This is my rap for the new year:
"Got a Harvin jersey and a brand new Lexus
Minnesota Vikings just stomped on Texas!
The new year's goin' well as I knew it would
Smiles all around 'cause life is good!"
*Sigh* Well life isn't good everywhere or for everyone, that is for sure. I have Haiti in the forefront of my prayers as well as my online friend Sue who has started her year on a very bad note.
In general for myself though the year has started well. I worried about Max but he came through the surgery fine and is now well on his way to walking. I wonder if the hernia was delaying his walking some. Rachel brought him by briefly tonight and has a fever and a bad cough. He has the ongoing "daycare crud" and likely will for a while yet until his immune system catches up.The car Jon bought me finally arrived this past Wednesday! The dealership was kind enough to drive a loaner done from Minneapolis while I have been waiting for mine. They felt bad that mine took so long to arrive.It was well worth the wait! I have never had a new car before. Ever. Every car we ever purchased has been used and most were cars that we both picked out with a young family and economy on the mind. I loved the look of the Lexus RX models when they first came out but I never dreamed I would ever have one! It does so many things and I am hoping to get some time tomorrow to play with it some.My other Christmas present from Jon was my Harvin jersey and I love it just as much! What an awesome game today! I take great joy watching the Cowboys get stomped! Yee-haw!Friday we had a Martin Luther King Jr assembly at our school. My resolution for school this year was to stop talking about things that I would like to see done and to just get out there and make them happen. I have had to do foyer duty in the morning which I came to really enjoy as I have been able to make meaningful connections with my students. The atmosphere was kind of bland though so I brought down one of the stereos I had back in my storage closet and began to play music down there in the mornings. It really caught on and the staff seem to enjoy it more than the kids even though I was originally thinking it would be for the kids. Other people bring in their music now so it isn't just me choosing the genre. We have had everything from Beethoven to Beatles. I have had many people thank me and say they really enjoy it. It does put some fun into our morning and get us going for the day.Another idea I had was to make our lounge a little more comfy and less sterile. I brought my ideas to our safe and welcoming committee and they agreed that a little paint and some round tables (as opposed to the long rectangular) would be nice. I honestly thought it wouldn't all get done for a while, possibly next year. I found paint samples and placed them in the lounge for the staff to vote and a request was put in to the custodian to be on the lookout for round tables. When we came back from Winter break it was painted and had the new round tables ready to go! I was so thrilled and thanked our custodian profusely for making it happen! I would still like to have someone paint some murals in there and I have some plans for table settings but I think for now it looks great! Again, several compliments. The round tables make things so much more welcoming (especially for subs). The most recent vision I have come to realize was the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. I have been at my school since it opened. It has the highest Black population in the city and I just can't understand why we have never done this. I really wanted it to happed but wasn't sure how to make it happen. I started by meeting with our Family Liason and letting her know that I was going to teach my Chorus some MLK songs to sing at an all school assembly. We went from there and it turned into something very special. We had kids getting up to read, singing, a special guest and artwork. The kids did such a great job! I was in tears! Our assistant principal thanked everyone at the end and quoted Ghandi. "Be the change you want to see in the world." Truer words were never spoken.