Warning: Gratuity ensues

First and foremost, thank you sk4p and fiannaharpar for helping with getting one of many new user pics that you do see... and will see more of... very soon. ;-P

Yes, I got new pix, 'n I be gwinter use'm all!! Bwaah-ha-ha-haaa!

Ok, I'm sleep dep'ed, easily amused, and I'm actually balncing my daughter on my shoulder while sitting on the couch typing with both hands. It's pretty freaky.

Ahhh.... PS2...

Speaking of whom, sk4p stopped by yesterday for dinner and to play Madden '03 for the first time since before Lake was born. I think it was Superbowl Sunday, actually. We all ordered hoagies from Unique Pizza, gave us wonderful gifts for Lake that he and his mom got just the other day. They're cute little outfits (none in pink! yay!!), and Shawn also got Lake a Raggedy Ann doll, along with the book. That was super thoughtfull, and thank you again, .

Unfortunately, as the user pic suggests, there was football involved, and despite having practiced and gotten better at the game since the first time he and I played, he still whooped my ass 49-45 as the Steelers against my Texans! It would've been a lot closer if I could only friggin' tackle a guy after he makes a reception! I had 15 first downs to his 2 or 3, because about 4 or 5 times he threw a pass on first down and ran for a TD! (bastard!)

A rematch must be in order, but I don't know when I'm gonna have time to work on my l33t ski11z. Hrrmph.

Ah, young children

And I'm not talking about my daughter. There'll be plenty of time to belabor that in future posts. No, this is just in reference to my job. There's only two and a half weeks left in the grading period and I'm feeling the crunch. I won't be able to do what I originally wanted to with these kids with regards to their rhythm compositions. I still have to teach them rests and dotted notes. I have to scrap sixteenth notes and probably having them perform their rhythms in pairs. I also have to finish up the tests that were left ungraded by the teacher I'm replacing from the end of January. I at least have an idea how to grade the ungraded parts and how to weigh the grades; getting around to doing that will be another story.

And though I'm looking forward still to starting the final nine weeks, where I can start from the beginning and try to get to everything that I want, I've been warned that the group of kids coming in at the end of March are the worst group of the four in the seventh grade. Much of it is in terms of behavior, talking, and appearantly "getting it". Hopefully I can nip most of these problems in the bud before I get a class of kids out of control; I never want to repeat my experience of the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Plus, there are going to be the field trips, the week of testing, and other distractions that beset the last nine weeks.

But at least I get my first paycheck this Friday! :-)

They'll be comin' round the... Turnpike?

My parents are coming in the weekend of my birthday for Lake's baptism on the 30th this month (and also for my birthday on the 29th- it got planned that way :-). It'll be the first time they will be able to see her. For my mom, Lake is her fifth granddaughter (no grandsons). For my dad, this is his first grandchild, and they're both excited to see her. Mom's bringing up clothes for her, and hopefully pictures of Lake's namesake, my mother's mother Lake Anne Steele. I hope everything works well, and I hope that the weather cooperates. No late blizzards, please.