I have been back to work full-time since August 6 which seems like a life time ago! We had weeks of endless meetings (or so it seems) which always confirms to me that I would die if I had an office job that revolved around sitting and attending meetings on a permanent basis. I much prefer running my own "classroom show" and being up and moving all day long.
I have now had three days with my students, and I think it will be a good bunch. However, most seventh graders are scared enough for the first few weeks that it's hard to tell their true colors this early! ha! Right now, they all seem pretty eager and/or intimidated. I finally begin teaching literature tomorrow after three days of rules, policies, ice breaker games, library orientation, etc. Every year at this time, I feel like I am drowning in paper work. There are so many forms to collect from the signed syllabus contract to the emergency cards to the health forms. Then, it's my job to check off the items for each student, alphabetize cards, and get things turned into the office. With all our technology, there must surely be a better way than this! I think teachers in the 1950s were sorting back-to-school forms in this exact manner. Maybe if I figure out a better way, I can hit the jackpot and invent something that will revolutionize the teaching world like the Post-It!
I've decided to try to start up a mentoring program with my students and a couple of classes at an elementary school that is right across the street from my campus. I'm hoping to get enough interest for three classes to let my students "adopt" their younger kids and be "big brothers/sisters" to promote literacy by coming into their classroom once every quarter. I'm also starting a community service emphasis each quarter with my classes this year to encourage them to see giving as a normal part of their expected life. For one week during first quarter, we will begin by collecting items for Snack Packs for Kids, then each class will adopt a family during second quarter to purchase Christmas presents for them. I hope it will be a good experience for my students.
Well, I need to get to bed soon. I will try to do a better job of updating my blog! I think that after next week, I will not have any more evening meetings to attend which will help. This Thursday is our school's open house where we meet the parents, and it is always fun but tiring. Believe me, in pre-AP classes EVERY parent attends, so it's a packed house!
The kids are doing well in school, although Owen has gotten in trouble for talking already. I can't imagine where he gets that! ha. I hope they have a great year and have teachers who will pour into them lots of attention and inspiration, as that's what I strive to do each day to 75 other kiddos. Thankfully, Arden is readjusting to her return to preschool very well, and it is 100% better than this time last year! She hasn't had a single potty accident at school while in underwear! She's even stayed dry overnight a few nights recently, so we may be wearing underwear at nights soon, too! I'm thankful that potty training was so easy with her. Arden hasn't been overly clingy and crying in the evenings, and she loves her friends and school. I'm thankful for those wonderful ladies who are called to teach 3 year olds!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Back to School
The summer is basically over for me, and it went by way too quickly! Now, I am not happy that we had 1 1/2 weeks of snow days that took away our days out in June (however, I was thrilled in January when I got to be home!). Arden went back to preschool full-time this week for the first time after being out for seven weeks, so I was a bit anxious about her adjustment. She returned to the same school with the same kids and staff, so it has seemed to be an easy switch for her. She hasn't had any bad mornings getting up yet, but we will have to get up even earlier next week when I have meetings to get to and the boys to drop off too. She only cried a little this morning when I left her, but she stopped after a minute. She has also worn her "big girl" underwear to school all day this week, and she hasn't had a single accident this week! Yea! Once I switched her to regular underwear, she has pretty much been using the potty on her own without me prompting her and never has accidents at home. I'm only using Pull Ups for naps and overnight now.
The boys start Adventure Club at their elementary school this Friday through August 17 while I'm at a conference and in teacher inservice meetings prior to the students' first day. They will be at their local elementary school with teachers who plan a full-time program of activities for them. Hopefully, they will have some of the same teachers and friends attending as last year, and I hope it is still a fun time for them that feels more like vacation than school. They return to regular school on August 19 for the first student day. Both boys got the teachers that I requested for them (district employees can make teacher preferences for their own children in most buildings in our district), so I hope that it will be a good fit and strong year for each of them.
I have taken the boys up to my school for two half days this week (4 hours yesterday and 3 hours today) to work on unpacking and decorating my classroom. We had to pack up every single item before we left for the summer and box it all. Teachers had to empty bookshelves, take all posters down, empty our teacher desk, etc. since the entire school was being painted. Luckily, this shouldn't happen next year, but I returned this year with just as much to do in my room as a new teacher all over again! I am in the same classroom, and I bought some new posters, a used bookcase, and had a student paint a 5 foot canvas mural for a large wall. So, I am happy with how it is looking! I'm not an elementary teacher who has to cover every surface from ceiling to floor and do elaborate bulletin boards, but I do like a "themed" room with cuteness. My theme is "Life is a Highway" and I had the mural done with that saying and a landscape of a car driving down the highway into the sunset. Then, I found a lot of highway themed posters ("U turn in homework, U get good grades," "Learning Zone," "0 excuse limit," "Stop and Read" etc.) I also put a large bulletin board lined with maps that is titled, "Travel through plot" with the plot diagram and literary terms on it. I brought in an old area rug I had in my attic, some discarded faux greenery, and I rescued an old maple drop leaf table from another teacher who didn't want it. Overall, it feels a lot more like "my" room this year! Usually, I would decorate during the work day next week, but I am missing it due to a pre-AP teacher's conference that I have to attend for two days in Fayetteville since I am required to get 12 hours of professional development in gifted/talented in order to be the team leader for that specialty on my campus.
I am finishing up appointments and haircuts with the boys on Thursday and mainly staying home to rest. My first full day of meetings is Friday.
It's been around 102 degrees here this week, and it's sooooo hot! I'm glad the earlier part of the summer was cooler, but I hope I don't begin the school year with outside lunch or bus duty, or I might faint in the heat!
The boys start Adventure Club at their elementary school this Friday through August 17 while I'm at a conference and in teacher inservice meetings prior to the students' first day. They will be at their local elementary school with teachers who plan a full-time program of activities for them. Hopefully, they will have some of the same teachers and friends attending as last year, and I hope it is still a fun time for them that feels more like vacation than school. They return to regular school on August 19 for the first student day. Both boys got the teachers that I requested for them (district employees can make teacher preferences for their own children in most buildings in our district), so I hope that it will be a good fit and strong year for each of them.
I have taken the boys up to my school for two half days this week (4 hours yesterday and 3 hours today) to work on unpacking and decorating my classroom. We had to pack up every single item before we left for the summer and box it all. Teachers had to empty bookshelves, take all posters down, empty our teacher desk, etc. since the entire school was being painted. Luckily, this shouldn't happen next year, but I returned this year with just as much to do in my room as a new teacher all over again! I am in the same classroom, and I bought some new posters, a used bookcase, and had a student paint a 5 foot canvas mural for a large wall. So, I am happy with how it is looking! I'm not an elementary teacher who has to cover every surface from ceiling to floor and do elaborate bulletin boards, but I do like a "themed" room with cuteness. My theme is "Life is a Highway" and I had the mural done with that saying and a landscape of a car driving down the highway into the sunset. Then, I found a lot of highway themed posters ("U turn in homework, U get good grades," "Learning Zone," "0 excuse limit," "Stop and Read" etc.) I also put a large bulletin board lined with maps that is titled, "Travel through plot" with the plot diagram and literary terms on it. I brought in an old area rug I had in my attic, some discarded faux greenery, and I rescued an old maple drop leaf table from another teacher who didn't want it. Overall, it feels a lot more like "my" room this year! Usually, I would decorate during the work day next week, but I am missing it due to a pre-AP teacher's conference that I have to attend for two days in Fayetteville since I am required to get 12 hours of professional development in gifted/talented in order to be the team leader for that specialty on my campus.
I am finishing up appointments and haircuts with the boys on Thursday and mainly staying home to rest. My first full day of meetings is Friday.
It's been around 102 degrees here this week, and it's sooooo hot! I'm glad the earlier part of the summer was cooler, but I hope I don't begin the school year with outside lunch or bus duty, or I might faint in the heat!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
I will give you rest
I've been thinking a lot lately about how stressful our lives have seemed for the past three years. I feel like I could star in a soap opera with all the events and drama that seem to have been a part of our lives recently! I am really praying that for this school year we have peace and rest. I don't want to experience any tragedies or deaths of family members this year, and I would like to feel like we only have to deal with the "regular" stuff -- even if just for this year. We just really need life to be less painful and less hectic, so we can catch our breath.
In case you don't know us or can't remember, here is a short recap of all of the stressful events we've gone through since 2006:
Nov, 2006: my dad entered final stage of cancer and entered home hospice care.
Jan, 2007: my father died
Aug, 2007: my niece was stillborn
Dec, 2007: Arden was born (a happy time, but still involved sleep deprivation and illnesses for the first year)
June, 2008: Stuart found out his job would most likely be ending and began a job search
Oct, 2008: Stuart accepted a job in Bentonville, AR, and moved there on Dec. 1 to begin work; my mother also had hip replacement surgery
Dec, 2008: we moved to Bentonville and faced the task of unpacking a semi-truck worth of belongings
Jan, 2009: my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double masectomy
Aug, 2009: I accepted a last minute teaching job and returned to the classroom full-time for the first time in 8 years; Arden began daycare for the first time at age 20 months
Aug, 2009: Stuart's dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer and began treatment
Feb, 2010: Stuart's dad went downhill and entered final stage of terminal cancer
April, 2010: Stuart's dad died
May, 2010: I was diagnosed with a possible jaw tumor and scheduled for a biopsy
June, 2010: I underwent oral surgery on my jaw bone and had a several week recovery. Thankfully, the mass was benign.
So, we have lost two parents to cancer, gotten two new jobs, gained a new baby, moved across the state, and had several health scares all since 2007.
I'm praying that this year is uneventful! I know God is faithful, and we are still managing to find joy and happiness in every event, but I would like a bit of rest every now and again!
In case you don't know us or can't remember, here is a short recap of all of the stressful events we've gone through since 2006:
Nov, 2006: my dad entered final stage of cancer and entered home hospice care.
Jan, 2007: my father died
Aug, 2007: my niece was stillborn
Dec, 2007: Arden was born (a happy time, but still involved sleep deprivation and illnesses for the first year)
June, 2008: Stuart found out his job would most likely be ending and began a job search
Oct, 2008: Stuart accepted a job in Bentonville, AR, and moved there on Dec. 1 to begin work; my mother also had hip replacement surgery
Dec, 2008: we moved to Bentonville and faced the task of unpacking a semi-truck worth of belongings
Jan, 2009: my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double masectomy
Aug, 2009: I accepted a last minute teaching job and returned to the classroom full-time for the first time in 8 years; Arden began daycare for the first time at age 20 months
Aug, 2009: Stuart's dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer and began treatment
Feb, 2010: Stuart's dad went downhill and entered final stage of terminal cancer
April, 2010: Stuart's dad died
May, 2010: I was diagnosed with a possible jaw tumor and scheduled for a biopsy
June, 2010: I underwent oral surgery on my jaw bone and had a several week recovery. Thankfully, the mass was benign.
So, we have lost two parents to cancer, gotten two new jobs, gained a new baby, moved across the state, and had several health scares all since 2007.
I'm praying that this year is uneventful! I know God is faithful, and we are still managing to find joy and happiness in every event, but I would like a bit of rest every now and again!
Road Trip
As summer is coming to a close, I felt the need to do something different and vacation-like before going back to work. The thing that I most wanted to do (and could afford) was go and see old friends back in Cabot and Little Rock. I decided to embark on a road trip last week with the three kids all by myself, as Stuart still had to stay in Bentonville for work.
We took one bag of pool gear and one bag for the hotel, and that's it! I wanted to pack light, so that I could manage to get it all into the hotel on my own, especially if a certain 2 year old decided to have a tantrum! We left Wednesday morning and returned Thursday night, and we were able to stay at a hotel in Little Rock for FREE with some hotel points we had accumulated. All of our meals were with friends, so gas was the only expense.
This was a trial run of how far I could travel alone with Arden since I've never driven with her out of town by myself. She is normally a terrible traveler who never sleeps in the car and cries/screams for much of the long drive. Amazingly enough, she did GREAT on the trip and was only mildly fussy for short periods on the three hour drive down. We arrived at noon with a picnic lunch in the van that I had brought with us and went to Splash Zone in Jacksonville to meet friends. We ate our lunch at the park next door (though the kids were too excited to eat anything!) and went swimming with the Burlesons and the Hollaways. The kids had so much fun returning to their favorite Cabot area water activity. We have so many great memories there!
Then we drove up the highway to Cabot and briefly stopped by our old house and neighborhood as well as Owen's old school. It was bittersweet to see our old life. I remembered taking Owen to his first day of kindergarten there and bringing Hudson and Arden home from the hospital. I remembered that those were my main years of being a stay-at-home mom, and how different (but good) my life is now. We spontaneously dropped by the Vances and visited with Angie and her boys for about 45 minutes before heading to the McElroys where we were spending the rest of the evening.
I had such a good time visiting with one of my best friends from Cabot, Kristy McElroy, who is pregnant with baby #4 in October!! Our children are all friends and close in age, and the boys had fun swimming for a second time that day in their backyard pool after we ate a pizza dinner. Our brief visit was over much too soon when it was time to make the drive into Little Rock to check into our hotel.
We arrived at 9 p.m. in our hotel, and Arden hadn't had a nap all day. The kids loved the hotel, although Arden was very scared to ride the glass elevator to our room on the 9th floor, and we had to force her to get in the elevator everytime we rode it. Amazingly enough, the kids obeyed so well, and we all fell asleep very quickly, with Arden sharing a bed with me and not a crib. She didn't fall out of the hotel bed (which is another first!) and slept well all night, except for the fact that she kept kicking me in the head!
We ate a big breakfast which was included with our stay at the hotel, then we loaded up our luggage to check out. The only glitch in my trip was that when we tried to get into our van on Thursday morning, the car battery was DEAD! So, I went into the hotel to see if they would let me back in my room and found out that a hotel employee could jump start it for me, so I wouldn't have to wait for roadside assistance to come. Luckily, the car started quickly, and there wasn't any other more significant problem with the van. I had initially feared that I would have to get it towed to the dealership and be stranded in the hotel for another night while my car was being repaired. We then set off to hit Mardel's since we don't have one in my area, and I got some great posters and items to decorate my classroom. The kids twisted my arm to get each of them a Webkins, which I probably gave into since I was just so happy and thankful that my vehicle was running again!
Finally, we drove to Maumelle around 10:30 and spent the next few hours with long-time friend Christine Franklin and her kids. The kids loved playing in their big backyard and playing "hide and seek." We ate lunch with Christine, and her "rainbow popsicles" were a big hit; my kids are still talking about them! We left Little Rock around 2:00, so we would be home by dinner.
The kids all crashed and slept for much of the three hour drive home, and Arden didn't wake up until we were in Springdale! It was a very fun and enjoyable trip, and it has given me more confidence to do it again now that my children are getting older. I didn't realize how much I had missed my old friends, and I know that I need to see them more often.
I love where I live now, but I love where I moved from, and I will always enjoy returning to see my old "home."
We took one bag of pool gear and one bag for the hotel, and that's it! I wanted to pack light, so that I could manage to get it all into the hotel on my own, especially if a certain 2 year old decided to have a tantrum! We left Wednesday morning and returned Thursday night, and we were able to stay at a hotel in Little Rock for FREE with some hotel points we had accumulated. All of our meals were with friends, so gas was the only expense.
This was a trial run of how far I could travel alone with Arden since I've never driven with her out of town by myself. She is normally a terrible traveler who never sleeps in the car and cries/screams for much of the long drive. Amazingly enough, she did GREAT on the trip and was only mildly fussy for short periods on the three hour drive down. We arrived at noon with a picnic lunch in the van that I had brought with us and went to Splash Zone in Jacksonville to meet friends. We ate our lunch at the park next door (though the kids were too excited to eat anything!) and went swimming with the Burlesons and the Hollaways. The kids had so much fun returning to their favorite Cabot area water activity. We have so many great memories there!
Then we drove up the highway to Cabot and briefly stopped by our old house and neighborhood as well as Owen's old school. It was bittersweet to see our old life. I remembered taking Owen to his first day of kindergarten there and bringing Hudson and Arden home from the hospital. I remembered that those were my main years of being a stay-at-home mom, and how different (but good) my life is now. We spontaneously dropped by the Vances and visited with Angie and her boys for about 45 minutes before heading to the McElroys where we were spending the rest of the evening.
I had such a good time visiting with one of my best friends from Cabot, Kristy McElroy, who is pregnant with baby #4 in October!! Our children are all friends and close in age, and the boys had fun swimming for a second time that day in their backyard pool after we ate a pizza dinner. Our brief visit was over much too soon when it was time to make the drive into Little Rock to check into our hotel.
We arrived at 9 p.m. in our hotel, and Arden hadn't had a nap all day. The kids loved the hotel, although Arden was very scared to ride the glass elevator to our room on the 9th floor, and we had to force her to get in the elevator everytime we rode it. Amazingly enough, the kids obeyed so well, and we all fell asleep very quickly, with Arden sharing a bed with me and not a crib. She didn't fall out of the hotel bed (which is another first!) and slept well all night, except for the fact that she kept kicking me in the head!
We ate a big breakfast which was included with our stay at the hotel, then we loaded up our luggage to check out. The only glitch in my trip was that when we tried to get into our van on Thursday morning, the car battery was DEAD! So, I went into the hotel to see if they would let me back in my room and found out that a hotel employee could jump start it for me, so I wouldn't have to wait for roadside assistance to come. Luckily, the car started quickly, and there wasn't any other more significant problem with the van. I had initially feared that I would have to get it towed to the dealership and be stranded in the hotel for another night while my car was being repaired. We then set off to hit Mardel's since we don't have one in my area, and I got some great posters and items to decorate my classroom. The kids twisted my arm to get each of them a Webkins, which I probably gave into since I was just so happy and thankful that my vehicle was running again!
Finally, we drove to Maumelle around 10:30 and spent the next few hours with long-time friend Christine Franklin and her kids. The kids loved playing in their big backyard and playing "hide and seek." We ate lunch with Christine, and her "rainbow popsicles" were a big hit; my kids are still talking about them! We left Little Rock around 2:00, so we would be home by dinner.
The kids all crashed and slept for much of the three hour drive home, and Arden didn't wake up until we were in Springdale! It was a very fun and enjoyable trip, and it has given me more confidence to do it again now that my children are getting older. I didn't realize how much I had missed my old friends, and I know that I need to see them more often.
I love where I live now, but I love where I moved from, and I will always enjoy returning to see my old "home."
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