Read Across America Day

     Today is Read Across America Day! Rylee Love's class got to dress up like their favorite book characters. Rylee chose Little Bea. Payton Joy didn't want to miss out on a chance to dress up, so she dressed up, too. She said she was a Minnie Mouse Flower Princess... ha! 

     As a special treat for Read Across America, Ryan came to read to my class today. Sadly, many young children don't get the chance to hear men read to them. They ate it up! Ryan reads with lots of expression and silly voices and the kids were so into it. It was absolutely precious.

    After he finished reading to my class, he went to read to Rylee Love's class. She was so excited to have her daddy at school. Her class loved it just as much as mine did. It is so important for young children to have stories read to them and have good reading role models. I am so thankful that I have an awesome husband who is willing to step out of his comfort zone and entertain our classes.

    After all the reading was done, Ryan went to lunch with Rylee so she could eat on the stage with him. Because he works second shift, she doesn't usually get to see him on weekdays, so she thoroughly enjoyed this special one-on-one time with him. It just melts my heart to see their precious bond. She is for sure her daddy's girl!

Field Tripping

    On Wednesday, December 3rd all of RPS kindergarten (that is 12 kindergarten classes) took a field trip to Memphis to see Peter Pan at Playhouse on the Square. It is such a cute play. The kids really enjoyed it, and they were extremely well behaved throughout. Overall, it was a very great day! But there were 12 very tired kindergarten teachers at the end of it!

     On Friday, December 5th, our class took a mini field trip to the Ripley Square to see The Festival of Trees. We got to hear a story, vote on our favorite trees, and color a picture. It was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed seeing all the beautifully decorated trees. Rylee Love's class got to go later that day, and she voted on the Frozen tree, of course.

      Thursday, December 11th, I took a personal day so I could chaperon Pre-K's field trip to Peter Pan. It is so different going on a field trip as parent vs as a teacher. I enjoyed getting to spend the day with Rylee Love and see her reaction to the play. I also enjoyed getting to meet her classmates and her "best school friend" Lexi. It was a lot of fun, and Rylee really enjoyed the play. We even got to sit next to Bailey and Mary during the show, so that was extra special. I am so glad I had the opportunity to go on this trip.

Back to School

      It's that time of year again! The time of year where teachers work long hours, walk around like zombies, and fall asleep at insanely early hours in the evening. Children aren't used to getting up early anymore, so mornings are anything but pleasant. Students haven't yet learned the ropes, so they need to be told how to do absolutely everything for several days in a row. And everything is just insane for at least the first month. Yep! School is back in session, and things have been crazy since day 1 of teacher inservice.

      Last weekend was tax-free weekend, so we went to Memphis and got Rylee some new tennis shoes and a few other things to help fill in the missing pieces of her wardrobe. We had fun, but by the end of the day, I was TIRED! Then Sunday we went to church, I went grocery shopping, and then the house needed cleaning.

       We have all been really tired, trying to get back into routine. The good thing is I've gotten lots of good snuggles from my girls who are usually too busy to snuggle. But even though I've been tired, I've had fun meeting all my new students and spending the week trying to get to know them. I have a great group of kids in my homeroom this year, and I can't wait to see how far they come this year! We are implementing a new literacy program this year, and I am SO excited about being able to push my students farther than ever before, but it is hard trying to learn something new.

      Thursday, I found out they had some extra slots open in our school's Pre-K, so Rylee Love will be starting "big girl" school tomorrow. I am excited to have her close to me, and it doesn't hurt that she's going to be getting a high-quality Pre-K education for free, but I am a bit sad about this new chapter in our lives. I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. Yesterday, we went out shopping to get her everything she needed for school. We do a dress code in our county, so she needed "school clothes," and I got her a couple more pairs of shoes because she mostly had sandals and flip-flops and those are not in dress code. We went to lunch at Chik-fil-A, and she just talked me the whole time. It was almost surreal sitting there having a conversation over lunch with my BABY girl. Why is she so grown already?! I had the best day with her. We had so much fun shopping and laughing. I haven't had a day with just me and her in forever, so it was the perfect way to spend the Saturday before she begins her new school. Today we are going to church, then I hope the rest of the day is completely restful, and I hope it passes slowly.

2 Years Down!

     School officially ends for this school year on Wednesday, but because we are going to be in Destin then, it ended for me today! I officially have 2 years of teaching experience. The 2 years could not have been more different. I was terrified going into this school year, a new grade, maternity leave, trying to learn from my first year mistakes, but it turned out to be an amazing year! I love my Kinder-babies so much, and I was sad to see them go!

    This week has been insane! Monday, I had to benchmark my students' IRL levels and individually test for report cards, while keeping the others occupied somehow. Tuesday, we had playday, and I had to begin packing up my classroom and turning in items. Wednesday, we had a field trip to Fort Pillow Park. Thursday, we had field day, and permanent records had to be done, and today, I had to finish packing up my classroom and make sure everything was ready for summer break. I also spent a lot of time just enjoy my kiddos. We did sidewalk chalk, watched movies, and I even brought them over to the first grade playground to play for a few minutes since they are going to be first graders very soon!

     The girls both had crazy last weeks, too. Payton got a double ear infection last week that she was still getting over at the beginning of this week, Rylee got severe poison ivy last Friday and spent all week trying to get over that, then developed high fever and cough, so she had to miss school Wednesday and Thursday. She was very excited to be able to go to school and see her teacher and all her friends for her last day today, though! Hopefully they can both stay well throughout our vacation next week.

1 Week Down...

     I survived my first week as a working mother of 2! Monday was very hard, but it got a little easier each day. The mornings were crazy trying to get out the door, and sad when I had to kiss my babies goodbye, but once I got in my classroom each day, it was just fine. I love my job, and I am blessed to have 19 sweet kindergartners who make every day an adventure. "My kids" were extremely sweet this week and they really are an amazing group. I was so impressed at how much they've learned and grown since I was with them last. The brain of a child is an amazing thing. I had my first formal evaluation this week, and we also had a Thanksgiving feast and a "Indian" day. It was a crazy week, but a lot of fun.

     The hardest thing about his week was the lack of sleep. During my leave, my alarm was set for 7:15 each day to get Rylee ready for preschool. This week my alarm was set for 5 each morning. I really missed those 2 extra hours of sleep each day. Each night, I came home got dinner ready, ate, bathed the girls, showered, and then went to bed. There was very little down time, and it was very tiring. It was easier when I had time to get things done during the day, and time to play when Rylee got home, but we will adjust to this new routine. Ryan is a HUGE help and an amazing partner, and I know I wouldn't be able to do this without him! Even thought this week was difficult, I am so thankful that I have a job that is my true calling. I know without a doubt that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I may be sleep deprived, stressed, and crazy, but I'm also content.

      As much as I love my job, I do love my sweet babies more, and I am very thankful to have the whole week off to spend with them for the Thanksgiving holiday!

Payton's First Day of Daycare

     This morning was a tough one for this mama, but didn't Payton look so pretty for her first day of daycare?! I got up and got ready and focused on it being Payton's first day of daycare, but purposefully refused to focus on what that meant for me,: I had to go to work and leave my baby all day. Yesterday I cried until it gave me a headache and it didn't change anything, so I was determined not to cry today. I did good getting Payton and Rylee ready and getting everything in the car. I even did good on the ride to daycare, but once I got there, I felt sick to my stomach. IT was really, really hard to bring her inside. I dropped Rylee off in her preschool room and headed back to the nursery. I told Ms. Cindy, "Nene," about Payton's daily routine and gave her her supplies. Then came the hard part: I had to hand her over. Honestly, that part just sucked. I started bawling like a baby, and kissed her a few more times, snapped a picture of Payton with Nene, and then I left.

      I cried the entire way to school and had to sit in the parking lot and gather the strength to go inside and start my day. It was hard, but I did it. Once my 19 other "babies" came into the room, it got easier and easier. Unfortunately today, we had ESA testing, which is 45 minutes of me monitoring while the students test, and that gave me way too much time to think and miss my baby. Then while I was pumping her milk for tomorrow during my lunch, that obviously made me think of how much I missed her. Planning and recess were equally hard, and then I didn't get home until 4:30 due to meetings. Payton did great, she ate on her normal schedule and finished all of her bottles, she napped normally, and she didn't cry unless she needed something, but she did give me the biggest smile when I got home and held her, and she instantly wanted to nurse, even though it wasn't time for her to eat again. She missed me, but not nearly as much as I missed her, and that's a good thing. I would never want her to be miserable. I'm hoping today is as hard as it will ever be, and it will get easier each day, but I just don't know if that's true. I'm already dreading tomorrow. I love my time with my students, but I hate every second that I'm not teaching, and I hate, hate, HATE being without my precious baby. I know how quickly they grow up, and I don't want to miss out. Keep praying for me, and hopefully things will get better. Only 4 more days until Thanksgiving break: I think I can, I think I can....

Back to School

      Goodness gracious, I think absolutely every part of my body is sore and tired, but I made it through my first week as a Kindergarten teacher! And it was fabulous. I already adore my sweet kiddos so much! Kindergarten is an entirely different challenge than first grade, but I think I am already getting the hang of things. The first day, I was a little surprised by how much I was going to have to teach these babies, not academically, but in terms of how to hold a pencil, how to use their supplies, how to stand in line, how to raise their hand, how to stay in their seats for more than 1 minute... etc. After I realized what all they needed to know and started working on it, it seems like this week got better and better. But it did WEAR ME OUT! I am glad it's the weekend. Next week will be the real challenge having all 19 of my Kindergartners there all day all week long. We phased in this week, so the most I ever had at one time was 10 students. I can only imagine how exhausting going to be to work with all 19 of them at once. Ah! But if I am tired, which I am, it is in the best possible way. The- I've been busting my rear doing what I was absolutely meant to do- kind of way!

     This sweet girl has had a fabulous time in the 3-year-old preschool this week. Last week, she moved back and forth from the 2-year-old room to the 3-year-old room and that made her very uneasy and unhappy. This week has been entirely different. She loves her new "big girl" class and loves her new teacher, Ms. Cindy. She also loves spending all day with Bailey, but she did inform me on Monday afternoon that she is sad that Kade "quit school." (He didn't quit, he just stayed in the 2-year-old room, but she doesn't see him anymore, so she is sad that he isn't with her.) I have been missing her something fierce, though. I don't even have a minute to stop and miss her while I'm with my students, but every afternoon, I am so glad to get her in my arms again, and every morning it hurts my heart to let her go. This morning, she ran in and sat down as happy as could be, and I left with tears rolling down my cheeks. Blame it on the hormones, but this adjustment has definitely been harder on me than on her!

My "First" Field Trip

      Today we took my first full field trip as a teacher, and it was crazy! We went on a field trip while I was a student teacher, and that was a lot of work, but it wasn't nearly as much work as today was. Let's just say, these sweet babies wore me out! I am so thankful for my 3 parent volunteers, or I would have really been out by now! It is 4:30 in the afternoon, and I could so get into bed!

     We travelled to Donnell Century Farms in Jackson. We had a lot of fun. It was a little bit hectic because it doesn't seem like there was any schedule or anything, but the kids got to do a lot of fund things. There was a play rotation of 3 stations and an educational rotation of 3 stations. The play rotation consisted of a playground made from hay and farm equipment, including a tire pit (but my kids didn't get a chance to play on the tire part), a hayride that included a story trail, and a giant "pumpkin pillow", basically a bouncy house without the house. The kids had a lot of fun. After the play rotation, we had a picnic lunch, then we quickly headed to the educational rotation.

     During the educational rotation the kids went through a series of buildings that taught them about different aspects of the farm like where produce comes from, where we get beef, and where we get milk. Then there was a soybean station here the kids got to plant soybean in a water gel so hopefully they will sprout and they can have a plant at home, then there was an animal feeding station. We were very rushed through the educational station, and still ended up back on the bus 15 minutes late! It was very, very, very hectic, but the kids all seemed to enjoy it, and that's all that matters. I can't believe I only have 3 more weeks with these babies. They are my first group of "my kids." I am going to miss them, but I have to say I am looking forward to summer vacation. This teacher is tired!

Just Another Day in Paradise

It is only Tuesday, but this week has already got me WORN OUT! It doesn't help that Rylee and I are both fighting chest colds and I haven't been sleeping well due to coughing. But I feel like work has been crazy too. My kiddos have been off the walls and we have a ton of tests right now: ESA, Star Reading, and Aimsweb all in a 2 week period. Ick! Plus we have to do Instructional Reading Level benchmarking this week, too. My kids are worn out, I am worn out, and we all hate being so off routine. But such is life. Rylee had to come to school at 3:15 today because Ryan had to get stuff done for his new job (Yay! Yay! Yay!) and she made it a bit difficult to get work done. She told every teacher on my wing that she wanted to go to the park, so around 4:30 I gave in and took her to the park. It was much needed fun! Maybe the rest of this week will be easy on me. I have a half day for a drs appointment on Friday, so maybe that'll help.

An Easy Week

     This week has been great! Due to icy conditions, we were out of school the second half of the day on Tuesday and all day on Wednesday. Rylee was so excited when I came home early on Tuesday. I got to play with her for a little bit and then it was her nap time. I worked on school work to make sure I stayed caught up even though we were missing school, but then I got the call that we were going to be staying home on Wednesday, too. Luckily, I had thought ahead and brought home anything that needed to be done before Thursday, so I stayed caught up.

      Wednesday, we enjoyed a lazy morning at home. By noon, all of the ice had melted, so we headed to run a few errands, and then we went out to lunch. It was a lot of fun. I love family time! When we got home, Rylee took a nap and I took a bubble bath. Thursday we were back to school and my kiddos and I worked very hard, but we learned everything that we needed to, so this week definitely didn't go to waste. While I was working hard at school, Ryan had a job interview at a local factory, we should hear back in the next few days, so prayers would be appreciated!

     Because of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we had a 3-day weekend this weekend: even more family time! :) Saturday we went to the park with Mary, Bailey, Liz, and Kade. Yes, it was icy on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it was sunny and in the mid-fifties on Saturday, so we got to spend some much needed outdoor playtime. We stayed at the park for about 2 hours while the kids played and played and played.

      Yesterday, we went to church in the morning and then came home so the kiddos could nap. After nap time, we headed to Liz and Brandon's to watch the NFL playoff games. The kids had a blast playing together while the adults talked, laughed, ate deep fried junk food, and enjoyed the games. Today, we are simply being lazy. I will have to do some more school work in a little bit, but not much, and after that I'm thinking it may be the perfect time for a bubble bath! Ha!

Back to the Grind

 

     Well, I've made it through the first week back at school after Christmas break. I must say, I am worn out, but I have actually enjoyed being back. I missed my kids while I was on break. I don't know what I'm going to do when May comes, and they are gone for good! I am halfway through my first year teaching, and I already feel like I have learned more in this half a year than I did in all 4 years of college combined, and I am so thankful for this experience. I love my job, I love my kids. It is HARD work, and things don't always go how I would like them to go, but I have come to the conclusion that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now. 



     I have worked late everyday this week. We technically get off at 3:15, but no one actually leaves then, I usually leave around 3:45 or 4, but this week I have been staying until closer to 5. There's just so much work to be done! That has made it hard on Rylee, though, so I have been making sure that when I am at home, she has my attention at all times. She's acted out a little this week, but she will get used to me working soon.

           I sure am glad it's the weekend, though! I have missed this baby girl. She is so full of life, she just fills me with joy. I love her more every single day! I have kissed her and hugged her about a million times today. That's what I like about being a working mom. I never take my time with her for granted, even when I have breaks, I know they will end and I will go back to work, so I never take my time with her for granted. She is growing up way too fast as it is, I can't waste a single minute that I have to make memories with her! :)

Back to School

      This week is the first week of school, and, boy, has it been crazy! I had no idea how exhausting it would be! I met my girls on Monday and my boys on Tuesday. Today was the first day that I had my whole class. Monday and Tuesday were a little bit off-kilter, but today was great. I love all 19 of my "babies," and I am so excited to finally have a class of my own. I am working harder than I have worked in my entire life, but I am loving every single minute of it. The first day caught me a little off guard because I had never even observed a first day of class before, so I wasn't prepared for how overwhelming it could be. I am glad that I feel much more comfortable now, and my kids are well on their way to being "trained" in my classroom rules and procedures. Next week I start really teaching, and I am excited. Practicing procedures and testing for reading levels and such is just not nearly as fun as instruction time! :)

     I just have to add coming home to this sweet face everyday really is just the icing on the cake of my sweet life! :)

I'm a Teacher!

     Wednesday, I had an interview at Ripley Primary School. The interview seemed to go well, and at the end of it, Mrs. Treadway told me that if I got the job I'd know by Friday. Well, I didn't get a call yesterday, so this morning I was pretty nervous wondering if I would get a call today or not. I basically stared at my phone all morning. Then, around 10 it finally rang! Mrs. Treadway offered me a first-grade teaching position, and I accepted. I have to submit some paperwork to the board and sign my contract, but as soon as I do that, she's going to give me the keys to my very own classroom!!! Ah!!! This is all so surreal. I love summer break, but I almost want to fast forward to August and meet my babies! I'm going to have my very own class full of first graders!!!! Yay! :)