Stick a fork in me, I'm done...

My how the last four weeks have flown. I agreed to teach summer school in Rockwall. I was assigned to teach 7th grade Texas history while my teaching partner, Stacey Hatten, taught English. I swear we just started, but today was our last day with students. I had forgotten how much I adore teaching. These kids, summer school kids, were not there to get ahead or because they wanted to be. They were there because they failed. Yet, despite it all, they performed for us. Not just performed...they did quite well. Summer school is "project based management" which means that they are taught the material they need to apply the information and complete a major project which is then presented before a panel. I taught about the history and development of Texas, how immigration affects Texas and how the geography of our state impacts our economic base. Our students then had to take that information, form their own communities, write their own constitution, develop their own immigration policy, select a location for their community, develop an economic base and select symbols that represented their community. Tall order of business but they came through.I was very proud of them and in four short weeks developed an attachment for some of those little buggers. I am, however, ready for a break. Shreveport...here I come.

When you wish upon a star....

Be careful what you wish for...you might just get it. All my life I have been "blessed" with naturally curly hair. At the time I entered my teenage years the "in" thing was long, straight, silky hair. I had to work like a demon to get that look. Washing, sitting under a bonnet style hair dryer, and ironing my hair, literally, with an iron and ironing board, helped me approach the look. Throughout my life I have had to beat my hair into submission. Within the last year I gave up the fight and went for the curly look. When I got tired of it I would cut it short. My hair isn't curly when it's really short. I decided to let my hair grow out this last year. About six weeks ago I got it trimmed and decided to add the layers and bangs back into my style. Looked great for about a week. Then...HUMIDITY strikes. The heat wave moved in and the humidity came barreling in like gangbusters. With it my hair developed a life of its own. I began to look like a walking brillo pad...bushy hair springing out in all directions. Enough of that crap! I decided to straighten my hair...not with a flat iron. I mean REALLY straighten it...with a chemical straightener. For the first couple of days I couldn't stop touching my hair...it is sooooo silky and soooo soft. AND SOOOO STRAIGHT!!! My hair cut, which could best have been described as "shaggy," was desperately in need of a trim. Got that tonight. Now all I have to be concerned about is the fact that my hair is sooo straight that it looks like it's painted on my head...not the most attractive look. No, I will NOT post a picture. I think I will wash it tomorrow morning and let it dry naturally...see if that puts some "oomph" in the do.

Hot Fun in the Summertime...

Good Lord in Heaven! It got hot, Hot, HOT so very early this summer. I feel like I am melting every time I step outside of the house. Which kind of makes it difficult that I am teaching summer school four days a week for four weeks.

I leave home Monday thru Friday at 6:45 a.m. to get to work by 7:00. It is already hot and stuffy when I step out of the house. Stepping into the school I am greeted by a rush of cold air. What joy! I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. But then 2:30 p.m. comes, the kids are dismissed and I have to pack up and go to my car. The same car that has sat in the hot sun all day long. What a load of crap! I am already dripping sweat and my clothes are sticking to me by the time I get the door unlocked and crawl behind the wheel.

On the plus side, I am having a ball teaching summer school. I can't believe that we are already one fourth of the way through. The neat thing is that these are 7th graders and I am hearing things like, "You're the best history teacher that I have ever had!" and "I really like the way you teach history.You make it fun!" That is joy to my ears. To love what you do and get money and compliments for it is like the best feeling in the world.

So, as I continue battling this heat, at least I have the joy of doing what I love. But, I can't say that I will be sad when July rolls around and I get some time off. I may not leave the house until October or November...when/if it finally cools off.