Final examination period is a crunch period for all teachers. It’s time for rushing test drafts, checking all sorts of papers – piled up reports, quizzes, assignments, etc. It’s a time for updating all records including grading sheets and personal reports. In short, it’s a time for deadlines.

In the faculty lounge, this is the season when printers become more than a necessity. It is during these times when teachers clamor for paper, printing time, and more coffee. And it is also during these times when teachers get buried in paperwork and get high on caffeine.

In class, however, this is the time for cramming for lessons, projects and other requirements. It is also a time for complaints – when students rally for deadline extensions and special considerations. For most, it is a time to panic and be anxious, sometimes even to the extent that fear becomes almost tangible.

Overall, finals season is one of the most hassle-filled times of the school year. It is and forever will be one of my most dreaded periods.

Once we buy this house (the one we’re currently renting) the first parts I’d like to attend to are its bathrooms. Aside from the fact that they’re probably the most used rooms in the house, they’ve been around for more than a decade already, so it would be great to finally tune up or overhaul a few things there.

Besides, andrea and I have talked about our ideal bathroom and ours right now are still a few steps short of that. Once we get the money to start renovations, I’ll be replacing the bathroom faucets, toilet bowl and tiles. Since we want a more simplistic yet relaxing mood there, I’m thinking of incorporating a mini garden to give a zen-like atmosphere (an idea I got after seeing T. Emma’s beautiful bathroom).

Of course these are all still plans. I’ll be putting them into action once I collect my winnings from next week’s lottery! Hahaha!

Christmas is just around the corner. I know since I’ve been waking up in the middle of sleep recently because of the cold. Sometimes, it gets so bad that I have to get out of bed and turn the electric fan off because every time the wind from it hits my back, my back aches. No it’s not rheumatism. That’s just how cold it is now.

You see, unlike andrea, I am not a fan of blankets. When I’m on the bed, I like the freedom to shift to any position without restrictions. But with the absurd cold we’ve been getting recently, I guess I wouldn’t mind cowering beneath one at least until the season passes. Heck, if the temperature gets any colder, I might even persuade andrea to consider getting an electric blanket. Nevermind about freedom…

You want to build muscle fast? Teach!

That’s right! Teachers don’t just teach in our school. We pretty much do everything – play soccer, cheer, run, jump, wrestle, climb poles. Name it, we’ve probably done it. Because as our school’s name suggests, everyone here including the teachers are holistic. We’re renaissance people – Jacks of most trades; a master of teaching, a supporter of everything else.

It’s an insanely tiring and strenuous profession – physically, mentally and even emotionally, but at the same time, it’s also a surprisingly fulfilling career (no not financially) but emotionally and spiritually. It’s an all around job that’s not for all.

One of the burdens that came with the role of coordinator is the tons of paperwork that is attached intrinsically to the title. I should have realized that before saying yes to the position. Haha!

You see, for the last two weeks I’ve been getting just a little over four hours of sleep everyday trying to cram all the paperwork in between classes and before going to bed. Aside from the usual checking of quizzes, typing of activity sheets, and constructions of lesson plans and final exams, I’m now in charge of organizing a field trip, checking up on the affairs of the teachers in my department, constructing admission tests, and checking all the other science teachers’ test drafts. Whew! And as if that’s not enough, I still need to beat the deadlines. Huhuhu!

If I don’t finish my exams this week, I’d be left to photocopy them myself for the students. So never mind about the sleepless nights for now. An acne cure is still way cheaper than the photocopy expenses!

One of the most appealing part of the holiday season is the food that comes with it. The holidays is the perfect excuse to prepare food that are difficult and expensive to prepare. It’s also an excuse to eat more and binge. Andrea would sometimes jokingly tell me that she’s looking for some fat burner review to read if we’d like to try it so that the eating binge would be guilt-free. Since the holidays is fast approaching, I’m anticipating the good food.

For the past few days (and nights), andrea has been pre-occupied with one of the highlights of the Math Week celebration – the Mathemazing Race. Since the Math Department has no formal coordinator, she has been pressuring herself to give a semblance of guidance to the relatively young department (with her being the most senior in the group).

An unfortunate work hazard. You see, even though I’m not handling any math subject, being married to a math teacher almost automatically makes me a deputized math department member (at least in terms of manpower). This is why I had to help out in making those tedious tangram puzzles and number roulettes. Heck, I was even assigned to man the Fear Factor version station solo. But at least that’s all over now.

The day has ended and the students seemed to enjoy the whole race. Even though I feel so tired that all I can think about right now is a going on a relaxing vacation, I’m still glad to be part of the race. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if the math department would treat us all to some well-deserved break. Maybe not exactly like those Mediterranean cruises but some time off would be great! Hehehe!

How many times have I thought about owning a new car? I can’t even remember. The truth is, no matter how much I think about it, there’s pretty much nothing I could do right now. As it is, I barely get enough to keep our heads above water. What more for a new car?

What we currently have right now is our red car. I’ve posted quite a few entries about the heartaches and headaches we’ve gotten from it. Heck, I don’t even have to look for those entries to remind myself about how much trouble we’ve gotten from our car. It’s right outside in the garage, for almost a month now. The last time I tried to move it, the brakes gave way. It’s in such a bad condition that none of the car insurance companies would want to get their hands dirty with it.

I can’t help but long for a new one – a more reliable and better looking one.  I mean, I can always dream, right?

Having a baby is almost like having a doll, although I can’t really be certain because I haven’t experienced playing with a doll before. What I mean is that babies amazingly feel like toys that can be dressed up or accessorized. I know because andrea and I both find it entertaining to let mateo try on different apparels – polo shirts, pants,  head gears, shoes, everything.

In fact, sometimes, when we pass by such stores in the mall, we’d playfully drag him inside and let him wear a cap , a pair of shoes or sometimes even some bling bling. He would then proudly step up to the mirror and admire himself while parrading around – a very self-confident baby, that’s for sure.

I’m just not sure how long he’d let andrea and i do that to him because I’m sure he’d eventually learn to refuse. But until then, we’re going to have our little doll try on more things for as long as we could.

With December looming just around the corner, andrea and I can’t help but think about our meager budget for the holiday season. You see, aside from Christmas, we have our wedding anniversary and Mateo’s birthday to think about. Because we’d like to prepare for these as well, we can’t allocate as much as we want to for holiday shopping .

First, because Mateo is already old enough to appreciate a birthday party, we’re considering giving him a really good one this January. His last birthday (which technically was also his first) was really more for us than for him because very few kids shared in the fun. Almost all of his guests during his birthday party were adults or at least 10 times older than he is.

Second, because we didn’t get to celebrate andrea’s birthday last October 25, I’d like to treat her to something special on our anniversary – perhaps to a romantic date or to a feast of delectable cheesecake from Uno. Either way, this would mean thinning the budget for holiday shopping even more.

I know this holiday season is supposed to be a season of happiness, but sometimes I can’t help but think it’s one of the most problematic times of the year – at least in terms of budgeting. That’s why we’re hoping for promos to get us through the spending. Hahaha!