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Maddie's 1st Birthday Party

Maddie Week of 11-12-07

Blogging (for a change)

Yes, I realize that I haven't blogged since August, and that it is now September. Shame on me. In previous posts, I tended to be wordy, a bad habit of mine. This habit also put off blogging, since I knew it would be a time commitment. I would like to occasionally blog, so I need to kick that habit, or I'll never do it. This post will probably long, because I want to update on several things, but after this, it is short blog posts for me.

My life right now...

...at school:

This school year has been the best yet, for several reasons. I think the biggest reason is our new principal. It is amazing how one person can change the tone of the whole building. She is efficient, organized, prompt, helpful, and willing to listen to suggestions from teachers. Stuff that has been bothering me for years has been fixed in a matter of minutes. I've received several positive comments on my performance, which always makes my day.

The bands are doing great this year. I have retained a good deal of 5th & 6th graders, and I had about 30 fourth graders sign-up. My 7th & 8th grade bands are a lost cause. They are the only classes left that had the guy before me, and they just aren't into it. I very much dislike their attitude, and I kinda wish they all would quit (there are 7 total of them), but I don't think it would reflect well if I had no 7th & 8th graders in the band. Meanwhile, I am focusing my efforts on the 4th-6th graders, who are doing a fabulous job this year. I am finally feeling like I know what I am doing when it comes to band.

General music is also getting a little easier. I still have discipline issues, although not as many. I have taken a zen approach to classroom disruptions. Rather than get angry (which seems to amuse the students, rather than get them to stop their behavior), I calmly issue lunch detentions. There are still a few who continue to act out, and I know I could be more consistent, but I am making progress.

I also have all kinds of cool new technology this year that makes my job fun. My ActivBoard has been permanently mounted on the wall, with a projector coming down from the ceiling. In the corner of my classroom, I have my 'teaching center,' complete with ActivBoard, computer, keyboard, microphones, stereo, etc. I love every opportunity I get to use technology while teaching, and I think the kids are enjoying it too.

Things are looking up, but I am still setting sites on a new job, although it would have to be strictly instrumental, pay about the same, and not be any further away from where I live. I like my job, but I am swamped most of the time. I feel that I am doing the job of two people (three, if you count yearbook advising). And yes, I know I get paid a stipend for doing these things, but there simply are not enough working hours in the day to get done what I need to do have a successful band and general music program. This means some late nights at school (9 PM one night), and taking a lot of work home. I would like a job would allow me to keep school at school, to give me more family time.

I am also nervous about our administration beyond our principal... mainly the superintendent. While I have had only one official run-in with him, I have heard some really sneaky and shady things are going on in the district office. I fear not for my job, but for my program, and would hate to see 4 years of hard work building up the band program go down to the drain to help the district's bottom line. It's not fair to the kids. There is no official danger of the band program being cut, but, after hearing what has been cut already, I am a sneaking suspicion the band may be the next to go.

Despite this, I am actually enjoying myself at work and don't dread driving to school every day like I used to.

...at home:

I am LOVING fatherhood so far. The only thing I regret is that I don't get more waking hours with Maddie. She is a lot of fun now. She is crawling, pulling up, and cruising. She waves, claps, and dances like you wouldn't believe. She says "Hi" to just about anyone. She raises her arms when you ask her how big she is, and she grabs her feet when you ask her where her "piggy toes" are. She kisses (which is really licking right now...gross) just about everything: me, meg, my mom, characters in books, the fridge, the dishwasher, the oven, her own reflection in a mirror. She is so smiley, has wild curly hair, and thinks that life in general is the coolest thing ever.

She will be 1 year this month. It is hard to believe a year has almost passed since she was born, but when you look at pictures from last November and December, she seems like I completely different person.

I think the ultimate best thing about being a daddy is getting to see her do something new and different every few days (even if it seems small and silly).

Meg is also doing well. We are both busy, and don't have as much Bobby-Meggie time as we used to. I think we are still very close though. You would think most of our conversation would be baby-related, but we actually do discuss school, share lesson ideas, and comment on the latest political news on NPR (yes, I said NPR... we are officially old).

I am still keeping busy with home improvement stuff as well. A few weeks ago, I knocked down a wall in the kitchen to make way for our new, wider fridge. Taking down the wall was easy, repairing what was left behind is a little more difficult, so I have put the project on hold until I have a chance to devote more time to it.

I finally got around to closing the pool, after ordering a nice, high-quality cover, which should last me years. I have let the yardwork slide. Last year, this would have bothered me, but with so much else going on, I am just letting all of the leaves be a nice fall decoration.

So that is an update on my life. Things are going well.