Twelve days before Christmas

I've survived twelve days in my new job, and now we're on a break for three weeks. It sure would be nice if after Christmas was better than before Christmas in my classes. (I'll avoid the temptation to turn this into a blog about what's wrong with today's teenagers....)

We're looking forward to the days when the cold weather gets a little more mild. Leaving early in the morning for work means a bitter cold start to each day. I'm excited about sleeping in for several days, too. It was nice to do that when I was in class each evening.

Keith has been home when I've gotten done with work each day this week, and I look forward to hearing about his daily adventures. He's been supportive as I've navigated being "the new teacher," and I'm looking forward to spending time together over the next few weeks. The spring semester will be here soon, but not before we get to watch some movies, visit our families, and maybe even ride our bikes!

Merry Christmas to all!

Whew!

I've been at my new job for seven working days now, and the pace is demanding. I have four courses to prepare for, and the daily schedule will change dramatically for the next five school days to allow for standardized testing. Just when I was finding a routine, it will change.

At home, the routine is still unclear to me. My mornings come really early, and I don't know when I'll be getting home on a regular basis.

Keith and I have been thinking about our plans for Christmas, and we're looking forward to seeing our families.

I'm still celebrating my birthday. On Saturday, my mom came to see us for the day. Keith made a great lunch and his special brownies. On Sunday, Keith did some paperwork tasks for me, which was a great gift! Yesterday, we went out to dinner, and lots of folks called and sang to me. On Friday, we're having dinner with PO and MO. It's a great week of special activities.

This break-neck pace is demanding but productive! The best news for me is that all my fall classes are done, and I'm just waiting on grades to be published.