Regarding ferrets, Brad Pitt shrines, and Biology.

Back to school, back to school…

Yes, all the back to school hullaballoo makes me sing this song. In a full on Billy Madison voice. But here’s the real thing, for your enjoyment.

Back to school with Billy Madison

You’re welcome.

So, we are currently in day three, having successfully survived days one and two. Shwew! Emma has started her sophomore year, with a pretty intimidating schedule, I might add. Jacob begins classes next week at our local community college where he intends to pursue vast knowledge about computer programming.

Back to school is always an interesting time around our house. But I confess, this year, since Jacob has graduated and I am no longer teaching him and he isn’t going away to school, and there really wasn’t any school supply shopping because Emma was not required to procure any color-coded folders, the whole back to school thing was a little lack luster. There wasn’t any real build up, you know? It was just weird. Like some strange continuation of last year.

I am generally a highly emotional person, and yet, as I dropped Emma off on Monday, I felt a strange sense of calm as she got out of the car and we did our usual “love you, have a good day” thing—as if I had just done it the day before. It’s hard to explain—it is not that I don’t care, because I do. I just didn’t tear up and cry on the way home as would be the norm.

This is probably because last year was a huge year of transition, filled with emotions—Jacob’s senior year and Emma’s freshman year. So, basically, I was pretty much a weepy wreck for the whole school year. Perhaps I’m all cried out after that. Whatever. Don’t judge me.

But what about the ferrets and Brad Pitt?? Okay, okay! Hold on! I’m getting there!

I always love hearing about Emma’s day when I pick her up. Of course, some days she is more enthusiastic than others, but on Monday when she got in the car, she proceeded to go through each class and tell me if she knew anyone in there (which is, after all, extremely important!) and after that, she proceeded to go through each of her teachers and give me a bit of a description.

One teacher really made an impression.

Em: “My teachers this year are very…interesting.”

Me: “Interesting good? Or interesting bad?”

Em: “I’m not sure. Yet. Let’s just say that my Biology teacher introduced herself as psychotic. Psychotic. She used that word. AND she said she was un-medicated for it. She also has three pet ferrets that she brings to school every day and lets them ROAM AROUND FREE…And apparently they help sniff out drugs???

Me: “I had no idea that drug sniffing ferrets were even a thing… Interesting.”

Em: “And she said that when she gets too insane, her students tell her to hold her ferret, pet it and look to god, which is Brad Pitt to her. She has, like, this whole Brad Pitt SHRINE in her classroom! I’m serious!” (Stated complete with hand gesticulations)

Me: “BAHAHAHA!!! <snort> Pet her ferret and look to god? Brad Pitt? Hmm, wow. She must be about my age then if she’s into Brad. She really has a shrine, eh? Hmm. Gotta make sure we go by her classroom and meet her at the Open House next week. Can’t wait to get a gander at this lady.”

Em: “Mom! She is INSANE! But she is hilarious.”

In this day and age, I think some teachers go to the extreme to gain their students attention and interest. And I am all for it!

If this psychotic, ferret loving, Brad Pitt worshipping teacher can get my kid excited about Biology, she has my full respect.

And when Emma is as old as I am, she will look at her daughter who is embarking on her 10th grade year, and say, I had the coolest, craziest, Biology teacher when I was your age…

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.  The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.”  ~Carl Jung

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Yes, I realize it’s Wednesday, but I am linking this up with Tell Us Tuesday. Go check it out!

School’s out for summer…what now?

I’ve been wanting to write something hilarious for a while.  Just feels like I’m having a lack of hilarity lately.  The funny kinda gets sucked out of you a little bit when you are  so consumed with only doing the very next thing you have to do.  Whatever is right in front of you at that moment. And when I’m not doing something and I sit down for a bit, I find myself going all comatose.  Eyelids unbearably heavy.  Head falling forward.  Zzzzzzz. Yeah, that’s my life. Don’t get me wrong, we do have moments of funny, but mostly we have moments of crazy, busy, and sleepy. 

Great news, though.  Emma has had her last day of 7th grade.  Her last day of going to school in a wheelchair.  She does not like being in the spotlight and being the girl in the wheelchair with the giant purple cast, well, makes you kinda stick out a little bit. She is glad that school is out.  On the other hand, that means boring days at home.  No swimming at the pool.  No playing at the beach.  I need to get on the stick and figure out some broken leg friendly activities now. 

Unfortunately for Jacob, school isn’t quite through for him.  The whole broken-leg-Emma-is-the-center-of-the-universe thing put a dent in finishing up some of Jacob’s schoolwork.  I figure we have another week and a half or so of Geometry and English to get through.  Everything else is done. It is hard to make Jacob do school when Emma isn’t.  Oh well.  It’s gotta get done.

I realize I basically skipped over our whole trip to Disney with Emma’s school. Way back in August 2010 when school started, plans were begun for the school trip to Disneyworld.  Emma is an art student at her school (an arts based public school) and part of the Disney trip was to incorporate a visit to the Disney animation studios to see the animators and learn some techniques.  Two weeks before the trip was scheduled to happen, Emma broke her leg.  Bummer.

We weren’t sure how it was all going to happen, but Emma’s art teacher from last year, Mrs. S, was determined to make it happen.  She got on the phone with the travel agency.  Moved a mountain in order for me to go on the trip, as I had not previously been scheduled to go.  Worked out plans for having a student in a wheelchair attend the animation workshop.  All I had to do was cough up the moola to pay for my trip and make arrangements for Jacob while I would be gone. There were a lot of unknowns going into this.  How would Emma get on and off the bus? How could we get her leg properly elevated once we got her on the bus? How would we do in the parks?  Would there be anything fun she could do?  Would her friends really want to wander around with wheelchair girl?? 

Things have a wonderful way of working out. Our bus driver literally picked Emma up and put her on and off the bus. We couldn’t really elevate her leg like I wanted to, and the toes on her broken leg looked like big fat sausage links, but we decided we would just suffer through and behave once we got back home. The Disney parks are very handicap friendly and we got to go to the front of the lines with our party in tow.  She was a little annoyed that I wouldn’t let her ride the roller coasters, but come on!  Her friends were amazing.  They all took turns pushing her around and worked so hard to make sure she felt included.  They hardly wanted to leave her.  They were so concerned about her and that was so heartwarming to see. Things work out.  Our Lord cares about the girl with the broken leg at Disneyworld and He worked all the details out.  I am so thankful.

And now we get on with the business of summer.  I love summer because I have my kids with me.  I realize now more than ever that in just a few short years my babies will be grown and having their own lives.  I try to cherish every bit of time I have with them living under our roof. <sniff sniff> Well enough of that.

Happy Summer!

Mish Mash

 

 

 

Today commences another year’s standardized testing aka torture.  I know I complain about it a lot, but honestly, I have now decided that it’s not so bad because there is no homework during testing weeks! That’s a BIG “thumbs up” here in mi casa!

Meanwhile, Emma has celebrated her 11th birthday!  So hard to believe.  She is growing up before my eyes…they both are… and turning into such wonderful people.  I really LIKE my children.  I love them like crazy, but I really like them as people.  I like hanging out with them.  They are such cool kids.

There was the obligatory sleepover birthday party.  Complete with going to the pool, making our own pizzas and decorating flip flops.  I think the girls had a good time.  Personally, I was exhausted.  But I’m glad Em was happy.

In other news, thanks to my high school buddy Yvette, I have discovered another cool something here on the world wide web…Pandora Radio.  This is SO COOL!  It is free and you can basically customize your own radio station.  You have to check it out.  I have created an 80s station that I am LOVING.

Life is busy around here.  Emma is playing softball, seems like a lot. But she is having fun.  Their record is currently 3-7, but they have improved tons since their first game.  Think Bad News Bears-ish.  But now they are fielding that ball and getting some hits.  Go Her-icanes!   

Jacob is working hard too…we began the summer countdown a little while ago…back at day 40.  Today is T minus 20 and counting!  We are all SO ready for this year to be over and move toward our homeschool plan for next fall.  He is excited.  And so am I.  Excited but nervous.  I’m not sure how it is all going to look, but I am going to make it work.  I always say that whatever God calls you to do, He equips you to do it.  And there is no other way that I’d be fixing to homeschool except that it is a God thing.  Trust me.  I was one of “those” people who always truly admired those who could homeschool, but I wasn’t one of them.  Well, here I go.  Yes, I hear God (and some of my friends) laughing too.  I’ll keep you posted. 

Emma however, will be going to public school.  She was accepted into a local middle school of the arts.  So, she is really excited about that…in spite of the fact that none of her friends are going.  She says she’ll be lonely; I say, not for long. 

But let’s just get through the next 20 days, eh?  And then breeze on into the summer.  Anybody else out there feeling me on this??