Updating a bit

It has been maddening, as usual. Work, family, friends. Not necessarily in that order. I do feel like I have lost my grip on my life. It is crazy sometimes. At times I also feel like I want to throw in the towel and just QUIT. Leave. Close both eyes and ears. I don't know. Not like I can.

• I struggled with the March test papers. It took me a fair bit of time to grade them, and settle the marks. Self-discipline is severely lacking these days, where marking test papers is concerned. I am fine with creating those test papers. But I simply detest marking.
• Post-SHORTS withdrawal symptom was bad. At times I still wanted to get into the hall and get the girls to rehearse again. I know. Silly!
• Getting back to the mundane is tough. Enough said.
• D*starz is back in action. Well, almost. The team is extremely new and young. I feel very insecure vibes. The team is struggling to live up to expectations. The new captain is struggling to maintain the team's spirit. The coach can't believe his eyes and ears - with all 4 flyers out, and form 5s out, the team is just not what he had envisioned it to be. The club is going on well, though. Perhaps we have to aim far, not for this year. But this is no reason to give up on the team for this year. On a positive note, I am grateful for a new helper, a new advisor to help PD and me. She has been very positive. I hope we work well together.
• On the family front, my in-laws are back from Sydney. I managed to spend some time with them when we were in Penang for a few days, just them and me and the boys.
  
• Wedding - Winnie is all grown up and married. The whole rigmarole of the wedding - pre, during and post - was just unbelievable. Lots of relatives came for the wedding.
• Birthdays - We started with my mum's birthday. We had a small little do at a SHABU SHABU place in Puchong. It was nice and cosy. Then we went for an aunt's birthday at Eastin Hotel. It was a big do. Japanese food. Would have been fun and all except I had to cater to the needs of 4 people! It was frustrating to have to serve the oldest of the lot as she was so negative about everything. Enough said.
• Children - They are keeping me busy. Jon has started attending co-curricular activities and I have to pick him up from school in the afternoon. Jeremy has homework I have to supervise at night. Joel is doing better but I still have to make an appointment to have him re-evaluated. Then continue with the speech therapy. I feel bad as I often forget his speech therapy work.
• ME - I don't know. I am feeling the effect of neglecting my own health and welfare. I am weaker. My eyesight is getting bad - sometimes my eyes feel some sharp pain even. I need to take care of myself.

In a nutshell, whether almond or hazel nut .... whatever ... this has been it for a while.

On another note, though, I am very proud of my former students who received their SPM results recently. Although I did not teach them last year, although I did not teach them in form 5, I know I have a hand in moulding them and building them up.
That being said, I am feeling the pressure of living up to the mark that is left by them. Well, the pressure is to help the current batch to meet that mark. How not to go mad?