I’ve written several posts about Rosie, the cow who lives just across the driveway. Earlier this year, Rosie had a sweet little calf that I dubbed “Rosette.”
The cows usually appear in the field across from my house around dinner time. This evening, when I glanced out, I saw the whole crew out there calmly grazing. I slipped on my shoes and stepped out onto the porch, searching for Rosie.
There she was and Rosette was right there with her. I realized just how much Rosette had grown in the past few weeks and wondered if she’d be heading off to the market soon or if the farmer would keep her. I tried to remind myself not to get too attached, but I just can’t help it. They’ve become almost like pets and I really need to stop naming them!
Watching…absolutely nothing. Is it college basketball season yet? I’m ready to watch my ‘Hoos!
Reading…my School Law textbook.
Eating…nothing (yet), but I’m considering a snack! I’ve gotten hooked on this peanut butter/brownie bar cookie that my Mom just started baking and it’s so good!
Listening to…the clinking of the dishes. Mike volunteered to do dish duty so that I could get some work done. My workload has been heavy and he’s done so much around the house to free up my time.
Drinking…iced tea and crunching the ice (even though I know that’s bad).
Thinking about…my School Law assignments that are due next week.
Excited about…starting to write in the new notebook that my secret pal at school left on my desk!
It has been a busy day and I’m finally able to sit down to compose a post. It’s past nine o’clock and I’m winding down with a cup of tea while sitting in my favorite chair. I thought about what I wanted to write about. I thought about the things that brought me joy today and wrote several six word memoirs about the day.
I was running late this morning because I hit the snooze button a few too many times. As a result, I scurried around the house, trying to make sure that I had everything that I needed for the day. I threw a few things into my bag for lunch and went to grab my keys from my purse. Normally, I intentionally place them on top of everything in my purse. Often, this works fine and I’m able to access my keys and go on my way. Not this morning. Everything shifted in my purse and after digging madly, tossing things on the couch, I finally located my keys—at the very bottom. Then I had to toss everything else back into my purse before finally heading out the door.
This is not unusual for me, even with my best intentions of making the keys accessible. I have too much stuff in my purse and it never seems to stay organized for more than a moment. However, I am hesitant to remove anything that is currently in my purse because I always worry that it is something that I might actually need sometime. I guess, though, that the mashed up cookies and fast food receipts can be tossed along with the empty hand sanitizer bottle. Now I just need to make myself do this!
I am sitting down to write my Tuesday slice, the news playing in the background. The sun is shining through the living room window, bathing me in light. The washing machine is humming and the Keurig just ground to a halt with a cup of iced tea.
Before that, I ate dinner and caught up on the day with my husband. We ate simply this evening because we were both tired.
Before that, I had a conference call about the 2023 conference for the Virginia State Literacy Association. I love connecting with these women as we plan some pretty awesome professional development for Virginia educators!
Before that, I drove home and followed a really slow car. Finally, the car pulled over to let me pass on our country road, but by that time, I was only about two miles from home.
Before that, I packed up my things from school, checking to make sure that I had my phone charger and my cold medicine. I briefly debated stopping for a half-cut tea (half sweet/half unsweet) from McDonald’s, but decided that I didn’t have enough time before my meeting.
Before that, I finished my day at school. For some reason, I kept thinking that it was Wednesday!
Before that, I grabbed a quick lunch after the LETRS kick-off.
Before that, I led the LETRS kick-off for my district’s first cohort. I loved the energy in the room and getting to meet some new folks!
Before that, I enjoyed a biscuit from Hardee’s with Mike. I cherish that time together where we talk about the upcoming day and just enjoy being with each other.
Before that, I drove to town. It was an incredibly foggy morning!
Before that, I checked around the house to make sure that I had everything that I needed for my day. I dragged my bags out to the car and did one more check.
Before that, I got ready for the day. I had actually selected my outfit last night, which helped. My hair wasn’t all that compliant this morning. The blow dryer and brush just couldn’t do much with my hair today!
Before that, I took advantage of the snooze button (only once, though!).
Before that, I listened to the cheery sound of the alarm encouraging me to start the day.
I am mentoring our new fifth grade teacher and every time we have the opportunity for a lengthy chat, I walk away feeling inspired and energized. She has so many fantastic ideas and enthusiasm and I am so glad that she joined our faculty!
I’m so excited that we have a new guidance counselor and that she will be at our school full time. We’ve never had a full time counselor as long as I’ve been at this school and I’m so glad that my principal advocated so passionately for this position.
Our preschoolers are just about the cutest kids I’ve ever seen. They’re also so tiny (we have three and four-year-olds)! I love watching them go down the hall!
We actually have a number of new staff members and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them and welcoming them into our school family. I’m excited about all that they’re bringing to the school and our kids and I love peeking into their classrooms.
I finally fully stocked my snack cabinet and I’m glad that I did. One of my kids mentioned being hungry during our 2:00 session and I was able to provide him with a snack to tide him over. Interestingly, we had one of our best sessions and now I wonder if he’s been hungry during our previous meetings.
I’ve had several third graders who don’t need my support and every time I see them in the hall or go to pick up their classmates, they hug me and ask me when I’m going to take them. I suggested that maybe one day they can come visit and show off their skills to me, but that hasn’t always pacified all of them!
My principal amazes me. The hours that she puts in, how she always finds time to be visible and engaged and active, the positive words and actions…she is one in a million. No matter what a staff member, student, family, or anyone needs, she’s ready to help. She’s an enthusiastic instructional leader who is willing to share ideas and is a true lifetime learner. She is a ray of sunshine in our building and I’m so thankful that we have her!
We have a number of new students in our building and several of them have been so excited about how good the food is in the cafeteria. Katie, our cafeteria manager, does such an incredible job and I’m salivating at the thought of our first macaroni and cheese day!
I was so excited when I plugged in my mini refrigerator and it worked! I’ve had that refrigerator since my freshman year of college (1994!) and my Dad bought it for me. We had to go to Staunton to get it at Lowe’s because we didn’t have anywhere here to buy one. I remember the trip to Staunton with Dad like it was yesterday!
We’ve been in school for a week now. I’ve been able to meet new students and reconnect with my students from previous years. It’s been a really good start to the year!
Seeing wildlife is one thing that I enjoy about the ride home. Several evenings, I’ve noticed a group of turkeys in about the same spot at about the same time. Usually, they stick together and given the time, they are probably heading to their roosting spot. I love how they remind me of kids at school going down the hall!
Then, there was this fellow on down the road. He didn’t seem to be happy to see me and was anxious to get away from the lady in the black car with a camera! There were two other turkeys just out of the picture and this one was pretty intent on leaving his friends behind.
I always look forward to the sights on the way home. Some days it’s turkeys, other times I see deer. Occasionally, I’ve spotted a bear, but that’s not a usual occurrence. I do enjoy catching a glimpse of these creatures!
Yesterday was my first official day back at school. I’ve been working at school periodically over the summer, but yesterday was the actual day to start back. I was a little worried that I’d gotten into a routine of staying up late and sleeping in. I read and wrote a lot between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. Sunday night I was still wide awake at midnight, but I did okay when the alarm sounded in the morning. I felt fine all day Monday and had a great start to Year 24. We have some new staff members and I’m excited about all that they’re bringing to the school and it was great to connect with my returning colleagues. However, by 8:00 Monday night, I was out of gas. I struggled to stay awake and fell into a deep sleep when I went to bed.
Today, when I arrived at home, I decided to curl up for just a few minutes (famous last words, I know). Later, I woke up, feeling like Rip Van Winkle. What time was it? Those few minutes had stretched to about two hours! However, I felt so refreshed that after grabbing a bite to eat, I finished watching a webinar and took the associated quiz. Hopefully, though, I’ll still feel like going to bed at a regular time and don’t find myself sitting up wide-awake at midnight!
I had stretched out on the couch and was idly scrolling through my phone. Occasionally, I’d share something funny with Mike and then continue scrolling. He stopped at one point and asked me if I’d shared the link to my Tuesday blog (which I often do, especially if he’s been mentioned). I sat up straight and bellowed, “Oh, no! It’s Tuesday!” At this point, it was after 8:00. So I grabbed my laptop and began to type.
I don’t often wear dresses. In fact, I tend to wear the same types of things every day. It’s become a uniform of sorts, I suppose. For example, in warm weather, I typically wear capris (although they aren’t really capris on me since I’m so short) and short-sleeved shirts (I have a variety of colors). I had a PD day with folks from across the county, so I wanted to look nice (or at least nicer). I had a new casual black dress, so I wore it. Unfortunately my ankle braces took away from the look, but overall, it was a positive change from my usual attire.
When I arrived at the high school for the meeting, I was in for a surprise. I wasn’t the only person wearing this dress. My principal was wearing the exact same dress in the same color and one of the other principals wore the gray version of the dress. We had a good chuckle over our wardrobe coordination and in hindsight, I wish that we’d have snapped a photo.
Then, one of the teachers from my school mentioned that she had the same (black) dress and had thought about wearing it, but was concerned that the room would be too chilly for it. I can’t wait for the day at school when we all end up choosing that same dress!
Saturday was one of the most amazing and special days of my life. Mike and I were married in Mom’s backyard with our closest family members by our sides. The ceremony was absolutely perfect and it was a day that we’ll never forget.
While it was one of the hottest days of the year and thunder rumbled ominously in the background, we were able to finish the ceremony and take family photos before the storm struck. Thankfully, we planned to have the reception inside and we gathered inside for a beautiful family meal. There was so much laughter and joy and love and it was the wedding day that Mike and I had envisioned.
wahooliteracyteacher 