Perforated Monkeys & Piranha with Bling

It's almost that time again! Time for the depression to set in. School starts for me in three and a half weeks. Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I can't imagine doing anything else. In fact, I've done other things, and this is where I ended up. I love everyone I work with. I love the age group of kids that I teach. I love the subject I teach (Science). I could always use a little more monetary compensation (can I get an Amen, teachers), but that's a subject for another post. At the same time, I also love my summer and the time I'm able to spend getting to know my family again after the relentless pace of the school year. I'm always excited and a little nervous at "Meet the Teacher" night right before school starts. In the time between now and then, there's lots to do. I've already been cutting out laminated bulletin board stuff. Nothing says school like cutting lamination. I also had some help from Carter with punching out perforated monkeys to go on my bulletin board outside my classroom. I went to a jewelry party that one of my co-workers was hosting this morning and was told by another co-worker that all my "stuff" was back in my classroom. I wouldn't know this because I haven't stepped foot in there since the last day of school. What that means is that the janitors have finished waxing my floor and everything is back in my room ready to be reassembled, which requires me to be there and actually do it. See where I'm going with this, lots to do between now and the excitement and anticipation of school year 2008-2009. I feel a little guilty about saying the depression has set in because I read my friend's blog (who is also a teacher) and she only had good things to say about going back to school. Anyway, no more excuses because the time has come to get up there and tackle it!

This school year is going to present some other challenges as well. Reily and Carter are switching from Paris schools to North Lamar. I am anxious and excited about this. They are leaving friends (even though they all still live in the same town, some only miles from us) and situations that they are comfortable with and accustomed to. It's scary for them, but I think I carry their burdens a lot more than they do sometimes. Neither of them will be on my campus, so I can't be personally involved in the transition. I was able to request an excellent teacher for Carter and he knows at least one other kid in his class. Reily knows several kids that will be in 6th grade with her, but neither of us know much about how things will work in middle school. I guess I would have been nervous about that change no matter where she went. I just pray for them and their teachers that this will be a wonderful school year full of new friendships, lots of learnin', and tons of fun experiences.

I mentioned a jewelry party earlier. It was fun because a lot of my co-workers were there. We ate, played some games, I ordered the earrings I wanted and was about to "escape", when I was blind-sided by a piranha covered in bling and before I actually got to my car...let's just put it this way...JEWELRY PARTY AT MY HOUSE JULY 31 AT 6 P.M. Details to follow. And yes, she does take checks!

And, word from camp...Kevin's friend went to the camp today to eat lunch with his daughter (who is also there) and he texted Kevin and said "Reily said hi". I couldn't leave it at that, so I texted him later and asked him if Reily seemed like she was having fun. He said she was and the camp was "rustic, but the dorms were really nice". I guess that means, she's comfortable while she sleeps. Can't ask for much more than that. Speaking of which...sweet dreams!