If it was only that easy......

This card sits on my desk.....I'm actually going to put it in a frame I love it that much. Working with students who have High Functioning autism has it's challenges. Just today I was thinking how amazing it was that this is my 8th year of teaching........I still love it. The students never cease to amaze me daily. They are so smart and oh so funny. They have taught me just as much as I have taught them. People say......."you must have so much patience".......... today I didn't feel that way.........I have that feeling many days. Today was a day spent in meetings.......the paperwork side of things. Sitting, discussing, brainstorming....talking about problems that need a solution........of course those are the problems that never get solved in one meeting...and sometimes they just don't get solved at all.

Today was a day where way more of my energy, effort and attention went into meetings and talking to adults.....instead of to my students........where it really belongs.....where it is much needed. It's days like these I go home feeling defeated.......feeling like I didn't do my best....give it my all. It's a day where interactions with my students was limited.... only a phrase here and there........ a comment or a reprimand. Instead of encouragement, support and most importantly praise.

It is hard to juggle all the aspects to teaching. In a perfect world it would be me and my students with unlimited resources and we would give every student exactly what he/she needs to be their best. However we are working with limited budgets, problems that need solutions........we are all doing our best.....the best we can with the resources we have. Sometimes.......it just isn't enough. As a teacher at end of the day you go home feeling like the weight of the world has been on your shoulders......so much to do....so little time.

So i keep that card close by because......it makes me smile........and if I did have a cape and a nice tiara..........I really do think I could save the world!

Change is coming.......

Today I am proud to be an American............

Coffee.....they like it strong up here.....

So today is my first day back to work in almost three weeks. I decided to head to the staff lounge and get a cup of coffee since I felt like I needed a boost today. We just got this new coffee machine.....I don't know much about it.......I think it is a Bunn.........anyways it brews and serves one cup at a time. So I went it and started looking through all of the coffee selections......I think there is about 8 choices for coffee...... 3 or 4 for tea. Anyways I start to look and I notice that almost all of them are marked Bold ( meaning strong). Now when I moved up to Seattle I was not much of a coffee drinker....and if I did have coffee it would have to be doctored up with lots of cream and sugar. But since I have been here I understand why we are the coffee capital......... in the winter months you just plain need it. I have noticed that my coffee consumption has not only increased over the years.......but it has also changed.......I now don't need all the cream and sugar. I do like a little soy milk in it but that is usually it. So when I was looking at my choices this morning I had to laugh that there was only one option for a medium blend coffee. I picked it up and brewed my cup and enjoyed it. Funny how such a little change seemed so apparent to me this morning. A few years ago I would have just walked away and not had a cup.............does this mean I am turning into a true Seattlite??

and so it begins......

I'm back in Seattle.....visiting my favorite coffee shop...enjoying my favorite Chamomile tea........under dark grey skies. And so it begins........ winter! From now until oh I don't know June.....it will be grey, rainy and cloudy. It is such a double edged sword when I go home to AZ to visit.......I get to soak up the sun and on this trip the 72 degree weather ( yes pure heaven) but I have to come back and take in the adjustment of the Seattle winter weather. It always takes me a couple of days......... to get use to it but I always do.

This year traveling for the holidays took on a new meaning as Seattle got blasted with 10 inches of snow and brought the city to a complete stop. What it meant for me was spending my first Christmas away from home. It was really hard and lots of tears were shed.......but my wonderful friend Joanne rescued me and I was blessed to spend Christmas with her and her husband and their family. It was really wonderful of them to allow me to share such a special day with them. I did finally make it to AZ but not until the 26th. We had Christmas on the 27th ( thank you family for waiting for me!). Here are a few pics.....none of the girls....sister's rule no kid photo's on the blog!

My dad and Dalene

Ryan and Jennie

Ryan got Zoey and Charlyse a tattoo kit for xmas...... Charlyse was so excited she got right to work on applying them all over her body. She found this tattoo that matched her "Uncle Ryan's" she came up and whispered in my ear....."Can you take a picture of our matching tattoo's".......oh it was just too cute!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Holiday Season...........I am looking forward to a wonderful 2009!