This week, I will grade 100 exams, put the finishing touches on my spring course shell, and make sure my ginormous public speaking class is fully prepped with fresh teaching docs for spring. YOU KNOW. JUST A FEW THINGS.
Do I feel chest-tightening stress when I think about all of these tasks happening in ONE SINGLE WEEK? Why yes, of course I do. WHY DO YOU ASK? But! HOW HAPPY will I be in December when all of January’s jobs are done?
(Also, I am getting 100 more exams next week. And yes my TA could be grading these, but I wrote all new exams and wanted to grade them myself to make sure they’re doing what I want them to do. Next time I teach this class, I will have great answer keys ready to go. Plus she has been covered up in papers all semester because the research paper assignment is aggressively scaffolded.)
We also decided to hold off on visiting the Christmas tree farm for our upstairs trees* until this weekend because last weekend was VERY hockey-centric, so I want to get everything cleaned and staged with non-tree decor in advance (CHRISTMAS COMFORTERS HERE WE COOOOOME). AND also, there is a little bit of on-campus shopping I want to do…
So. Another full week. Another host of things to feel put-upon about.
*Harry was talking about Christmas trees at work and mentioned that we usually have 4-5 trees. The person was like HOW BIG IS YOUR HOUSE, and we all had a good laugh when he retold the story.
Apropos of nothing, I want to tell you that I did take Minnie back to the museum, and had the best time:
Your academic tasks are giving me a bit of anxiety merely by association, Sarah. Last week of classes for me too; I keep imagining how exciting it will be to be on break in just 12 days!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so glad you and Minnie got to go back to the kids' museum.
BREEEAAAAK! It's going to be SUCH a delight.
DeleteFOUR OR FIVE TREES
ReplyDeletewe are a lot
DeleteOMG so many trees. We facetimed with my Chicago niece last night and they also have 5 trees throughout their house. We have one! Good luck with all the grading tasks. I am glad you can outsource that to your TA next term!!
ReplyDeletewe have SO MANY ORNAMENTS!
DeleteOh, I'm so happy Minnie got to live her best life at the museum. Way to follow through on keeping your promise to her.
ReplyDeleteshe had a blast!
DeleteI am in awe. No idea how you are managing all of your work tasks, Christmas, AND blogging daily. My eyes are bugging out. Hooray for the museum. It looks like she had a blast. Also, so many trees. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we ALWAYS have a ton going on, so this feels normal
DeleteThat museum looks EPIC. We do two trees and that feels like a lot!
ReplyDeleteLove your cheetah print sweater (?); so cute!
thanks! Target, natch
DeleteYay for Minnie getting her museum day! Good luck on all your work - that sounds like a lot!!
ReplyDeletethanks!
DeleteMy mom always had multiple trees, with various themes. It was kind of a lot when we got to divvying them up, but also still feels sacriligious to mix the "Cowboy" ornaments with the "glass and angels" ornaments on the same tree, so I think we are nearing a multi-tree household
ReplyDeleteoooooh a whole Cowboy tree- love that. Harry's is Cubs, but the rest are a mash up
DeleteI can barely fit one tiny skinny 'made for the entryway' tree in our townhouse, so I am just blown away by people with multiple trees. It sounds like so much work to me, but I have friends who do it and LOVE IT. They have themed trees (disney tree, classic tree, white and gold tree, blue and silver tree) and I am in so much awe. We are going to need pictures.
ReplyDeleteOF course there will be pictures :)
DeleteThere's some movie where Lena Olin has a bunch of kids and when someone says they have two she says "what's the point of that? You wouldn't make just two cookies". I love this, for you and kids. And trees.
ReplyDeleteWell, you know, if someone can handle it - it's YOU! Way to get things out of the way for December!
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy week. Hope all goes smoothly. And I bet the feeling in January is great when everything is settled.
ReplyDelete