You are joy, You are joy, You're the reason that I sing...

I'm not sure if I've been this tired, or had to rely on caffeine to get me through the day this much since I was in college. I am MIS-ER-AB-LE from lack of sleep. This is because Sunday we went to the Blackmans and Joni and I talked until 1 AM. So that night I got to bed at about 1:30. Yesterday, something ridiculous happened with some people in our lives and Nathan and I stayed up til like 12:30 talking about it. So last night it was 1:00 AM when I got to bed. This morning I woke up so tired that my eyes were burning even before I put my contacts in. My eyes have continued to burn ever since. And I am supposed to run today when I get off work. I can't even imagine at this point.

I have 4th and 1st grades this afternoon and I had a super lively and active game/dance/song for both classes to do. I just don't see that happening. "Boys and girls, Mrs. Hearn is not feeling her best today. So we're watching The Sound of Music."That should work. They freaking love that movie. Seriously, one of the best movies ever made.

Oh yes, Happy Fat Tuesday! Didn't realize that was a Catholic thing. They love it though. They gave everyone Mardi Gras beads and baby Jesus cake (King's Cake). I'm glad I wore green today...I totally wouldn't have matched my beads otherwise.

So over the weekend, and yesterday, and this morning, I have been writing these "packets" for my middle schoolers. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are now starting their Music History Units. Its not really much History, more like Music Social Studies units. 6th grade does "The Most Influential Composers in History." (Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Chopin, Tchaikowsky, Handel) 7th grade does "Music of the World." (Australia, Middle East, United Kindgdom, Latin American, The Orient, United States). 8th grade does "Modern Music in America."(Rock and Roll, Rap/R&B, Country, Indie/Folk, Jazz, and Popular.)

Its the first time since college I have really done a lot of research and "paper-type" writing. I have MISSED that! Because I am an insane person who loves to write papers. All together its about 10 or 11 pages of information that I gathered and put together and I am SO excited to share it with my students. I'm presenting it in "packet" form and we're reading it as a class. At the end of each section I play awesome recordings for them with several examples of each kind of music. I have never been so sure that this is one of the things I was created to do. I LOVE MY JOB! Its just so awesome that to research music and find recordings and teach kids how to be musicians is my "work"!

Another thing. I can't wait til Spring Break. Nathan and I have the same one. I was worried that we wouldn't, needlessly. Can't decide what we're gonna do. We had plans to go camping but it is supposed to be pretty rainy the whole time, and that would just be no fun. So, we're thinking about a road trip. We'll see. Well, those 4th graders are gonna come knocking in 7 minutes. Peace out.