"I'd like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California stars. I'd like to lay my weary bones tonight on a bed of California stars." ~wilco

The first full week of school is over and I'm exhausted. I had something to do every night after school (two three-hour classes, back-to-school night, a play...). I'm so glad it's the weekend. This is a random post because I don't think I can put together a sensible collection of coherent thoughts right now.

Of course now that I have hardly any time to actually watch TV, my shows are starting to return. I liked the Gossip Girl season premiere, and Glee was good this week. Matt Morrison is so freakin' hot, and I think he's a great dancer. The Acafellas were absolutely hilarious. I think the show's spotlight on the teachers is one of the things that makes it so much more than a traditional high school show. And I thought it was cool to see Josh Groban making a guest appearance playing himself.

I got a new student this week, and I can't imagine how difficult life must be for him right now. First of all, my school is made up of Dominican students. I teach ESL students, and they all speak Spanish at home. My new student just moved here from Africa (from the country where I used to live when I was little, actually) and he only speaks French. We speak English in class, the kids speak Spanish amongst themselves, and this new boy doesn't speak either one of those languages. He looks so lost. He also looks like he's in second grade; he is incredibly tiny. He's the smallest kid in the school (even smaller than all of the sixth graders, and he's in seventh grade). I took six years of French, but I can barely carry on a conversation, and anyway I can't really teach him separately in a class of almost 30 students. I don't know how it's going to work. But I was so happy today to see some of my other kids welcoming him, even though they can't communicate with him verbally. This one troublemaker came in this morning, sat next to him, and held out his hand for a high-five. It was a really surprising and sweet moment. But seriously, how difficult would that be, moving to a new country where you don't speak a word of the language and being thrown into school there? I can't even imagine. And I feel helpless.

This coming week will be another busy one. On Sunday I'm seeing two Broadway shows. First is After Miss Julie, with Sienna Miller and Johnny Lee Miller. I'm looking forward to it. Then in the evening I'm seeing Next to Normal (again). It's my favorite musical on Broadway. I'm going to a U2 concert at Giants Stadium this week, so be prepared for a full report (probably not until next weekend, though). I'm seeing Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway (with John Stamos, Gina Gerson, Allie Trimm, and Bill Irwin) later in the week. I'm not sure when things will ever die down; my calendar looks so busy right now. When I open iCal there's at least one thing written on every single day except for a few.

Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs had their baby (Walker Nathaniel) two days before my birthday, and a picture was finally released! Look how cute he is:
Congrats to them. I love that name.

I'm leaving you with one of my favorite performances from Glee so far, the wonderful Lea Michele performing "Take a Bow:"