1/30/2009

billions and billions

Small Person's 100th day of school is coming up. They make a big to-do about it, partly because one of the achievement milestones for kindergarten is counting to 100, and partly just for fun, it seems. The kids are all bringing in collections of 100 somethings to display and share. Me, being the crazy crafty mom with a suddenly large amount of free time, came up with a doozy of a project. Bring out the hot glue!

First step: count the drawer full of crayons in Small Person's desk. I was pretty sure she had at least 100. Like her mama, she has an artsy-craftsy bent that I encourage. What? Art is life, right? So, yes, she actually had 115 crayonsby our count. We organized into groups of ten, counted and recounted to make sure, then arranged by color into a fabulous array. Way to make homework fun, mom! Then we counted again. After all, wouldn't it be embarrassing to discover we are one short after putting it all together?

Putting it together: ribbon, crayons all lined up, lots and lots of hot glue. The ribbon wraps both sides to keep the crayons secure and try to hide all the glue. So fun! I did the gluing, of course, but not too much of the rest. I try (somewhat successfully) to not get too perfectionist or invested in what is not, ultimately, my work. I'm determined to produce a craft-mate, but I know I'll get nowhere if I don't keep my fingers out of her projects.

We brought it in yesterday, which is also my classroom volunteer day. Hooray! The kids liked it, the teacher liked it, I shut up and let Small Person talk it up. The payoff: when she described the process Small Person was proud and happy and it was obvious she considered it her project that mom had helped with, not the other way around. Phew!

1/21/2009

i am not a crook

I was let go from my job this morning; my boss accused me of stealing and showed me the door. Anyone who knows me or has worked with me in a variety of retail establishments knows I am not a thief. I'm sure I don't need to defend myself to you, my devoted blog audience. I'm shocked and hurt and feeling pitiful. I've never lost a job under such circumstances. Whether it was a spurious accusation intended to release my boss from an undesirable employee, or a true belief on her part, I don't know. I don't care.

I'm going to drink tea and mope a bit more, and then I'll start to get feisty again.

1/08/2009

no news is good news

I know, I'm very late with the well-wishing. Nothing new there.

We're finally back into the swing of things with our routines. A relief, actually, after this year's holiday madness. Small Person is delighted to be back in school; as am I. We're still getting the tortured complaints about bedtime, but as I anticipate fielding those for the next 15 years, it's just another part of the routine. I'm also back in her classroom once a week again, starting today. The kids are still wild and excited about school and really fun to be around. Once a week is enough for me, though. I help out with the lesson of the day, trying to keep track of and assist seven kids at once with their different needs and try to keep my patience in check. Based on this limited experience, I have validated my opinion that I could never be a teacher. Fun and rewarding, sure, but it requires more creativity and stamina than I am capable of. Thank you to those who do it instead of me!

Work is good and less hectic post-holiday, and my classes haven't started yet, so I'm more calm than I have been in weeks. I've made the annual nebulous health/exercise/time management/self-improvement non-resolutions and am bumbling along with them. So far, so good. And with that in mind, I'm off to finish my list of chores before I retire.