Winter hath come, gosh darn

Well, Malia and I decided we needed to
post again. It's been a while, and I'm sure you are all wondering what we've been up to. What have we been up to? Hmmmm. I have been surviving teaching at Senior. I have a wonderful co-teacher this year who is very supportive and helps me with my most needy class, which is at the end of the day. Things are a little chaotic in there right now at the beginning of second semester, so I have been regularly kicking kids out, sending them to the office and sitting them in the hall. The goal, so I am told, is for them to settle down, even though this will cause them to hate me. Sigh. I knew I went into teaching for a reason.

Here are me and Mom hiking in California. More on that in a minute. I'm too frustrated with the limitations of this program to get perfectionistic about my post, so it's just going to have to be a little disorganized.

On a positive note, my 5th hour has indeed settled down, although one student did manage to escape the evil clutches of Ms. Gibbons by suddenly developing an interest in band, and therefore managing to convince the counselor to switch him to another section. This is a different kid from the one who told me he wanted out of my class because "I want to be able to talk to my friends and not get in trouble." That's not going to work, Sonny Jim. Neither is getting out of study hall by spending it in the bathroom putting on makeup and talking on a cell phone, which is what my 14-year-old girls want to do. "I'm gonna bring my Momma up to school to talk with you, Ms. Gibbons!" Go ahead, I'll look forward to that conversation. . . .

OK, this isn't sounding too positive, so maybe I'd better talk about my Chemistry class, which is wonderful. The squeals of nervous excitement when we blow up a little hydrogen, the willingness to put up with my overly long final without complaining, the actual questions about how to balance equations. You mean there are students out there who will take an active interest in learning? What a difference a few years makes!

On the home front I am enjoying the nesting time of year by cleaning and organizing the house, sewing curtains for the computer room, and getting all caught up in re-learning genetics for some reason. Well, maybe it has something to do with my need to think about my future (or maybe escape my present). I haven't been doing enough baking to keep the hubby happy, but he hasn't complained yet. Besides, Jack is taking up the slack by cooking and baking up a storm. He really seems to enjoy it, and often offers to make up a special order from Jack's Bean and Burrito Steakhouse. The results are incredibly edible, actually.

We had a great visit out West to see Mom and Dad and Pete and DeAnna. Here are Jack and Grandpa Ian, aka the Big Cheeses, mulling over the comparative tastiness of two different kinds of English farmhouse cheddar over the cutting board.








Although we worry about Mom, her spirit, humor and energy inspire me every day. I wish I could post a video showing how she "runs" up a trail these days. Once a mountain goat, always a mountain goat. To think she has had Parkinson's for 5 years, yet she still gets so fired up by the sight of the trail receding into the distance that she just takes off like a bear after honey.

Her caregivers do a fantastic job of supporting her and Dad, and I am so thankful that she has been able to stay at home. Hiking in the East Bay hills just sets us all so straight.

Malia started basketball at school and is loving violin. That's her with her friends making a giant cookie pizza. And that's also her in the very center of the picture, in orchestra. Jack is playing some cool jazz songs on his guitar now too.

Slumber party!



Here is Dan admiring the Christmas tree. He is enjoying playing with the kids' Christmas presents and filling up the computer with all kinds of music we'll never have time to listen to.

So that's us for now. Hope this finds you well.