Thursday, July 27, 2006

Summer School is Cool!

I have been substituting for summer school this week (really just Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). A few things I have learned about teaching summer school:

1. EASY MONEY!!!!! Any of you teachers out there ever get the offer to teach it, do it!
2. Good hours-8:30 to 11:30 every day...you can't beat that
3. Good kids-at our summer school, it was only for 2nd graders. Now these aren't the kids that you usually think of when you think "summer school" (you know the losers who are half sitting, half slumped in a desk with a cigarette dangling out of their mouths while they are carving their initials in the desk with their 6" pocket knife). These are cute kids who made a whole lot of progress in reading last year and their teachers didn't want them to lose it over the summer. Pretty much, it should be called "Refresher course" instead of "summer school".
4. Nice dress code-I could have worn shorts everyday if I wanted to. Notice I wrote "if I wanted to". My upbringing would not allow it though. We had it put in our heads, from a very young age, that it is okay to be a "click" above when it comes to dressing to go places. That way you don't feel ridiculous if you are underdressed and it looks like you put some effort into it. Not many people make rude comments or look at you strangely if you are dressed nicely (well, the people who are dressed poorly sometimes say, "Well, look at you...what are you all dressed up for? I didn't know that we were supposed to dress NICE!!!!!". I think they do that to make themselves feel better, because when they are standing next to you, they wish they had dressed a "click" above too). My mom and sister are the queens of the click theory. Because of their good influence, I try to "keep up with appearances" as well. (Disclaimer: after having a baby and not being able to fit into ANYTHING in my closet, it has made it very difficult to abide by the rule. I am happily shedding the weight (and strange bulges) and can see the light at the end of the closet where all of my clothes are.)
5. Early get up time-and I mean EARLY! I have not really had to set my alarm in over 5 months. When my alarm went off on Tuesday, I thought I was literally going to have a heart attack. But, I still remembered where the snooze button was from my alarm clock days and pressed it successfully on Wednesday and Thursday.
6. Picky baby-She would NOT take a bottle from her grandmother (Matthew's mom) or Matthew any of the days that I was gone. Stubborn little girl! When I got home, I even tried to give her one and she looked at me like I had lost my mind. I'm pretty sure she was thinking, "Mom, what are you doing? Why are you trying to shove this crazy piece of silicone in my mouth...that's not how you and I usually do it! Come on, you know I'm not going to give in, you might as well do it the way we've been doing it since birth." Any suggestions on how I can convince her to take a bottle. She won't even put her lips around a sippy cup! Picky, picky, picky!
7. Good to get home! It has made me realize that I am so happy with our decision for me to stay home with Nora. I really love teaching, truly! I completely enjoyed my time these past few days, but I missed my baby also! And she missed me! I can't imagine dropping her off somewhere at 6:45 every morning and not picking her up until 4:30...I know, a ton of kids do that, and I really respect those parents, they are so busy and still manage to spend time with their kids. I, on the other hand, would be so worn out by the end of the day, that I would not be able to function very well, let alone play with my child and love her like she deserves to be loved.

So, those are a few things about summer school. If they ask me again next summer, I will jump on the opportunity!

6 comments:

Tesney said...

Have you tried Dr. Brown's bottles? Clayton loves them. He will take a bottle pretty easily now.

Julie said...

I use Dr. Brown's bottles too. Bailey adjusted to them easily.

Dallas said...

I might try the Dr. Brown's. The problem isn't her DRINKING from the bottle, the problem is her getting the bottle into her mouth. As soon as I put anything other than a pacifier or me up to her mouth, she clamps up and refuses to open up. I keep trying though. She's not going to be able to get through life like this :).

Ashley @ pure and lovely said...

ooooh fun stuff! loved the comment ab the shorts...i was brought up the same way. we were never allowed to wear them to church, either! So needless to say, I really dont wear them now unless theyre sophies around the house.

Karie said...

annie never would take a bottle, period. needless to say i introduced the sippy cup early with her but it was basically me until she was 13 months old. i think i introduced it too late with her. i was just soooo concerned that it would mess up her nursing. daniel, on the other hand, started taking a bottle at 2 weeks because i had to go back to work sooner with him. now he only takes it from my inlaws on the one night a week that i work. a couple of times my mom or kelly has kept him when i work and it totally messes him up and refuses to take a bottle. i started a sippy cup early with him too. we are still trying to get the hang of that. i have never tried dr brown's bottles. it is difficult to plan anything because i can't be away from him for more than a few hours so i understand what you are feeling. cherish this time though because it will be over too soon!!! sorry this is so long!!!!

Dallas said...

Thanks Karie! You are giving me hope that one day Nora will actually drink from a cup (I'm assuming Annie does now). I know what you mean about not being able to be gone for very long. I received a gift certificate for a pedicure right after Nora was born and still have not gotten to use it because the window of opportunity is never there. I am going to try and use it tomorrow, in between feedings. Today at Wal-Mart I got whole bunch of different bottles to see how she likes them...keeping my fingers crossed!

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