The Weekend

So, my weekend was crap. Not to be a complainer, but I signed up for an all-weekend workshop on Balanced Literacy and it was a complete waste of time. The location was Brent International School, about an hour's drive outside of Manila. I got up at 6 and got home around 5 both Saturday and Sunday. The presenter was fine - she was effective and very knowledgeable. It's just that the knowledge she had to share didn't teach me anything new. I was hoping for some new insights or approaches to teaching it, some tips or new activities. But no. Balanced Literacy is not a new concept. I learned of it in teacher's college. And I already practice some of its components and was quite shocked at the educators in the workshop who seemed as though they were receiving revelations. I was just bummed because I felt like I had wasted a perfectly good weekend that I could have used for more productive things. I did not feel rested and was dreading going to work today. Lucky for me, I have some great kids. The entire day was full of excellent lessons that the students were engaged in. We had so much fun together today and it completely changed my mood to the positive side. They made me laugh. Like they usually do. Now, I think I can get through the rest of the week.

Cory was a doll this weekend while I was away. He took care of an oil change (no easy feat here) and fluid fill-up for the car, braved the supermarket and bought some candy that I needed for a graphing activity today, typed up all of our wedding journaling that I will paste into our nearly-completed scrapbook (prayers, vows, toasts and "our song") and managed to make me dinner besides. To top it off, he had to go get x-rays taken of his mouth to determine whether or not to remove his wisdom teeth. Verdict: they will be removed within the next couple of weeks. What a sweetie. Poor guy didn't have much of a fun weekend either.

But I am looking forward to tonight. I have been having this crazy craving for roasted chicken with corn on the cob and rice-a-roni. I know - rice-a-roni!? Seriously, though. I have missed it and we found some and we are eating it tonight for dinner. And after that, we are going to watch The Office. It is one of our new favorite shows. Awkwardly hilarious. And maybe I'll get some reading in before going to sleep early.

And now I am going to sign off.