Well, quick catch up on the room situation. Before I left last Monday (actually Tuesday because I had to completely pack up the room) my AP's and principal met. Between my specialist and the AP's they either convinced Pat that 1) she didn't know what she was doing putting me on the back hallway, 2) it would be stupid to put me there 3) read 1 and 2. Either way I'm back on the front in a large room again. Friends in low/high/perfect places, what can I say. The mouse who roars the loudest gets heard sometime.

Spent yesterday with Tim Holtz and Mario. They are both so cute. Just want to put Tim in a box to keep when I lose my "muse" and Mario, who is Mr. Clean-Up needs to come follow behind me. The first two classes were outstanding. Learning how to use alcohol inks and paint on trasnparencies and other things with them. How to make your own glimmer mist. Working with grungeboard. It's cool, but I'll use it very limitedly (?) on projects. Third class was different, it was canvas and beeswax and paint and ink and sand that we made ourselves)cool,huh). Learned new ways to distress, etc. etc. etc... Spent way to much on the cool stuff. By Design is "da bomb". Tracy is so very sweet and helpful. They have a lot of really cool stuff in right now. I suggest a road trip for any of you.

Beth is coming home in two weeks and will stay until August 8th. Rachel managed to get her a job helping set up the new Barnes and Noble in Pearland. What are big sisters for? Thanks Rachel. Beth hates New Mexico and can't wait to get out, plus it's so dry out there she's having trouble with her eyes. Need to replan my summer somewhat with her being home.

Able has been very sick since about February when my old vet gave him a new flea medicine which his body didn't respond well to and it's been a fight with his immune system every since. Now he has edema in a leg cause by leaking of platelettes (I think, Rachel understands better than I do). We did an ultrasound last Friday and have him on Zantac and antibiotics. Taking him back today for more blood work and hope there has been an improvement. They may have to do a platelette (sp) transfusion. I don't remember my dog growing up costing my parents this much. However he is a part of the family and I can't just do what some people think I should do I should do with him.

Well, it's the first day of in-services for the summer. Gotta go, would hate to be late.

Toodles,

Leann

4Jobs I Have Held
Mother
Teacher
Bookkeeper
Office Manager

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
Master and Commander
You've Got Mail
Camelot
Gladiator

4 Places I Have Lived
Kansas City, Kansas
Emporia, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas (do you see a pattern?)
Houston, Texas (Mo. City, Meadows Place)

Four TV Shows I Watch Regularly
Brothers and Sisters
Hell's Kitchen
Grey's Anatomy
Toss up between Medium and Law and Order: SVU

4 People Who Email Me Regularly
Kim
Carol
Faith (my sister)
Merry

4 Things I Do Everyday
Get out of bed
Eat
Read
Pray

4 Favorite Foods
Anything chocolate (especially if it's cold)
Steak
Chicken
Pasta

4 Places I Would Rather Be
Anywhere with my girls
Walking on the Great Wall of China
Stonehenge
Washington D.C.

4 People I Am Tagging (so if your name is here you have to do what I have done here)that didn't work.
Unfortunately, I think everyone is taken. Hope y'all had fun

Toodles,
Leann

Thanks

For those of you who made it through my last two rantings you're pretty brave souls and probably better people than I am. What can I say I was off my meds. Doesn't mean I'm not still pissed, but life goes on.

Geesh Leann, you don't blog forever, now two in one day, and both now leaving warm and fuzzy all down under feelings. Thanks guys.

Toodles

Leann

Life's a bitch and then they move your classroom

Ignore my first post of the day. Went to school, which by the way I wan't suppose to be at today, but what the heck I've got tons to box up so I thought I'd get a few hours in. When there my Science Specialist/GT person comes in (she never comes to my room) and says" I've got goood news, and I've got bad news. The bad news is that putting you into another room which happens to be right next door, the good news is that I'm here to help you pack". Mother Fucker. Yes, let me repeat that MOTHER FUCKER!!!!!!

At approximately 10:30 Friday morning I spoke with FAT PAT, my princpal to make sure that my request to NOT be moved was happening. She said I was staying where I was. This morning at approximately 11:30 the designated messenger/put their neck out, because we know FAT PAT doesn't have the balls to do it herself comes to my room to drop the bombshell.

While I really don't have a problem with moving, well yes I really do since I've moved every year but one in this building I would have liked the courtesy of having move than a days notice. Now for those of you who don't understand I have been in a science room this year. My administration knew from the beginning of last year that we would have to add another team in 8th grade which means they need another science teacher. Once again I have no problem with that, except one would think they would remember this small detail when it came to master schedules and planning. I just would have liked more notice. My poor housekeeping man asked me if I was moving (cause I know he didn't want to have to do it), and at that point in time I told him no, I wasn't. However, I digress. After I rant and rave in front of this woman and ask her kindly to leave my room, just get out, I get a phone call from FAT PAT to come see her saying she's serving margaritas, yeah right. She is soooooo verrrrrry sorrrrry that this has happened and that Ms.Hinton feels terrible but wants all of her science teachers together and she has a new one yadda, yadda, yadda. Well guess what Pat, oh that's right Social Studies doesn't need to be together since we had the highest scores in Alief History, I've got a KINDERGARTEN TEACHER you hired for the fourth team in 8th grade to teach in a TAKS field who if you left me where I was would have been across from me and I could have helped. Well you know Ms. Looney if there was anyway I could make this work I would. However, we have this room on the back hall that should work for you. Why I didn't get the hell out of there this year I'm still asking myself and kicking my ass. However, I do have a specialist that I love. Back to my rantings. So I guess when I walk in on Monday I'll look at the infamous map and find out where I'm to move. Why a change of room is making me a bigger bitch than normal and angry and crazy and my blood pressure to shoot up I haven't a clue. I guess it's just the principle or should I say principal? Well fuck it, I'll just have to live with disappointment.

Thanks for bearing with me if you did.
Leann

well, well, well

Schools finally over. Who knew 8th grade girls would cry so much over leaving middle school. Such drama. Have to go up to finish packing my room for the summer and that's about it. Got good news from our district co-ordinator yesterday. For years Greg has been saying if Alief beat the state percentage in TAKS he'd have a fish fry for the social study departments. Well we got our results yesterday. State was 90, Alief was 91! Actually Greg I like mine broiled with butter and lemon... Holub had a 97 point gain from last year which was a -6 loss. Don't ask, I don't undestand it all. All I know is Greg's contributing Holubs gain to the fact that I joined 8th grade and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy all under. But I worked my extremely fat behind off this year to prove I could do it. When you have kids telling you to move to high school with them and that you were the best teacher and they finally learned history it was worth it. I congratulated all my classes on their success telling them I was nothing but the fuel and they were the fire that burned very, very brihtly.

Summer will unfortunately be over before I know it with every I've got planned to do. I've got 100 hours of professinal development (Rice Institute - 40 hrs., and Texas Bar Association Instituted - 40 hours). Don't know that I can afford to go home to see my mom which she says is okay. What I really want her to say is that here's a plane ticket, come home, but that's my mother.

Had plumbing problems which was an expense I hadn't planned on, so I'm actually thinking about getting a weekend job at Starbucks or someplace. Please note the word "thinking".

Well I'm off. Hope everyone has a great summer!!!

Toodles.
Leann

Nothing New

Four days to go but who's counting. This year has literally flown by. However I am proud of my kiids. Out of 110 who took the regular TAKS test on 2 failed (no surprise on either of them), 80 recevied commendable and 4 had perfect scores. As I told them I'm just the fuel and they're the fire and they burned TAKS to the ground. So I guess I can say my first year teaching 8th grade has been successful. Losing my favoriet AP, so she's getting the hell out of Hellub, but going to another place that has major problems. Unfortunately she's a "fixer" so she'll probably never get her own school which is a real shame.

I've got plumbing problems, my toilet tank won't stop running and the valve is to tight for me to turn off the water and see if I can fix it myself. Only problem is: very little cash right now and trying to get the time off to get it fixed. Principal has already told us if we're not there Tuesday we get docked, so in the mean time my water is flowing in the stool and the money is literally going down the drain. My water bill will be outrageous.

Well, hope all of you have a great week.

Love to all. xoxo
Leann

Wow has it been that long since I wrote. Time gets away. 15 days for the kids left, that means 11 days for me. Rachel and I leave next Thursday to fly to Albuquerque to watch Beth graduate. She has been accepted at California State University for grad school and her internship. She'll be moving there in July-August. Her father of course is being the everlasting jerk. Instead of telling her how proud he is, he on her about going into debt. Okay, dad if you don't want her to then pay for it or offer her a low interest loan payable when she gets out of school. But does he think of something like that? Of course not. Haven't seen my baby since Christmas and looking forward to seeing her. Rachel is working on line on her teaching certification. I think it's much more detailed than she thought it was going to be. However, one reason she did it on line was so she would be able to go to the graduation. I'm so proud of both of my girls.

Merry keep us informed. Miss and love all of you.

Leann