Pete is loving his new Ag job at Jenkins County High. He enjoys being back with FFA kids and seems to have hit his stride. Three years of teaching middle school had him questioning his calling I think, but all seems to be righted now. He likes taking the girls to school in the morning and going to the Pineland Bakery for breakfast with them. Since he's working extended day, he doesn't get as much time with them in the afternoons, so he really values this time with them in the morning.
I'm still at LMS. Still teaching 8th grade Math. I have a much better group this year. They get my jokes. I like that! However, I'm starting to feel burned out with all the paperwork of teaching and I feel like it encroaches on my teaching time and impedes my ability to truly teach well. That coupled with a ridiculously long school day gives me the feeling that my LMS days may be numbered. We'll see though. I really like the people I work with and sometimes I just get in a rut teaching the same thing and I need a change of grade level or subject. I've got a few good years left in me though!
Ali and Addie survived the transition to a new school. Addie loves EBA simply because they have recess every day and have sno cones on Fridays. She's not hard to please at all! Recess is virtually non-existent in public elementary schools these days due to testing mania. This should be illegal in my opinion, but so far no one's asked me my opinion on this subject. LOL! I did just fine in elementary school. Fifteen minutes of recess every day did nothing to jeopardize my future. I'm not living in a box under a bridge because my teachers wasted time on recess. I don't feel that recess is time wasted at all.
Ali had more of a rocky start. Her ADD is way more evident now than it has been. It's always been an issue with Ali Grace, but this year it is particularly bad. The work she is doing at EBA, she's already done before. They are studying the same things Ali studied LAST year. I don't think it's that EBA is less rigorous. I think it's just that the curriculum is in a little different order. Anyhow, ADD children have a terrible time dealing with boredom and it's showing. Her grades are not bad, but not as high as they should be. She scored in the 97th and 95th percentiles in Math and Reading on the ITBS. She's no dummy. She shouldn't be making C's. She should be making A's. She has an appointment with her pediatrician at the end of the month and ONE of us needs to be medicated. I can't keep spending 2 hours on homework at night. I don't want her labeling herself as a bad student. This would really be a shame. Overall though, if you ask her how she likes EBA, she will answer with a resounding "It's wonderful!". She LOVES the kids in her class and they have been quite welcoming, as have their parents. Ali told me the other day that even the BOYS in her class were really nice. Pete isn't sure that this is a good thing! :) I am happy she is surrounded by children with similar values who have parents with similar expectations for behavior. Ali has already made some great friends whom I feel are positive influences. I suppose the money I pay is worth it for that alone.
We're all getting antsy waiting for fall around here. Pete and I are both Georgia grads and I LOVE Georgia football. I am looking forward to spending some lazy cool saturdays with my screened porch doors open. We enjoy having college friends down to visit during the fall of the year. We have been blessed by good UGA friends we've remained close to, even after almost 15 years. I LOVE having company and I'm glad we have adequate accommodations for everyone, even though we've expanded quite a lot since those college days! Seems someone in our group is always pregnant!! LOL
Ali is looking forward to resuming her riding lessons and so am I. I really think her riding lessons help with her attention. Learning riding techniques is not easy and it requires a great amount of focus to get the horse to do what you want it to do. This is good practice for Ali Grace. I could tell the difference during school when she was taking riding lessons. She really enjoys it and I think it's just another positive influence for her.
Well, all my best to you out there who are going back to school next week. It's not an easy time of year. Good luck to everyone and have a great weekend!!
