Wow! It's been two years since I last posted. I've graduated with my Master's in Teaching and Leadership and am in my 32nd year of teaching children with severe disabilities. The past year and a half have been very challenging. Teaching is more about paperwork, teaching to the test (yes, even with my severely impaired students), and making my classroom look more like a regular ed classroom. It's been a challenge with much frustration with a little success added in. I have four years and 99 student days left (but who's counting?) until I can retire. I never thought I'd start a countdown this far out, but started last year with 6 years to go when the dramatic changes were brought forth by a new and very aggressive administration.
Enough of that, though! I've had the upstairs bathroom gutted and redone. The basement was to get new walls and doors. I ended up separating the stool and shower into a full bath with a beautiful sink/vanity in the basement. The laundry room has lost some space, but is still large. Dan now has a bedroom. It still needs trim and doors down there, but it's very modern looking. No more knotty pine and vinyl tiles! I'm starting to make plans to redo the kitchen, but that will have to wait until I know if we are or are not going on strike in the fall. The changes aren't extreme, but should make for a much better flow through the kitchen.
The pets are doing well. The cats will be 11 years old in March. They are both fat and very sassy. Hogan, the lhasapoo, is 11 years old. He's still crotchety when it comes to being groomed, but has mellowed enough to let me trim him some. Trixie, the yorkie, just turned 3 years old a week ago. She's helping to keep Hogan young. I love to watch them play. She's also the reason for my increasingly gray hair. She's just recovering from severe pancreatitis. I'd feel really sorry for her, but she got in the garbage and ate chicken fat and bones. She's on a bunch of meds and is getting better.
I'll update more often, maybe twice a year. LOL. I live such an interesting life that blogging doesn't take up my time.
