While we’re on the military theme (see last post), I should mention yesterday.  I subbed at the school with the ELL troubles, right next door to that very room.  That was enough to turn a bad day into a much better one, in other words- no problems.  It was all eighth grade this time, and language arts.  Four classes of letting students work on advertisement projects while I just filtered around making sure they were working, one class where they watched the start of a movie (must see if the library has it so I can finish it!), and one tutorial/study hall.  All except one period went very well.  That one period had a few students who did not like to work.  One of them even got on the nerves of two of his group members, girls who bopped him on the head twice with a tissue box.  Hey, I think I forgot to write that part down for the teacher…  It was an empty box and he was laughing after it so no harm done.   The other two thought they would have a little marker war- with open markers.  The one’s white shirt was quite colorful after that.  Hopefully for his mom washable means completely washes out.

What?  You want to know about that military theme?  Well our military uses ads, so that’s the connection.  Okay, that wasn’t it.  No need to bop me with that tissue box 😛 .  I had noticed the teachers were all wearing T-shirts so I asked about them.  Apparently they like to periodically remind students of certain rules and drill them on it.  Each class takes a turn at this and fortunately language arts didn’t get the short straw this time.  Rather, during social studies the students were drilled on proper hallway manners.  That’s right, how to walk in the hall.  I actually ran into this drill- well really they almost ran into me- during one of my planning periods.  Students quietly marching through the hall like the school would ideally have them do it all the time.  Do these drills work?  I have no idea.  They just started them this year so it will take time to find out.  They’re probably wasted on eighth grade though since they will only be doing the drills this year before going on to high school, and you probably know how eighth-grade-itis goes.  They’re minds will be in high school weeks before they leave middle school.

Once again there was a second day with this teacher, and the same sub as last week got the second day.  This time I would have gotten it had I not already been committed at another school for today so I’m not complaining.  It was actually a very easy day too.  I subbed for the industrial tech teacher, and they had just started the, er, hexter.  And semester (6 weeks and 18 weeks).  Which one matters depends on the grade, but in either case this was only their second day there (no school for them Monday) so they hadn’t started on any projects yet.  That, and the fact that I’m not sure they would be allowed to work on them with subs anyway, meant that they would be watching videos.  sixth grade watched a video on how cars are built.  It was quite informative- they showed a plant where Ford Mustangs were being built.  7th and 8th grades watched a video on movie stunts.  I’m not quite sure what that one had to do with IT, but that was what he wanted shown.  Guess which movie series had a prominent role in this video?  Indiana Jones?  Good guess, but only a minor showing.  Harry Potter?  Are you kidding me?  Yep, James Bond.  Loaded with stunts.  Yes, I know that was your first guess- I was just messing with you   8) : .  A very unevenful day with six very good groups of kids.  Today was this school’s turn for 8th grade graduation pictures (tomorrow at Tuesday’s school) but they had it set up so each student had an appointment, so they just left from whatever class they were in at the appropriate time.  Lots of nice clothes on most of them, though many realized their lower portions wouldn’t be in the photo so there were several guys with dress shirts and ties with jeans.  😮  Anyway, uneventful as I said, until about ten minutes before the end of the day when a 7th grader chose that time to be sick all over the table.  That was the end of the video for that group as they all headed away from the sick spot, then couldn’t stop talking about it.  Well, it was the end of the day.  The custodian was called, he was sent to the nurse, and that was that.  Yep, that’s that for today.  😉

I think I was somehow cursed last Thanksgiving.  I fell ill the day after Thanksgiving, and just as I was starting to feel better a few days later, I felt another virus coming on.  This cycle continued until just before Christmas, and because I was pregnant and exhausted, I tried to rest a lot and get well during that time, but it was stressful because I had a 1½-year-old to chase after.  And while I was sick, I was unable to eat any Thanksgiving leftovers.  So then all during the year, foods like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and even creamed onions (which I used to love) just haven’t seemed very appealing to me.  I think I subconsciously associate the Thanksgiving fare with being sick, but I thought I’d be over it by now – wrong.  Thanksgiving dinner was great and everything, but I’m just not as enthused about those leftovers as I want to be.  On Thanksgiving day, the turkey was delicious.  That leftover sandwich I had on Friday was pretty good.  The cold turkey snack on Friday night was ok.  I didn’t finish the turkey snack on Saturday night, and today for dinner, I will have anything but turkey or Thanksgiving leftovers.  And I am blue in the face from reassuring my husband that it was absolutely nothing he did wrong with the cooking or the fault of any of the guests who brought delicious side dishes.  It’s just my Thanksgiving curse, and I hope it’s gone by next year.  But even if it’s not, no biggie because my Thanksgiving will be made more special than food by the wonderful people in my life.  Maybe I should “train” my body to accept the Thanksgiving food by making turkey and creamed onions more often…

At any rate, the helpers in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day were adorable – check them out:

And below are my two oldest daughters waving to Santa at the Welcome Santa Parade from the day after Thanksgiving:

And if their names were numbers that ordered them by birth, below is a cute picture of #2 and #4:

Well, I got the results from the Ultrasound today and there is good news.  They do not show anything.  So, there is nothing visibly wrong with my Pancreas, Liver, Kidneys, or Gall Bladder.  YEAH!

However, this also brings some bad news.  Lisa & I have to wait to find out what the heck is wrong with me until possibly next Wednesday!

I will be getting a gastroendoscopy and colonoscopy on Thursday and then we will have to wait 3 – 4 business days for the result.  🙁

Wish me luck!  I am trying to keep positive but also must admit I am very scared.  I just am so thankful to have such a wondeful wife to support me!  SHE IS PERFECT!