Things have been hectic, personally and professionally.

This past week I was frantically trying to complete all my coursework for my classes, as well as getting ready for the family parties. Today I was quite productive with getting through all my plans for the day as well as having time to help students with some of their classwork without constantly looking at the time go by.

Tech problems during my lunchtime didn’t allow for much downtime. I had to miss after school book club with my students which I was so upset about because I love the discussions we have. I hated running out in the rain to another meeting, dodging school buses and parents waiting for their children.

So tonight I am taking a break! I am writing a much shorter Slice, I ate cake for dinner, and I am heading to bed with my book. Tomorrow is another day!

Everywhere I look, there are deadlines looming.

At work, a Friday deadline to take my 5 Essentials Survey, write my lesson plans, give feedback on work turned in, put away books from our most recent book club, and have my classroom ready to welcome everyone back from spring break.

At home, deadlines to gather paperwork to file taxes, take my son for some practice drives before his driving test, and complete paperwork for my high school junior.

At school, a deadline to get through all the lessons, administer standards mastery checks, and collect materials given back in August by Friday, so we can all go to spring break with a clean slate.

With spring break just 4 days away and so many people wishing for the days to fly by, I am afraid their wishes will be granted and my wish of slowing down time will be ignored.

Last week my side of the family came over to celebrate Tessie’s 13th birthday.

I invited them to come over at 5:00 pm. My brother-in-law and my niece texted that they would be a little late coming to the party. Not a problem. They ring the bell at 5:30 pm. They are not late. They are actually the first ones to arrive. My mom, my sister, and my niece call at 5:50 pm to open the garage. They are here and they need help to bring in my mom’s pastitsio and Greek oven potatoes, requested by Tessie. My nephew comes at 6:00 and his mom and sisters follow at 6:40 pm. Sorry. I was on a waitlist for he vaccine and I needed to stay close to home in case they called. Of course they didn’t.

My mom, my sisters, the husbands, and I sat in the dining room while the kids sat in the kitchen for dinner. The kids (8 kids, aged 9-24) hung out, laughed, and played. Other than putting dinner out and then about an hour later, dessert, us adults relaxed. They ended up leaving at midnight, with me holding my nephew’s hand as he drove off, reenacting our goodbyes from 20 years ago, but back then he was in his car sight and now he is driving. And of course the Oswego goodbye. I am definitely the crazy aunt!

This week my husband’s side of the family came over to celebrate Tessie’s 13th birthday.

I invited them to come over at 4:00 pm. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, along with my niece and nephew, came at 3:45 pm. My brother-in-law, nephews and niece came at 3:55 pm. My mother-in-law calls at 4:00 to open the garage. She was here and needs help to bring in her spanakopita (spinach pie) and green beans and potatoes, requested by Tessie. They made no mention that they were early, even though they watched me take the last of the appetizers out of the oven.

As the kids (5 kids aged 2-9 as well as my 3 teenagers) ran around and screeched and laughed, my sister-in-law and I sat in the dining room for about 5 minutes before the kids came in to announce they were hungry. We got up to give them some appetizers and start setting dinner up. As soon as I finished eating dinner, I got up to start cleaning up dinner and getting dessert ready. They ended up leaving by 6:30 pm. Hugs and kisses for everyone, but the kids were done. They were ready for bed.

The two families are day and night, but I love them all dearly and I am grateful that we found a way to celebrate Tessie all together, separately. Hopefully next year we can all be together on the same day!

If you ask me what I was doing on any given day I wouldn’t be able to tell you (with the exception of my wedding day, the day I gave birth, and the day my dad passed away). But I remember March 20, 2018.

I was at La Barra in Oak Brook with my girlfriend, enjoying pizza, pasta, and Cokes. It was just the two of us since the other girls couldn’t make it. That night wasn’t anything different or special than what I do every week or two. That night wasn’t unforgettable. It’s just that it was the last night before my life changed forever!

The next day, March 21, my 9 days into being 10 years old daughter, Tessie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I remember everything about that day. I remember being at work and our school secretary coming into my room to tell me my husband is on the phone because I haven’t responded to his text. I remember I was teaching writing. I remember asking him Are you sure it’s not a mistake? I remember walking back into my classroom to grab my things and trying so hard to keep it together in front of my students. I remember stopping by our school social worker’s office and telling her about Tessie and her saying It will be ok. She will be fine. Call me if you need anything. Three days in the hospital learning about how to take care of Tessie once we go back home. On the 3rd day when she was released I was too nervous to leave, so I asked if we could stay until after lunch. Then it turned into leaving after dinner, and then I didn’t check out until 8:00 pm. Instead of taking her home, we went to my parents’ house. I guess you’re never to old to want your mom and dad!

I was invited to join a Facebook page Touched by Type 1 as a support group. They have been a wonderful resource for me. I would see many people post about their child’s Diaversary. I didn’t understand why anyone would celebrate the anniversary of being diagnosed with a lifelong illness. I asked Tessie if she wanted to “celebrate” her Diaversary and of course she was all about a celebration. My husband couldn’t understand why either. After thinking about it, I decided that I will celebrate March 21st with her for as long as she wants to. We’re not celebrating her diagnosis. We are celebrating another year of her being tough. We are celebrating another year of her remaining healthy.

There have been many days/nights that she feels unlucky because of her diabetes and her food allergies. There have been many times that she hates that she can’t eat something because her blood sugar is already too high, as well as the times she doesn’t feel like eating anything but she needs to because her blood sugar is too low. There have been many tears from both of us because sometimes life isn’t fair. I have told her, and myself, it’s ok to be mad, and it’s ok to cry, but it’s not ok to give up.

So today (a day early) we celebrated another year of Tessie being amazing!

Currently, I’m . . .

watching edu-videos and writing one-page reflections for each one.

looking at the minutes go by and the deadline drawing closer and closer.

being asked “What’s for dinner?” and I want to reply, “Who cares? Can’t you see I’m watching a video?”

replying, “I don’t know. Whatever you guys want.”

craving Caesar salad with anchovies, chicken picatta, and mashed potatoes from Carabba’s . . . oh and don’t forget the warm bread and oil and herbs!

drinking my Coke to give me some energy.

stressing over my daughter’s birthday party this weekend.

thankful that my boys have their first basketball game Saturday so we rescheduled her party to Sunday.

debating if I close my eyes for just 10 minutes I will be more refreshed and better able to focus.

procrastinating so I’m writing my Slice of Life for Day 19.

determined to not go to bed until this assignment is DONE and TURNED IN!

I had a lot of my students stay full remote when parents were given a choice between remote or hybrid. I had a couple of students that I barely saw when we were remote, and yet their families chose to keep them remote. Learning has not been happening for one particular student because parents are working and he is home alone. No one to tell him to wake up and get to class. No one to tell him to do his work. No one to tall him to put away the video games. No one to tell him to put away the cell phone. With the relentless work of our secretary, mom finally agreed that it would be best for her son to come to school for the two days of the hybrid plan.

So two weeks ago Monday he came into my classroom, and I’m sure he hated his mom at that moment for her decision.

Please take off your hood. We have a lot of work to do to catch you up.

Then the work continued throughout the day and again on Thursday. Last Monday, he wasn’t “feeling well”, so he logged on to his previous remote learning teacher. He was disappointed to learn that’s not the way this will go. If he is absent, he has to follow my work schedule and work on the assignments I have given.

Today, he came back. When the other students went to the bathroom I checked in with him.

How is it going? Is the work tough?

Um, yeah. You are tougher than the work.

I know your other teacher was probably much nicer.

She was calmer. You’re not calm. I’m not that calm either.

No, I’m not calm. You are not wrong about that.

No, but you get things done.

Today our secretary said that mom called and said remote learning would be best. I’m hoping mom will reconsider.

What do you have against the Irish? asked my Instructional Coach as I walked into PLCs today. She obviously noticed my all black outfit.

Oh, Greeks don’t wear green.

Being Greek was something I have always been proud of from a young age. I was never embarrassed when my parents would ask me a question in Greek in front of my friends or when they would listen to my teacher during conferences and then look at me to translate what they just said. My parents were conversational in English, but they really didn’t understand the academic terms used by my teachers.

I was never shy to take out my pastitsio (a Greek dish made with thick spaghetti, ground beef, cheese, and bechamel sauce) or gemista (tomatoes stuffed with rice and spices) out of my lunch bag. I actually looked forward to the questions from my friends. What is that? Is it good? What does it taste like? Can you get that at Jewel or a restaurant?

I didn’t enjoy going to Greek School (no one did – it was on a Saturday from 10-2), but I loved teaching my friends the Greek alphabet and saying a few words like how are you, I’m fine, and hello and goodbye. My friends loved asking me how to say their name in Greek, but many American names don’t translate into Greek.

I still have that Greek pride. I love taking my American friends to Greek restaurants or making Greek food for them to try. I love talking to them about the many traditions we have. I love sharing my love of Greece and being Greek with them.

And I love seeing that Greek pride in my kids!

Anyone available for coffee tonight? I can meet around 8.

Uh, oh! The texts are coming in from my girlfriends. I would love to go, but I need to get my classwork finished. I took 4 classes this round – one class is completely finished, one just needs me to write and turn-in my 1-page reflection, one is Slice of Life and I have been keeping up to date but it won’t be completed until March 31st, and the one I haven’t even started yet . . and it’s due by Friday.

Sorry, Girls. I just can’t do it tonight. I have after school book club with some students, a meeting for union presidents, and then I need to get my one class started.

OK. It’s just that we haven’t seen you in a few weeks. We miss you!

I miss you girls too. I hate having to be responsible!

Although I should have gotten this classwork completed weeks ago, I just didn’t have the motivation to plow through it and do it. But tonight I decided I better become a responsible adult and listen to the words I have told my students and my own children day after day, “If you just sat down and started the work, you would see that it wouldn’t take as long as it does to avoid it.”

One video and one reflection down, nine more to go.

I should be able to go on Thursday. By Thursday, I will definitely deserve a break!

I love reading to my students. I have made time for read aloud ever since I started teaching. My kids enjoy this time of day to just relax and listen to the stories being told. This year is no different. Some are in person and others are remote (depending on the day), but they all log on at 1:15.

This year, my group is so animated! Even through Google Meet, you see their mouths drop open when they are shocked or hold their heads in disbelief. They quickly type in their feelings or their predictions in the chat to share with their classmates. They reply to any poll questions I have asked and then ask about the results.

Today I had to cancel read aloud time for an in-person fire drill. Many moans and groans and sad faces when I told them this news at 9:45. Then at 11:00 we got an email saying the fire drill is cancelled. I quickly wrote a post saying “Read Aloud is back on at 1:15.” I hope they will all see it!

At 1:15, I am missing a few kids. I ask those that are signed on to message or email or text anyone they don’t see on. I was able to have read aloud with 19 out of 22 kids, so we will need to do a quick recap for those that missed out.

So far they have loved ALL the read aloud books chosen for this school year:

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Skeleton Creek

On the Day I Died

Unplugged

Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

I need to find my next read aloud . . . any ideas?

I lost an hour of sleep.

I lost my energy.

I lost the drive I had planned to have today.

I lost the will to finish the platters from the party last night.

I lost the want to read my book club book.

I lost the excitement of making 5 cheese penne pasta for dinner.

I lost the time to hang out with the kids because they slept in until 1 pm.

I hope to find it all tomorrow!