Open House

Yesterday was a long day! Kristen, Tijuana, Sarah, and I had to work the last day of Kindercamp, get our rooms ready for Open House, and attend Open House. Ugh! I'm wiped out! The day went from 7:15 until 7:00, then I stayed and worked and talked with Kristen and Erin until 8:30.

Our room was crammed more full than I think it's ever been since I've been here. Out of the 21 students we have enrolled in our class, I think we had 17 or 18 come with their families. I still have to count up all my paperwork from last night and start entering all the info (oops- "data" is the NC approved word for this, Rebekah- repeat, data, data, data, we love the data...." ) -Smile here now- We were busy! I think it went well, and the parents seemed happy, the kids more so! They loved my little tent "camp" area we had and, of course, the fish & crabs. Some of the parents were letting their kids get away with "murder," so to speak- punching (I'm not exaggerating) my real traffic light, tearing in and out of the tent, hitting the aquarium and crab's tank... Even when I redirected their kid or said "that's for the teachers only" (with the parents standing/sitting right there) they just let them go on. That's always enlightening!

Kristen and I were happy to see several of our "old" kinderkids come back to say hello to us last night (and parents too). That always makes me feel good. We have some siblings this year too, of kids we had before, which I am thrilled about! And a parent from last year that I get to have again- YEAH!- pulled me aside to tell me that something that had been wrong last year that I had tried to pray about is better now. I almost cried right there in the classroom! God, you know what that issue was and the hurt that it had caused my student and his mom; thank you, thank you, thank you for fixing the situation!

And the first kid to come in our room last night was the one with which I was most exasperated with at year's end in June. And, I was almost surprised- but then again not- at the way all my aggravation and irritation just left when I realized who it was that was hugging my legs. That's God for you! I wanted and needed to let those issues go. Please help me to let the hurt go from the grandmama too.

Well, this summer flew by, literally. And now the first workweek has too. I have TONS to do for school to be ready for the first day on Tuesday. Thank God there is still one more workday to get ready. I still have to get some things ready for my first official "grade level meeting" and do lesson plans and on and on and on... Rob and I have to go buy hooks, and he's such a good husband that he's going to go drill them into the wall for me today. Right now I have enough cubby spaces for 18, but this year it looks like we're going to be overflowing with kids, so I need some more places for kids to put their backpacks and jackets. I am going to have him help me hang up a bulletin board, pocket chart, and some crates in the bathroom too. Yeah, in case you didn't know, teachers may get "all that time off" but we actually work more hours in a week/month/year than most people ever work all year long, and we don't get paid for those "extra" hours. They're just expected of us, but not paid. Not being bitter, just stating a little-known fact.

Well, it's Saturday, my day for weekly grocery shopping, assigning the kids' weekly housework jobs, running all our errands, and doing schoolwork the rest of the day. Yeah, school's back in session. I can tell it's back to life as I know it. Thanks God for the summer and more time with my kids and husband than I normally get in the school year. And, God, especially thanks for helping me to get my attitude in line with my heart and helping me to not begrudge being back at school; little by little, I'm going to be okay and make it through this year.

Now if I could just convince my body that it shouldn't be so sore, tired, and achy! I think maybe I aged a little bit this past year- seriously- I'm not joking. I HURT!!!! I don't know how in the world I will do this until I'm almost 70! :)