The Final Countdown...

Here I sit on the eve of M's last day of 3rd grade, and what should have been MY last day of teaching if it weren't for those damn snow days. OH WELL! I'm still technically employed (and expected to work...) until next Friday, the 19th. I have kiddos until next Wednesday, although I'm only seeing one of them regularly. My second daily student had his last day today, but was in finals yesterday and today, so I wasn't able to see him then. OH WELL! That means my work day is actually about 9-10:30 each morning "on site", then at home working whenever and however I can fit it in.

Having M out of school tomorrow at noon puts a little hitch in my git-a-long, but luckily we have a decent support network (primarily Mom working swing shifts and a day care provider who still LOVES visits from M), so I'll be able to get my work done and not jumble her life around too much.

AND, D is off again to another conference. This one is in a beautiful area in Eastern Oregon where M and I have often tagged along to, but this year it wasn't meant to be. Seems like Mother Nature agrees that it's just not right that M and I aren't there with him, so has decided to rain and give them crappy weather. Can't say I'm sorry about that...although part of me feels bad that he's stuck in the crappy weather.

Then again, weather here isn't exactly great right now either. Very cloudy, overcast, muggy as hell, and threatening to rain at any moment. BUT, in a way, that's a blessing as well since it kind of helps with all the allergy crap floating around in the air making M and I miserable.

Speaking of which - last Wednesday nite I took her out to the school I teach at (in the middle of a hay field...not my smartest move, I know) for a Talent Show and Fundraising dinner. By the time we got home, her eyes were nearly swollen shut and I was considering heading to the ER for a breathing treatment since my asthma inhaler wasn't even touching my breathing. On Thursday she chose to NOT go to her final day of swimming b/c of her eyes, and I chose to NOT go to that school to teach b/c I like to breath. Instead I picked her up early from school and took her to my "other" school (not in a hayfield) to see my student there. Then we headed off to Salem for hair appointments.

WELL, we no sooner get to Salem and BAM! Thunder, Lightning, Rain, Hail, Wind, Tornadoes...you name it, it hit all at that time. We waited it out (while getting new "do's"), and by the time we headed home things were still nasty, but much, much mellower. Of course, the storm did not help my breathing at all and by the time we got back to town, I was headed to the ER with M in tow. Little did I know that the storm had caused breathing problems in apparently EVERYONE in Yamhill County, who were all at the ER at that precise moment in time. UGH! I'm not much for waiting, especially with M in tow, so off we went hoping for Urgent Care to be open. Luckily they were still open enough to feel pity and stay open and see us. One nebulizer treatment later and I could breath again - home, sent Mom for prescriptions, and off to bed.

Friday morning we were off to California for our annual June trip, but that's another post...

Speaking of which - did I have a topic here? I often digress...oh yeah! The Final Countdown...

Tomorrow is M's last day, early dismissal - I'm in a meeting in the AM, then to pick her up and "off" for the afternoon (unless I decide to brave the hayfield again for an afternoon visit...doubt it!). Friday she hangs with Mom and I head to the hayfield, then home to work. Monday with Mom again, Tuesday and Wednesday daycare, and finally I'm all done with kiddos on Wednesday! I still have work to do, but luckily get to finish it up at home mostly.

Then, on the 24th, I turn in all my district "stuff", and join the ranks of the unemployed Oregonians...

Did I mention that I can't wait until the 24th! Although there's a ton to do between now and then (finalizing IEPs, meetings, preparing files, progress reports, etc.), I'm so looking forward to turning it all in and getting this proverbial monkey off my back. Who knows what next year will bring, only that it will be good.

And now, I have a 3-year re-eligibility to prepare for...