Kori has the highest fever in her whole little life and I am anxiously awaiting a return call from the nurse to help me determine whether I should take her to the emergency weekend clinic or not. She hit 103.8 during the night (YIKES!) and a full dose of ibuprofen and an hour later, it had only dropped to 103.2. 6 hours have passed since her last dose, so it's time to take more, but I hate to wake her up. She's had a headache the whole time, and that gets me wondering if it's a symptom or side effect/chicken-or-egg kind of thing. She was pretty much pitiful all afternoon yesterday. The fever got down to 100-and-change yesterday evening, and she played with a couple of dolls in my bed, but all in all, she is not at her full Koriness.
Times like these I miss having my personal nurse (AKA Momma) to help me treat symptoms and diagnose conditions. True, there were times momma told me to go to the doctor and the doctor told me to go home, and there were times momma told me to stay home and I went to the doctor anyway, but at least I had my momma to give me some I'm-so-sorry-your-baby-is-sick sympathy. You know?
Meanwhile, Kori is stirring. I better close and tend to her. Pitiful little thing. Even if the fever goes away today, she technically can't go to school tomorrow, so I need to start making arrangements. Barring unforeseen meningitis (funny how our mommy-brains jump straight to the worst case scenario), I probably won't be back on to update, but y'all keep my baby close to your hearts. Being sick just sucks.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
It's a girl!
Welcome to the family, Casey Hays! We are the proud new owners of a yellow labrador-basset hound mix, adopted at 12 weeks of age from a local no-kill shelter. Here she is being a supermodel on momma and daddy's bed. Funny thing is, our last major purchase was a new mattress just before Christmas, and thank goodness the sales guy threw in a waterproof mattress pad, as she has already tinkled on it. Fantastic.
Anyway, she is insanely mellow, adorable, and cooperative. She still has puppy breath, and loves snuggling more than anything. In fact, I'm typing on my tummy on the floor, and she walked over, climbed on my legs, propped her head on my butt, and went to sleep.
I am sooooooooooooooooooo happy to have this new little piece of entertainment and joy in our lives!
Friday, December 7, 2007
I LOVE MY JOB!
WOW! It's hard to believe that I haven't posted in almost two months - but to my credit, things have been pretty hectic. Between volunteering for freaking EVERYTHING (yeah, I'm working on that) to working two part-time jobs, plus holidays and children and all that jazz, I'm a little behind on... well, everything.
SO, I promised you tales from the literacy lab and haven't written a thing since I started that job. I tell everyone I know as loudly and enthusiastically as possible that I LOVE MY JOB! There's an annoying little spring in my step and a genuine smile on my face from the minute I get to the parking lot to the minute I leave the building because my job is that freaking awesome. First of all, although I'd rather be working at school full-time, I am so blessed to have fantastic hours. I wish I had more face-to-face time with the kids, but I love getting PAID to do tasks that I'd volunteer to do! For the most part, there is an energy in the building that feeds my little extroverted heart and soothes my stressy spirit. The camaraderie in a school beats anything the corporate world has to offer. There are some amazing teachers and staff that I have the pleasure of surrounding myself with, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the kids. Even the annoying and challenging ones. Even the punky attention-seeking ones. Especially the little Hays ones. I mean it, people. I LOVE MY JOB.
One thing that grates all over me that I might have been guilty of once upon a time is the whole countdown mentality. Example: Walking down the hall, you pass some other school employee, greet with the cordial "How are you?" and the response is "Four days!" (as in four days until Thanksgiving or whatever break is impending...) Okay, so how is that an answer to the question? And how must you feel about your job if you are so ready to be out of there that you can't just reply "fine" or something like that? ARG!
So, when I work full-time next year and return to teaching the year after that (my plan at this point), I hope that I will not fall into the trap of dreading every day. I hope that I'll continue to be the one spreading the I-Love-My-Job cooties. I pray that I will love the children so much that their parents don't trouble me. I can't wait until Monday!
SO, I promised you tales from the literacy lab and haven't written a thing since I started that job. I tell everyone I know as loudly and enthusiastically as possible that I LOVE MY JOB! There's an annoying little spring in my step and a genuine smile on my face from the minute I get to the parking lot to the minute I leave the building because my job is that freaking awesome. First of all, although I'd rather be working at school full-time, I am so blessed to have fantastic hours. I wish I had more face-to-face time with the kids, but I love getting PAID to do tasks that I'd volunteer to do! For the most part, there is an energy in the building that feeds my little extroverted heart and soothes my stressy spirit. The camaraderie in a school beats anything the corporate world has to offer. There are some amazing teachers and staff that I have the pleasure of surrounding myself with, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the kids. Even the annoying and challenging ones. Even the punky attention-seeking ones. Especially the little Hays ones. I mean it, people. I LOVE MY JOB.
One thing that grates all over me that I might have been guilty of once upon a time is the whole countdown mentality. Example: Walking down the hall, you pass some other school employee, greet with the cordial "How are you?" and the response is "Four days!" (as in four days until Thanksgiving or whatever break is impending...) Okay, so how is that an answer to the question? And how must you feel about your job if you are so ready to be out of there that you can't just reply "fine" or something like that? ARG!
So, when I work full-time next year and return to teaching the year after that (my plan at this point), I hope that I will not fall into the trap of dreading every day. I hope that I'll continue to be the one spreading the I-Love-My-Job cooties. I pray that I will love the children so much that their parents don't trouble me. I can't wait until Monday!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Back to School!
This has been a spectacular week. Monday morning I interviewed for a part-time instructional assistant position at the kids’ school. Got offered the job Tuesday. Did all the paperwork Thursday. Got called this morning to sub for one of the fifth grade teachers. Had a fantastic day, in all. I start my new job Monday, so I only ended up subbing one day. Crazy.
So – here’s the thing about my day in fifth grade: SO MUCH FUN! The “big kids” don’t scare me at all, since I spent so much time in seventh grade. They have a little mouth on them (some of them, at least) and they don’t push the limits nearly as much as their older peers, but they will stop when you put the hammer down and make it known you mean business. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to mix that business with pleasure, and I believe we achieved that balance today. I think most of the kids would think I was a thumbs-up, given the opportunity to rate the sub. We didn’t accomplish nearly as much as the teacher left for us to do, but I think there was some actual learning going on and that she’ll be satisfied.
And here’s the thing about teachers: I appreciate that the folks who are there every day think they have to help the sub and tell the kids how to behave, but in fact, that only serves to undermine the sub. I had one entirely-too-generous-with-her-expertise teacher come in during the morning rush (I literally had just enough notice to get to school before it started) and tell the kids to settle down – while I am standing right there thinking to myself that they were actually more settled than they are when their regular teacher is there! Anyway, I hope I’ll remember that when I am back on the other side.
I continue to think the ladies (and gentlemen) who are there day in and day out are amazing. When I get back into the full-time teaching world again one day, I want to find a way to enjoy the children for who they are, to allow them to be themselves, and to keep everyone learning at the appropriate pace while leaving rejuvenated rather than drained every day.
Topics I need to touch on some day:
The Parents-Are-in-Charge Phenomenon
How Many Girls Does it Take to Clean a Guinea Pig Cage?
Talking in Class: Tool for Learning, Evidence of Thinking, and Not Necessarily Rude
Squelching the Children: How and Why it Happens Daily
What’s With All the Transition Time? A Story of Shuffling and Sharing Students
Don’t Get Me Started on Notes With No Context
Stay tuned for tales from the Literacy Lab. I am so excited!!!!
So – here’s the thing about my day in fifth grade: SO MUCH FUN! The “big kids” don’t scare me at all, since I spent so much time in seventh grade. They have a little mouth on them (some of them, at least) and they don’t push the limits nearly as much as their older peers, but they will stop when you put the hammer down and make it known you mean business. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to mix that business with pleasure, and I believe we achieved that balance today. I think most of the kids would think I was a thumbs-up, given the opportunity to rate the sub. We didn’t accomplish nearly as much as the teacher left for us to do, but I think there was some actual learning going on and that she’ll be satisfied.
And here’s the thing about teachers: I appreciate that the folks who are there every day think they have to help the sub and tell the kids how to behave, but in fact, that only serves to undermine the sub. I had one entirely-too-generous-with-her-expertise teacher come in during the morning rush (I literally had just enough notice to get to school before it started) and tell the kids to settle down – while I am standing right there thinking to myself that they were actually more settled than they are when their regular teacher is there! Anyway, I hope I’ll remember that when I am back on the other side.
I continue to think the ladies (and gentlemen) who are there day in and day out are amazing. When I get back into the full-time teaching world again one day, I want to find a way to enjoy the children for who they are, to allow them to be themselves, and to keep everyone learning at the appropriate pace while leaving rejuvenated rather than drained every day.
Topics I need to touch on some day:
The Parents-Are-in-Charge Phenomenon
How Many Girls Does it Take to Clean a Guinea Pig Cage?
Talking in Class: Tool for Learning, Evidence of Thinking, and Not Necessarily Rude
Squelching the Children: How and Why it Happens Daily
What’s With All the Transition Time? A Story of Shuffling and Sharing Students
Don’t Get Me Started on Notes With No Context
Stay tuned for tales from the Literacy Lab. I am so excited!!!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Definitely NOT for the taste of it...
Urg. Those of you who’ve known me a while are pretty aware of my loath for artificial sweeteners. I hate them all. Nutrasweet, Sweet-n-Low, Splenda – all of ‘em. I almost envy people who say they can’t tell the difference between regular and diet drinks. I can not only tell the difference, but I can’t stand the icky chemical taste in my mouth that lingers for-freakin-ever. I avoid diet products like they are poison. Blaaaccchhhh!
But here I sit, drinking one of Jimmy’s diet cokes with lime, and I’m not dead yet. Can’t say I’m enjoying it, but it’s doing the trick. Ordinarily, if I want something calorie-free, I’ll just have some water, but my caffeine intake for the day is low and I have the headache that accompanies such an affliction (addiction?) – couple that with a trip to the doctor for a physical today, and regular coke is now out of the picture.
Yep – my EVERYTHING is off-kilter. Iron’s still low, weight’s still high, and now my cholesterol is officially elevated. Thyroid functions just outside the normal range. Vitamin D deficient. And don’t even get me started on my serotonin issues. (Wish they could measure THAT in a blood test. How about some of you geeks I adore get busy on that?) SO, I’ve gone from no meds to five pills a day in the span of two weeks. Fantastic. I’ve come of age and I’m experiencing finer living through pharmaceuticals.
AND, to make it all suck worse, I really need to make some lifestyle changes. Got to eat better and get some serious exercise so my arteries don’t get completely clogged and so my spirit will improve. Got to get outside for some good old fashioned sunshine to get the Vit. D up so that my scrawny frame doesn’t diminish any sooner than it has to. (I’ve seen how ugly osteoporosis can be, and I want nothing to do with it.) Mostly, got to accept that I need to be responsible if I don’t want my body to backfire on me. Bummer.
Meanwhile, me likey the food. Me likey it long time. I hate carrying around twenty-five extra pounds, but I also hate the thought of not eating a bag full of jerky when I want to. Alas. So here I go, on a quest to slowly change my eating habits to those of a fiber-loading, sugar-avoiding, carbo-fearing old fart. Right. I can’t imagine ever being there, but I’d rather make changes now than wait for the doctor to tell me I have an expiration date due to some tragic illness guaranteed to befall me.
So, wish me well and join me in the effort to be healthy and fit. I’m not ever going to be a total purist, and I am not one to deprive myself of anything, but I do intend to make better choices more often. Yay, me!
(By the way, I’m almost done with this here diet coke, and I’d still rather have water than this crap.)
But here I sit, drinking one of Jimmy’s diet cokes with lime, and I’m not dead yet. Can’t say I’m enjoying it, but it’s doing the trick. Ordinarily, if I want something calorie-free, I’ll just have some water, but my caffeine intake for the day is low and I have the headache that accompanies such an affliction (addiction?) – couple that with a trip to the doctor for a physical today, and regular coke is now out of the picture.
Yep – my EVERYTHING is off-kilter. Iron’s still low, weight’s still high, and now my cholesterol is officially elevated. Thyroid functions just outside the normal range. Vitamin D deficient. And don’t even get me started on my serotonin issues. (Wish they could measure THAT in a blood test. How about some of you geeks I adore get busy on that?) SO, I’ve gone from no meds to five pills a day in the span of two weeks. Fantastic. I’ve come of age and I’m experiencing finer living through pharmaceuticals.
AND, to make it all suck worse, I really need to make some lifestyle changes. Got to eat better and get some serious exercise so my arteries don’t get completely clogged and so my spirit will improve. Got to get outside for some good old fashioned sunshine to get the Vit. D up so that my scrawny frame doesn’t diminish any sooner than it has to. (I’ve seen how ugly osteoporosis can be, and I want nothing to do with it.) Mostly, got to accept that I need to be responsible if I don’t want my body to backfire on me. Bummer.
Meanwhile, me likey the food. Me likey it long time. I hate carrying around twenty-five extra pounds, but I also hate the thought of not eating a bag full of jerky when I want to. Alas. So here I go, on a quest to slowly change my eating habits to those of a fiber-loading, sugar-avoiding, carbo-fearing old fart. Right. I can’t imagine ever being there, but I’d rather make changes now than wait for the doctor to tell me I have an expiration date due to some tragic illness guaranteed to befall me.
So, wish me well and join me in the effort to be healthy and fit. I’m not ever going to be a total purist, and I am not one to deprive myself of anything, but I do intend to make better choices more often. Yay, me!
(By the way, I’m almost done with this here diet coke, and I’d still rather have water than this crap.)
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Pokey's One-Way Ticket to Hell
I’ve had my daddy here for 24 hours or so now, which has been a joy. He hasn’t been to my house since we lived in Winston-Salem because of work and dogs and aversion to air travel and then momma. He’s going to visit his surviving sisters in southwest Georgia for the week, and since I went to Southport for Hope Marie’s birthday party yesterday, I brought him back here for a quick visit with us before his trip.
Tonight at 1:05 AM he boards the bus in Columbia proper for a 12 hour journey to Albany, where Aunt Evie and Uncle Beal will pick him up and take him back to Dawson. He’s the youngest of the remaining four (at 74, that speaks to our family’s longevity) and feels compelled to go see Aunt Annie Mae in the nursing home and Aunt Marie at her home since they can no longer travel. They’ll take a quick trip to Pitts (seriously, that’s where he grew up – Pitts, GA) one day to reminisce, he’ll swap stories with some nephews and cousins and all, and then he’ll be anxious and ready to return home.
His knees give him a lot of trouble, his cigarette habit is as bad as ever, and as much as he enjoys dwelling on the past, he grows quickly weary of being away from home, so his return trip next weekend won’t come soon enough for him. Most of them are pretty narrow-minded, to the extent that daddy looks like a real liberal when among them, and he’ll get pretty sick of all that, too. But, he knows he wants to see them all, and he wants to visit the graveyards there, because he realizes he might never get back.
Then again, he might. But it’s strange to imagine that time in our lives when we are doing everything for the last time. I’m sure this is the first of many lasts for him, and I hope he has years to complete them all, because I’ve grown accustomed to having him around! I hope he’ll grow weary of doing his consulting work sometime soon and come see us more frequently or for longer periods. Meanwhile, we all are entertained by the fact that he’s bought a one-way bus ticket to the back door of Hell and how much that would have amused my momma!
I sure do love my Pokey and I know he loves his Squirt-diddy-bo. Safe travel for him! Godspeed!
Tonight at 1:05 AM he boards the bus in Columbia proper for a 12 hour journey to Albany, where Aunt Evie and Uncle Beal will pick him up and take him back to Dawson. He’s the youngest of the remaining four (at 74, that speaks to our family’s longevity) and feels compelled to go see Aunt Annie Mae in the nursing home and Aunt Marie at her home since they can no longer travel. They’ll take a quick trip to Pitts (seriously, that’s where he grew up – Pitts, GA) one day to reminisce, he’ll swap stories with some nephews and cousins and all, and then he’ll be anxious and ready to return home.
His knees give him a lot of trouble, his cigarette habit is as bad as ever, and as much as he enjoys dwelling on the past, he grows quickly weary of being away from home, so his return trip next weekend won’t come soon enough for him. Most of them are pretty narrow-minded, to the extent that daddy looks like a real liberal when among them, and he’ll get pretty sick of all that, too. But, he knows he wants to see them all, and he wants to visit the graveyards there, because he realizes he might never get back.
Then again, he might. But it’s strange to imagine that time in our lives when we are doing everything for the last time. I’m sure this is the first of many lasts for him, and I hope he has years to complete them all, because I’ve grown accustomed to having him around! I hope he’ll grow weary of doing his consulting work sometime soon and come see us more frequently or for longer periods. Meanwhile, we all are entertained by the fact that he’s bought a one-way bus ticket to the back door of Hell and how much that would have amused my momma!
I sure do love my Pokey and I know he loves his Squirt-diddy-bo. Safe travel for him! Godspeed!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Online "Friends"
Now that I have completely reverted to adolescence and have both myspace and facebook accounts, I am faced with the concept of friendship.
My philosophy is best summed up like this: No one has 896 friends. No one. Even if your account says you do. See, I subscribe to the school of thought that "friends" are people you actually KNOW.
But my new challenge is this: I certainly have known 896 people over the course of my days. More, even. But can I call them all "friend" and do I want to add them all to my friends list? Just because someone requests your "friendship," do you have to give it? Mrs. Manners probably doesn't have a facebook account, so I can't consult with her snooty butt. God wants us all to get along and be friendly, but I think the "-ly" on that is an out on maintaining relationships with people you hardly know.
So here's how I'm dealing with this: The people on my "friends" lists are people I actually know or have known and that I am willing to develop or renew friendships with. Just like in real life, I'll put more time and effort into maintaining some than others. It's maybe more like a "friends and acquaintances" list, now isn't it? I'll continue to reject the friendships of total strangers, and I'm sure I'll be faced with a friend request that I'll reject wholeheartedly at some point, but for now, I'm going to save the world, one facebook poke at a time.
For my paranoid friends who read this, don't worry. You really are my friend. I'm talking about other people, not you.
My philosophy is best summed up like this: No one has 896 friends. No one. Even if your account says you do. See, I subscribe to the school of thought that "friends" are people you actually KNOW.
But my new challenge is this: I certainly have known 896 people over the course of my days. More, even. But can I call them all "friend" and do I want to add them all to my friends list? Just because someone requests your "friendship," do you have to give it? Mrs. Manners probably doesn't have a facebook account, so I can't consult with her snooty butt. God wants us all to get along and be friendly, but I think the "-ly" on that is an out on maintaining relationships with people you hardly know.
So here's how I'm dealing with this: The people on my "friends" lists are people I actually know or have known and that I am willing to develop or renew friendships with. Just like in real life, I'll put more time and effort into maintaining some than others. It's maybe more like a "friends and acquaintances" list, now isn't it? I'll continue to reject the friendships of total strangers, and I'm sure I'll be faced with a friend request that I'll reject wholeheartedly at some point, but for now, I'm going to save the world, one facebook poke at a time.
For my paranoid friends who read this, don't worry. You really are my friend. I'm talking about other people, not you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)