Week 2

Today marked the beginning of the second week of the semester. I'm starting to get the hang of my new schedule and have my classrooms situated (we had two room changes for one very large class)and the necessary software working in all of my rooms. This is the week that we start rolling with the content and I get to focus on getting to know the students. I don't have homework coming in until later this week, so I don't yet have grading to worry about. It's a pretty good week.

One of my classes, Java, has 25 students, which is very large for a subject that complex. All 25 are young men. So far, they seem very eager to learn. It's going to be an adventure! I had two classes last semester with only one woman, but I've never taught a class without one single female student.

Tica, as well as most of the other cats, love snuggling into this afghan. Mark's grandmother made it for him many years ago, and he uses it on the bed. Whenever he isn't using it, one or more cats are.

When L & I went in her room to play with the rats earlier tonight, we found Quince peeking out of his customized tissue box. I love the shots with his adorable tiny mouth open. (Yes, his teeth are orange. Rats have orange teeth.)

His brother Womble loves to play underneath the towels on L's bed (used to protect her bed from ratty playtime), frequently peeking out to see what's going on with the rest of us.

Watercolors

Here is the latest group of art on Luciana's wall. These are all water color or water color pencil on water color paper.

Cool, clear water

Carrie's favorite spot to nap is in the "cat room" on a shelf where we store the quilts. It also happens to be right next to the heating vent, so she's very warm and snuggly.

Petey, Oliver, and Mimosa tend to hang out on the cat tree in the cat room during the day.  It's right in front of the windows, and they can watch the neighborhood and nap, alternately.

Fresh water is a BIG deal to me.  I can deal with hunger but not thirst.  I always have an abundance of water available to all of the animals.  Some prefer still water, where others prefer 'moving' water.  I think the water fountains are cleaner than standing water, so we have fountains on each floor in addition to the regular water dishes.  I also keep fresh water available for the outside critters.

I'm always observing the animals, looking for similarities as well as differences between the various species, as well as between individuals within the species. One of the things that is true of all of the species in the house, of course, is that they live for meals and treats. They are so sensitive to my food routines, that the moment I begin the first step of the routine--and sometimes even before I start--they are aware, tuned in, and gathering around me in anticipation.

That's certainly not a big surprise, but what I have found a little surprising is that their response to getting fresh water is very similar to their reaction to fresh food. Some individuals are as attuned to my motions and as excited as they are to get the first drink of fresh water as they are to get food. In each species, there are members who will appear and start drinking before I even get their water container put down.

Since I noticed this, I've made an extra effort to freshen up their water several times a day.  It's one simple, quick way that I can brighten their day just a little bit, and unlike the food treats I so enjoy giving them, fresh water won't make them fat, so they can drink to their hearts' content.  Except Daisy, who drinks until she gets sick and vomits.  Then she has room to drink even more.  She's special.

Oops.

I made a mommy error.  L.  has no problem calling me out on such lapses.  She made me a bookmark--two-sided, as seen above.  I thanked her and told her how pretty it was.  She put it next to me while I was working in the kitchen, and I asked if she could please take it back upstairs and put it on my nightstand, because I was worried that it would get wet there.  She said sure and went back upstairs.  

When I made it up to bed in the wee hours of the morning, I found this in my bed.  I wasn't totally sure what it meant, because I wasn't convinced that the "p" was a p.  It's a little off.  I asked her as soon as she got up in the morning why she left me a rejection slip.  She said, "Because that's how I felt when you rejected my bookmark."  8-(  I apologized profusely and explained that I loved it and wanted to keep it safe.  I felt horrible! 

I've reviewed the exchange in my head a hundred times over, and still think she was on the oversensitive side.  I will be extra careful in the future, because even if she is oversensitive (and her age may be a factor; she just turned 12), I don't want her to ever feel that way!  I'm happy that she handled it so quickly and maturely.

Three-week overview

L got a package of canvases, and made gifts for Dej, Mark, me, and both sets of grandparents.  She used her favorite media (for now), which is pastels, and of course used a fixative to make sure they would remain smudge/smear free.

My favorite was the one she made for me.  The cockatiels are Romeo and Lily--a couple of very special (and strange!) birds.  They died before she was born, but she's heard much about them from the rest of us.  The picture is hanging in my room, facing my bed, and I enjoy looking at it every day.

Mark got a dragon.

Dej got a fox, because that's what she asked for.

My mom got butterflies.  My dad got a Nintendo DS from all of us, so L decreed that he had to share my mom's picture.  She was also determined that once he got the DS, he would never look up to notice a picture or anything else.

Mark's dad got a duck, because he collects ducks (or she thinks he does--not sure which).

Mark's mom got a picture of their dog, Bentley, who died a few years ago at the age of 21!  Everyone referred to him as Bentley the Wonderdog, because he just kept going and going.  The picture brought Carolyn to tears.

Before the holiday season, she gave me a random sketch of a kiwi.  It's so cute--it's still up on our refrigerator.  (The blue drips are from a little popsicle accident.)

Mimi playing in a dress that L likes to put on certain cats (there are only a few who tolerate it). Mimi was initially fascinated by it, and then quickly forgot about it and started playing.

Basil chilling on the piano.  Notice Beethoven behind Basil.  I asked Luciana to take his gay pride beads off and make him look more festive and seasonal.  This was her rendering of festive and seasonal.  Hmm.

Russ and Poppy hanging out together.

I (Finally!) finished the printer's tray shadow box I started working on before I broke my arm this summer.  I've been so busy with work that I haven't had a minute to relax and work on hobbies.  Once I got my grades in and completed the necessary critical work for my consulting job done, I wanted to get this knocked out and off my desk.  I finished and hung it, but every time I look at it, I think it needs something else.  When I figure out what that is, I will add it and maybe be satisfied with it.  It's hanging in the dining room--the one I really want to strip and repaint.  L is vehemently against the idea, and I keep hoping to find a paint color she likes enough that she is okay with the changes.