Tuesday 12:00 PM Can't Get Here Fast Enough

The kids are done. The faculty is done. I am done. We've had it . . . you try finding educationally relevant material for 7th graders to do on hot and sticky days. I resorted to Mad Libs today, which I love, and that was sometimes an exercise in futility. But come tomorrow at noon, and I'll be a changed woman.

 Bon-bons . . . coincidentally, I have some on hand 

Refreshed. Energized. Hopeful . . . all for the promise of summer vacation. Whether you like summer vacation or not, whether you think teachers are over-paid or over-worked, it doesn't really matter. My summers are basically my weekends that have been put on hold from September. I spend a good portion of each weekend grading paragraphs, essays, vocabulary skills. Ask Erika . . . I can't tell you how many conversations begin with, "Let me call you in an hour. I have one more class to grade." Summer vacation.

 Erika and Cooper at the family wedding (one of the few photos I actually took at the wedding)

Truth be told, I kind of tense up when summer vacation rolls around. I crave schedules; summer vacation comes with no schedule. No one tells me when to knit or use the treadmill. No one. So, I make all those lists, and as I fail to make any progress, I start to think I'm wasting my summer. However, I'm making some goals to keep me motivated:

• get comfortable taking photos with my camera, even if it means using it in public, and because I am a crap picture-taker. As such, I joined a Flickr group: Creative Summer 
• give up television during the day . . . unless it's something on DVD (I can't give it up cold turkey)
• finish at least two sweaters this summer and one afghan (stop laughing, Erika)
• read that stupid pile of books next to my nightstand/bed/couch/chair/stove/other piece of furniture

That's it. Nothing major . . . but hopefully accomplished by August 31.

Jill