Week One under my belt

Having a three day weekend after the first week of school is a gift. We spent the day yesterday at the University football game; today I'll be unearthing my house from a week of utter neglect and I still have tomorrow to play with. (I didn't want to tell you that tomorrow I'll be going in to work on lesson plans and grading and parent phone calls that are due Friday). But hey, at least I'm not doing those things today, along with the housecleaning.

The Munchkin started kindergarten. I've never been a my-child-can-do-no-wrong parent. However, I'm afraid I am guilty of knowing that my child is surely the smartest, most special child in the class. I'm sure Mrs. B can just see the parental love radiating from him when he's standing among his peers. I wonder if all parents feel this way. I guess I should make my parent phone calls extra positive this week.

I am thrilled to be teaching fifth graders. I did my time in second grade last year in order to get a job close to home and this first week back with older kids has completely reaffirmed that I am an intermediate teacher at heart. I decided to focus hard on procedures the first two weeks of school--sharpening pencils, formatting math homework, writing journal entries, even how to stand up and push in your chair. I figure if I take care of all the piddly crap these two weeks, then I can spend the rest of the year just teaching. This seems like a really neat group of kids. I think it's going to be a great year.

I guess I can't put off the housework any longer. Thanks for reading my blog. I enjoy your comments. (Come on--don't make me cry when I check my blog and see yet another post with "0 comments." Okay, shameless comment begging complete. Have a great long weekend!

Concert Tickets

So, the Geek bought tickets to see Dave Matthews Band in Sacramento. This is about the most perfect way I could think of to end the summer. We've been wanting to see DMB since....forever. One small problem. The concert is wayyyy at the end of summer. So far at the end of summer that it is actually on the first day of the new school year. We can't go, I whined. How could you spend so much money on tickets without paying attention to the date? I implored. The district wouldn't even let me take a personal day the first week of school, even if I was crazy enough to want one, I moaned. Besides, it's the Munchkin's First Day of Kindergarten, practically one of the most important days of his life, I huffed. The Geek assured me he could sell the tickets on Craigslist since the concert is sold out. Sob.

I was at Book Club last month griping about not getting to go to The Concert (we have to warm up before we start talking about the book) and my dear friend J said, "Well, why don't you just go?"

I hadn't thought of it that way. I could just go.

I worked out some of the details on my drive home. The Geek will pick the Munchkin up from AM kindergarten and take him and the Bean to a sitter for the night. He'll be there to pick me up right when the bell rings at 3:15, we'll drive the three hours and we might not even miss the opening act. We'll drive back that night and I'll be tired as hell at work the next day, but who cares--It's Dave Matthews Band!

When I got home from book club and crawled into bed with the Geek, I told him the good news. The next day he emailed me from work, "So who in Book Club do I have to thank for changing your mind?" I glared at him, or at his email anyway. How do you know it wasn't just my idea? I didn't have to ask. He knows me too well. As I get closer to thirty, I'll try not to always be so practical.

It's going to be great!