a smashing success

wow!  what a week…long days, frustrating dress rehearsals, late nights, and two amazing performances!  i am so proud of my eighth graders.  they worked so hard, and they experienced great success.   the parents who helped me with this play worked very hard and did a wonderful job.  the committment by parents is a major part of our success.

our play jack and the magic beans has received rave reviews and has even been deemed one of the best plays ever at wscs!    i had so much fun watching my students during their performances.  from their thursday morning dress rehearsal for the elementary to their final performance friday night, they just got better and better.  each time they added more expression, movements, lines, and humor!  this was the funniest play i have ever directed, and i loved seeing the kids develop their characters and learn how to make them their own. 

one of my favorite moments was friday night.  a student managed to slip my name into one of her lines – the housekeeper asked the giant if she could “make you a hoagie sandwich?”  seeing as how this has become one of my nicknames at school, it was hilarious!

i am so grateful that my final play was so rewarding.  as one of my good friends so fittingly stated, “and mrs. hogue…if you are goin’ out this year…way to go out with a bang!!!”

as my students and i talked about, we give all the glory to God! he blessed us with the opportunity, time, and talent to put on this prodution.   

the eyes have it

my glasses have been driving me bonkers!  i take them on and off all the time.  i can’t grade, read, work on the computer, or eat with them on.  so, i take them off at school and at home.  but, i can’t drive, see down the hallway, watch movies, or distinguish faces from a distance without them.  so, off and on.  on and off.  on top of the head.  in the purse.  on the shelf.  buried on my desk.  needless to say they are fairly bent out of shape.  but, my prescription hasn’t changed enough in the last five or six years to warrant a new pair (or is this a sign of my “dutchness”?)  and they are still reasonably in style (at least to my knowledge; you may correct me if my sense of fashion has gone awry!)

so, yesterday i did something i swore i would never do…i got contacts!   i am quite squeamish about my eyes; putting eye drops in may as well be a lesson in how to get soaking wet!.  but, i did quite well during my lesson yesterday at the eye doctor (yes, i’m patting myself on the back!)  i was able to get them both out on the first try last night, as well as put them in on the first try this morning :)  

now i need to get used to them and figure out if they are working for me.  the eye doctor and i discussed the possibility of wearing only one contact.  the mono-vision may help me with the reading, computer work, paper grading issues.  i’ll have to see (no, pun intended) how it goes. 

in the meantime, i’m off to my friday morning play practice on our day off of school.  i promised the kids i’d bring donuts…so, i’d better get moving. it wouldn’t do for the director to be late.  especially after i’ve lectured them on being on time! LOL! 

icecream & newspapers

i just returned home from a women’s retreat at church.  admittedly, a stretch for me since i knew people who were going, but i’m not going with a friend.  much more preferable, in my opinion. but, it was good to get to know a few more women at church, and it’s always nice to have time away from the busyness of life.  we were at the gull lake ministries retreat center which is about an hour or so southeast from here.  it was a gorgeous weekend — sunshine, breeze, fall colors, blue lake water — very enjoyable.   spiritually refreshing and challenging. 

the difficult thing for me is coming home and facing all that has to get accomplished yet this weekend.  it’s the end of the marking period, so all grades are due tuesday morning at the latest!  that means everything has to be graded this weekend :)  ty has been in iowa since wednesday, and we have had some really busy weeks leading up to this weekend.  so, instead of being able to sit back and enjoy the rest of my weekend, i’m going to have to bury my face in a very large pile of papers!  :(    

i know i’m feeling the pressure also with the play coming up!  we have less than two weeks now until performances.  in some ways we are very ready, and in others we have a lot of work to do.  so, the pressure builds more to have the kids ready!  i’m certainly thankful this will be my last year.  no bailing school out if they don’t have someone for next year;  i’m done!  you may hold me to that…remind me!  ty would not be a happy man if i changed my mind.  which is quite ok; i won’t be either.  it’s time to pass this opportunity on to someone more enthusiastic.  just a couple more weeks! 

i keep thinking that once the play is finished, i will have all kinds of free time :)  i’ll be able to go to the gym regularly, be home for longer than i am at school each day, have time to scrap and make other fun albums, frames, cards…hmmm…does it ever work that way?  i hope so!  i’m ready to be less busy!

ty will be home in about an hour…i’m trying to convince myself that i should grade until he gets home.  anywho,  i think i’m going to eat a bowl of ice-cream and read the last three days worth of newspapers instead.  just the thought of it makes me smile!