SHEs Organized

As your English teacher in residence, I will give support from our ninth grade grammar textbook.
Glasses, scissors, pants, etc. -- are considered "special nouns" which always take the plural, even though it is clear that we are speaking of only one item.
OTOH, certain other similar nouns are considered singular, even though they do appear plural -- mathematics, news, politics, etc.
This is one reason (of many, LOL) why my students love our language sooo much.

I hope Ken in Canada & Indiana feel better soon!

I MUST do laundry tonight, and I MUST get three graduation cards ready to mail/deliver.

Waving to ALL.

Good night everyone. I just realized I have a parent teacher conference at 745 tomorrow. Yuck on the time. I am not a morning person. Before getting home, I need to get a picture frame. I just got a call from a doctors office and had to make an appointment. I was positive I didn't have to come in unless I had symptoms, but apparently I was wrong. I got a followup on Thursday. Time to shut down the computer and go home. Bye.

Back from a marathon choir practice. Almost 2 hours. My throat is raw.

Off to bed as soon as possible. Dh is gathering up the garbage.

Well, it's not a marathon, but I have made progress:
* Wmart w/dh -- groceries, etc., put away
* Watered plants
* Addressed 3 graduation cards
* Ate supper, dh did most of the clean-up afterwards
* Talked to dmom -- had not talked to dparents since early Saturday morning
* Washed & hung to dry, 2 loads of clothes, 3rd load in washer now
* Put away clothes that were hanging on ironing board

Might do one more load of laundry (underwear) before bedtime... might let that wait another night.

Today @ school, I got all grades entered into computer & I'm now set up & ready to put the final exam grades in, after grading the finals tomorrow & Wednesday.
Discarded 4 boxes of junk from school.

Y'all... this is crazy -- but I told dh tonight... I am almost feeling a little NERVOUS about the beginning of summer vacation.
DH said, "Because it's your LAST 'summer vacation'?"
And I said I guess that's it. I am sooo tired... and sooo ready for a break... but then...
I'm kinda scared, I guess, thinking when I go back, that will be the LAST time I go back...
and kinda scared of the new responsibilities and family dynamics that a BABY will bring to our lives...
and kinda scared of what requests and needs I may have to meet for dparents, once I'm unencumbered by the school day...
So... yeah... I'm feeling kinda edgy tonight.

But... I know it will all be fine. It always is... and my goodness... 30 years is long enough to do this.
I think people start really questioning your sanity if you stay in education longer than 30 years these days.
However, our state legislature just passed a new law. New teachers hired after Jan. 1, 2013, will have to wait until they are 62 to draw retirement.
My goodness, if I taught till I was 62, I'd have 42 years! I know -- the teachers of our generation did that... but just go into any local public school today. Look around. Count how many teachers you can find over 60 years old. I suspect there will not be many. We have two, I think, but neither of them have as many years experience as I do. In fact, I think only two teachers at our school have more years than I do. So... it's time. I think. I mean, I know. DH would really start questioning my sanity if I wanted to keep working past next year. I've GOT to hang it up... I've GOT to face the change of pace sometime... I've got to make myself available to ds & ddil... and to my dparents... and to dh, for that matter. But y'all know me... it's going to be scary.

Good luck w/the conference tomorrow, Elizabeth! At least you'll get it over with early.

We had rain this afternoon, Twins. When I came out of school this afternoon, it was like walking into a sauna.
DS is about to face some auto expenses, I'm afraid. Desperately needs new tires on ddil's car... and probably a new water pump on his truck. * sigh * It is always something, isn't it? He says he is not going to worry about the water pump... says the light comes on and he adds water, and a few weeks later he does it again, but it has never actually run hot. * sigh *
He's not going to worry about it, so that means I get to worry about it, LOL!

Good going w/the decluttering "chain," Dee! I need to start an exercise chain around here... that's for certain.

Thanks for keeping us posted on Indiana, MT. Saying a prayer for her speedy recovery!

Hope your throat feels better soon -- and WTG on switching clothing, Kathryn! I have too many multi-seasonal items to really swap out closets, so I just try to keep the winter-only items at one end of the closet. And I do have a pretty large closet, but still... I sorta wish that winter stuff was out of sight for awhile.

Helia, as usual, your schedule totally amazes me! Especially at the age your children are now... it must REALLY be like being caught in a whirlwind every day!

Hmmm... probably should check on the washer again.

Waving to EVERYONE!!!

Lucylee -I'm 62 and the second oldest teacher at school. ( that looks weird to read can't believe I'm really that old )

You need to retire when YOU feel it's right for you and not so it to please others. Otherwise you will become like many of your friends like we both know that left before their time. You will know it is time when getting up and heading to school is no longer fun. You are used to all the H S activities and hearing kids call you Mrs Lucylee where ever you go.

I have emptied years of lesson plans into the trash that only I could creat. Twenty years of my life in these pieces of paper that define who I was. I am ready so it is not hard but I couldn't have done it two years ago. I will have no problem walking out Friday and waving goodbye. I am ready. I've planned and tossed this moment around in my mind for months and I know this is the right decision for me.

Well, Cowinkie, I just don't know that I would ever be SURE... I've never been 100% SURE, beyond a shadow of a doubt, about ANYTHING, EVER, in my whole entire life -- I mean, before I did it, whatever it was. I mean, remember, I've told y'all... the night ds was born, I was crying on the phone to my dmom, asking her what if I didn't LOVE this baby???

I know... I know... ROFLOL... I have been OBSESSED with ds since the moment they laid him in my arms. I fell in love with him like nothing I could have ever imagined.
And he wasn't an accident -- we were, at least, sort of, trying to have a baby. But the night I realized I was pregnant, I thought, WHAT HAVE WE DONE??? THIS IS THE END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.

And of course, retirement will certainly be THE END OF LIFE AS I KNOW IT.
It's just sooo many "signs" pointing the way that THIS IS THE TIME...
Dniece graduates...
Last dcousin will be in my class...
DH will start drawing Social Security, helping to offset my lower salary...
AND * duh * DGS will be turning ONE YEAR OLD... it will be time for ddil to go back to school, and I can't imagine her doing that without me being available to help out.
So... if not now * a year from now * ... WHEN??? I'll NEVER be ready if I don't go now/a year from NOW, I mean.
I'm just praying * almost * that next year WILL be the year from You-Know-Where and I will KNOW.

Back from the track met we knew rain was in the forecast so glad we took umbrellas and the
we parked close enough to watch from dd's van. It really started coming down towards the end. This track met was dgd's last and in a town about 1 hr. away. We enjoyed it despite the rain. Dgd is like the 2nd fastest girl in her school! Rain rain and more rain it's like coast weather here today! Needless to say h. did not get a shelf put up in the shop today. I did not get the house work done either. But we are all glad we went dgd was please when she saw us all there today I think it was a surprise as we did not plan it ahead of time.