVER happens. I love enjoying a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate, fire pits, hanging a throw on the couch for chilly nights, hot dinners, etc. I really love Christmas too so, even though I get aggravated at early advertising, I have to admit that I am looking forward to the holidays this year.

Currently 10/7

Watching:
     I've been watching the newest season of Castle.

 I've liked that show for a while. I like all of the characters. I'm not sure about this season yet, but hopefully it holds my interest. I like all of the actors and actresses involved in the show too so I feel a weird loyalty to the show. I know I'm weird.
     I'll probably watch Survivor tonight to wind down.

Reading:
     James Patterson's Unlucky 13.

   It's a quick read but I'm finding it a little slow. I enjoy it when I'm reading it, but I'm not really invested in the characters or the story. 

Listening:
    To all of my new choruses. Personality wise, they are VERY different from last year. Here's my thoughts so far:
5th grade- super chatty and "young" but they have potential. Once people stop talking to their friends instead of singing, things will move quickly. They are doing very well moving quickly, singing different parts from each other and following directions... when they stop talking. I'm about 20 chairs short in my room for this group, which doesn't help. (I have about 65 chairs in my room already. I don't think we're going to be able to fit 20 more.)

6th grade- Lots of potential. I'm very excited about this group. Many of them continued from last year. I lost a few great singers (Chorus is opposite what is essentially a study so the "busy" kids figure out they can get their homework done IN school and I lose them.) and a few chatty kids who distracted the group. I also gained a few new students to the district. We continued right where they left off last year and they are doing great.

7th/8th- I lost a TON of really responsible, kind, talented 8th graders last year and I'm feeling their loss big time. My 7th graders are good and hard-working but my 8th graders are probably weaker than most of my grades. (Weaker in leadership skills and effort.)  There are a handful of kids who are where I hoped they'd be but it's hard to have them after a year of having stellar students. I'm anticipating that the 7th graders are going to step up as the leaders of this group. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. On a good note, I started off with 3 boys (Gasp... horrible. I had 28 in there last year. Did I mention I miss last year's 8th graders?) and now I'm up to about 10, so that is good. I worked with the 7th grade boys yesterday and they're really working hard for me.

Chorale- This is my after school group. They are shy as a group but they are serious and are following many theory things I've given them. I've worked through some pretty complicated concepts and skills over the past few rehearsals and they're exceeding my expectations with a few things. They need to come together as a group a little bit more. Once that happens, there will be more growth.


Making:
     Nothing. I have been so busy. It's sad.

Feeling:
     I've been feeling a little... cluttered lately. I have had a lot of my mind and a lot to do. I have been craving some quiet time with God and some quality time with friends. I have also examined some of my relationships and I've discovered that I am drained by negativity and that some of my friendships are way weaker than I had thought. I need to re-prioritize my time and energy. (Coming in November I think...)


Planning:
     Working on revamping some music curriculum at school. I'm also trying to adjust to Matt's changing work schedule. For the first time in many, many years, each week is different, which is creating havoc in our schedules.

Loving:
    My boys and musical theater. Timmy and I went to go see Billy Elliot last week. It was pretty good. If I hadn't seen it for the first time on Broadway, I would've been blown away. The boys who played Billy and Michael are getting a bit old for the role. There were some notes that Billy strained on, but I loved him. He was very knowledgeable about how to make his voice work for him and if I didn't teach voice, I would have barely noticed the strain. Michael, on the other hand, had some notes that were out of his range or out of tune.
     This is my favorite song from the show. (Take out the tissues) I seriously cannot listen to this without crying. I think if I was going to try out for a show, I would like to be Billy's mom. Here's me and my real boy :)

    Tomorrow I get to take the other little guy out. This is going to be a really special night. 1) I'm going out with David. 2) I'm seeing Andy Jones, one of my former students  play the role of Prince Topher in the national tour of Cinderella. (I'll also see his beautiful fiance again) 3) I'm seeing another one of my old students, Shane, there. 4) My friend Jessie and her daughter, Teagan, will be joining us. I think this is Teagan's first real show and I know she'll be mesmerized. 5) My first music teacher, Ms. Kelley, knew Andy was one of my students so she planned to be there on the same night. She is treating David and I to appetizers and I'm going to introduce her to Andy after the show. It will be such a special night to me to be with so many important people in my past and present. I'll put a cute picture up sometime over the weekend. 

Currently 5.16 and 10,000 views giveaway!

Currently 5/16

Watching:

   Season finales. I caught the season finales for Castle and The Amazing Race last week. I have been really busy but sometimes I get too tired to work on anything that requires mental effort.

Reading: A Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel

     This is one of my GoodRead giveaway wins. I'm really glad I won it. I'm finding it very interesting. The book tells the story of Reggie Shaw, a college student from Utah who got in a car accident while texting and killed two rocket scientists. The book tells the story of the accident and the investigation (so far). One thing I really am enjoying is that the book tells the story of multiple people- Reggie, the wife of one of the men who was killed, the police officer investigating the accident, etc. It also includes some fascinating neuroscience regarding studies about attention.  

    I really enjoy non-fiction books and I sometimes enjoy reading research studies as well. (I know, I'm a nerd.) This book and a lecture I heard a few months back have made me want to explore some studies on a few topics. 

 Listening: to a new cover of " See You Again/ Stay With Me" by one of my former students, Chris Heller. Check him out, he's on Spotify, Currently I'm listening to "My Heart Is Yours" by Kristian Stanfill. 

Making: Time to have coffee with a friend tonight. This past few weeks have really busy so I'm excited that she invited me out. 

Feeling:  Happy. I'm looking forward to this upcoming week. I have finished a few stressful things so I feel a bit relieved and relaxed. I also had a few really nice rehearsals with my choruses this week. I feel content and blessed in general. 

Planning: I have a lot to plan for. The next few weeks will be crazy. So, here's what I'm preparing for this week:

Monday- Normal school day, teaching a few boys an instrumental accompaniment for Tuesday's concert, baseball game for Timmy

Tuesday- (Timmy's baseball game but Matt is bringing him), Concert and dinner at the local Masonic Lodge. This is the first time my spring Chorale has performed publicly. Their rehearsal Friday was really nice so I hope it comes out the same there. 

Wednesday- Normal day

Thursday- Baseball game for Timmy and for David

Friday- Chorale rehearsal

Saturday- Bringing 25 students to New York City for a Broadway Classroom workshop and seeing Matilda. I can't wait! I have not seen this musical before but I loved the book. I'll let you know what I think.

Sunday- Rest

Loving:  My job. Honestly, I get annoyed with logistics and aggravating day to day problems, petty complaints and the lack of technology in my room but there are a few things that have been really noticeable to me this week. 1) Some of my students really appreciate me and work very hard for me- all the time. I work hard for them too but I can imagine that my job would be so much harder if my students didn't like me. I have a group of 8th graders that is awesome this year. They are not the most talented group of students I've ever had but they have integrity and a great work ethic. I will miss them a lot when they go to high school.  2)  I feel really privileged to listen to their music on a daily basis. 

GIVEAWAY

    Today I noticed that I have passed 10,000 views. I remember being really excited to see my page views hit 1,000. Sometimes it seems more likely that I have checked my blog 10000 times myself than thinking that random people from across the globe have been checking in. (I have my settings set to not count my own page views so it can't be me!) I decided that I would like to send a little surprise to a reader to celebrate my 10,000 pageviews.  All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post. I'd love to hear where you're from or for you to introduce yourself if I don't know you. I will choose a random winner on Monday, May 18th. Good luck!

Currently 5.24

     Here I am at the end of April vacation. I'm not ready to go back to school yet. :)

Currently:

Watching: Nothing. I have been so tired I've been falling asleep on the couch. Over vacation I did see the new episode of Castle, which I really enjoy. I also watched a lot of other shows that I don't really see often- River Monsters, Dirty Jobs, Survivor, etc. 

     Actually, we did go to see the Aleppo Shriner's Circus last night. It was a lot of fun. They had a lot of great acts this year- some white tigers that were beautiful, a tightrope act, dancers, aerial artists, clowns, camels, bears, motorcycle riders, contortionists, quick change artists, and more. Timmy liked the camels. David was a big fan of the motorcycle act and I think I liked the tigers best. I love that the profits all go to a great cause too. The Shriners are all Freemasons as well. The Masons have greatly helped my Chorale through their donations. I feel like we have made a great community connection with them as well.  

Reading: Still reading "Tchaikovsky" by Herbert Weinstock. I'm still fascinated by his letter writing and his diary, though I do still find him odd. Here are 2 excerpts from last night.

     A woman named Mme La Mara, once asked Tchaikovsky's publisher to give her a letter that would represent Tchaikovsky in a compilation of letters about/by musicians over the past 50 years. The publisher said that none of the letters Tchaikovsky had sent him would work for those purposes. Tchaikovsky agreed saying: "Isn't it strange that it should be hard to find an appropriate letter from a man who has been carrying on- and still carries on- the largest correspondence, dealing with not only business details but artistic effort? I constantly exchange letters with 4 brothers, a sister, several cousins, and with many friends, in addition to a quantity of persons of whom I've often never heard. The need to give so much of my time to letter-writing is such a burden to me that from the bottom of my heart I curse all of the postal systems of the world. The mail often causes me sad moments but it also brings me the greatest happiness. One person plays the leading role in the story of the last decade of my life. She is my good genius; to her I owe all my prosperity and the ability to devote myself to my beloved work. Yet I have never seen her, never heard her voice. All my intercourse with her is by mail. I can certainly say that I flood the earth with my correspondences and yet am not in a position to help you out of your difficulty. "  (p.277)   

    In his diary of July 9, (doesn't mention the year- 1886?) he describes that "It seems to be that letters are never entirely frank. I am judging, at any rate, by my own. No matter what or to whom I write, I always worry about the impression my letter will make, not only on my correspondent, but even on some accidental reader. It follows, therefore, that I am showing off. Sometimes I try to make my letters sound simple and sincere, so, that is, that they should give such an impression. But in no letters except those written under emotional stress am I ever myself. For that reason the latter sort of communication always remains a source of regret and repentance, at times even painful. When I read the letters of famous people, published after their death, I am always worried by an indefinable feeling of falseness and lies."

      This paragraph was disappointing since I was really enjoying reading Tchaikovsky's personal thoughts and correspondences. It made me think about my own letter writing.  People who penpal, what are your impressions of his thoughts? I find that my most honest letters are usually written "under emotional stress" as well but I don't feel like I am not myself in my letters. In fact, I often feel that if someone was to collect all of my letters from everyone I send them to, they would probably know me better than my closest friends do. 

Listening: Not much this week. I've been walking a bit since the weather is nice. When Timmy has practice and Matt is home, I walk the local rail trail. I walked 4 miles today with my IPod shuffle. I listened to everything from Les Miserables to Elvis Presley to Chris Tomlin. I love shuffling my music. I know, I'm a nerd.

Making: I have made a few cute envelopes with a Crafter's Workshop, cherry blossoms template. (The same one I used for the homemade postcard.) I have realized that I'm not the best at stenciling. Doesn't that sound odd? How hard is it to fail at stencils? 

Feeling: Good. Today I did a few things that were good for me. I walked double what I had intended to this morning and then I went down to my parents' house and did some cleaning there. They are trying to improve some things at home and I figured they could use a little help. Now, if you don't know me well- I hate cleaning; with a passion. However, I had a good time knowing that I was doing something that was really benefiting people I love. It was much easier cleaning up their mess than my own. 

    Mail has stunk this week though. Boo. 

Planning: Returning to school. I pretty much failed at all my goals this week so that's a bit disappointing. I'm looking forward to going back to school. I have quite a few concerts in May and there are lots of things to be done. I'm feeling like I'm in an okay place though. I have a big field trip that I'm struggling a bit with the organization. 

Loving: Watching Timmy play baseball. He has had a lot of practices and seemed like he felt like a bit of an outsider. He had a scrimmage this week and he was a blast to watch. He is not super competitive but he loves playing and doing his best. Today at practice they were doing a drill where he had to hit the ball and try to run the bases before his team could field it. He did and was giggling as he was running through third base. It's just fun. I appreciate all the time the little league coaches put into our children. Watching the kids grow in their skills, act with good sportsmanship and have a good time is one of my favorite spring activities. David starts baseball next week. 

Currently

   I just wanted to update to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. My "busy season" is officially over. I start April vacation tonight. I don't really have any plans but I hope to write some letters, catch up with some friends and get a ton of housework done. I'm behind on everything but work. I have pushed myself to exercise a few times this week so I guess that's a success. I always see the "currently" lists that people post so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. Here's what's was going on this week.

Currently

Watching:

 

     David really wanted to see this for his birthday. So, here we are almost a month later. We went out for a Mommy Date tonight and watched it. The beginning was slow but it was cute. It was good for young kids trying to figure out feelings. Tim said "I loved it" and David said "I just loved all of it."  There was one part in the movie where a 3 year old sitting a few seats down from me was worried about a character and she began weeping passionately because she thought something bad was going to happen. I was sure her mom would reach out and try to console her but she just let the girl sob. It was heartbreaking. I don't know if I've ever seen such an empathetic kid. I was moved by this little girl.

Reading:

"Tchaikovsky" by Herbert Weinstock. I started reading this a long time ago and didn't finish it. I just recently picked it up again. Tchaikovsky was a pretty odd guy. I was just reading about his relationship with his patroness Nadezhda von Meck. Both Tchaikovsky and von Meck seem to be avid letter writers. There are over 500 surviving letters between the 2 of them. A really strange fact is that, even though they wrote very often and von Meck was an unwavering source of financial (and emotional?) support for Tchaikovsky, they never actually met in person.  

     This book is a little slow but I'm learning some things. I'm thinking I'll finish it by May.

Listening:

   Anything by Gondwana Choirs- Gondwana Voices, Singers, etc.. I'm becoming obsessed with this group.

     "Lost Boy" by Ruth B. A student recommended it and it's stuck in my head. 

     This exact moment I have Pandora streaming spa music in hopes that it will make the boys fall asleep. (Honestly)  It is playing Radio Ballet by Eluvium at this second.

Making:

    Nothing? Actually, I plan on making a to do list before I snuggle into bed with a book.

Feeling:

     This week has been a draining week. Here are the highlights:

     In pain- I did something to the inside of my left foot. (Remember the skipping incident months back? I think this has some connection) It hurt so badly yesterday.  It just feels really tight today.  

     Disappointed- I had a really bad rehearsal with my own choir boys. Most of the guys worked hard but some of the 5th graders were just silly and disrespectful. We had a personal chat today where I gave them a little tough love. I am pretty sure most of them got the fact that I really enjoy having them sing for me but I expect to be treated like they are a group of gentleman.

     Proud- I confessed to my female students that the young men didn't do so well so I would really appreciate it if they worked hard at their rehearsal. They did and we had a fantastic time. I was really proud of their hard work and grateful that they really put a lot of effort in.

     Relieved- It's finally April vacation. I just need 1 day to recharge on my own and I'll be good to go for the rest of the year. 

     Grateful- for my health. I have so many friends who I'm praying for that are going through a multitude of horrendous health issues. If you're reading, I love you and am continuing to pray!  

Planning:

     I'm planning what's going to happen for the week. I'm going to have a list of things I want to get done. I'm also going to have a second list of things that I should get done but will not put a ton of guilt on me if I don't. 

     I'm planning on spending some time exercising and writing. Did I mention that one of my 8th grade boys has run over 100 miles this school year? This doesn't seem huge when you look at it from September, but if you look at the days where snow made outside exercise pretty much impossible, I'm impressed. He has inspired me to try to walk at least 100 miles before the end of the school year. It has been a good time to spend time with God too. (I'm hoping the foot injury doesn't ruin my plan. I didn't tell the boy so you guys can help me stay accountable.)

Loving:

  Did I mention it's April vacation?Matt also made a really yummy buffalo chicken calzone for dinner. Oh, and I just got the cookbook I won from Goodreads. It's beautiful. I'll show it in my next mail post. 

     Ok. That's enough for tonight. I'm waiting on 2 students to finish their thoughts for Districts and then I'll put that info up. I see a lot of people have read those posts. Thanks!