sábado, 20 de octubre de 2007

joys

What gives me the greatest joys? I here list my Top 10--all but #1 in no particular order:

1. My children's belly giggles as they play together.
2. Answering my telephone to a personal phone call or having a personal email in my inbox.
3. My travels...past, present and future.
4. The emotional catharsis I feel upon listening to the 2nd movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto, the 2nd movement of Bizet's Carmen Suite, the 2nd movement of Schubert's Unfinished, or the 2nd movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony...note, all 2nd movements...
5. Tuning in to my 80's music and singing along to all the songs--everything from Madonna to Def Leppard to Wham!
6. When I prepare something in the kitchen that actually tastes good.
7. When That Little Light illuminates in the eyes of my students upon comprehension of whatever it is that I happen to be explaining.
8. Being outside. In my garden is an extra bonus; I just love being outside.
9. Feeling truly loved and respected.
10. Coffee-Arties-doesn't matter, simply time with my children and closest friends in any way, shape or form.

That was harder than I thought it would be. After a couple weeks of figurative headaches left and right, I feel the desperate need to focus on what makes me happy and try to bring that back right now.

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Tomorrow I will finish my second section of my textbook (level 2, chapters 4-6) by completing the accompanying workbook pages to Chapter 6. I need to prepare a punctuation lesson for my ESL student as well. Lots to do, it is my one workday I seem to get a week.

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K's tooth is looser and looser. School pictures are on Tuesday, and the question looms: will Kindergarten pics be with or without a bottom gum gap? We have yet to see. She learned to tie her shoelaces yesterday morning. It took an amazingly short amount of time for her to acquire this skill; I remember experiencing great difficulties learning to tie shoelaces, and now she is not only tying her own but also those of classmates whose laces come undone and, of course, ribbons around her little brother which double as pink horsey-harnesses. She has also figured out how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the piano--in various keys. Her Spanish has exploded, she is starting to read, and she loves to play hangman and unscramble word challenges I give to her. We are having so much fun together.

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C surprises me each day. He has discovered how to maneuver himself around a bit on the PBSKids.org website I permit him to explore on his own, and completely take care of himself for an hour the other morning while I held class. I checked on him for a moment while my students were working on a pair work exercise to see if he needed a potty break; I was met with a "look" and an "I'm a big boy now, Mommy" declaration. I should have known. He awoke from a nap while I had another student and, instead of seeking me out in my classroom, found a book and sat himself in my great big chair, the "throne," and "read" to himself all about The Computer Teacher from the Black Lagoon.

They amaze me. They surprise me. They fill my life with so much hope and love. They even like to watch my Mexican telenovela with me each night. Who could ask for more?

2 comentarios:

  1. Telenovela, huh... that's one way for them to learn spanish!

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  2. Your children are wonderful, wonderful little people. I wish I lived in your street so I could visit! :) (I am missing little kids since changing jobs.)

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