I took K's birthday present to her house today (she turned 5! last Monday, which is both exciting and a bit scary, I met her brother two months before she was born. He was 3 1/2).

Her mom and I got to talking and I think we decided that I'd watch K and B all summer. Yay! I didn't want to have to kill myself to find a job for three months, but I needed something that I'll enjoy. This is exactly the right thing for that! I'll have pretty much complete freedom and the flexibility I need (the month of June is CRAZY, what with my brother getting married and all that fun stuff) but is also consistent.

Dilemma time - photo editing!!

I need photo editing software.

Would you recommend Photoshop Elements or Corel's program? Why?
If you have photoshop, is it easy to make only one part of a picture colour and the rest black and white? Like if I wanted to make everything but the easter eggs black and white, can I do that?

Do you recommend another program? Why?

Please, please respond, I'm begging you!

Cross-posted from my other blog - because it was that important

Dear Teacher-whose-class-I-spend-hours-planning-for- and-teaching-in-each-week,

• I have a name. And it is not "substitute." "Mrs Anything" or any name with a short o sound. In fact, I don't have a single 'o' in my first, middle or last name. The fact that you can't be bothered to figure it out after THREE FREAKING MONTHS is disrespectful. It's embarrassing that your students have to correct you daily.
• Oh, and by the way. I know about the teaching methods you're supposed to be following. Don't worry so much about being observed. If I'm there you might have a chance at passing. If not? Well, good luck.
• And if you really are that worried, why are you stealing my objectives and lesson plans. While I'm sitting there teaching my group, you shouldn't be standing over my shoulder and change the instructions you have for your students.
• LEARN TO SAY YOUR STUDENTS' NAMES. Don't ignore letters or reward students for correcting you because you couldn't be bothered to learn how to say that child's name for months.
• If your lunch ends at 12:00 and my duty ends at 12:05 because I have to cover someone else one day a week, don't send your student over to ask if I'm going to "show up" for groups at 12:01. What if I needed to use the restroom? Is that not an option in your world?

I will end this letter here - even though there is so much more that I could say.

I'll be there Monday and I will smile and nod when you talk to me. But don't think that I'm not mentioning what I observe to others.

I've never been more glad that it is spring break before in my life. Nine days of nothing sounds like pure bliss.

That said, March Madness has begun and I've done only slightly better than 50 percent. Ack! One of these years I'll do better at making picks!

The number one perk of working 3 miles/7 minutes from home?

The fact that I have not had to put gas in my car in over a week.

Compared that to before. When I drove 500+ miles a week and was constantly spending a fortune on gas. One tank on the credit card in a month (and one other on the debit the day I got paid - 3/20)!!

Two or three tanks a month? That's glorious!

9 days and all you get is a meme

78%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Goodness do I neglect this blog.

I guess that's what happens when you become a true college grad who works full-time and when I'm not working, I'm planning for work.

Life's good, for the most part. I never mentioned it, but my dad was diagnosed with cancer (Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma) at the beginning of the year. For a while there he was really sick and his crappy doctor didn't treat the pneumonia he was battling as well which really ran him down big time. However, after one round of chemo he was doing much better within about a week (he goes 1x every three weeks for six treatments). His second treatment was last Thursday and he didn't have ANY side effects. No nausea, no lack of appetite, nothing. Which is pretty miraculous. He's starting to lose his hair however, which is odd because I've never seen him without relatively long, thick hair in my entire life! I truly think that he's going to be just fine - and possibly without any ill effects from the treatment.

I spent the day today in the class that I hope to student teach in next fall. I earned my sub salary (not shabby at all!) for sitting and hanging out all day while the teacher taught.

I did have to run across the hall to the class that I spend A LOT of time in to set them up after lunch because their teacher had a 504 meeting and the fill in sub didn't quite know what to do. I enjoy that class a lot because this teacher is not okay at all with the idea of giving up control and last week she was gone three days and I must have earned her respect because she gave me full control the day she was there. I got to read the book to the class and ask the discussion question as well as lead the discussion, without any negative feedback for once. It's good to know that what you're doing is acceptable to those around you. It helps when the kids are as great as that class is, but that's not the only important factor!

Tomorrow, I only have to work for half the day and then I have a training. And I have a feeling that next week will be all messed up too because of testing. And only two weeks of school before spring break. I think I might go to Vegas for a long weekend but I'm not sure yet. K and B are going to Washington and Oregon which sounds like a lot of fun too, so who knows what will happen? Maybe I'll ask my friend if she wants to drive up to Oregon with me for a couple days. Too bad that traditional school's spring break and college spring break don't match up or I'm sure I'd have travel buddies!