August 2019

July was so busy and exciting August started off every slow.  We finished getting my classroom ready and went school supply shopping. CJ had grown out of all of her school clothes so we had to get her new clothes as well as things for school. CJ had her well-baby doctor visit and her doctor stated that she was wonderful.  She was having some trouble with allergies because she had traveled so much over the summer, so her body never got used to the pollen here.

I had a terrible time getting all CJ registration for school completed. We went to the registration day at her school and they said that she was not in the system yet.  We could not get her schedule and walk around the school.  They said that they should have her schedule after she was approved in the system.  I thought that taking everything to them personally in May would help stop this kind of thing from happening.  Then I could not get her fees paid because there was a glitch in the system and her fees would not come up.  I even went up to the school and tried just to give them a check but they said that they could not take it.  I had to pay online. I was so frustrated. I was finely able to get them paid after they fixed everything.

Friday, Millie's mom was not able to attend parent night for the T.L. Hanna band.  So I said that CJ and I would go and then take Millie home with us to spend the night.  CJ was so happy to see Millie and get to spend the night together,

Monday, August 12th I had to go back to work. CJ would get to spend the whole week at Millie's house hanging out with her best friend.  On my first day, I get to go to an Escape room.  CJ was so jealous.  I am not sure what all the hype is over escape rooms I really did not have fun and we did not escape so my group did not what to get pictures or were very disappointed.  We did do a whole school picture.

Tuesday, We went to CJ's freshman orientation.  There were so many people there that CJ and Jay were very frustrated and getting upset.  I was trying to stay calm, but I was still frustrated myself over the registration stuff. Some day I will remember that Jay and CJ get so overwhelmed with lots of people and get very upset.  I should not have put Jay through that. CJ was able to find where her classes were and then we just left.

Wednesday I decided that I had enough of my hair and I wanted it cut so I went and get it all cut off.  I thought it would be better for being able to straighten it but I have been so crazy it seems that I am still not getting a chance to straight it.  So I am glad that it looks ok curly.

The rest of the week was just busy and crazy.  I could have spent hours and hours at work trying to get things done. Friday we had 7th and 8th-grade orientation but I had IEP meetings.  That should have been a sign of what was to come for my school year.

Saturday CJ had her American Girl Club.  She was making pet rocks with the girls.  I think she is still enjoying volunteering.

On Sunday, Jay got up and went down to Georgia to see Garrett.  CJ and I went to the school to work and then I had the 6th-grade orientation.  CJ met with her friend Lilly for a book club meeting.  Millie was supposed to come but her mom forgot.  The girls peer-edited their summer ELA reading assignment and picked a book that they were going to read together.  I think that they had a lot of fun seeing each other and hanging out.  They made plans to have a book club so that they can get together once a month and not lose touch as they end up going to different schools.  I am going to work hard to try and make sure that they continue their friendship.

The first day of school.  CJ and I were excited about starting a new school year.  Little did we know that it would be the start to a very bad beginning of the school year. CJ stated that she did not know where to go and no one would help her.  No one that she knows had that same lunch as her so she had to eat alone. The bus that they told me to have her get on was the wrong one and the bus driver was not very nice about it. She also found that her classes were going to be very hard and she would have a lot of homework every night.  She just wanted to cry after her first day of high school.

My first day was not much better.  One of my students screamed for the whole 3 hours he was there.  I could not get anything done.  This would continue for the rest of August.  I had 16 students in my math class and one screamed the whole time.  It made me what to pick up and quit my job.  I love teaching but I do not know if I can take this all year.

The second day of school was so much better for CJ.  She said that the new bus driver was so much nicer and that at school she really loved her ROTC class.  She was going to get to volunteer at the Clemson games and go on field trips. She said that she even found someone to sit with her at lunch.  I told CJ that to was just a do-over day for the both of us.

Me, on the other hand, did not have a better day.  The student screamed again for the 3 hours this time he through things as well.  It was so bad.  I had to leave early to go to the Doctor.  I found out that my estrogen level was low which was making some ladies cells deformed and that I had a bacterial infection. I had to start taking a bunch of medication.  I hate medicine.  I was talking my doctor a little about my first 2 days of school and she was said well I guess you really need that Valium prescription renewed.  I had to laugh at that and say yes I do.  Even though the valium is such a low dose that it does not do much.

I was so glad to see my week end. Jay had to work and CJ had her Composers showcase.  CJ was a little disappointed that her dad would not be there for her performance but she understood. CJ, of course, did a great job.  Her piece that she wrote was a tribute to her friendship with Millie and Lilly.  It was beautiful.

 That evening I took CJ to Millie's and left Jay to fend for themselves.  I was invited out with Elinor for her birthday.  Everyone that came brought their husbands but Jay was not interested in going so I told him it was best he stayed at home.  I did not feel too much of an outsider without having a husband with me.  If Jay does not want to be somewhere and feels that he has to be there he would not have had fun which would have made it hard for me to have fun.  So this was best that I just went alone and I had a blast.  We went ax throwing and then to dinner.  It was great and I had not laughed that much in I do not know how long.   I really was not that bad at throwing axes.

Sunday CJ had choir practice and received a  free ticket to the Greenville Jewish Film festival.  I dropped her off at practice and Laura offered to take her to the film festival afterward.   Jay and I want grocery shopping and worked around the house while she was gone.  CJ stated that it was nice to get to know Laura and Reid, her husband, a little other than as the director of the choir.  Laura said it was nice to get to know CJ a little other than the little kid in her adult choir.   CJ loved the movie as well.  It was the history of the movie/play "Fiddler on the Roof."   She talked about it all the way home.

Monday was just another day.  We had to meet to plan for my screaming student.  I feel that all we do is meet for him.  The parents said that they were not going to send him back to school until Thursday.  I feel so bad for being glad that I would be able to get some work done with my other students.  The week went by well.  Until Thursday,  I just do not know how to teach reading and math at the same time and deal with the screaming.  I was just glad that the lady from the district office was there to help with the screaming student.  I am just overwhelmed and frustrated.  I am having trouble sleeping at night because my brain will just not shut off.  CJ is having trouble adjusting to high school.  She has a lot of work and for the first time has not gotten all "A's" which is bothering her so much.  She is also missing Millie and Lilly a lot.

Thursday, CJ volunteered for her first Clemson game.  It was a very late night.  She did not get home until after 1:00 in the morning.  She was very tired and we decided that she would not do that again on a school night. 

Friday after work we went camping for Labor day weekend.  CJ's friend Chauneesy came with us.  She has been coming camping with us for years on Labor day. It was a very nice weekend.  She just sat around the campground and relaxed.  I did nothing but read and it was great.  Because CJ had learned to ride a bike she decided to try to teach Chauneesy so that they could ride around the campground together.  It took must of the weekend but by Sunday Chauneesy and CJ were both riding bikes.  I so did not what the weekend to end.