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Daria

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13 comments on Weekly Reflection

Weekly Reflection

This week is modeled after Lisa’s post from last week. Thank you for the inspiration!

The book I’m reading is The Correspondent. It’s dragging a little for me… Folks say they flew through it but I think this week I am feeling distracted.

My audio book is Dear Edward. When I first started listening to it, it made me so sad. A wonderful book by Ann Napolitano. The places that I listen to this audio book are in the car and before I go to sleep. The latter is kind of a bad habit since it prevents me from falling asleep.

The highs of my week were Bring Your Child to Work Day on Thursday, my daughter’s spring concert on Thursday and my son’s spring concert on Wednesday. I took half days off work on days that they had concerts. I wasn’t there for their winter concerts (my husband was). This week he is in Colorado for work, so I took half days to attend the concerts.

Both of my kids came to my high school for Bring Your Child to Work day. My students know my kids since we do weekend chats every Monday where I tell them about the weekend and they tell me about theirs.

During BYCTW day I couldn’t a lot of work done because… that’s just how it is. So today will be a catch up day.

Trying out our high school gym

The low of my week was being sick! I think it’s a cold or it’s allergies, I don’t know. But I felt run down and congested this whole week, especially at the end of the day.

Examples: on Monday, I came home straight from work and lied down till about 5pm when I had to pick up the kids from aftercare. Or, yesterday, when we came back from BYCTW day at my high school, unpacked and I lied down right away while the kids played outside, then inside, then watched some TV. This whole week we have been going to bed early, around 7:30pm.

Exercise. Unfortunately I have not exercised at all so far this week. Reasons are feeling run down and solo parenting. I am hoping this weekend I will have some time to do some gentle exercise. Yoga on Saturday and cycling on Sunday.

The best money I spent was on treats for my high school students (BYCTW day), flowers for my world language department colleagues (BYCTW day), and my daughter’s dress for her spring concert.

Plans this weekend… rest, rest, rest. Yoga class on Saturday morning. Cycling on Sunday. On Monday I have a day off since I’m getting my annual mammogram and breast ultrasound. Will exercise after the appointment.

I also need some focused time to work on my summative documents for the district. We use Danielson model for teacher effectiveness so at the end of each school year we all do a reflection document where we pretty much toot our own horn. It is part of our annual review. It’s a formality, really, but I enjoy looking back on the school year and reflecting on what went well and what needs to change.

PS: my puzzle for my *birthday* puzzle party has arrived this week from New York Public Library. Thank you NICOLE for the inspiration!

PPS: I read #workingmoms subreddit and here is how much one spends for summer child care and summer camps in a high cost of living area in the US:

USD15,330

Tell me about your week!

Daria's avatar

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Daria

Mother, teacher, partner, friend. I love coffee, books, and travel with and without kids. I dislike exercise. Nothing glamorous here but do have moments of insight.

13 responses to “Weekly Reflection”

  1. Lisa’s Yarns Avatar
    Lisa’s Yarns

    I hope The Correspondent picks up for you! You could try it on audio. There is an ensemble cast and it’s apparently very good.

    I felt so so tired this week, too, so I can relate. Sometimes your body needs the rest, especially when you are solo parenting! It’s so exhausting to do that. I could tell Phil was so done when I got home on Thursday night after 3 full days with the kids.

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  2. Nicole MacPherson Avatar
    Nicole MacPherson

    You got THE PUZZLE! Yay! I loved that one so much, hope you have fun with it.

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  3. Common Household Mom Avatar
    Common Household Mom

    I hope you feel better soon. Healing could be complicated by the fact that events seem to pick up in late-April and into May. My husband was just commenting that he does not want one more thing on his calendar for May.

    I just finished “The Correspondent.” It does move slowly for the first half, and I had a bit of trouble remembering all the characters, because I kept reading for just a few pages and then putting it down. I thought it picked up speed and interest in the second half. I won’t say anything specific since you are still trying to read it. It will be in my end-of-month reading summary on my blog for this month.

    Audio books make me fall asleep! The only time I was able to truly listen to audio books was when I had eye surgery and couldn’t read a book on kindle or in print. Even then I ended up falling asleep half the time.

    You have a birthday puzzle party, AND do a Jane Austen puzzle! How fabulous! And the puzzle is from the library?! So you send it back after you are done?

    Our oldest child was born on “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” (which is what it was called way back when). It seemed like a timely arrival.

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Wow that’s amazing she was born on that day!
      The puzzle is from the NY public library store, so I had to buy it. I’m thinking of framing it when it’s done?..
      Next month it will pick here, too. We are going camping for Memorial Day, then it’s final exams! It’s crazy!

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  4. J Avatar
    J

    That’s an expensive summer that you screenshotted. I never paid anything like that, but I only have one child and my schedule is such that I never paid for a nanny, which was 1/2 of her expense. I guess she has that year round, not just in summer.

    I loved The Correspondent. I listened to the audiobook, and that was a really good medium for that book I think.

    I hope you had a relaxing weekend and that you feel better already. It’s a busy time of year for those in education for sure.

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      I keep hearing that audio book was better for the Correspondent… Maybe I’ll try to get that at the library.
      My current audio book, after “dear Edward” is “This is a Love Story” by Jessica Soffer. It’s good but… sappy.

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  5. Elisabeth Avatar
    Elisabeth

    I am not an audiobook fan, but I 100% think The Correspondent is best consumed via audio. The cast was incredible. I think Birchie had the same issue with finding it slow and then she switched to audio (I think) and loved it, too.

    I remember really enjoying Dear Edward!

    Yikes. That’s an expensive summer. But it’s an investment for working moms since the only way to maintain seniority, etc is to continue working. The childcare costs do dissipate as the kids get older/more independent, I suppose. But it’s alarming how much childcare costs!!!

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Ahhh okay, then maybe I’ll try to get in on audio. Summer camp is absolutely NUTS in the US. One could rent a house, in Europe, for the whole summer and it will be cheaper. Teaching lets me stay at home with them and take day trips to pass the time, but working parents, especially those with an hourly wage, must be struggling.

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  6. NGS Avatar
    NGS

    I didn’t listen to The Correspondent on audio and found it went fast, but I like epistolary novels and feel like they are always a quick read – there’s so much white space on the page! But if it’s not your jam, I say get out of there and get to a book that makes you want to read. Your next great read is out there!

    It becomes clear to me why my parents left me and my sister home alone in the summers starting at age six. LOL.

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      LOL I wish I could do that! My husband won’t allow it- even to go to the library!! Weak…

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  7. K @ TS Avatar
    K @ TS

    I listened to The Correspondent and enjoyed it. I listened to Dear Edward a while back (is that the one with the plane crash?) and I think I enjoyed it too! To be honest, they are all kind of blending together in my mind… Re childcare, I think summer camp in the Bay Area is about $300 per week and daycare is roughly $2,000-$3,000 a month. I remember my friend being so happy that her toddler was now in Kindergarten so that she only had to pay for after school care. If you have two kids, you are saving tens of thousands once your kids go to school!

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    1. satavtarkhalsa Avatar
      satavtarkhalsa

      I didn’t get into the Correspondent the first time I picked it up but tried again a few weeks later and finished it in 2 days. So maybe the timing isn’t right at the moment?

      Summer camp does run an average of $300 per week here for Elementary school aged kids and that is usually only until 4 pm. I only work part time and am able to shift my hours so that we don’t need camp all of the time. Luckily my kids like camp and there are a lot of fun options.

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  8. Stephany Avatar
    Stephany

    Like others have mentioned, I really enjoyed The Correspondent on audio. Maybe try it that way if it’s still not hitting for you! ❤

    Gosh, $15,000 for summer childcare. That makes me want to throw up! My parents worked a split schedule: she worked a regular day job and he had the night shift, so it was very helpful for childcare when we were young! But I imagine not so great for their marriage!

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