Friday, October 3, 2008

Friday's PROCRASTINATION!!!!

So, it's Friday - early afternoon....Maya's at the "freetime" afterschool care because I"m supposed to be writing up my 36 students' Progress Reports! (otherwise, she'd be home with me today)...I've completed 3 of them so far and I'm BORED! We've made a new form over here in Sweden for the grading system . I actually really am pleased with it because it's a developmentally and academically appropriate form. Each school is making up their own based on each school's individual style, however, following the National Goals for each subject area. Since I'm one of the English teachers...I helped make up the forms for the English subject (no duh). And gosh, darn....I certainly did make out a gazillon things for me to write about in 4th & 5th grade English....my problem is that I like to explain every little detail about the students' work...it's not necessary, I'm probably doing much more writing than my Swedish partner teachers. (can't imagine what I'd do if I had 2 or more subjects like they do!) So I"m taking a short...short break to write to you all instead and get myself away from all the details and then go back and see if I look at the forms in a different way! Procrastination tactic #1....doing laundry, I really don't like doing laundry, unless I should be doing something else! Now, why did I show you this photo? Well, it's because I MISS the BIG AMERICAN laundry soap containers!!!! Can you see these little bottles? We go through them so fast and we're only 3 people in this house! I feel like we are forever going to get more soap at the store! I use about 80 -110 ml each batch of laundry and the containers only have ___ (need to check the amount exactly) in them. For my Swedish friends....one day you've just got to see the HUGE containers we have for laundry soap in the USA, although I don't know how good those containers are for the environment but I know they can be recycled! It saves gas going to the store all the time!
Procrastination tactic #2.....working on crafty projects! Now that I have a pile of work to do the yearning to sew is even greater! It's like I'm being invisibly pulled down into the basement to MAKE SOMETHING! And who wouldn't want to make this CUTE project that Maya designed for me to do!??? Can you see what it is? She wants me to use her "too small" clothes and stuff them and sew them together to make a rag doll for her. She cracks me up with her step-by-step instructions, complete with hands holding needle and thread! This is not the first of this kind, she's made step-by-step instructions for Pappa to build a complicated music stand (with a fancy lyre backdrop---she doesn't even play an instrument seriously yet) and step-by-step instructions for Granpa's birdhouse (which they did build together over the summer). Is this normal kid drawings? I don't know.
Procrastination tactic #3......yes, I love to take the returnable bottles to the store! Pack them up into the car...plop them into the machine and watch my money add up! Get the slip of paper from the machine and go get my money back! It's practical, it's necessary and I can avoid doing what I"m supposed to do! I've moved all the bags of bottles into position by the door...ready to go! But wait.....STOP....go back and WRITE THOSE REPORTS CAROL!!!!!! I'm signing off...soon my family is coming home and in order to avoid making dinner...I'll be writing reports! What a vicious cycle! Are there any other teachers out there that have this same problem????

4 comments:

Lori S-C said...

procrastinators unite. how did we ever get anything done when we worked together?

Brenda said...

I enjoy stopping by your blog, every time I have to smile. Mayas drawins/directions are splendid. Enjoy your procrastination time and then have a great time writing!
I will stitch some of my house blocks for you, that way you will not miss so much.

Anonymous said...

You get bored, huh? What happened to "I love my job!"??? ;) Love your blog, it's really sweet ;)

G'G'ma said...

Thanks for the visit.
To answer questions..the flower pattern is French Roses.The petals(?) are sewn down 1/4 th in. from the edge. After finishing the quilt is washed and then I shake and shake it to fray the edges. The black with colored stripes is Chinese coins. Don't know if there is a name for the flannel.

Both sets of grandparents came to the US between 1880 and 1895.

Our Grandaughter chose the name Linnea for her daughter because it is Swedish. She loves the little flower too.