The First Day Marathon

Today I put another First Day of School in the books. On my way home, I thought about how the First Day of School is much like running a marathon. Before the big marathon, I must stay focused and disciplined. I spend a lot of time preparing so that I meet the goals I set for myself. Such is the first day of school as well. I can't show up to either one unprepared. It would be a disaster. In the case of a marathon, I would cause an injury to myself. In the case of the first day of school, I would cause utter chaos. In either case, I would probably collapse mid-way through. So I spend many days and hours preparing for this one day, exhausting myself little by little before the important event has even arrived!

Before I know it, the day before the marathon or the first day of school sneaks around the corner. I won't get much sleep. I think about all the possible things that could go wrong. I'm stressed and nervous. I tell myself that I'm ready and that I've done all I can do. Once I'm in the midst of it, I will be fine. The anticipation is brutal.

The morning of, I wake up early because I don't want to have to rush. I need time to eat a good breakfast to fuel my day. I always lay out my clothes the day before because I don't want to think about a single thing other than the big event for which I've prepared. I always think I have plenty of time before things begin. Usually it IS a lot of time. But somehow those hours disappear in minutes and suddenly I'm rushing to the portable toilets or the copy room, depending on which event it is.

The school bell rings or the race gun fires and I'm off. I'm in it now and I just need to hope all my planning pays off. I don't have time to think about eating, drinking, or using the bathroom. There are too many other things going on. People are around to cheer me on and see how I'm doing, but for the most part I'm on my own. There are ups and downs throughout the day, but I'm using up all my resources and all my energy for several hours. I can't help but hit the wall at some point. I might need to take a walk break or tell the kids to take some quiet time. Even so, I have to keep pushing forward towards the finish line, or 3:30 pm.

When my day is done, I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief. I feel a sense of success, even though the day wasn't perfect. I made it through and I'm still in one piece (barely). Once the endorphin high wears off, all I can think about is rehydrating, eating a massive plate of food, and sleep. I'm exhausted and delirious.

In the case of a marathon I say to myself, "Laura, you did it! You ran a marathon! You get to relax and celebrate and take a break from running for awhile."

In the case of the First Day of School I say to myself, "Laura, you did it! You had a successful first day of school. And tomorrow you get to do it ALL OVER AGAIN."

Staunton

Craig and I had a quick visit to Staunton - about 5 hours - before we boarded the Amtrak to head to New York City. Our tour guides, former neighbor Alex and her fiance Nick, led us through the streets of their charming small town. First, we stopped at their apartment. As others cleaned up from our camping weekend, I trudged through the process of printing our Amtrak boarding passes on a computer and a printer that didn't want to cooperate with each other. After everyone finished cleaning up and I was still trudging through the printing process, Craig sat listening to Nick playing the piano, enamored with Nick's self-taught ability.

"Craig, can I borrow your phone?" I asked, hoping I could call the Amtrak people and find out that we wouldn't need a printed ticket. Craig pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me, barely giving me a glance for fear that he would miss a second of Nick's impressive tinkle across the keys.

After listening to static-filled, jumbled phone music, an Amtrak customer service representative answered the phone.
"Is it possible to board the Amtrak train without a printed boarding pass?" I asked. "I have the confirmation number," I added in a helpful tone.
The Amtrak rep paused as she researched the Staunton station. "This is an unmanned station so you will need to have your boarding pass printed ahead of time. If you don't have a printer, you can use your smartphone."

I don't have a smartphone.

"I have a laptop. Can I present the boarding pass on my laptop?"

The Amtrak rep sounded slightly alarmed that I didn't have a smartphone. Perhaps she was talking with a bum of some sort who would smudge the delightful atmosphere that Amtrak trains provide. Still, she agreed that I could in fact use my laptop to board the train.

I announced the situation and the solution if we couldn't print the boarding pass, pulling Craig's attention away from the piano just long enough to return his phone to his outstretched hand.

Alex found another laptop that she assured me would connect to the printer, if the computer decided to turn on at all. I creaked open the lid and pressed the power button. The computer showed signs of life, just barely. After it installed the hundreds of updates it had missed over the past few years, it was ready to go. Success!

Craig and I got our things together so that we could stop at Nick's gelato shop, The Split Banana, before we headed out of town. We followed Alex and Nick down the hill which led to downtown. When we arrived at The Split Banana, Craig seemed a bit frazzled and started going through his backpack.

"Laura, do you have my cell phone?"
"No, I borrowed it, but I handed it back to you while you listened to Nick on the piano." I added these details to prove to him (and myself) that I really did return the phone and that it wasn't lying on the floor next to one of the laptops with which I had battled.
"Are you sure? I don't remember you handing it back to me. Where did I put it?"
"Of course you don't remember. You were listening intently to Nick. You probably put the cell phone on the piano."
"Why would you let me do that?"
"I didn't want to be responsible for the phone, so I made sure I handed it back to you. I didn't think about what you might do with the phone! It's probably on the piano."

We decided we'd put the phone situation on hold so we could enjoy our gelato. One of the perks of owning a non-smart phone is that it's not a big deal if it gets lost.

But before we noticed, Nick fled out the door and started running up the hill to his and Alex's apartment. Within a few minutes, my phone rang. It was coming from Craig's phone. I answered it.

"Nick, you found the phone! Where was it?"

I listened to his answer and then glanced over at Craig with that look that all wives seem to develop over time. The look that silently says, "Sometimes, I know you better than you know yourself."

Happy Birthday, Craig!

While hiking last weekend, I initiated a game. "Craig, I have the number 3888. You have 20 questions to figure out how I got that number." After a few questions and much deliberation, Craig learned that I multiplied 2 numbers together. He eventually arrived at 54x72. "So you just chose 2 random numbers and multiplied them?!" he asked in an exasperated tone.

"Yep! Now it's your turn."
After a long pause, Craig came up with his number. "One hundred sixty eight... THOUSAND... two hundred fifteen." At this point I was sure he didn't like my new game and was getting revenge on me with a huge, impossible number. I was determined, however. I asked a few questions and learned that he multiplied THREE numbers together: a one-digit number, a two-digit number, and a four-digit number. Through questioning I also determined that the two-digit number was between 10 and 20. Then I hiked silently while doing lots of division and multiplication. I figured out the answer. You have 20 questions to guess the 3 numbers.

Books of 2013

Back in December 2012, Craig suggested I keep track of the books I read in 2013. I've started this post in January of 2013 with the intention of also giving a little blurb of some sort. No promises that this will stick for the whole year.

Broken Harbor by Tana French
I love Tana French books. They're murder mystery novels that usually connect the main character to the story behind the crime somehow. I highly recommend listening to any of her books-on-tape because she is Irish and the books take place in Ireland. The Irish accent is quite enjoyable to listen to. After listening to one on CD, I now read all the books in an Irish accent. I even read a chapter or 2 aloud to Craig while he was driving. Reading aloud in an Irish accent is exhausting.

Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie became a guilty pleasure last year, specifically her recurring character Hercule Poirot. This was my 10th novel featuring Poirot and my 12th Christie novel (including And Then There Were None). Her books don't vary much. Some are better than others. Motives often repeat themselves, but the Poirot character is always fun to read. This one would be in the top 5 of the Poirot novels I've read thus far.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King
I'm a fan of Stephen King, and thought I would try his supposed fantasy series. I guess there are about 7 or 8 books in the series, so if it was good, then I'd have lots of books lined up to read. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it. Maybe the series gets better (gosh, I would hope so), but this book seemed obvious that he was trying something new and wasn't very good at it. There were some interesting scenes, but the story itself was just strange and uneventful. I won't rule out trying #2 in 2014, but it's looking doubtful.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I loved this book! I never read it and have said many times that I should. It takes place on Long Island after all! I had no clue what the "West Egg" and the "East Egg" were, but a quick web search tells me that it refers to the small peninsulas with Great Neck and Port Washington. I'm writing this review many months after I read it, so I can't cite many specifics as to what made this an enjoyable read. I do remember that I hated the characters from the beginning, and then I realized that the author intended to make unlikable characters. I appreciated the moral at the end.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Craig had been trying to talk me into reading this series for quite a while, so I finally started the Foundation. I read this way back in March or so, so I don't remember much. Then again, I don't think I remembered much even a week later. That's what I've been used to in my history of reading science fiction though. I was confused through most of the book. Centuries passed at the blink of the eye. There were too many characters for me to remember. Despite all that, I *think* I enjoyed it. And, as you shall see, I kept reading.

Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Compared to Foundation, this book was a pleasant surprise! I read a lot of it during our hike through the Grand Canyon, and I looked forward to reading it in my tent each night. It was a nice way to take my mind off the frightening trail that I was in the midst of. There was much more character development in this book. They even stayed in the same century for a good portion of it. The mystery of the Mule absolutely made this book.

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
This was another enjoyable read. It included interesting characters, a female protagonist, and some exciting twists. Again, it's still science fiction, so please don't ask me to explain too much more than that.

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer
Krakauer is one of my favorite authors. He takes true stories, generally tied to tragic events, and brings them to life. I loved Into the Wild because he brought in his own experience with reckless adventures to help the reader understand the possible thought process of Chris McCandless. He also does a lot of research into the topic he writes about, so I generally learn new facts while feeling like I'm reading an exciting fiction page-turner. Despite my enjoyment of all his past books, I hesitated to read Where Men Win Glory. I didn't relate to the people who put Pat Tillman on a pedestal. I don't particularly enjoy reading about football or war. However, when I finally gave this book a try, it did not disappoint. Krakauer talked a lot about the history that led up to the post-9/11 wars. He also painted a grim picture of what those wars looked like. All-in-all, I would recommend this book right along with his other books.

Inferno by Dan Brown
I don't care what anyone says about Dan Brown. I love his books, even if the stories are a little too crazy to believe. Da Vinci Code is still my favorite, but I enjoyed this one too. I like going on adventurous trips to Europe in his make-believe world. And, in the words of Lois Griffin, "I loved it. And the chapters are only about two pages long so you feel really smart when you read it."

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut is another favorite author of mine. He has a talent of making depressing stories funny and entertaining. This one was no exception. I liked the message and how it actually made me wonder whose side I agreed with. Vonnegut opened the book with, "This is the only story of mine whose moral I know. I don't think it's a marvelous moral, I just happen to know what it is."

The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks (and half of Musicophilia)
I read "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat" in 2012 and enjoyed reading the case studies of all the obscure neurological diseases there are out there. So I checked out some more Oliver Sacks books from the library. I started with Musicophilia, but gave up half way through. It was a whole lot of case studies about people who started hearing music all the time due to neurological problems. The first few cases were interesting, but then became repetitive. So I moved on to The Mind's Eye. This one talked about people who suddenly lost the ability to read. One person was a famous pianist and suddenly couldn't read music. Another was an author who could continue to write, but couldn't proofread his own work. I enjoyed the read, but "The Man..." is still my favorite.

Hickory, Dickory, Death by Agatha Christie
More Agatha Christie! The setting of the crimes in this mystery was an international hostel, filled with young interesting characters from around the world.

The Big Four by Agatha Christie
This mystery revolved around an alliance of mobster-like criminals around the world. It had a series of murders, which of course makes it better.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
A friend of mine raved about this book, so when a book club recommended it, I decided to try it out. I never made it to the book club, so I didn't get a chance to discuss much. I enjoyed reading it and I liked a lot of her message. Her personal stories were humorous, and I truly am impressed with the women who make it to the top of their career. However, outside of that, this book was nothing special (sorry, Kris!).  Maybe I can't relate because I'm not in a male-dominated work environment and I have little desire to climb to the top of the career ladder. The big thing that stuck out to me was Sandberg's overall message that women need to level the playing field and stand up for their rights to follow their dreams and break societal norms, etc etc. Yet the underlying tone is that all women want to get married and have kids and have a powerful career. If you don't want all of those things, it must be because society has made it too hard for you. Again, this may just be that this book was geared toward this population of women, struggling to balance everything. And with all her sweet stories of Zuckerberg, I couldn't help but wonder if Facebook had encouraged Sandberg to write this book to appeal to all those out there who have such a horrible opinion of Zuckerberg and Facebook in general.

The Winter of our Discontent by John Steinbeck
Grapes of Wrath will always be my favorite Steinbeck book (and one of my favorite books in general), but his short novels are well-written as well. This story gave a little peek into a small town man and his struggles to find happiness. A favorite theme of Steinbeck.

Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
More murder, more Poirot, more fun.

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
This murder took place on an airplane! Christie wrote so many novels that they spanned decades (I believe the 20's through the 60's). Most of the settings are contemporary with the time she wrote each book, so it's fun to watch the world change over time through Christie's eyes.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
I read this for a book club. The little I knew about this book I had learned from Friends. Apparently, prior to writing this book, Alcott only wrote short stories. Her publishers kind of made her write this book. I wasn't crazy about the first half of the book. It was a bunch of short little tales that used the same characters and each chapter had a little moral at the end. The second half of the book was originally a second book. When I learned that, it made sense. Alcott had improved as an author and the second half of the book (originally, Good Wives) had much more continuity and character development. The issues were a little more complex as well. I'm glad I read this, but don't plan to read more Alcott. I understand why this book appealed to young girls. Unfortunately, I was a couple decades too late.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
My godfather sent me lots of great books when I was growing up. Some, like The Chronicles of Narnia, I enjoyed on my first try. Others, like The Hobbit, took several attempts before I finally got through it (and now I love the Hobbit too!). I, Robot was one of the latter. Uncle Fil sent it as a gift years (decades?) ago. I tried it, but never got into it. But this time around I liked it. I think it helped that Craig told me that it's a book of short stories. I definitely did not realize that originally. The characters recur and so I thought it was one story and that I was just getting utterly confused (and I find science fiction confusing enough as it is!). As a group of short stories, I loved most of them (admittedly, I still have one to go). Most are supposed to be told by a character to a reporter, sharing some of the mishaps that occurred as robots became more and more part of society.

First Grade

In a matter of days, I will be the first grade teacher for a couple dozen 6-year old children. I'm fairly certain that I'm more nervous about this than the little children. What if they don't listen to me? What if they're bored? What if the parents don't like me? How will I possibly do all that planning? The list goes on and on. But I know I am a good teacher and my principal wouldn't have given me this opportunity if she didn't have a high opinion of my abilities. So to save myself from a list of worries, I'm going to share some of the excitement for the upcoming year.

1. I will be working with a fantastic special education teacher. He is dedicated and positive and loves to find creative solutions. Last year he was a brand new teacher and I was his resource for lots of questions throughout the year. I am highly optimistic that we will make a good team. He's already done a nice job of helping me stay sane.

2. I have wonderful first-grade teammates. One of the reasons I expressed interest in first grade over other grades is because the two first-grade teachers have a great relationship. They work together and plan together. They use each other as resources all the time. I can't imagine going through this new challenge without their support. I know that even if the year starts off rough, they won't let me fail.

3. In response to a suggestion for special ed teacher Joe, I will have a theme for my classroom and have decided on a beach/ocean theme. I don't plan on going all out right away, but it's something I can build on throughout the year. I might have an ocean-themed Word Wall and maybe some pictures throughout the room. My friend hosted a painting activity in which I painted a nice sunset over the water. That will be the first object toward my theme. With this theme in mind, I will be one of the following names:
 - Mrs. Matera's Manta Rays
 - Mrs. Matera's Manatees
 - Mrs. Brandenburg's Blowfish
 - Mrs. Brandenburg's Barracudas
 - Mrs. Brandenburg's Belugas

I'm not sure how I feel about calling my students "sea cows" but they're one of my favorite sea animals. Blowfish would be fun because I could have the kids look like blowfish when I want them to be quiet. Belugas would be fun because of the Raffi song. Sorry, Craig, I don't think I can play Heart's "Barracuda" for my first graders.

4. Special ed teacher Joe will also work with 6th grade, and I worked with many of those students last year. I'm hoping that some of them can visit my class to be student readers and do other things to help.

5. I don't have to write any IEPs or lead any IEP meetings. Still, I'll be a good team member at IEP meetings because I haven't completely retired my special ed hat.

6. I get to use a lot of new teaching strategies. I'm excited for math talks and number talks, buddy reading, writing projects, themed units, and academic discussions. I'm thrilled about the idea of watching kids go from non-readers to fluent readers over the course of 10 months!

Kindergarten

My cell phone turned 5 in December of 2012. That means she starts kindergarten soon. I've heard that there are a lot of intelligent phones out there now who might start kindergarten early. My phone is a bit slower and less advanced than her peers. I hope that my phone doesn't let that bother her. She has very good communication skills and has lots of energy. She tends to keep to herself and doesn't play many games. The two of us are on vacation in New York this week. While here we got her a new outfit for her first day of school.

$20.32

Craig and I have a mason jar that sits on our bookshelf in our new multipurpose room (aka "the quiet room"). It once was a jelly jar, but the chameleon-like contents filled their previous space and needed a new jar. The contents have filled two-thirds of the mason jar and we hope to graduate to a larger jar soon. Time shall tell if our new neighborhood will bring more rewards.

Occasionally I take the jar off the shelf and pour the contents onto the table. I began collecting found money on June 28, 2010. Craig joined me in the search a few months into the endeavor. The three of us just celebrated our 3 year anniversary. After 3 years, I'm proud to announce that the collection we affectionately call our retirement fund officially surpassed the $20 mark. I know people who have found $20 and even $50 in just one lucky moment (our biggest finds have been several quarters in one spot and a single dollar bill). I hope to someday add such a remarkable find to our jar, but for now our small findings here and there have been thrilling. It's a great day when one of us comes home and gets to show off our findings. A text from Craig once stated, "Regarding finding lost coins, today I’ve hit for the cycle." The coworker who stood nearby when I read this message didn't even understand the reference, let alone share in my joy of the news. I guess this is our own special challenge.

We've worked hard for our annual earnings of six dollars and seventy-seven cents. We're the only people I know who will bend down to pick up a mere penny, but it's worth it to us. I'll take it one step further. We're the only people I know who have back-tracked to where a penny was spotted earlier so that we could pick it out of the tar. Craig has been known to get off his bike during a work-commute to pick up a coin in the intersection. I've waited until the end of the line getting on a bus so I could pick up the nickel that I just noticed on the curb. Once on the bus, I've casually switched seats to snag the dime stuck in a corner. Craig consistently found coins in the gym locker room. I find money on runs. Many of our evening walks or strolls to the store have included a find.

Some coins have waited quite some time to be found and require examination before we can decide what type of coin we've acquired.

Some coins had only recently lost their previous owner.

But all of them have some hidden story. We keep all our stories and adventures in our mason jar on the bookshelf. Someday we will retire with our earnings and our memories.