Another reason why I love my school

Coio was on the phone with her friend (R) - it was her first phone conversation, beyond a few prompted words to Abuelita Lelia, ever, and it was cute. She asked R , "The person in charge of your school - is she nice?" and then said "The person in charge of our school is Miss Diana, and she's really nice."

She went on to ask, "Do you remember when we used to go to school together? That lady who was in charge of that school? She was mean to me."

Who says three and four year olds don't remember? One of my main regrets from the time I worked at that place is that I allowed MY OWN CHILD to be mistreated - in my presence - because I was too cowed by the boss lady to speak up. I vowed that day I would never let it happen again, and I count my lucky stars that my eyes were opened before the boy was banished to the atrocity she calls "The Toddler Program."

It's been HOW LONG?

Yes, it's been several months since I last logged on. It's not like I don't spend enough time online, but I've never been a very good journal keeper. I'd like to do better.

School is starting up again in little more than two weeks. Where did the summer go? One of the big drags of being a first year teacher is the mountain of prep work that has to be done before the students come back. At least it really only has to be done once, though. Next summer ought to be much better (yes, I'm already looking forward to *next* summer - what of it?).

The students don't come back until August 18th, but I have to report back to work on the 11th. That is a week from Monday! I'm panicking a bit over here. Will I be ready? (No) Will I be OK even though I'm not ready? (Probably) I'm having anxiety dreams and even thinking about it too long - like long enough to write this - gets my heart thumping.

Field Trip EXTRAVAGANZA!

We have a field trip planned for every day this week. Today we went to the bank. We took the kids over in two groups, and each group had about thirty minutes inside the bank. The bank manager talked to them about setting up an account, interest rates, and (their favorite part) how the security cameras work. Then they were taken behind the teller desk into the area where the drive-up tellers sit. They thought the vacuum system for transporting the canisters was cool, but they all gasped, "COOL!" when the teller opened the pneumatic drawer for the nearest lane. They're so nine-years-old.

Finally the bank manager took us into THE VAULT. My mind fills with images of stacks of money and gold bars behind a huge door (probably round) with a massive steering wheel-like locking mechanism. I'm sorely disappointed when we're taken behind a Plexiglas door into a tiny room filled with safe deposit boxes. THIS is the VAULT? We're told that the bank, while it has about 25 million in deposits only maintains a paltry $90,000 on hand at any given day, and it's secured in cashier drawers. That's it.

The kids loved it, though, and they all got suckers when we left. The most exciting part of the adventure, though, was pushing a student in his wheelchair over the icy sidewalks to and from the bank. Maybe next time we ought to bring our own ice pick.

Moving Angst

We had really hoped to move into the new building over the holiday break. It was *finally* happening, and we were going to be into our new beautiful home.

If only.

The city has denied us the occupancy permit for reasons that I missed, but the result is that we get to start school again on the 7th in the old upper-school building. The WHOLE school in the upper-school building. We're going to be running half-days for at least one week, and possibly two, with the lower elementary meeting in the morning from 8:30 to 12:30 and the upper elementary/junior high meeting from 12:00 to 4:00. The high school will meet next door in the city youth center.

It will be far less than ideal, and it is CERTAIN to freak Coio out. The consolation I get is that my class - while on the boarder between lower and upper elementary - will meet with the lower elementary, so I'll be on the premises at the same time as she will be.

Someday we will get to use the new building. Until then, we will make do.

I'm Convinced

Being a stay-at-home-mom is not for me. I enjoyed being home with Coio when she was a baby - but I started working from home when she was one and a half and have worked ever since. Today was my first day home with the kids, by myself, since C-Rex was a newborn. My parents are out of town, so it was just us three, and I darn near drove myself mad. Being alone with two little people and my thoughts is NOT my idea of a good time. So, no, I don't want to be a SAHM. I'm seriously looking for work.

Today I called on a CNA job posting from the classifieds, and it's just not going to work. The available hours won't work for me, and I don't really want to change sheets. So I don't know about nursing school. I'd really like to do it, but I don't know if I can. Maybe I'll try to get a job at a bank. Part time if possible for now with the idea that when C-Rex is a bit bigger I could go back to work full time.

What would be really cool would be for Suzanne to be able to work her magic and get me hired on as a virtual whatever for her university. She's doing what she can, but it's anyone's guess how long it could be before I'd have a bead on whether or not it will work out.

I'm feeling desperate today, but it's probably largely due to the fact that I didn't have anything to do today but obsess about work and money. I'm hopeful that tomorrow - when things go back to semi-normal - I'll be able to relax a bit.

Catching up

Things have been a bit crazy in the past few weeks. We started school, and I ended up quitting the kindergarten and the junior high Spanish teaching gigs. Mornings were too much for C-Rex, and teaching junior high is just beyond my capabilities - I'm a preschool teacher, and my methodology doesn't translate well to junior high.

So I'm only doing Spanish for the elementary classes now. It's not much, and we really need more money. I've got to find something else.

I've been thinking hard about going back to school next fall - nursing school. I've always been interested in medicine, and since medical school is more school (and money) than I'm interested in, nursing school seems like a good idea. I'm looking into getting my CNA so I can have the experience nursing schools want upon application.

My friend Suzanne is also trying to get me hired with her university as a virtual something or other, which would rock, since - hello? University? I could go back to school in their dime. It would be awesome, and I've got everything possible crossed.

We've been enjoying a few days off here, so I'll crawl back into my stupor and try to check back in sometime within the next month.

Employment Outlook

I don't know if I'm going to keep up assisting in the kindergarten in the mornings. It's exhausting. I've got to drag C-Rex (formerly known as Taco) out of bed super early and sacrifice his morning nap so that Coio can follow me around at school going, "Mommy?"

I'm thinking I'm going to send out the fliers I made for Spanish classes. I'm going to go through the phone book and send a flier to every preschool listed. If I can get just four clients (at $50 per 30-minute session) a week, I'll be doing great.

Add to this befuddlement of mind and spirit the fact that my former employer has been telling people she's going to take me to court because I'm in violation of the non-compete agreement I signed with her. Forget the fact that I'm NOT COMPETING with her, but if she really wants to go there I'm sure I can convince her otherwise. Do you think she really wants her skeletons out of the closet? I'm inclined to Get Gephart.

School Starts TOMORROW!

Yes, it's finally here - the moment of truth. Coio is pretty excited, and I'm feeling anxious, so I guess everything is as it should be. I made sure she had a bath tonight (that's noteworthy in our home), and we picked out her outfit for the morning so we don't have to worry about that during the morning rush. We have to leave here NO LATER THAN 7:45AM, although for tomorrow I'm hoping to shoot for 7:30AM. Wow, that's early.

I'm still not positive that everything is going to work out for me. There's less time between assisting in the kindergarten and teaching Spanish in the afternoons that I had thought. Somehow I got it in my head that I'd have an hour and a half between the two, but it turns out I've only got one hour. It'll probably work so long as we're at the Freedom building in East Bay, but it definitely won't once we've moved up to the new building.

I'm really thinking it's not going to work, but I want to make a go of it. If it doesn't work, I'll probably take him with me in the afternoons, or maybe I'll try to do the contract Spanish classes in preschools like I was thinking of doing. If I can get a few clients at $50 for 30 minutes a week, then I could bring in maybe an extra couple hundred a month.

I can dream, anyway.

Wish us luck, ok?

Tick, tick, tick . . .

I'm procrastinating.

School starts in a little under two weeks, and I'm totally not prepared. Part of me is in denial, and the other part doesn't know where to start.



I've got to get on this.

Friday was my last day of work

But I have been enjoying my summer break for almost two weeks.

When I gave my notice back at the beginning of July, I told my former employer I'd stay on until August 17th. Then I found out she was telling people I am not honorable and that I lack integrity. Wha huh? I guess giving SEVEN weeks notice and continuing to go to work and act professionally while on the job wasn't enough. Honestly I don't know what I could have done to be able to make an amiable break from that place - probably nothing. My former employer seems to believe that anyone who leaves her does so not because they have their own lives to live and their own needs to take care of but because of some moral failing on their part.

After I confirmed what she was saying about me behind my back (gosh, that sounds a lot like gossip, doesn't it?), I went in one morning, gathered up my things, and confronted her. She behaved very much like a child - trying to justify herself and deny having said the things I knew she had said. I stuck to my guns and walked out.

It felt great to be free.

I've got a great new job lined up, and I've got two more weeks of freedom until I get back to the grindstone. I'm coming out of the fog that had overcome me in my two years at MLC, and it's great to be back into the light.