3 am with coffee and dogs

Zenji seems to be doing a bit better.  She hasn't thrown up in over a week so the canned pumpkin must have been the culprit.  She is also having less pain in her hips but I'm still trying to keep her calm for another week or so.  It is so hard to do sometimes, especially if she sees a rabbit in the yard or a coyote passing by.  CeeCee is still being patient but I can tell that she really wants to run and play with Zenji.  Hopefully I'll be able to let them run wild and run free in the backyard soon.

Reading classes are coming along and the kids are settling in.  The first couple weeks of school always seems to be a getting to know you / what can I get away with period but we all are learning how to work together to get through our lessons.  They're a good bunch kids.

ESL classes are in full swing as well.  Most of my ESL students do speak English to some level but sometimes I'll get a student who can only speak a few words of English and it can be challenging.  When that happens I have to run to different lesson sets to accommodate all the students.  I think the kids that are more advanced in English get impatient but overall they try to help the less advanced kids.  It is heartwarming to see the students helping one another.

Take care, 

Teresa, Zenji and CeeCee

 2 am with coffee, dogs and the Great American Novel

Another 2 am with the dogs but at least Zenji isn't throwing up anymore.  I think it was the canned pumpkin I had been mixing into her food.  Pure pumpkin can help with constipation and settle a dog's stomach but needs to be given in accordance with the dog's tolerance level. I believe I had been giving her too much and it was making her sick. So, that's one problem solved (I think).  Now to figure out this 2 am stuff.  I'm starting to feel like the TNG Enterprise crew in the episode Night Terrors.  Lack of REM sleep caused by a Tyken's Rift created mental instability.  Maybe I should change Zenji's name to Tyken.

While all of my dogs (past and present) have had the ability to drive me completely insane, their presence did allow me to fulfill a 'before I turn 50' goal.  My love of dogs led me to volunteer at  Hope Animal Shelter in Tucson Arizona and that opportunity was the inspiration for my Great American Novel.  Just kidding about the great American novel part, in reality it was just a paperback kid's book called Midnight at the Shelter of Hope.  

Midnight at the Shelter of Hope is a tale about Marlowe, the Red Pit Bull pup who has to face his greatest fears and rescue a human cub.  The cover, both front and back were designed by a wonderful illustrator named Donna Murillo who also designed the black and white images in the book.

I know it's never going to win a Pulitzer but I am rather proud of it.  The book is available on Amazon if you're interested, just click Midnight at the Shelter of Hope.  The book is available both in print and Kindle.  Also, if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, the Kindle version is free.

Take care, 

Teresa, Zenji and CeeCee

My fashion sense as a 60 year old

Am I the only one who thinks ladies fashion should include cutoff camo pants, a floppy hat and a fishing pole?

Bass fishing at Arivaca Lake Arizona

Canoeing and fishing at Patrick Henry Reservoir (Warriors Path State Park, Kingsport Tennessee)

 2 am with coffee and dogs

Sundays are my only full day off and I make an effort to get in as much R&R as possible.  I try to sleep in or at least sleep until 4 am but, right on cue, Zenji's alarm clock went off again at 2 am.  We've fallen into a crazy sleep pattern and I'm not sure how to undo it.  Suggestions are welcome.

Yesterday's (Saturday) 4:30 am ESL reading class was with only one student and she is already proficient in speaking English.  So I had planned to focus on reading comprehension and writing during our session.  However, the student refused to participate in the lesson.  This sort of thing happens on occasion, but when it happens at 4:30 in the morning on one cup of coffee, it is frustrating.  In this situation, being an online teacher, there is very little I can do, so I improvised and began to write sentences on the white board which pertained to the lesson.  I knew the student had a cat named Mr. Tickles so I wrote 'Mr. Tickles learned that construction on the Empire State building began in 1930'.  Miraculously that sentence peaked the student's interest and she began reading the sentences on the board. Even though we only accomplished a small portion of the assignment, it was better than nothing.

Becoming TEFL certified and picking up ESL students wasn't something I had planned when I began working with kids but I'm glad it is part of my routine.  The kids are great and a lot of fun to work with. For those who are interested, acquiring a TEFL or TESOL certificate can get expensive and that played a part in which online company I selected.  I ended up going with International TEFL and TESOL, mostly because of the price ($150 for a level 5 TEFL certificate) but they did have decent reviews.  Overall the course is okay and it does provide the basics for classroom management and lesson planning.  But if you are looking into becoming an ESL teacher there are a lot of options out there so choose what feels right for you.  I would like to say that including a TEFL or TESOL certificate on your resume will add value to any teaching or tutoring credentials.

Take care,

Teresa, Zenji and CeeCee