School

I haven't written about school for a while. It's still there! Lucky for me it's spring break right now. I survived my first mid-terms in almost 30 years. . . woohoo! I have to brag a bit. I found out that I am ranked #2 in my English class. . . dang--not #1. And there are (well were 24 in my class to start with. There are only about 19 who show up regularly now.) I know who is ranked first and it bugs the crap out of me! I didn't realize how competitive I was until I noticed my ranking and asked the girl that I suspected was in first place if she was ranked first. The funny thing is I didn't know for two days after getting grades what my ranking was. I looked at my English grade the morning of my history mid-term just to boost my confidence. I was looking at it closer than I did the day I got it in class and that's when I noticed my ranking. I know the girl in first place and I have similar scores on all our writings and grammar test, so she can't be too far ahead. Another funny thing is that she is my go-to-gal for proofing my papers. I mentioned this to a friend and she suggested that maybe this is a conflict of interest because Sam (in English class) wants to still be ranked first. All I can say is how grateful I am for the curve on my grammar test and the "supercurve" in my history class. You know there are too many choices for answers when you have a selection from A-H for answers! Ugh! The class is more like a philosophy/ethics class than a history class and I guess I'm not so philosophical or ethical. Like I said--thank heaven for "supercurve!"

My latest English paper was annotated bibliographies and works cited. How in the world does a teacher grade those when they don't have the original "works" in front of them to know what the sources are? There seems to such different information out there. . . how does a student ever get it right? I did a combination of two citings and hope I did it right. I helped proof a few students papers today and their's are so totally different from mine. I guess time will tell if I was on the right path. I finally had to stop working on it last night because I felt so horrible. I got sick Thursday and was at my worst last night. The last thing I wanted to do was work on an English paper. Thank goodness it was all done except for rewording a couple sentences. Poor Tanner. His homework was a little neglected last night. I guess one night isn't bad!

Since being back in school my house has been neglected and I kind of feel like my family has been a bit, too. Maybe I should say my family life has been a bit. Everything is centered around my school--and I only have 6 credits. How do people do it with more than two classes?!? I have kind of settled into school a little more than when I first started. I now know what the history professor is looking for in his quizzes. He doesn't go over any information from our books but we have to stay on top of the reading from the book, plus we have outside reading and movies to watch. We are quizzed on the readings and movies and tested on his lecture material. The thing that has saved me in that class is my quiz scores. We get to drop our two lowest grades. The professor told me not to get too caught up in my test score because my quiz scores are good and I should be okay. If I get a C in that class I will be happy! Quite a different attitude than in my English class, I know, but I know my strengths--and I don't plan to major in history!

Steve and I went to the state 2A boys basketball playoffs and I packed my laptop and history book and read in the car and finished my English paper in the hotel room. I think Steve thinks it's funny to see me so serious about school, but I think at the same time he is proud of me.

Don't think for a second that just because it's spring break that I have time off. . . not even! I need to clean my house, do a Costco run, plan to see my BIL to help me with a movie power point presentation (that's a whole other post--Jeff, get ready for the call!) for my history class, get started on my final English paper, pay bills that have been neglected (don't worry, Steve pays the major ones, so these are minor), schedule doctors and dentist appointments, and read 4 chapters in history. I didn't mention that Tanner has a science fair project due on the 30th that we haven't even started! It was due tomorrow but I got word over the weekend that it was pushed back until the 30th. I hope "we" have it finished by then. The good news is it's a fun project--which bubblegum blows the best bubbles! At least my 4th grader thinks it's exciting. I wish he could do it by himself. After all, I have passed the 4th grade. . . four times!

Just one more thing. Cristi, you will think this is funny--on my English papers I have to do flush left margins but open right margins and it just drives me crazy. I like to "justify" my margins and it's like fingernails on a chalkboard to have them "unjustified." Am I the only one that this drives crazy? I hope not!