Laid Back Youth of Today: Observation of a Student

I work with at risk high school students. One thing I noticed is how laid back they are. I swear, they do not get anxious or worried about school. Oh, I am sure they are in the their home life and job, but school is just…meh.

A great example is a student I have. He could finish with his course work and graduate today…TODAY! He is not stressing at all. Me, on the other hand, I am so anxious and stressed about him completing his work today I am surprised my hair hasn't fallen out and I haven't gained 20 pounds with all the stress eating I am doing!!

Why is it that he does not have this desire, this drive, to accomplish something, to complete the work today? He is like, eh, I'll finish tomorrow or the next day, no big deal. With this attitude, what is his future going to be like especially in the work force. Heck, let's take it further and more personal…what is it going to be like for people my age in the nursing home being taken care of by people of his generation? SCARY!!

I hope before I leave for the day, my young man, who has been student of mine for probably most of high school,  will graduate today. This would be such an accomplishment. He will be the first person in his family to graduate high school. It has been battle sometimes, but he has FINALLY made it.

I still hope he can get more gumption in the future. I wish I had a time machine to see what the future holds.

Giving Back...A Little at a Time

I talk about being brave and getting outside my box. I posted here about going to a meeting in downtown Dallas by myself and trying to figure out how to get around and where to park and the anxiety I felt with the mistakes I made.

Well it was all worth it and I am ready to share what that was all about.

We all remember 9-11. We don't even need to say more that 9-11 to stir up thoughts and feelings and visual images of that day. But as time goes on, the memory and feelings start to fade.

There is a group of people, The Dallas Stair Climb, who want to preserve the legacy of those who gave their lives to save others. Yes I am talking about the fire fighters and police officers. This group, lead by an active fire fighter, has put on a stair climb for the last three years in Dallas, Tx. It is opened to any active firefighter and police officer. Those that will climb will carry a name of someone who has fallen at the Twin Towers.

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In Dallas, we do not have buildings as tall as the Twin Towers or any other building in New York. But we do have the Renaissance Tower, 52 stories tall. So the men and women would go up and back down to climb the 101 stories from the Twin Towers. They are also promoting health in fire fighters and police officers.

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I have joined this group. I am the Legacy Coordinator to keep the legacy of the climb together. Basically I will be in charge of putting together a memory of last year's stair climb and then run a booth at the actual climb to show to those who come to support this cause. It is really an awesome experience! I feel honored to be a part of it.

I also have another reason of wanting to do this. You see, LT is a fire fighter, a lieutenant (Hence the name LT). I know he did not work in New York, but he is still part of the "brotherhood". I am so gosh darn proud of that man; not only of what he does but what he has accomplished. His job does not define him, but it is a part of him.

My life has been pretty great. Yeah, I have my ups and downs and some days seem more down than up. But it is time that I do something more, something bigger than myself. Maybe I am searching for a feeling or filling a void. I am finding out that volunteering is one way to do it.

All the emotional suffering (it wasn't that bad, but still!) I was under to find my way downtown Dallas to get the opportunity to participate in this great cause was well worth it. By the time the event rolls around in September, I will be an old pro of driving in Dallas. My "BRAVE" box is getting bigger!!

Snow Days: Yay or Nay?

As you can see, Texas weather is at it again! We have a small threat of icy conditions today. Students love the thought of ice or snow because

A) in Texas you just don't get to experience it that often

and

B) ice and snow could mean a day off of school.

I remember growing up in Kansas, where we were used to snow and blizzards, wishing school to be called off. Heck, as a kid, who didn't want to stay home from school? That was the ultimate!

But as a teacher, I am not so crazy about snow days. What? You, heard me. I am not a big fan of snow days at school. Let me explain...

You see, we have to be in school for a specific number of days (180 days). When the district makes the school calendar, they plan two make up snow days in case we have to call off school. Now, where do you think they put those make up days? Yep, in the spring. When the weather is nice and beautiful. On a Friday and Monday.

So I ask you, what would you want

1. A day off of school, in the winter, where you have to stay home because the weather is too bad to get out. But you do get to snuggle under warm blankets and your cute Westie and hopefully LT would be around too.

OR

2. A 4 day weekend in the spring, where you can go on a mini vacay or just go outside, anywhere, because the weather is sunshiny and beautiful. You can walk your Westie or go hiking with LT. Get filled with Vitamin D.

Yep, I choose #2 as well. But alas, it is not meant to be for us. We will make up our two days. Oh and if you are wondering if we had more than 2 days off (and we have had that one time), we would have to petition the state and a decision would be made on making them up or not. The one time we did, we made up 3 days and did not have to make up the 4th day.

I do not know if you have just given this topic any thought. I wanted to share a little of my thinking in my world via a view of snow days from the eyes of one teacher.

Weekend Recap

I thought I would share with y'all what I did over the weekend. As y'all know, we had snow on Thursday. Well, the call was made and we had no school on Friday. I'll have to dedicate a whole post on my feelings of snow days.

Moving on...Friday I loved sleeping in late. We got melted off after lunch and LT and I drove to see his mom. We even got to eat at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, OMI. So yummy! They make this orange dipping sauce, called OMI Sauce, for your chips that is To. Die. For. Unfortunately, two small bowls about does me in but I just can't stop eating!

Saturday I went to the dealership, just to look around. Drove off with a new 2014 Hynadai Sonata. Totally in love with it. Funny part...it looks exactly like my last care! Same car, style and color, just a different year. The best part is the little extras like not only heated seats but air conditioned driver seat too! I also have blind spot detection, and remote start. Where was this on Thursday in the cold and snow?

This is not my car, but what it looks like. Source

Sunday was just a total vegetable day with nothing going on and no desire to do anything. I love those kinds of days. I got to talk to LT while he was at work. This doesn't always happen so it is such a treat! Sorry there are no pictures. I didn't want to do a selfie of me on the couch!

Now that the weekend is over, I am ready for a Friday again! Do you ever get that way?

This week is shaping up with my district going "white out" for heart disease. Everyone is to wear white. Then we have a college coming to talk to our students. The normal work week and then ending the weekend on Valentines Day!

Snow in Texas?

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Yep, ladies and gentleman (if there are any reading), it is actually snowing in Texas. We are currently at 17 degrees. It is supposed to snow until about 1 pm and have forecasted possibly 1 inch of snow.

The Kansan in me is laughing because I grew up with blizzards. But the Texan in me, I have lived here for almost 20 years, is rejoicing in the winter experience and thankful it is nothing like our northern sisters are getting.

Is it just me, or is our weather staying a little longer, turning a little bit worse than the year before? I know Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and has predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but we can't lay this all at his feet. He didn't say how bad it would be, just longer.

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I am a seasons girl. I love to experience the seasons, but I am not a cold weather girl. I like to be warm and toasty and cozy. Winter does not really help with that feeling. Oh I turn on my electric blanket at night and keep the heater on a little warmer than most, but the one incentive to moving to Texas was warmer weather longer.

So let's take the positive away from today:

1. There is a beautiful light blanket of snow covering everything. Snow is always pretty when it comes down and softly lands on things
2. We are actually experiencing winter!
3. It started to snow late morning so the majority had time to get to work.
4. Everyone that made it to school, made it safely
5. This weather was made for snuggling! Whether you have a significant other, a pet or an electric blanket, you can snuggle up tonight!

So let me ask you...no matter what your day is...what is your positives? Tell me at least one positive thing you are taking away from your day.

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BirthdayIdeas?

February 20 is my birthday and the countdown has commenced.

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Ok. I hit 40 four years ago, but, this still applies!

I am needing ideas on what to do for my birthday. It could be only for LT and I or it could be for a group of people. I just don't have any ideas on what to do. Let me give you some back history so you will understand why this is hard for me.

I love my birthday. Growing up, my mom would decorate the dining room with streamers and pile the table full of presents. When I woke up on birthday morning, I had to walk into the dining room and...surprise! It was awesome. I still carry the excitement and joy of birthday mornings with me. Secretly I hope to have this happen to me now as an adult and it has never happened again. Ahhh the memories!

Every year I do a count down at school. I used to bring a cake to school to feed about 40 people and share it with my students and staff (yes I am on a small campus). Nutrition laws have changed that and I no longer bring cake. More for me, right?

Other than that, I don't celebrate my birthday. It is not that I am against it, I just don't know what to do. Oh, I usually will go out to eat with my sister and BIL and LT if he is off work. It just seems I am the one that has to come up with what to do, plan it and share it with everyone involved. You guessed it, I just don't do anything. I guess it is easier that way.

This year LT is wanting to know what I want to do. My friends want to know what I want to do. So I am asking you....what DO I want to do for my birthday?

Help a sista out and give me some ideas or else this birthday will go on like always: sitting at home doing nothing. BORING.