The Comic Book Family

Children, teaching (rambling), and illnesses

It's been forever since I updated, for which I apologize. Life sometimes gets in the way. And sometimes it's just procrastination too, I'll admit that.

I've been sick. Lost my voice last month, almost did again last week. When I was growing up, my best friend got bronchitis two or three times a winter. and I never got it. A few years ago, a friend got bronchitis, didn't see a doctor, and it turned into pneumonia. I got that. So now every year I get pneumonia (minor cases, but needing antibiotics half the time). And a sinus infection. And I don't get rid of it easily either. I need the heavy-duty antibiotics to rid myself of the pain in my face.

My children get seasonal asthma. (Makes me hate visiting the mall where the smokers crowd around all entrances.) Once I get my illnesses, the children do too, and once they get something respiratory, it turns into asthma. They go on their inhalors and after a couple of months, it's gone. Not too bad. Except, the part you don't often hear about, when it's bad it's accompanied by a ferocious fever, lots of coughing, vomiting, lack of the ability to eat, and general misery. Jade got that last week...the day the power went out actually. Two days of frequent cool baths, lots of cuddling,lots of Tylenol, and not much in the way of food except mother's milk. Poor girl. She's over it now, except for the coughing although that has lessened too. Quentin didn't go through the bad stuff this year, just the frequent coughing.

I have been teaching a fair amount. Middle schools aren't as bad as I used to think they were. A school I thought I didn't like I'm finding has definitely grown on me. I like being at the same schools because it lets me build some collegiality with staffs too. I miss that. I have been mostly at three high schools, with a middle school here or there. Students are confused when they have me for Chemistry, then Math, and then English. I find it's easier to get to know some of them. I actually crossed paths with a new teacher who said she ran into problems with her classroom management during her practicum. After taking a course on it, she realized that she didn't build a rapport with her students. In this day and age, when there are five billion job options out there, why go into teaching if you're not going to try to connect with your students (and I don't mean in a Tom Ellison way)? Why teach? The only day I seem to have forgotten to start off by connecting with the students, happened to be a day I was in a friend's classroom, and boy was that awful. I worked with her (volunteering) for years, and the first day I'm officially in her class, I blew it big time. Learned my lesson...don't take anything for granted.

None of the private schools have called, except the one who called me a few times in October, but always when I was out on another call for the District. They haven't called lately. My old school hasn't even tried calling. :( Not that I'm not working enough, because I am, but, you know.

I get interesting coincidences when I teach. After the tiny school I taught in, I ran into one of those students as I went for an interview at another school, and then saw her and her brother when I was subbing there. The last school I taught at, one of my students ended up being one of my students from the little school. This time, I'm in a class and get a name I don't trust myself to pronounce. I look at him, and ask if he has another name because he looks rather familiar and maybe I had him in another class in that school where the teacher left his americanized name. No, he says. Then it turns out he used to, when he was my student at my last job. I am one of the worst for placing a person when they are out of context.

Quentin is "so exciting" about Christmas. They had their Christmas party at the daycare today and both children enjoyed it. I got some beautiful decorations for the tree that they made (yes, Jade made me one too). Like most children, they both love opening presents when they get them. It will be a few years before any make it under the tree before Christmas Eve. I'm still trying to find the ones I hid a few months ago though, one for a friend and one for Jade. I've looked in all my special hiding spots and just can't find them. One day I'm sure.

Bathroom update: we bought a new light fixture so I will have some more patching, priming and painting to do. The counter is cut, the cupboards are built and in place. We still need to put on the door frame and door, put the heating light back in, hang the shower rod, put the safety bars into the tub, put in the sink and faucet, and the trim at the bottom of the walls. Other than that, it looks just dandy.

Be well, Happy Solstice, and Merry Christmas if I don't post again until after the day.

posted by The Jaded Bee @ 12:16 AM