Good News/Bad News

OK, so the good news first: 

I have come to terms with my change for next year, and I knew I would. I almost HATE that I knew I would, and that I have, but really, it's just so much more stressful for me if I continue to fight it. Also, I don't have to teach history by way of teaching novels AND science AND ELA. NOW, I only have to teach ELA (2 sections) and Science (two sections) thus bringing my preps down one, which is good. AND, I LOVE teaching ELA. AND I still get to teach the new novel I just purchased for next year, which is awesome - we'll just WRITE about it instead of delving into it for comprehension objectives.

(Awesome book - the one I can't wait to share with my kids next year. If you get a chance to look it up and read it, put it on your list for summer!)

AND they put all 4 classes back to back in the morning, so I will be "upstairs" from 9-12, and back to my little corner of my real room by noon every day. It's not ideal, but it's ok. I can live with it. I don't have to move, and have decided not to. I can create another classroom that's warm and inviting for the kids upstairs, and keep my little safe haven downstairs (and I can continue to grow sunflowers on my windowsill). AND I only have to teach 6th graders, who are a good bunch of kids, and I don't really mind spending another year with them, AND my class sizes are small - two classes of 12 kids each. So how's THAT for looking on the bright side? And I did it all while fighting a really, really, really bad case of pms (actually it's pmdd, but that's probably TMI, huh?)

Now, the bad news?  A friendship broke this week over the whole moving room/not moving room deal, and I'm sad, and mad, and suffering, but I am not going to try to fix it, because I was told that it was "my problem," which means that perhaps I have been viewing this "friend" through rose colored glasses. Deep inside, I have known that she tends to be a much more SELF-centric person than I, and deep inside I have known that we have huge differences, and I have known other relationships, close ones, that she has had, that have imploded over the years, but I have convinced myself that I was different, that our friendship was real, and would last. But, I've been burned this week, and all the things that I was ignoring have come to light, and I can't ignore them anymore, so I think it's best to cut my losses, and move on. Seriously, it sounds like a dating relationship, not an adult women's frienship, but I guess there might be similarities. We are too different to maintain. In time, I will be ok with that too, and who knows, maybe I AM at fault. I do know that my interpersonal relationships do suffer at certain times...
But it IS making for an awkward last few days in the room this year.

Someone asked me the other day what I'm going to do FIRST this summer, when school is out. What an odd question to have plagued me so this week. I can't stop thinking about it. What WILL I do first? What will I do next, after whatever it is I choose to do first?  So many thoughts, possibilities, options are swirling about. It's made even worse when I LOOK about me. The front flower beds need to be weeded, and planted with SOMETHING this summer. The sidewalk weeds need to be killed.
 The chickens need a new coop. Or two or three.  I have to get my Bantams back

 and put the teenage chicks outside, but right now I only have ONE coop, a little one, and three different sized chickens and I don't know what to do with them all (I might be in a little over my head, but too many chickens is, in my opinion, a GOOD problem to have).  And then there are all those INSIDE things I want to do - cleaning, laundry, steam cleaning the carpet, sewing, crocheting, soap making, jam making, etc. etc.
I guess I need to just make a list. That's good - I LOVE lists.

What is on YOUR list to accomplish this summer, for fun, or because you need to? Or both. Two lists are better than one!