Emergency Sub Plans

What I've learned throughout the pandemic.  A note for the future Jami who will forget and maybe you. 1.  A lesson I already knew:  Students thrive on positive feedback; especially when they can't see your face.  Remember this future Jami--You created "Digitally Jolly Ranchers" and projected good student work daily.  Do this next year.  Students are exposed to good work daily, and it honors those who are listening, learning, and applying what they have learned.  Future Jami, you also may want to figure out how to create some type of digital bulletin board. 2.  I like being home.  Big time.  It's my favorite place in the world.  I also like making my home comfortable and beautiful.  Don't forget that, Future Jami.  You like projects.  Do them.  Don't drag your feet.  You might like projects better than (or at least equal to) naps. 3.  Jami, you are more productive at night.  It's your natural ...

Sitting in my chair--the chair that has become an extension of me during quarantine--I felt this overwhelming need to write.  I usually can quell this feeling with a FB post, or just scrolling absently through my feed, but today there are a lot of big thoughts. Maybe this is because the section in Disciplines for the Inner Life  that I am lackadaisically reading is on journaling.  My first thought when I read that "Journalling" is the title the of the chapter I'm supposed to be almost finished with today (I took a three day break, so, um, yeh) was (also, I'm not proofreading these verbs.  Feel free to proofread mentally if that's your thing.  I'll only judge you mildly.)  "Sigh.  Another chapter to make me feel guilty about the loser I am at all things I'm supposed to be doing in my life."  See I have this constant tension--the me I should be and the me I actually am.  I should wake up at 5 and get myself emotionally prepared for the day ah...

1.  What was your favorite part of the trip? Logan:  Hummer tour because I got to take pretty cool pictures. Emma:  Slot Canyon.  It was pretty. Brad:  I liked the fact that when we went from place everything was differently pretty. Jami:  I liked watching the scenery as we drove.  I really like Sedona and would like to spend more time there. 2. What was your least favorite part of the trip? Logan: When we got to the food restaurants and we did not get to order any food (we did not get any Navajo bread). Emma:   Petrified Forest.  There wasn't anything there. Brad:  That's hard.  I liked just about everything about everything.  But see you can't say that.  I liked the way we did.  Theoretically, I'd like to spend more time at the places where we went, but we were just seeing the highlights. Jami:   It was all fun.  I enjoyed the drive, the scenery, spending lots of time with everyone.  The mel...

On day 12 we drove until 2 AM (don't tell my mother) and then crashed at a LaQuinta that allowed pets (did I mention Brad is horrifically allergic to dogs and cats--so much so that he has to carry an epi-pen).  I, of course, did not know they allowed pets until Brad woke up with the allergy puff, and we saw all the pets at breakfast.  He accused me of trying to kill him, but at 2 AM I wasn't really choosy about the hotel.  Sorry, honey.  You look almost normal now :-). On day 13 we had one objective:  make it to Nashville and people who love us and will hopefully be forgiving of our state. Unfiltered Filtered, so much better, right????? The highlight of the road trip was FINALLY being in Chick-fil-a country and FINALLY seeing some farmland. After we drove for what seemed like forever in the rain and in the traffic (more people live in the East, yo), we finally arrive in one of our favorite cities, Nashville.  We stopped at Centennial park ...

Day 11 and 12—Arches National Park and Colorado (and friends) The morning of day 11, we sleepily tried to get up early to hit Arches National Park before we journeyed to Colorado to try to make it to Dustin’s house in Denver by suppertime.   We were now firmly in the dog days of our journey, and Emma, who has been fantastic throughout the trip, was truly worn out.   She mustered up a little spirit, though, and agreed to get out of bed and see yet another national park.      They are so ready for another adventure, can't you tell? Luckily, you could observe most of Arches by the car because the Dentons were tired, yo.   I did convince everyone to go on a little trail walk to the Balanced Rock, and I think that they did have fun, but then the heat and exhaustion got to everyone, and we agreed that we would find some arches and leave.         After we drove through Arches, it was time to h...

Day 10 and 11—Monument Valley Day 10 was the day that Brad had been waiting for; the day we entered Monument Valley.    Since he is a HUGE Western fan (exhibit 1:   his choice of music for this trip), he was truly looking forward to seeing where John Ford had made his movies.   We learned that the land was originally Dine land, but in 1958, they gave the land to the Navajo to run so that a man named Goulding could not get the land.   Now it is considered Navajo land, and the Navajo tribe runs the national park and the gift shop.    Again the diversity of the land was breathtaking.   On this trip, we have seen forests, desserts, petrified forests, mesas, red rock mountains, petrified sand dunes, canyons, slot canyons, and in Monument Valley we saw enormous monuments of sandstone.   We drove the gravel road through the park and were amazed at the enormity of the monuments that were created by flash floods and win...