So here is my first Meme, several days late. I admit I chose to do the easier meme of the two available. I was tagged by E over at Looking For George.
If you haven't done this Meme before consider yourself tagged and link back to me...lets see if I can get to the 6000 visitors mark this weekend.

And devoted readers, leave a comment please.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was living in a rural loft apartment at a friend's farm north of the city enjoying my work as a teacher, studying to complete my Literacy Specialist and spending time with my gorgeous dog Lazybones.

Sadly enough I had to peek at my resume to see that I was teaching Grade One. This would have been the year a new school was being built in our neighbourhood due to overcrowding. I had a class of 29 first graders and worked as a member of a grade one team with 6 other teachers (slightly more than 200 first graders in total). Very special in a sort of surrounded by short people sort of way. That June the population of my urban J.K. to Grade 5 school dropped from more than 1100 to about 700 or so.

Specifically, 10 years ago at about this very moment I was procrastinating, as I am right now, avoiding those final report cards like the plague. In fact I think I'll pop out to the back yard right this very second and uproot a few dozen dandelions.

5 things on my to-do list today(last Wednesday):
(It is Saturday now...in most cases the items here are still not completed)

*import report card files so I can at least pretend I've started

*keep my second graders quiet or far away from the open concept classroom where our grade 3 neighbours are writing day one of the Provincial Exam in Reading, Writing and Mathematics...can you say fun in the computer lab making slide shows??? Do this again for the next 5 school days (We hid from the Grade 3 test in a variety of ways for the remainder of the week including a trip to the science centre...outdoor fun...extra library time...moving to other rooms whenever they became free. All of this translated into disrupted routines, squirrelly children and a grumpy teacher)

*take down the snow collages from the upper bulletin boards, 12 feet off the ground (4 m for my Canadian readers)...seriously, can I have a drop ceiling please?

*laundry...laundry...laundry, I typically do this once a week, 3 loads or so on Sunday but skipped last Sunday and I'm regretting it (someone recently told me I may have to up my laundry quota with the arrival of Benjaminh...um, that sucks)

*tidy the kitchen (I did do this one but it needs to be done again...in between loads of laundry I guess)
***Saturday additions*** mow the back lawn/plant delphiniums/nap/continue to avoid report cards

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
*Fully fund the implementation of Reading Recovery in my Gigantic Urban school board and share the funding with the Catholics...their school board is separate but their little First Graders need to catch the reading bug as well.

*Travel the world supporting health and education initiatives for children everywhere...buy LOTS of books for children who may never hold one otherwise.

*Spread the money amongst my family and close friends...homes, cars, animal rescue ranches, mountain retreats, Australian Vacations, whatever floats their boat really.

*Flatten and then build a brand new cottage at the lake for my mom.

*Grow my family. I'm still going to do this but it might be easier with a Billion Dollars.

Bad habits:
*procrastinating

*Tim Hor+ens Steeped Tea (daily take out, sometimes twice)

*reading and writing blogs rather than writing report cards

*spending my money on my classroom...specifically on Children's Literature. The adoption has, for the most part, remedied this habit

Places I’ve lived:
*Ontario, Ontario, Ontario, Ontario, and Ontario.
A variety of locations all within a 3 hour drive of the CN +ower.

5 jobs I’ve had:
I think there are only 4...

*childcare provider (for years...)

*stock person in an auto parts warehouse (for years...daddy was the boss)

*waitress and general cleaner at a remote (but 5 star) fly-in fishing lodge in North West Ontario(only 2 University summer seasons...the money was great, the tips were American and the Loonie was at an all time low)

*teacher...since 1992 in the same urban "inner city" school but in various positions
(I love that place. It is in my blood. I have taught consecutive children from some of our families for a total of as many as 7 or 8 years. Benjaminh will be a student there if I have any say in the matter)

Here is a picture of some of my kiddies. This was taken in 2004 and it may give you a sense of the community where I spend my time (and my money). I know for a fact that all of these children had signed "media release" forms so it is virtually the only photo of my students you will ever see on here. Oh, and the only photo of me you will ever see as well.