Weekend fun

This past weekend was a blast, so I thought I'd let everyone know what we got up to. Friday night neither of us were in the mood to do anything that required moving/doing/being anywhere other than home. I picked up from pizza from Toula's (almost as good as Tommy's- shout out to my Gburg and former Gburg peeps!) We were going to watch a netflix movie, but I spotted the second Ice Age movie, so I fell asleep to that. Saturday I went to the gym and got my hair cut. Arrived in time for Jeff and Matto to come and Ricky, Matt, Matto, and Jeff and I piled into a car and headed off to Nick's surprise birthday cookout. What a gal that Michelle is to plan her husband's surprise party on HER birthday. We mostly hung out in the garage laughing and drinking because the house was packed with family and SRO- barely. We hung around until around 12 and came home and crashed. Sunday was good for chores and in the afternoon, Matt and I took an hour long walk around Rutland. We dined at the Common because neither of us felt like grilling anything like we'd planned. Matt was displeased with his meal. I was ok with my lasagna. Here's Monday. Ready to do it all again!

What I Do

Sometimes I feel like the negative aspects of this job are more apparent to people than the wonderful parts. I certainly understand that routine bumps and bruises (and large missing chunks from my scalp) are awful, especially when you consider the pay. However, I thought I'd give you a little bit of "a day in the life of" so everybody can see a fuller side.

In the morning, I arrive at the beautifully late time of 8:30, about 15 minutes before I have to be here and about 30 minutes before students arrive. I brew and consume my second cup of coffee, say hello to everyone, and gather my students edible reinforcers. Teachers go out and pick up there students straight off the bus, otherwise there's a large chance our students would just sort of sit there or try to run away.
We serve them breakfast, so I place paper towels out and ask them to sign for what they want. Bellies full, I run academic programs, with 3-5 minute breaks every 15-20 minutes or so (sweet, huh?) That describes a smooth morning. During an average morning (rarely smooth) I tickle, hug, trick, chase or use my "teacher voice" to get kids to eat quietly and clean up.

For about a month, I've been in charge of absolutely everything my student uses or learns. I gather and often make his materials by hand and set up his data collection sheets. We swap students throughout the day, but at the beginning and end of the day, he's mine. I calculate and graph his data, interpret it, and decide where his prompt level should be the next day. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. It's a messy affair.

To properly keep my student's attention, I'm constantly "on". After about and hour, it's pretty tiring. I have a break around 11, but I'm rarely hungry so I go on the computer- which is usually occupied by the heroic slugs in the other room. They don't do much, but they're much needed muscle and have saved me from broken limbs or worse several times. They're necessary evils.

Lunch is....nightmarish and usually results in tears for at least one of my 6 kids. Without going into details that would make this day seem much worse than it actually feels to me, I serve and help students eat. I've drawn the line at actually FEEDING a dwarfish nine year old who is often treated like a baby. Sorry parents, Miss Caitlin doesn't play that Gerber game.

I plan and teach arts and crafts and group activities in the afternoon. By that time, I have at least 3 different bodily fluids on my jeans, have wiped a few bottoms, blocked hundreds of self-injurious behaviors, and been hit or kicked at least once or twice (this morning it was a half-hearted kick to my back- don't worry I'm fine and dandy.)

By the end of the day, I'm sweaty, smelly, and hungry, oh so very hungry. I snack on the kids' treats (bad, I know) and sanitize my hands about 20 times per day. By the time I put my student on the bus, I've been smacked, cried on, spit on, and have tickled, laughed with, sung with, restrained, or just plain held a student who needs me to be calm and in control no matter what he does.

I only work 6-7 hours in a day, but I've never felt more exhausted by the time I walk to my car.

my weekend

Just thought I'd let my peeps know what I'm up to. Friday night was date night, so Matt and I put a bunch of ideas in his sweaty hat and fished out dinner at West Boylston Sea Food and a movie at the WB (for when you miss movies in regular theaters and want to see them 2 months later for only $5..we love it!) I had a fantastic dinner, but the chowder must not have agreed with me because during the 3 hour movie, it all came back up. I have such a grumpy tummy sometimes. Saturday we got a visit from Nick and Anothy who stared at me the way babies always seem to do and was cuddly and cute. Later MattO came over and we went to Springfield to a benefit for Tracy's cuz's family to help pay medical and burial costs. There was a fantastic Grateful Dead cover band and aside from staying sober due to an angry tummy, I had a great time. After that, Erik & Tracy, Jess and her guy Rich (not my roommate), Matto and Matt and I went to a karaoke bar where I sang my first barroom karaoke to Madonna's Borderline. I had Tracy come up for moral support, backup dancing, and words I didn't know.
Sunday was lazy and Tracy and I watched a Jetson's movie while the boy's fetched Panara breakfast and Matt snored upstairs. I love visiting those 2 and Matto makes everything more fun. Yay!

A side of Rant

Last night, St. Patty's Day, when we should've been glugging down green beer and dining on potatos and ...haggis, maybe?...Erik, Matt, and I were sitting around talking about the day when suddenly, the lights flickered and then went out. After the ice storm in December, I would have a small internal freakout when lights flickered, even if someone just accidentally leaned against the switch- even in Pennsylvania!! Not that the ice storm was as terrible for us as others. It was sorta an adventure and plenty of people are still recovering. Groceries were the only things our ours destroyed and we were displaced for no more than a week. But when a light flickered, I could feel myself gearing up to go through it all again. As a Psych major I can say that technically, you could classify that as trauma, but the lame trauma you hear people getting when their pet turtle dies or they experience a hit and run with absolutely no injury.

So, last night when the power went off I made over 2 valiant hours of attempted cheerfulness. After the time the power was supposed to come on and nothing happened, I went to bed. At 9. Pissed, sad, and well pissed. Hardly a goodnight.

(WARNING RANT COMING!!!)
I heard that it was posted in the Landmark. WHO READS THE FREAKIN LANDMARK? It got me thinking- what about the disabled. What about the poor? What about the illiterate, blind, deaf, etc. National Grid, and all the electric companies involved with this storm needs to step it up. No bonuses for working hard during that time. THAT'S YOUR JOB! Why should you get a extra for doing your job when it's hard? I don't get bonuses when I'm slapped around at work. Dentists don't get bonuses when patients have bad breath. Nobody should be getting any bonus over a few $100 in this economy for doing what you're already paid to do. Good for Obama for pursing every legal avenue to stop these bonuses. And for those that think this economy is his fault, I may be a middle -of -the -roader most of the time, but I'm not stupid. Use your brain! Nobody who just took office got us into this mess. Baby boomers did. SO I don't want to hear anyone over 45 complaining anymore. Letting the house pay for this and that. That means you couldn't afford it, but got it anyway. Ok, but um, raise your hand if that doesn't sound like it will come back to bite somebody in the ass!

Moving Day

There's a new feeling over in Rutland, 3-8. Two days ago, Matt talked with Rich. Yesterday, Rich informed Matt he wanted to move out (ahead of schedule) in April. We wanted him to find a place by June 1st. Matt and I are both excited for Rich's plans to move into Tracy's and look for a house. There's no denying this is a positive step for Ricky. It's definitely a positive step for us. At this point, I don't need an apology- the way I've felt towards them, I'm not sure I deserve one. But things are changing for the better and I'm giggly with the feeling that spring is coming and soon I'll have a home that I love.

YAY

When I woke up around 2:45 this morning, Matt was in the living room and the conversation with Rich and him had taken place. I cannot tell you how good it feels. Out by June 1st. I never wanted Rich to be given a move-out ultimatum. I wanted Steph's behaviors addressed. They were, but from what I can tell (and overheard before I fell asleep) the boys had a very mature conversation. Matt even said Rich may want to apologize to me. I won't hold my breath, but I am practicing accepting sympathetically and gracefully. Matt did wonderfully, held it together, and I couldn't be prouder. I feel like he stepped up for me. What an amazingly wonderful happy ending!

Celebrate good times!

I'd like to give a shout out to those lovely folks who supported me during this whole Steph/Rich debacle. This evening, we will reach the end of an era. Come hell or high water (wow, I talk like an old person) Matt is determined to sit down with Ricky tonight for a discussion. So thank you, everyone who has listened to me complain, vent, and go generally crazy. I love you all.

The enemy of spellcheck

Today I am feeling just jolly. I woke up early to go the gym and when I whined I was promptly told, "Stay in bed and sleep. You can go later." Beautiful words. NOT HELPFUL. Lovely thought, though. I went to the gym and still felt half asleep on the elliptical for a good 10 minutes into my workout. I treated myself to a healthy breakfast and came to work, where I was greeted by a pissed off (AND TERRIBLY MISSPELLED) letter from a parent who is pissed at his kid staying an extra 45 min. I'm pissed too. Worcester parents didn't even have the luxury of a meeting to vote. But um, if you think anybody at this school was part of the decision, you're straight up crazy. And dude- read what you write. Cause write, right, and wright- different words, and one of them doesn't exist. Also- livid..not livered. Everyone who has a liver is livered, but not necessarily livid. (I know I'm not. Livid. I am livered for the time being, though.) So just a warning to parents, if you send in angry notes with imaginary words and misspellings, it WILL be passed around and you WILL be laughed at. I'm not saying we didn't forward it to the higher ups, but who's going to listen when you sound like a jackass. Nobody, that's who. And if you're reading this, I'm not saying that nobody makes spelling errors. It's a busy world. But just be thankful I didn't right thes liek a stoopid, arngry parent. LMAO. Coz I wanted two. Sea? Hard to reed!

Bad Hair Revisited

I tried to respond to Dad's comment in a comment, but I was writing WAAAAY too much.
Yes, I do get tiny little damages here and there every few days. And about once a week I get genuinely freaked out. It's part of the job and I can't complain because my head teacher takes brutal beatings and will stand up to a kid being a punk everytime. She's my hero. She doesn't quit, back down, or lose her in-control tone of voice or posture. She doesn't "pick her battles" when it comes to aggressive behaviors. Getting out of the way is good, but not good enough. I really admire her. And good things have come out of working with this kid's aggressions.

I can block and get across the room smooth as silk and FAST! I can wait until the last second to snatch something away or grab a hand on it's way to somebody's face! And I have a seceret thrill when I break out my smoothest move. I feel like a ninja. And at the end of the day, isn't that what everyone wants? To feel like a ninja? Yeah...I thought so.

Good Habits, Bad Hair

I'm feeling so good today. Today is the third day in a row I've woken up an hour early and gone to the gym before work. I'm planning on doing this as much as possible. Wouldn't it be lovely to build a routine around getting up, rolling into gym clothes, working out and waking up, taking a lovely shower, and grabbing my egg white flat bread sandwich ( 200 something calories) and blueberry coffee- no cream, just splenda before work. OMG. Please let this last long enough for me to get in shape!

I'm also trying to eat better, but since I'm buying lunch from the school today (chicken salad on pita with green salad) and it's not ready yet, I'm snacking on M&Ms. Our school has a program for the higher functioning teens to help serve and sell food to students and faculty on Fridays and make a little money for the kids' activities. But for those concerned, they wear gloves to serve and don't actually make the food. Matt says he has dreams that I will get thin and dump him because he thinks he's a jerk sometimes. I cleaned that up a little bit, but you get the idea. Of course that's ridiculous, but I feel warm and fuzzy that he cares.

This week I had the second major attack at school and I was really scared. The whole thing was a good reason for parents to have A LOT of open communication with teachers about kids- special needs or not. With changes at home, he got more aggressive, and yet I didn't find out about it until after he pinned me in a corner, ripped my hair out, and tried to bite my eye out. I yelled for backup, but nothing really came out of my mouth loud enough to hear in that classroom. After I took a little breather, I came back, laughed it off and went back to work. Hey, I've got thick hair so really, he's just thinning it out. This wasn't him being a punk. This was Autism making life very upsetting for a sweet, but adult-sized kid. My heart really hurt for him...so did my scalp. My consolation is that after he ripped 2-3 huge handfuls of hair out....HE ATE IT! Like a freaking hibernating bear. HE ATE MY HAIR! And boy, will his poops be miserable. I've gotten hurt from this kid before, so I would've appreciated the heads up from Mom before he went all Hannibal Lector on me. Still, when I told Matt I need a little down time and some sympathy when these things happen, he came through.