Man...I'm getting behind

I may have to stop doing the gratitude journal on here. It's getting closer to the time of our evaluation. So I'm having to spend more time on that and less time on writing on my blog. I still may use Facebook for my 'attitude of gratitude', but I'm falling behind on here and it's bugging me. I'm trying not to stress about our evals too much. As it is, we're set up not to be able to score too high because this is supposed to be for a 90-minute block of time and we only have 35 minutes. That's the first problem. The 2nd problem is this evaluation is tailored to a classroom teacher and we teach music, so  a lot of the criteria don't even apply to us.
So there's that....
Makes for a pretty disheartening attempt at having a good score. I'm to the point that I just don't want to lose my job because this new evaluation is beyond flawed. It needs some major tweaking. Some of it is good and in theory and on paper...it looks really good. In reality, I can't actually hit every subpoint in all twelve points in a 35 minute lesson...I don't care how good I am...and dad gum it...I'm a good music teacher.
So...as I go into a losing battle, I'll do the best I can. Get a half way decent score, which doesn't really reflect my ability...and just deal with it for now...
Makes me want to look for employment in another line of work, but in these times, I need to stay where I'm at a little longer. I wish the 'writer' thing would work out and then I wouldn't have to worry about it.
I guess we'll just wait and see.

As far as being grateful, I am definitely grateful for a job that I love. I love my kids, I love the people I work with, who I've given shout-outs to on here before. I have the kind of job where I marvel at the fact that they pay me to do it. It is one of the best jobs in the world. I'm not saying it's easy...it's one of the hardest jobs too, but I do love it.

I'm grateful that my health is at a point where I can still eat or drink what ever I want. I didn't say there weren't consequences...like gaining weight, but I don't have to worry about a diabetic coma when I drink this Sundrop I'm about to drink. This is GOOD stuff. Been a long time since I drank any.

I'm grateful for Shannon's cheer coach. She is motivating to the girls and expects them to work hard. She also loves them and would do anything for them. Her bar is set high and she constantly preaches character to them, which I think is a great lesson they need to learn in high school. Parents can tell kids things, but sometimes it sticks better when it's a coach that tells them.

This was taken after they'd gotten done with camp. They were all crying because the seniors were crying and because their coach had bragged on them and told them they were the best group in 13 years she's ever coached. We love her. :)

I'm also grateful for Shannon's friends. I believe high school can make or break you, depending on who you end up hanging around with. When Shannon made the cheerleading squad with 6 of her other friends from her middle school, I knew she would have a great high school career. Her friends are everything you could ask for in a group. Her first year of high school, she was in a group of 11. These kiddos have been through 16th birthday parties, getting their licenses, and all kinds of fun high school memories. They are sweet, good kids who I love like my own. I will really miss her friends when she graduates high school. They're an awesome bunch.

Great bunch of girls right here. :) Love these kiddos! 

They're holding their fingers to show a 1 and 3.. because they'll graduate in 2013. Aren't they smart? Came up with that all on their own. :)

And of course Shannon's oldest friend, Kaitlyn

I'll have to have a whole other post on Kaitlyn...she's such a great kid. She calls me her second mommy and if we needed to take her in, we would in a heartbeat.