180 days as a teacher

This has been quite the holidays. We are so pooped, the fact that this is supposed to be "vacation time" has never even occurred to us...
With Christine getting up before 5AM NO MATTER WHAT TIME SHE GOES TO BED, it makes it an even more tiring string of parties and dinners, too much food, and not enough exercise...

In case you think I exaggerate about Christine's NON-EXISTENT need for sleep, let me mention that on the 24th of December, she fell asleep in my arms at a party at 12:30AM - was put into bed at 2AM - and she was up and ready to go at 5:30AM. According to all web sites on toddlers, 3 year-olds sleep between 10 to 12 hours per day and can skip the afternoon nap. Well, she certainly does the nap skipping... but 5 hours is just fine with her too...

Baby Noor is getting surgery - she was flown into the US a few days ago and will get lifesaving surgery to fix her spina bifida. This is the kind of story I like reading. I hate the war, I hate the fact that soldiers lost their life, that civilians got killed, that no weapons of MD were found... However, if a baby girl's life was saved as a result, it brings some consolation.
Perhaps 2006 will allow us to celebrate a little more peace in the world.

Have a good one!