M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 34

Jittery

So it’s well-known among teachers that you can tell when the weather is going to change because the kids get hyper.

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not just the kids. I’m nearly bouncing off the walls today (and I didn’t have THAT much caffeine!) In addition to the weather change, I’m excited about decorating for Christmas (though I don’t have a TREE yet!) and my son being home and the fact that my characters are being held hostage but I probably won’t be able to save them for HOURS.

So I’m jittery.

I didn’t do the Black Friday thing. Did you? I did get a new laser Brother printer online for $50. And my husband is going to Dick’s Sporting Goods. I did kinda want a real pine wreath for $5 but I slept until almost 8!

Now I’m going to see how quietly I can get out my Christmas decorations, since the boy is still sleeping.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I’m very very thankful I don’t have to cook the turkey! And that my boy is asleep in the next room after gorging himself on junk last night. And that it’s going to get cold tomorrow. And that Mom and I had a beautiful day in Fredericksburg, and that the leaves are changing and….so much. So much.

Thinking of those who are having a rough Thanksgiving this year.

Goals for the Week of Thanksgiving

So it’s finally Thanksgiving vacation! And it’s PACKED, lol. If you’ve been reading my blog for any time at all, you know I’m not good with vacationing. So you won’t be surprised at my list.

1) Enjoy time with the boy, who’s coming home Wednesday.

2) Spend day with Mom–Fredericksburg, here we come!

3) Enjoy Thanksgiving with the family.

4) Sew the skirt that I cut out in September (that will go perfectly with my boots!)

5) Sew a Batman blanket for the boy, before he gets here on Wednesday.

6) Straighten up craft room. It’s a disaster.

7) Make good progress on my NaNo book–2000 words a day.

8) Get Kitty Boy fixed. He’s making me nuts!

9) Decorate for Christmas, which includes getting a new tree.

10) Big grocery trip.

I know there’s more, but I can’t remember. I know there’s a lot on my BIG to-do list, but I’m trying to pace myself, lol.

Goals for the Week Before Thanksgiving

Oh, I thought that week would NEVER be over! In addition to the VERY stressful Veteran’s Day program, I got observed. I had to turn in United Way, I started teaching recorder, and I got behind on NaNo. I missed 3 mornings of teaching because I was turning in UW money or practicing or performing! Crazy. And that field trip I was looking forward to? They were back by music class, so no break for me. They’re going on another one this week, though.

This week will be busy, too, but not nearly as stressful.

1) Catch up on NaNo

2) Food Bank distribution

3) testing, 2 days of missing morning classes

4) Arts and crafts show with Mom and BB–ANOTHER one

5) straighten the house

6) call the vet for real–this little boy is causing TROUBLE.

Reader ADD

Speaking of NaNo, seriously, don’t look at my calendar. UGH! So far behind. Going to see what I can get done here in the next two hours.

I finished a book last night on my Kindle app on my Nook. Still in Kindle, I started reading another book. I have SO many that I’ve either gotten free or bought cheap. I’m reading one recommended on Plot Monkeys, but then I remembered I bought another book by Roxanne St. Clair that I wanted to read, and I still have a ton of books on Nook that I want to read, and some from Kobo, and some from iTunes….

I think I have more reader ADD now that I have so many books in so many virtual places. It’s hard to choose, it’s hard to remember which books I really wanted to read…it’s actually kind of stressful!

Do you have this problem? I have probably 2000 books in different apps. Crazy, right?

Finally Friday

Today’s the Veteran’s Day performance. In 7 hours, it will be OVER. Last year I took a half-day after the performance because my dad was coming into town. I thought about repeating the tradition, but my 4th graders are so excited about starting recorders, and my choir needs to start practicing for our Christmas performance December 12!

Today I’m also a guest on two blogs (I did NOT choose the date, btw.) First is an interview with Marcus Devlin from Midnight Sun at Heartthrob Haven. Then I’m talking about NaNoWriMo at PJ Schnyder’s blog. (DON’T look at my NaNo calendar. This week has completely kicked my butt!

I’ve been doing a dance with the little kids called “Seven Jumps.” We get down on the floor, then up again. I am sore EVERYWHERE!

Goals for the Last Week of the Crazy

I will be SO HAPPY Friday afternoon. So. Happy. When I asked to be music teacher, the one thing I dreaded was the Veteran’s Day program we put on for the district. It started out fairly small but now it’s a huge production. I started practicing with my choir the first week of school and we are STILL not ready. I’m seeing them every day this week to work on choreography.

The worst? I can’t wear jeans this week.

The one highlight? Fourth grade is going on a field trip, which means I don’t have lunch duty on Tuesday, AND I have the period after lunch free. Woot! Almost a 2 hour lunch! And during NaNoWriMo!

This week:

1) Practice for Vet Day program

2) Double check that I have buses for the formal rehearsal and the performance.

3) Get with the United Way people

4) Direct my children’s performance Friday morning.

5) Continue rocking on my NaNo story. I’ve met my goal every day so far, and am trying not to be envious of those who have 10K words ALREADY!

6) Straighten house

7) Call cleaning lady to come next week so I’ll have a nice house for vacation in 2 weeks.

8) Start rehearsing for Christmas concert. Not as nerve-wracking, though.

9) Start my recorder unit with my kids, which means digging out my 5th graders’ recorders from last year, matching up the numbers, and numbering the 4th graders’ recorders.

10) call the lady who invited my choir to sing at her store.

11) call the vet to get Kitty Boy fixed.

12) Go to an arts and crafts show with Mom and BB.

Country Music and Romance

I’ve been listening to Jason Aldean a lot this month, because his new album came out, and I have been kinda stressing and it calms me down and I’ve found there are a lot of similarities between how his music makes me feel and how romance novels make me feel.

Two reasons:

They have the same appeal of small town romances, to me. The same mystique that city girls like me find in small town settings–parties by the river, listening to trains, dating a country boy. I love the song Hicktown, which talks about football games and nosy neighbors.

The other reason, a lot of his songs are like scenes from romance novels, walking by the riverside, hurrying home to see his girl sitting on the front porch wearing his shirt, holding his baby daughter.You gotta love hearing romance from a guy’s POV, you know?

This is my favorite song:

I love a guy who can sing.

CRAZY DAY!!

I went to school today thinking, normal day, just crazy kids who went to bed too late, who got to wear pjs to school. I debated wearing pajamas, but decided they did me no favors, so I wore a t-shirt and a knit skirt. Thank goodness, given what was to come! I stopped at Sonic and got a Route 44 Diet Coke (since I got up early and wrote 1000 words for NaNo). I got to school, went around to some teachers to get signatures on their United Way forms, and just happened to be in the office talking to the secretary. The principal came in and said she was going to double-check the United Way turn-in date. I had November 5 on my calendar, and she thought it was tomorrow.

It was today.

First thought–thank God I didn’t wear pajamas. I had brought home the paperwork and did a lot of it Halloween night, but I still had three buckets of coins from the penny drive that I needed to take to the bank. I hadn’t been able to go Tuesday because of a dentist appt and a faculty meeting Wednesday. So the principal canceled my classes and I raced to the bank. I spent an hour loading coins into the counting machine, then RACED to main office to turn it in. I still had paperwork to do. I got there, met with the district leader and….the United Way people weren’t there. They are coming…guess when?

Yup. Monday.

So I’m sitting with the district guy and he’s double-checking my math and….got called away. So all the rushing, and guess what I have to do?

Go back Monday.

So I left district office just around 11, thinking I can stop by McD’s and still get back for lunch duty at 11:30, because my duty partner had a substitute and I didn’t want to leave her alone the day after Halloween. AND the road was cut down to one lane. So I took the only alternate route I knew….and they were having brush pick-up on that road. Only one lane, big trucks.

THEN I get to school and there were SIX cop cars in front of the school! Apparently a custody thing, but holy crap! I get into the building and slide into the cafeteria at 11:27 (without my McD’s). So lunch duty, then lunch, then 2 classes, then practice for the Vet Day program. I’m SO TIRED! Still need 1000 more words. Already told Fred I’m not cooking.

I am, however, drinking.

Here We Go!