First Day Jitters

It's a Monday morning.  Each new Monday is a new adventure, but this on is special for several different reasons...

As I sit here, drinking my coffee, enjoying some quiet time before the day starts... I am thinking about so many of my sweet teacher friends and my school that has been my home for the past six years.  Today is their first day back to work for the school year... a big grand adventure... especially for my second grade team!  Word on the street was that a challenging bunch was coming our way, nothing though that they can't handle!

I also sit here though with many different emotions running through me at this moment, two of the biggest being:

Sadness.  While I am off on my own new adventure, I miss them.  I miss the hallway conversations.  I miss my classroom.  I miss some of my best friends.  Today they kick off a new school year and I am not there to join in on the excitement with them.

Excitement.  I know it's going to be another great year, full of many challenges and lots of learning ahead of them.  They are going to rock this year and change the lives of so many sweet kiddos!  I too, have quite a bit of personal excitement for the big day ahead of me today though...

Today marks week 4 of training for me.  Rather than being in the classroom full time, I have embarked on a new adventure.  An adventure still focused around children and learning, but so very different than being a full time teacher.  I am now the center director of a school.  A school that some would consider to be a "daycare," but a school that is so much more than just that.  Three weeks in and I am floored by the value and importance that KinderCare takes when it comes to fully educating young children.  I tell you, it makes my teacher heart pitter-patter.

So, today as all my teacher friends go back to work and start an exciting new year, I get to meet many of the new families and kiddos that will be entrusted in the care of my center!  I can't wait to get to know these kids and their families! 

I also can't wait though to be the leader of a new team.  I can't wait to share the love and appreciation that my former leader, Carrie, showed us as her teachers.  She taught me what it looks like to be a true LEADER, not a boss.   She led us without "bossing" us around, she made our opinions and thoughts important.  While there were times when difficult conversations had to be had... personally, I never felt like there was a lack of appreciation!   While we are across the country now though, I appreciate her more than she will ever know, she taught me so much and I am so excited that I now get the opportunity to spread her spirit though leading my own team!

To all the teachers out there starting a new school year... I will leave you with this...

Adulting.

For the past two years, I've struggled with taking time to sit down and write.  Mostly because I think I feel guilty for sitting down and taking time for myself to do it.

Recently, I realized that it was truly something I miss dearly.  Something that has been missing for me.  Writing for me, is something I learned to love as an adult.  Writing is an outlet for me, a place for me to share, a place for me to get creative.  It's almost as therapeutic to me as creating is.

You'll notice if you look back over my last couple posts... my life has changed dramatically over the past two and a half years.  I met an amazing man that I now call my husband.  We have added another beautiful little girl to our family, one that I don't know how we survived without her sweetness and spunkiness (is that even a word?!) before she was here!

& to say that is where this adventure slowed... well that would be just boring, right?!  haha

Just in the last 6 months, we decided that we would be moving from the one place we've always called home.. Texas... to Minnesota!  It was really not even an option after BG was based in Minni for his new job!

After six years teaching second grade, in a place I considered my second home, with my second family, I put in my letter of resignation.  Shortly there after, we put our house up for sale.

The thought of putting in my letter of resignation without knowing I had a job secure in MN was absolutely nauseating.  Leaving the home that I bought on my own as a single mom and then built up our little family in... gut-wrenching.  This is what needed to be done though for our family.  So we jumped in, feet first & somewhat blindfolded.

This journey has taught me a lot.  It has been a reminder that this is NOT about the plan I had mapped out in my head for my life and family.  It has taught me to be more humble.  It has taught me to be patient.  It has reminded me that I need to rely on God more and try to relinquish my need for constant control.  

Shortly after we moved, my little B turned FIVE, yes five.  We've settled in well and made some new friends already!   Oh & after thinking it was never going to happen... I not only secured a job, but had a choice between two different jobs --> more details on that to come! 

One thing through all of this that I have come to realize I need to do a better job of... is taking care of myself.   I don't know if it is just being a mom... being a wife... being a woman... but I tend to always put myself last.  I'm realizing though to make sure that I do my best as a mother, wife, friend... I need to take care of myself though too.

 

So I have created a "goals" page in my planner... It includes reading a book a month, blogging, working out, creating again, and learning hand lettering!

I'll be back soon... Promise!

Hello, August!

It's been well over a year since I've done a currently & I will be honest, Farley's monthly currently is one of my favorites!! So, here it goes!

Listening: For the past like 2 weeks, my baby has been a crying binge.  Of course it's always at the most inopportune times for me too.  If I'm cooking dinner, she is crying.  If I'm working out, she's crying.  If I think I am gonna get in a little snooze, well she starts crying.  She wants to be held, fed, or well I have no clue what else she wants. Thankfully she is cute!

Loving: So today was day 8 of my 21 days of the 21 day fix!  If you haven't heard of it, look it up!  Or feel free to ask me about it!  I've never LOVED to workout if I'm being completely honest, but today I found myself AFTER I had already done my workout for the day thinking "man I want to work out again."  It's a mix of cleaning eating and working out, in 8 days I've seen the scale move and my clothes fitting more lose! Be gone baby weight! :)

 Doesn't all this food look yummy!!

I also LOVE my new workout pants!

Thinking: After my sister being a thumb sucker for basically ever.... I knew I would fight a thumb sucker.... but when that's the only thing that seems to calm an always crying baby, I say thumb soothing is a go........ My BFF is super excited because her little man is a thumb sucker too!

Wanting: I have not had a day to myself since... I don't even know.  Well before baby S arrived.  Yes, I've been away by myself one 3 different days for professional development, BUT that is not a day to myself if you know what I mean!  I'm super excited that this week, I will get that!! It's WAY overdue!!

Needing: This year, our school is last on the list for cleaning.  Which means, we go back in 2 weeks for inservice & we may not be able to get back into our room until then.  This teacher is in FREAK. OUT. MODE.  As if setting up the classroom wasn't going to be enough, well I'm moving classrooms after five years, so I'm starting classroom set up again from scratch.  Did I mention I'm freaking out!?!? In the meantime I'm trying to get things done that I can for the classroom at home!  Here is my latest update.

B2S RAK:  I have some sweet treats planned, but I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to give it away! ;)

& of course before I go, I have to share another photo of my Berks!  She made her own pizza last night and loved it!! :)

Happy August!!
PS ... did I mention that this is my 100th blog post!!!! A good way to keep me motivated!! :)

Five for Friday!

So as per my goals I set in my last post -- Here is my weekly post!! What better way to jump back in than FIVE for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

 
 In an effort to get back to my normal since having Baby S, I've started working out again and am loving the feeling of being active again!  I also just ordered the 21 day fix from Beachbody and plan to start it as soon as it comes in!!

This week my handsome husband and I had the opportunity to go out on our first date since Baby S arrived!  We went to Dave & Busters, it was the FIRST time I've ever been there & boy oh boy it was a blast!!

That also meant leaving Baby S for the first time over night, which while it stressed me out a little, we all survived!! :)

I was also able to snag some back to school items this week for cheep-cheep!! In addition to the glue deals I was able to snag at Staples (glue bottles for 10 cents and 4pks of glue sticks for 25 cents), I found a $5 bin at Office Max that had some FABULOUS deals!

Yes, each one of these were only $5, and the post it note dispenser also included 12 refill pads! This teacher will be set!



Wednesday I went to my first Professional Development session this summer.  I'm VERY lucky that I have a district that values the continuing of education for teachers and brings in wonderful presenters for us!  Wednesday's session was with Jane from Boxcars and One-Eyed Jacks.   We learned boocoos of games to increase math fluency with our kiddos!  We also got some great goodie bags to get us started in our classrooms!!   There are TONS of resources and videos on their website that teach you how to play the games.  Some include just dice, others include cards.  Here is a cute time game that we learned!



& last, we had some bananas that were no longer in what I consider just edible enough to eat on their own, so B and I had a baking date last night and made some banana bread!! This is a favorite in our house!!!

Of course, since it was always my favorite thing to do as a child, I could never deprive mine from licking the batter off the beaters! 

I hope you all have a great weekend!! :)

Good intentions...

Wow... It has been almost a year to the day since I last even so much as visited my little ol blog. 
I have had good intentions about blogging, laid in bed countless nights, and countless drives where I've planned out this post and how I was going to make it a point to get back to this lovely blog.  

Let me just say, I've missed my get away... 

I don't know about you fellow bloggers, but blogging allows me to remove myself from the chaotic lovely life I live for just a little while.  It gives me the opportunity to vent, over share, dig deep, and do something I never realized I love to do so much until I began blogging... and that is to write.  (Thank you Melissa Leach for reminding me during my very first training with you ehhh 4 years ago how important it is for us as teachers to share our love of writing!)

So.  In my last post, I shared that I had just finished what was my roughest year yet.  Berks had just turned 3.  I had recently not only met an absolutely wonderful man, AND also gotten engaged to him. 

Fast forward a year.... and well, let me tell you, year 5 made me miss year 4.  Like badly.  Year 5 was a whole different kind of a challenge.  While I had a great bunch of kiddos, I had some students with behavioral issues that were challenging at times.  I did however learn to love those kiddos just as my own, even with the sometimes daily problems.  Due to my exhaustion and feeling completely run down, I can't say that I did anything just WOWZA that I hadn't done before in my classroom.  I still tried to pull out as many tricks as I could from my teacher bag, but some days it was just a struggle to get to 2:45... and if you think I'm exaggerating... well just ask my team... they would confirm it.  Like no lie, there were days that I seriously questioned if I still wanted to even teach. It. Was. Rough.

Continuing with the fast forward... Well Berks is now 4.... Yes, F-O-U-R.  Like where the heck has time gone?!  I mean seriously.... you were just a baby.  #stopittime #slowdown #please

Oh & just after turning four ... Just 4 short days ago.... I have Miss B her VERY FIRST haircut.  Yes, four years old and just received her first haircut.  I have to say though, I mean when you don't have hair for the first 2 years of your life, it's a little more justifiable... right?

& Well.... It's been almost 11 months since I had a name change... Yes, a name change because I married this handsome guy! 

It was one of the best days of my life, the day was a blur, the evening more so.  The one vivid memory I have of it is walking down the aisle towards him... It was honestly like we were the only two people in the world, just the two of us, as happy and excited as I could possibly be to marry this handsome man and get to call him mine for the rest of our lives!

It just keeps coming though... you know... the updates... because YES there is more that has happened...  just a few weeks after our wedding.... We found out that we were expecting a baby!!!!

Oh my word, I forgot how exhausting pregnancy is... especially when life from pregnancy one to two was so incredibly different. 

We welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Miss Sadie into our family Mid May.  She has been such a great baby so far and at 8 weeks, she is starting to develop and become more interactive and playful!  This sweet girl is SO VERY LOVED! 

 Please excuse the shear exhaustion on our faces, being born in the middle of the night means no sleep for mommy and daddy for almost the first 48 hours of her life!

So in all of this... the past 18 months or so... the blog has been neglected... my creating has been neglected... and I'm bursting at the seams because I miss it all so much! 

Thankfully, my principal has given me projects here and there to let my creative streak flow.  Creating and blogging ... they are well my stress relievers... it's my getaway from reality... I check out and into another world.  I plan to make it more routine though.  To have a scheduled day every week to have time to for myself and to get back into blogging and creating.  I have LISTS of things that I want to get busy making & blogging about.... So I'm going to try to start getting back on track by making goals so I can get back to one of my favorite things ever! 

& before I leave until later this week, here are a few precious pictures of my sweet baby girl!

&&&& I'm back!!

It hard to believe that it's been 7+ months since I've taken the time/had motivation to blog.  Since that last blog post, I've successfully made it through my roughest year of teaching yet, and have had a ton of exciting and amazing things going on in my life!  For the first time today, I was excited about the thought of going back to work in a mere month. *sigh*  In years past, I would already have my whole room basically planned out, theme, bulletin boards, BTS activities, etc... I blame the fact that I taught summer school this year coupled with the rough year in the classroom on the lagging of motivation to think about this next year, until now!   As I started getting excited though, I realized how much I missed sharing and writing through this blog!  I hope you enjoy the massive update in picture form below!! I can't wait to start posting regularly again sharing ideas and experiences through life in and out of the classroom! 

Just days into 2014  we had our first MAJOR snowfall.  & Yes, you may be thinking "major snowfall," but in fact  this is a MAJOR snowfall for where we live.  EVERYTHING shuts down. haha It's slightly pathetic, but I wasn't complaining.  The picture on the left is from the evening before it snowed! 

 Oh & even sooner into 2014.... I met, this amazing man, we will call him B for short!! Little did I know what was in store for us & that he is in fact the MAN OF MY DREAMS!  

Berk & B's first picture together!

Oh & did I mention that he is pilot?  This is from the first time we went flying together!

I've decided that this big world looks way better from the sky!

 As always, Berks is still obsessed with ALL things Frozen.

For spring break, B & I took a trip to Vegas!  It was my first time and .... wow.... culture shock!!  We also took a day and went to see the Hoover Dam while we were there!  I'm already wanting to plan another trip back! 

All the while, Berks has been .... well Berks just as sassy and fun as ever!! We have lost her "sass" or as others call it a pacifier!  I can't believe how big she has gotten!

 & I just love how amazing these two are together!

 For the most part it has been just a busy fun life.... more so out of the classroom than in!  We've had wash our car day, Easter, wear our shorts backwards day, and of course our favorite Friday morning ritual of Starbucks!

 We also took Berklee on her first airplane ride!! She L.O.V.E.D. it!!!

 Oh & did I mention that her first airplane ride was also the day that B proposed to me!?! :) It was the PERFECT day.... even if it ended in Berks throwing up!

 Despite teaching summer school, we've done our best to enjoy summer thus far! 

 My little girl, correction "big girl"... or  "Princess Elsa" as she likes to be called turned 3!  It's hard to believe how time has flown!  I can't believe this little angel is already so big!

 & Last I will leave you with our fun Fourth of July collage!  I will have much more coming soon, I just had to give an update on life first!  I hope you are all enjoying your summer!