Break in Concentration

I'm in my third-to-last week of my first year. There are officially TWO Mondays left. And I can't keep showing movies, right? I need to keep teaching, and it's hard and I don't know what to do and all I want to do is start their research projects but we can't do that just yet. So here I am, stuck trying to figure out how to make learning about Australia and Antarctica and Oceania neat. I don't want to rely on the book, because that is boring as heck. But I don't want to put in the time to create awesome power points and find neat resources. What kind of resources could there be? And I've already shown an awesome video about Australia that was narrated by Russel Crowe. 

Man, I need to step up to the plate and stop bitching. I'm ALMOST DONE...

So here are some things I've been thinking about INSTEAD of work...

London

Rome

Good Coffee

Yummy food...

Home...

Oh you know, just the normal stuff...

Like a good Portland rain...

And a good rain jacket

Because, really, what could be better than a good rain jacket, with a good cup of coffee, while walking in the rain in Portland? I urge you to find something more soothing than that!

Oh, and it's sunny and beautiful in Houston, in case anyone was wondering.

:)

For Mom...

After talking to my mom, and hearing Dominic shouting in the background, I've realized I have been absent from the blogging world. So what have I been up to? What could possibly be going on in Houston? Well, allow me to fill you all in...

I love my students. Hands down, the freshmen class rocks. They are polite, smart, and inquisitive. They ask a lot of questions and seem to really like me! I'm glad that they seem to be enjoying school and my class especially.

Last weekend, being a three day weekend, meant that I could relax a tad and get some stuff done. And boy, did I get things done! I built (and by built I mean struggled to follow IKEA's directions) a desk, bookshelf, and side table for my room. I now feel like I have a bedroom instead of a room with a bed and some random boxes. I also finally unpacked the last of my belongings. I am no longer using boxes as night stands (but I still don't have night stands...), and my shelves are full of pictures of people I love and miss immensely. I definitely need new frames and need to print off new pictures, but that can wait. 

And do I need to mention again Twilight? I'm racing on of my students, Jim, to see who can finish the series first. As of today I was ahead. I really want to beat him!

I've been missing home a ton lately. It rained all day today, which is really strange for Houston. Usually it's just a STRONG thunderstorm in the afternoon, but today it started around 10 and stayed gray and wet all day long. I LOVED it!!!!!!!!!  My coworkers think I'm a little crazy, but that's OK. It reminded me of something I read a year ago in a class. It was about how the Scottish or Irish have over 20 words to describe snow, and that Portland has probably just as many to describe rain. I don't think my kids would know what I was talking about if I said the word "drizzle."  I really need to find that quote...

Oh! And I got a massage and haircut and I bought a George Foreman grill and a food processor! So many great things!

I really must get back to reading Breaking Dawn now. I think I might finish it tonight...

Cheers and love to you all!