So, are we in Vermont yet?

Things can’t get any weirder with me. Ok. I shouldn’t really say that, because when I do, it only getss weirder. Let’s just take a look at yesterday’s adventure.

Isaac and I got invited to Kate and Ray’s house for Ray’s 2nd birthday party. She lives in Holyoke, Mass. Nice little place. BUT, man. if you don’t know your Mass Pike exits, you’re in TROUBLE. I know the Mass Pike a bit, for example..I can get to Boston no problem…I can get to Lee, No problem! When you take me off of another exit, you better know where you’re sending me, especially when I have Isaac in the car!
Kate told me to take the Springfield exit of the Mass Pike to I-91. She said she thought it was exit 5. Ok. Springfield/I-91 is EXIT 4. Exit 5 says Chicopee. So, what do I do? take 4. She told me to junction the 91 to the 391. Ok. Not a problem, or so I thought. I was driving and driving and driving and driving and driving. I knew I was so far out of the way when I saw signs that said “Brattelborough, Vermont, 30 miles.” I like Vermont. I have nothing against the state of Vermont, but that’s NOT where I needed to be yesterday afternoon!

SO, I pull off at exit 26 of I-91, and ask for a map. Turns out I should have gotten off at CHICOPEE and gone North, instead of Springfield and gone North. Argh. SOOO, I get back on the Highway and go South and find my exit. I get to Kate’s an HOUR and a half late! ARGH! Oh, well. It was a blast. Maybe now that I know how to get to Vermont, I may hit the Ben and Jerry’s factory tour at some point. Fun, fun fun!

Day care and school and exhaustion, OH MY!

I forgot how exhausted you get working full time, and how little time you truly have for anything else! I’ve been at Little Flower for 2 weeks now, and things have just been kind of weird. Almost surreal. I like the kids, but they still are of the opinion that my word doesn’t count. *sigh* I guess that’s a product of the fingerprints not being clear yet so taht I can be alone with them and insert my brand of tough love. I was offered a spot in another room, with better hours. Debating on taking that one, as I’m so attached to my insane group of preschoolers. BUT,the hours in the other room work better with school,a nd work so much better with my life. One never knows. Main problem is, it’s INFANTS. Not exactly what I wanted, but hey. I wonder if I was offered this job for a reason? Huh…confusion abounds.

I have to adjust my school schedule. I’m kind of miffed at one of the grades I got. I don’t think the prof added the points correctly,and I’m truly not sure he really liked me, but oh, well. That’s another fight and rant for another week. I also met with Dr. DeLuke yesterday evening to go over the Autism class that I registered for. There were originally a bunch of people in the class, and after these meetings, they’ve been dropping like flies. HOLY COWERS! It looks like there are only going to be 5 people in the class! we’re going to be running a social skills program for Asperger’s and High Functioning Autistic students. Lots of planning, lots of working and lots of emailing. it’s going to be interesting. Plus, we have to visit the Center for the Disabled (oops! CENTER FOR DISABILITY SERVICES!!! They just changed their sinage oh, a week ago!) because they run a program extremely similar to what we’re running. What kind of frightens me about this class is that we get an undergrad assistant. Not too sure what to make of that right now. I hope I get one with some type of good experience. I don’t mind traning, but with working full time, and attempting to juggle other classes, I can’t even begin to think of doing the kind of training job I want. Considering I have to email lesson plans and things to them, I’m going to be one person who is attached to the computer right left and center. I’m also thinking that I’m going to have to go to Panera for Lunch to use their free wireless internet so I can get some of my work done. thank god for wireless cards! LOL!

BUT, on the other side of this, Dr. DeLuke has MASSIVELY mellowed out. wonder if her outward persona is to scare undergrads. I was so afraid of her,a nd so hardcore stressed during her class, it wasn’t even funny. I refuse to get that way. I think it’s also my type-A/procrastinating personality coming out as well. I think that she’ll be hard on us during this, but we are impacting students, and it is a HUGE responisibility…so I’m not too freaked. the other cool thing is that she’s asking us to submit our lesson plans ahead of time so that she can look t hem over. I’m expecting at least one “what are you thinking!” on my plans. I even told her so. Sometimes I tend to get a bit overboard, and miss the target and watch it all fall to pieces in front of my face. I usually get at least 2 of those a year. I think every teacher does. In my case, its’ just kind of an expected thing. Right now, I really can’t afford that with Dr. DeLuke watching. I’m the only school psych person plopped into this class, so I have to reallllly look good. Blah. I hate that pressure, but oh, well. it will do me good. I swear it will! LOL!

My knitting has had to take a backseat. I had to tear out the ladybug socks for the oh, 9th time! This time, my downfall was going to the mall and leaving them otu where Isaac could get to them! I come home,and find all 4 of my needles splayed all over the place! my stitches were still in place, but as I was putting them back on the needles, they started to pop! I think I was pulling too hard, I got so frustrated, I did a tear out. I said “forgetit!” and balled the chamelion yarn. I think I’m going to use that yarn and attempt to work on them from there. I even gota pair of size 4 dpn’s, and we’re going to see how we go wtih those. I think I may cast on during my lunch break and see if I can at least get the initial rows done. It’s not so bad after you join and get them going. I wanta pair of socks!! ARGH!

Oh, and on the exhaustion front…if anyone saw ER last night, can you pretty please update me? I missed what Galant told Neela and I can’t find it anywhere on the web! I wanna know! I wanna know! Why, you ask? I seriously crashed out about 1/4 of the way through. I got the other info, and stuff, but argh…thsi whole Neela/Galant thing is driving me batty!

Ahhh…freeing!

My last day at Sylvan was Friday night. Thank the good lord. Do you know, in their infanite wisdom, those fools were going to have me come in on Saturday for 1 child for 2 hours? FORGET IT. When Tiffany told me “oh, I don’t need you for the first two hours, can you come inf or the 2nd two?” I said “why can’t you not need me for ANY of the hours?” I think I pissed her off. Oh, well. LIKE I CARE. I’ve saved their asses on many occasions, and this is the way I get treated my last week? Oh, come in an hour early because WE screwed up, oh, stay late every night, oh, be a few seconds late and we’ll leave a nasty message on your answering machine, because we’re too lazy ass ed directors to come in and we send in the director who can’t teach ANYTHING because he’s not a teacher!!

Ok, off of sylvan. That rant will end right here, right now, because I’m FREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! FREEEEEE!!! (I need that dancing icon again.)

On another freeing topic, I wrote a long, very firm letter to Isaac’s early intervention teacher. She was NOT doing her job! I was hearing that she would spend most of the sessions sitting in a rocking chair taking notes and not even interacting with Isaac. She even lost track of him at one point, and picked up another child! HELP!! What the heck are you doing with my child? I basically wrote her this letter stating that i wanted a 3 month progress update. I know the sped law, and I’m not stupid. She’s lucky I even am giving her this 2nd chance, rather than firing her outright. She even tried to chew out Audra! Sure. Like I’m going to let her get away with thta one. NOT A CHANCE, SWEETIE. It felt amazingly good to write that letter and basically tell her off and tell her that my eyes are on her. Audra said she seemed scared when she found out I was going to be two doors down from her starting oh, THIS WEEK.

and did I mention that?

I took a full time position at Little Flower, teaching Pre-K. I’m 2 doors down from Isaac. YAY! benefits, good pay and I get to see my little boy more and more and more. Gotta love it! YAY!

Now, I’m going to go and hit the couch…and let this wine buzz wear off. I never drink thismuch ever, so I’m buzzing right now. thank god I hve tomorrow off. 🙂