Ever Feel Like There is Too Much Going On?

Do you ever feel like you are so swamped, you don’t know how in the world you are going to remember everything, let alone accomplish everything? That was me this morning.

I knew I was getting evaluated today, and I had all of my online resources researched and found, created a game for the lesson, felt awesome and prepared to go. But that all changed when I came to work this morning.

It was announced that we also had to have detailed lesson plans prepared for this evaluation. I totally forgot to do that. I had to find time throughout my day to get that 4-page document done, not including the photocopying I had to do as well.

We were also reminded that this week was WISE week, and 8:30-9:30 each morning would be spent in assembly. Ok, I need to revise my schedule a little bit.

We were also reminded that we needed to review our contracts and get them sent in soon. Ok, I have everything printed to review, but need to actually sit down and do that.

That was just worship. Then I came to sit at my desk and made a list… 20 items long!

Before the principal came, I would have to clean my desk, clean the area around my desk, get those pesky smudge marks off my whiteboard, make sure the students are in perfect uniform, make sure their desks and cupboards are decently clean, make sure the homework table looks like there is a rhyme and reason to it.

Not just that, but we also have 2 trips coming up within a week and a half of each other. The money, the permission slips, the packing, everything has to be ready to go for those. I have about 3-4 hours of photocopying to do for ESL students’ folders. I have an hour of grading for ESL writing. I have approx. 5 hours of grading sitting on my grading table. I have a pastor’s appreciation card to prepare for tomorrow. I have tutoring binders to get ready for tomorrow. I have presentations that need to be done for classes this week. I just have so much stuff at work, let alone my list for home, that is insane!

Am I alone in this? Do you ever feel like this? Let me know if you have any tips on management and organization below! I’m always looking for helpful tips!

Sleep Walking: What’s Your Story?

I am NOT a habitual sleep walker, at least I don’t think so. But I do have some instances where it has happened.

Reminds me of Robert Munsch’s 40 Below where the dad went sleepwalking outside in 40 below.

When I was little, and I mean really little, like 4, I can remember living at my grandparents house with my mom and sister (1 at the time). My parents were just going through a separation leading to divorce and so mom had moved “home”. I remember my grandfather informing me of a little event that happened the night before, something I had no recollection of at all. This is what he told me happened:

My grandfather was in the kitchen making a late night snack. Our kitchen was designed as a square with an open rectangle on the edge of it, a mini entrance hallway that opened into the kitchen. So if you were at the sink/stove/cupboards, you could not see the front door. You would have to walk around the wall to look at the door. However, the table was on the opposite wall of the stove so you could easily see both sides at the same time.

Anyways, my grandfather was facing the cupboards, using the counter to make his snack. All of a sudden, he heard the door open, so naturally ran towards the door to see what was going on. Nobody was breaking into the house, his little granddaughter was leaving the house, in the middle of the night! He called my name and asked me where I was going, and I apparently told him I was going to walk the dog. I don’t even think we had a dog at the time. My grandfather told me it was the middle of the night and I needed to go back to bed. I easily complied and walked myself back up to bed, asleep the whole time.

Now, something important to note here is that it was not an easy walk from my bedroom to the kitchen and back. I would have had to go to the stairs, go down the first set of stairs, turn on the landing, go down the long set of stairs, turn, walk down the hallway, turn again, walk through a zigzag hallway, through the doorway into the kitchen, walk around the table but not too close into the cupboards so my grandfather didn’t notice me, around the wall, down the hallway, and open the door! And of course, do all that in reverse on my way back up. Can you imagine this?

After that, I don’t have many stories of sleepwalking until I hit university where my sleep-functioning was due to such extreme lack of sleep. From conversations where people couldn’t even tell I was sleeping, to looking at people in my sleep (they said later the only thing they noticed was that my eyes were red, but honestly had no idea I was asleep), to grabbing the control for the fire place and trying to turn down the tv, to who knows what. That was a time my night-functioning was at an all-time extreme.

Sleepwalking almost always comes with an interesting story. I’m curious to hear yours! Leave your story in a comment below!