A day in Salt Lake City

So today is the first day of my Spring Break.  I tried to sleep in a bit, but was getting the kids off to school.

I hung around the house, caught up on some TV shows on the DVR.  Then went to run errands in Salt Lake City.  First I stopped by my sister's house to drop off a tool for her to take to my dad's house in Nevada.  Then I went to Simmons Media Group offices at Trolley Corner to pick up the T-shirt I won.

Then I took myself to lunch.  I had heard about a German deli called Siegfried's Delicatessen.  I had their special for the day, knackwurst and 2 sides.  I chose sauerkraut, and spaetzle with gravy.  I had Almdudler Limonade to drink, and a slice of chocolate hazelnut cake for dessert.

It was all very good.  I'd like to go again and try other things on their menu.  They had many things for sale: kinder chocolates, marzipan, noodles, cookies, pickles, beets, crackers, mixes, candies, mugs, t-shirts, deli meats and cheeses, and fish.  I bought a slice of black forest cake to take home to Kyle and some Hungarian style pickles.

Daylight Savings

I got this in an email and thought it was great.

My students and I had a hard time adjusting to the new day.  I even went to bed early to compensate. I ended up just lying there thinking, "Go to sleep.  You need to get drowsy.  You have to get up early for work, go to sleep."

It seems willing yourself to sleep is hard.  It is easier to fall asleep when you are fighting it.

Stress

Lately I've been under a lot of stress.  It has taken a toll on my body.  In general I feel OK, but my blood pressure has increased greatly over the past year.  I've tried to donate blood and all four times have been denied because my blood pressure is too high.

I guess it is time to make an appointment and get lots of things checked out: blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, knees, hips and feet, etc.

I'm an everything eater.  I eat socially (dates, parties and gatherings), absently (like while watching TV), because I'm bored (like while on the computer), emotionally (like when I'm sad because ice cream makes everything better), and with stress (usually caffeine and chocolate).  I've been trying to exercise more to work off the stress instead of eat my problems away.  I wish the following statement were true.

A New Semester

This week was the end of the first semester at the middle school where I teach.  I can't believe we are already halfway through the year, on the other hand, I can't wait for summer.

I have 12 special needs students.  Then I have peer tutors who are general ed. students that come in and work with my students.  Peer tutors are an extra pair of hands to help with worksheets, run errands, get my group to lunch or the bus or assemblies.  I of course have a few that are my favorites, and then there are those that drive me nuts.  Let's just say I am definitely ready for a new batch of peer tutors.

I feel like I am looking at the first semester as a trial run.  Yes I taught last year, but that was at a high school with a different set of kids, curriculum and expectations.  This year I am starting over again.  I have figured out what kind of things I want to do differently for the second semester.  Hopefully this will help alleviate some of the problems from first semester.  And as always, personality plays a big part.

I had some peer tutors that just got right into the swing of things.  They buddied up with one of my students and developed a friendship.  Then there were other peer tutors who hung around the perimeter of class and waited to be told what to do and who to do it with.  I would make comments like, "this isn't an 8th grade dance where you hang out by the wall, pick a student and help" or "this isn't peer tutor social hour, get with a student and help."

Maybe its their age or maturity level where I have to invite them to participate in class.  Hopefully this new batch is better.

Just a few Christmas Traditions

Over the years I have incorporated the Christmas traditions of my family from my childhood into my own family.

One is we open gifts one person at a time.  This way we can ooh and ahh over what others received for gifts.  I delight in watching the faces of others when I got them a gift that is oh so special.

Another is that my husband and I give each other an ornament.  I always give him a car ornament and he gets me a bear ornament.  We always have a live tree.  We just don't have the storage space to keep a fake one.

A new one just started about 2 or 3 years ago.  I'm always trying to find something special to make for Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinner.  So a few years ago I made Cornish game hens.  It must have left an impression on my son Cooper because the next year he asked, "Are you going to make those little chickens for Christmas?"  Again this year I was asked the same questions, so that is a new tradition.

Growing up my mother would hang up the cards we got in the mail over the archway between the living room and dining room.  I too hang up cards around the archway between the living room and family room.

I love setting out knick-knacks for the holidays.  I make little vignettes.  I have a Santa section, and Christmas tree section, a Snowman section, Christmas bear section, and a couple of Nativities.  My mother-in-law often gets the kids a book as a gift and I am able to pair these holiday books with the corresponding vignettes.

I'm not really sure which traditions my husband had in his family that we know incorporate, I think I dominate the traditions.  I should ask if there is anything he would like us to start or stop doing.