Recuperating

My family has had and evil virus since the first week of June. Kyath was hit first.  He had a fever, chills, cough, and was just plain tired.  To be honest, I thought he was over exaggerating his case because he still had school.  So I gave him a limited amount of sympathy.

Zander was hit next.  He had all the same symptoms and just sat on the couch all day.  I had more sympathy for him because he is a tough kid and who plays sick during summer vacation?

What I haven't touched on is that both Kyath's and Zander's sicknesses lasted two weeks.  It is a pretty nasty case of the flu.  I kept thinking that they would be feeling better the next day, and each day they just became progressively worse.  Zander's started the two weeks after Kyath was sick, so I thought we were out of the woods as far as the rest of the family getting it. 

Around the time Zander started to get better, Dresden caught the flu.  She wanted to be held and taken care of every minute of the day for the entire two weeks.  I took her in to Instacare.  I had kept asking Kyath if he wanted to go to Instacare when he was sick and he kept saying he wasn't sure. Then I thought Zander could get through it if Kyath could.  I probably took her in because she was so needy.  That sounds awful, but it is probably true.

The doctor at Instacare diagnosed Dresden with "Walking Pneumonia."   She was prescribed an antibiotic.  That was about the time I felt like a terrible mom.  Here I had two other kids that had walking pneumonia and I just let them suffer through it.

As Dresden started feeling better, Porter came down with it.  I loaded him up with cough drops and decongestant.  After a week I took him in and he was diagnosed with Walking Pneumonia.  He was giving antibiotics and started to get better with the antibiotics.  He is still coughing throughout the day and is a little tired. as well.

You can guess what happened next.  I came down with it.  I had all the same symptoms of chills, fever, cough, headache, and low energy.  I went to Instacare.  The doctor came in the room laughing and apologized.  He wondered if I had heard him make fun of me to the nurses for calling it Walking Pneumonia.  He said, "They don't use that term anymore and I wondered if there was a 60 year old women in here."  That's when I knew I was in trouble.  I decided to hold back the snotty remark hanging on my tongue that it was the doctors at Instacare that had diagnosed my two children with the antiquated term Walking Pneumonia.

He listened to my lungs, looked in the mouth and ears, and checked my thyroid.  He told me I had the flu.  He gave me cough medicine and told me to suffer through it.  He told me to come back if the symptoms worsen.  I was upset.   I expected to get antibiotics like Dresden and Porter.

So here we are half way through summer vacation and I feel like I haven't even had a summer.  Besides the trip to D.C. (Way amazing by the way) I have been living in a sick ward.  I am so tired and am still fighting the flu.  I slept ten hours last night.  Then I took a two hour nap this afternoon.  Dresden begged and begged to go to the parade tonight, so I finally gave in and took her.  It took all my energy.  It is just crazy.  I hope no one else gets this because it is just terrible. 

Meanwhile I feel like I have neglected my brother Dex and my sister-in-law Robin for not calling and acknowledging the birth of their sweet girl.  I of course can 't visit because I wouldn't want to pass this on with their new born in the NICU.

I have also neglected my foster brother Travis and sister-in-law Kari with their newborn as well.  He is five weeks old and I haven't even given them a call.  They probably feel like I don't even care.  That's not the case.

Then there is Shelley who just has a hysterectomy.  I would have loved to visit her in her time of need.  I am thrilled that the operation went well and that the prognosis is good.  I love her and hope to make it up to her.

I wish I could help Debbie.  I know she is getting ready for Avery's farewell and as yet still doesn't have a kitchen.  I wish I could take part of her load.

There are so many people that I should be helping or at least visiting and I am just not to that point yet.  I wish I could just get this virus over and done with and get on with my life.  My fingers are still crossed that Don doesn't get it. 

New Outlook

So I realized just how important it is to have a digital footprint. Crazy you say? Let me explain. My friend Jordan Fowles died two weeks ago. The first thing I did was spend hours reading all the entries of his on Facebook. Then I went to all and any relatives' Facebook accounts to read as much as I could. It hit me that I needed to know what was going on in his life even though I had kept contact with him through the years.

I did the very same thing when my mission companion Susan Candland Bromley died. I had to know about her family. I needed to know more about what was going on to cause her tragedy.

So I am thus compelled to make a record of me and my family. It is not a matter of vanity or being self absorbed. It is just a drawing force in my life right now that I can't explain. There is a cute saying that I saw once at Kneaders. It says, "May your life be as happy as you pretend it is on Facebook." I am not out to show off or try to make anyone like me better. I just need to do this for me.

Today my oldest son, Ky, did something that brings tears to my eyes. I was out with Don and my second oldest, Porter, when he called. He said he felt like he needed to give some money to a neighbor. I told him that if he felt he should, then he should. He has been working a concrete construction job this summer. It is hard work, but it has taught him amazing things. His payday was Friday, so he had some money to spare.

When I came home, he couldn't wait to tell me how good it felt. He said he went to the neighbor and was tongue tied. He explained that he couldn't get his words out so that they made sense. Then he pulled out the money and explained to her that she has done so much for him and he felt inspired that he needed to bring her the money. She wouldn't take the money, but my son insisted. They both were in tears. She told him that she needed the exact amount he had just given her because her tires were bald and she was going out of town.

My payoff is that my oldest son has learned to listen to the still small voice and recognizes its promptings. He is only 15 and he has become such a man just these last two months. I can't thank Ben, his boss enough for giving this difficult job. It has helped Ky learn important life lessons life persistence and charity. I sure love that boy.

One little comment

It's funny how one little comment can ruin you day.  To everyone who's day was ruined by any of my comments during their lifetime, "I'm sorry."

Chick Pox and other fun festivities

Today the office called me and notified me that I had yet another student diagnosed with chicken pox (That makes four in two weeks).  They asked me to sanitize the classroom.  We actually did that yesterday when we realized we were in the middle of an epidemic.

After I got off the phone, Ky started asking specific questions about chicken pox.  "What do chicken pox look like?"  He asked.  "Do they itch?"  It was then that I realized why he was asking and asked him if he had chicken pox.  He lifted his shirt and showed me the spots on his chest.  I had no idea.  I don't think he did either. 

So not only was my class the first class in the entire school with chicken pox (Four cases to be exact), but my son spread it to the sixth grade.  I am so proud.  (Note the sarcasm) 

The school nurse sent home a note that states 40% of the children that have had the chicken pox vaccine, can get chicken pox.  But because of the vaccine, they are entirely immune to SHINGLES.  The vaccine also makes any vaccinated child's case of chicken pox, mild.

I'm going to Boston!

A colleague and I applied for a grant offered through the Jordan School District.  It was open to all fifth grade teachers in the district.  It consists of two sections.  The first section is this summer and is here in Salt Lake City.  There will be three weeks of classes about American History.  These classes are designed to assist me in teaching American History.  The second section is the summer of 2012.  I will go to Boston.  The grant provides my travel expenditures.  After completing both sections, I will be given $1500 and an I-Pod for my classroom.  I am way excited!

School Update

So I was super worried about this school year. I have been pleasantly surprised. I have great kids and great co-workers. I enjoy going to work every day.

I had an evaluation by the principal this week. I worried because last time I had an evaluation, I was fired. They told me I was too tolerant and nice. So I was worried what this principal would say. I asked him afterward and he said that he is not allowed to talk about the evalutaion until he gets the results back from the district. But he did say that he enjoyed it.

They have an actual scan-tron sheet that they use for the evaluations. There are points for specific things and a place for principal's comments. They even tally how many times you compliment a child or call on students. They send it in to the district and get a score.

I had a flash of inspiration before the evaluation and I placed signs on the back wall to remind me all the things that I needed to make sure and do. I also placed four signs on the front board- Review, Objective, Directions, and "So What". The kids saw the "So What" sign and started singing. I explained that it was to remind me to include how a lesson pertains to actual life. It is my sassy way of saying, "So you taught me all this, but why should I care."

I feel like the evaluation went well.

Just call me messed up!

Things have been bordering on crazy the last little while. I officially start school on Monday. My students start on Wednesday. I can't even explain the anxiety I have. I was so destroyed by my last teaching job, that I fear failure. My dreams at night have the same two themes-(1)That my students are out of control (2)That I have the same militant principal as previously. I don't think I will be at ease until school actually starts and I make it through the first day.

I have reflected a lot on my experience with Legacy. I would like to say there were a lot of good things about the school. I learned how to track data on students. I learned how to teach to the CRT tests ;) I learned how to make sure that every student was progressing.

I am not sure if Legacy did more damage than good, however. At my new school, my principal is amazing. I went into his office to have him sign a paper for me. There was a fourth grade teacher sitting in his office just talking. That wouldn't have happened at Legacy. At Legacy, the teachers are all scared of the principal. She is very cold and flashes fake smiles all the time. I was talked down to and even yelled at. So when I walked in my new principal's office, I didn't know what to think besides, "Is this for real or am I dreaming?"

At my new school I am treated like a professional. I should actually say district, because there are so may more support people to turn to at Jordan. I went to a two day training and was amazed. Every trainer kept saying to call or e-mail him/her any time if we had questions or concerns. I had to actually ask the teachers at the school if the trainers really meant it. At Legacy, if I came to them with a concern or didn't come to them with a concern, it was noted. Then it was held against me.

I have so many emotions right now and I still have to work through them. It is a cycle. I worked through a lot of them in March. But starting school again at a new school is starting the cycle of feelings again. I just can't wait to feel calm again.