BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl

Tag Archives: summer vacation


by 4 Comments

Sucking the Energy Right Out of Me

lack-of-energy

No, I don’t read Asian newspapers or drink tea in a tumbler, but this is too cute.

What is it?

The Heat?

The kids?

Getting up to an alarm clock even though my body desperately wants to sleep in?

Knowing that soon I’ll be on vacation for real?

I’m not sure exactly what it is, most likely a combination of all of the above, but for some reason when I get home in the afternoon, after teaching my young writers (for just three hours) I’m totally drained. I try to do something productive, like write, or do laundry, or even just read a book, but before long I’m nodding off. UGH.

I get to bed at a reasonable hour, so why I am so tired mid-day? And why is it only when I’m home alone and have the opportunity to actually accomplish so much?

Am I running from my responsibilities? Am I hiding from something I don’t want to face? Am I afraid to be alone, so I escape into sleep? I’m pretty sure the answers to those questions are no, no, and no. I’m just freaking tired.

My first guess is that it really is the heat. Carrying around all this extra weight in extreme temperatures is hard on a body. I do my best to stay hydrated and keep cool, but I think my body is fighting back, and what better way to conserve energy than to sleep?

On Friday my summer work comes to a close, and I have a few weeks of pure relaxation. I’m heading east, away from the hellfire of my chosen Southwest home, and I couldn’t be happier. In the meantime, I’m going to keep waiting until after dark to jump in the pool, and keep myself as cool as possible. After all, I chose this, and no matter what, it still beats snow any day of the year.


by 6 Comments

The Last Day of School

At 12:45 this afternoon another school year will officially close. The student work has been sent home, the desks have been washed, the report cards have been printed and stuffed in envelopes. All that’s left to do today is reflect on the year, participate in the annual 5th graders v. teacher’s kickball game, and watch a movie. It should be a breeze.

In my own childhood, the last day of school was an exciting day. image91jpg1I don’t remember too many particulars, but there may have been popsicles involved. I loved school as a kid, but I loved summer vacation too. The long lazy days, the weeks of summer camp, and the feeling of freedom were priceless. What kid wouldn’t love summer vacation?

Sadly, there are kids who don’t. These are the kids who aren’t going to summer camp. Their families aren’t going on vacation, and the feeling of freedom is more like a feeling of abandonment. These kids rely on school for structure, consistency, and in some cases, two meals a day. They are the ones that are quiet as the others buzz about their upcoming trips to San Diego or Wisconsin or Disneyland. Their grandparents won’t be coming to visit, they won’t be going camping, and nobody is going to sign them up for the library’s summer reading program. No swimming lessons, no soccer teams, no arts and crafts. These kids will watch a lot of tv and become bored quickly.

The adults in their lives have limited resources. In many families there are shortages. There are shortages of money, of time, and of energy. There are kids in households run by adults who are ill equipped to care for them. Adults with substance abuse problems, mental illnesses, and insane work schedules.  There are kids in group homes and kids living with grandparents and even great grandparents who simply don’t have the energy for them. I’m not saying these kids are unloved, most of them are, but their homes are often chaotic and unpredictable. There may be drug or alcohol abuse in the home, there may be violence. Kids see and hear more than we realize, and it affects them.

Most of my students are excited about summer vacation, and I’m glad. They have worked hard all year and they deserve some down time to just be kids with no pressure to achieve and perform. My wish for the summer is that all kids have fun and stimulating experiences with people who are genuinely concerned about their well being and are equipped to care for them. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find my sneakers, I have a kickball game to play.


by 8 Comments

Daily Prompt: Fifteen Credits

I guess today’s daily prompt is the nudge I need to come out about my professional life. I’m a teacher. There, I said it.  So when asked if I’m looking forward to going back to school, I can honestly say I have mixed feelings.

imagesOn the one hand, I love my summer vacation. I use that time to read and study and reflect and plan new ideas for the upcoming year. I also use that time to play and visit my family and old friends, and sleep and swim and quilt and generally have a good time on my own schedule. I often stay up late, usually sleep past 5:25 (imagine that), and recharge my inner battery.

The summer of 2013 was particularly productive. I moved schools, switched grade levels, participated in a national project for teachers, and began this blog. I focused on my health and well being, got engaged, and took a few trips. I started to exercise, lost a few pounds, and created my 47 for 47 challenge. Wow. No wonder I love summer.

On the flip side, though, the new school year makes me giddy with anticipation each and every year. I itch to see my class list, when the students are still just names on a page. I chomp at the bit to get into my classroom and start moving around furniture and putting up bulletin boards. My heart starts to race at the sight of all the brand new school supplies lining the store shelves. All of those Pinterest ideas compete for space in my plans. I begin to fill in my spreadsheets with test scores and start thinking about my new schedule. I especially get excited to meet the students. I will spend a lot of time with them over the next several months, and I can’t wait to set the tone for that interaction.

Overall, I still find that I experience years primarily by the school calendar, rather than the traditional January to December plan. I’m still getting used to the idea of school starting before the blazing days of triple digit heat have subsided, but other than that, I’m ready for a happy new year.