February FJIGS 2026 (Week 2)

Sunday 2/8. I LOVED the Benito Bowl. The fact that the Super Bowl half time show – in 2026! – was sung entirely in Spanish, makes my heart so happy.

{Debí tirar más fotos was my most listened to album of 2025. I’ve been trying to get my classes to listen to more than a couple songs of it for MONTHS but they always ask me to switch to something else. Now they request Bad Bunny and sing along to some of the songs. It makes so happy. And I’ve earned a little street cred for being such a Bad Bunny fan for so long.}

Also, these cats had a fighting match and it was hilarious. I love when they fight, because they clearly both enjoy it very much.

Monday 2/9. I got BOTH SETS OF ASSESSMENTS scored! After not doing anything over the weekend, I locked in during my prep (and the random classes I was covering) and scored the Listening, Reading and Writing sections for both classes’ assessments. It felt really good to get caught up after falling behind. In the evening, we had time to watch TWO episodes of Percy Jackson. Only one to go!

Tuesday 2/10. My principal called me aside in the morning to tell me that at a leadership meeting, when they were asked to highlight an act of kindness they experienced recently, she mentioned that I had waited to flush for her the day before, when she was on the phone in the bathroom. And while that might seem weird, I love that I’m close enough with my principal that I felt I could say, “I waited to flush for you!” when we both walked out of the stalls yesterday after school, and that she just cracked up instead of being embarrassed. Teaching is hard, but it’s so much better when you like the adults you work with.

At home I enjoyed these two cats.

{I’ll admit, some of these gratuitous cat pics might be for Engie}

Wednesday 2/11. My 6th period (which I saw first thing because of our block schedule) was so good during their big assessment. I love that class and I’m so grateful for them. (I have since scored those assessments and they did really well! I’m very proud of them.)

Thursday 2/12. I was able to cast the Olympics on the Peacock app from my phone to the TVs so we could watch during the PE class block period. It was also sunny, so we could spend the other half of class outside on the black top. Back at home I got most of the packing done for our trip.

Wednesday night I texted the 12yo’s friends’ parents and we organized a meet up at a park, where they spent a few hours outside and together. After three days at home alone, this hang out was a big deal for the 12yo.

The 15yo’s plans with friends fell through, so the husband invited her to lunch by his work. She was disappointed that her friends cancelled on her, but she enjoys us enough that she was happy to meet up her dad instead. I’m very grateful that we have that relationship with her.

Friday 2/13. We woke up to an email announcing a tentative agreement between the union and the district. After a week of striking, teachers would be back in classrooms after the long weekend.

Nobody mentioned that it was Friday the 13th! Not all day long. Working in a middle school, I call that a win!

My parents took the kids to the Exploratorium, which was offering free admission to SFUSD students during the strike. That place is expensive so we never go. And I know my parents LOVED getting to hang out with the kids.

Saturday 2/14. We only left an hour later than we wanted and had no issues getting to the cabin. After the 9+ hours in the camper van to Death Valley, less than three hours in my dad’s Prius felt like a breeze.

There was actually snow at the sno park even though there was barely any snow on the drive up. I’ve been nervous about the snow for weeks so that was a big relief.

Back at the cabin we had dinner and watched a movie – The Italian Job – but not before I made a fire and enjoyed a little cocktail.

I’m thankful that last week is over, the I’m hanging out with my family at a cabin for a few days, and that my kids will go back to school on Wednesday.