Two More Wake-Ups!

What a week it's been!

Between returning on Monday after a substitute on Friday, a few behavior issues and resulting phone calls home, Galileo testing in the computer lab that was way over the kids' heads (ideal benchmark to show growth??), the dog getting skunked, trying to juggle Project Read, Words Their Way, Reader's Workshop, Writer's Workshop with limited support and time constraints, and a lock down drill, it's been a long week.

Here's a peek at our week, a few teacher steals and deals, my sweet girl, and what Bucket List event is in just two wake-ups.

• Our little bunny at the corn maze on Sunday.

•  Because I refuse to believe summer is over.

•  A messy face is the sign of a happy toddler.

•  Getting creative emphasizing punc"shoe"ation courtesy of $2 "grab bags" at Michael's stores.

• Creative writing from Friday's personal day for a friend's wedding. 

•  Ellie de-skunked.

• Starfish Syllables from Sailing into Second which I discovered through a SoCal blog hop. 

 

•  Our September Scholastic book order came in! Hooray!

•  We sorted our Words Their Way short o and long o words on paint strips.

•  My sweet-tooth loving munchkin

•  Perhaps the best snail mail I received all week: news that my request for a Pets in the Classroom grant was accepted!

•  Successfully printed on Post-Its last night! It was so incredibly easy, I may never write on Post-Its again!

•  A two-column note organizer to help us stretch a sentence about a favorite fall activity. (The magic of this profession is that 7 years in to the same grade in the same classroom at the same school, I'm still creating, tweaking, and modifying.)

• Halloween-themed prizes from Walmart for next week's BBQ Buck auction.

•  Walmart back-to-school clearance
  

•  A visit to our local teacher supply store resulted in two posters, place value block magnets, magnet circles, and a Scholastic close reading resource I've been eyeing, and they paid ME $2.24! Ah, the glory of gift certificates!

• And in two more wake-ups....

 

Hooray!

Next up, I'll be sure to share pictures from my first annual Back-to-School party for teacher friends.

What a difference

I'll be honest. 

I hit a rough patch last fall, and had an awfully difficult time seeing far off in to the distance to June.

Each day was a challenge, and I longed for Friday. Weekends were a physical break from the classroom, but hardly a mental break. The challenges and anxiety consumed me. I wanted to do it all. I wanted to be the doting wife, loving mom, attentive daughter, thoughtful sister, and talented teacher. Yet I felt constantly defeated and craving a few more hours in each day.

It took time.

It took talking.

It took patience.

It took perspective.

It took the support of my family and friends.

It took hormones to get back in balance. 

And what a difference. 

I now look forward to my classroom. I look forward to my kiddos, their silly stories, their handdrawn illustrations, their homemade crayon candles. I look forward to the crowd of kiddos around me with questions, anecdotes, stories, and concerns. (Okay, maybe not that crowd that follows me at the start of the morning bell...)

But I'm having fun again. As odd as it seems, I knew I was feeling better when I started baking again, when I started crafting, when I took time to see friends again.

I'm back.

And here's a peek at that fun I've been talking about..

Knock, Knock... Is anyone there?

My apologies for the unplanned hiatus.

New school year.

New baby.

Balancing both.

Twenty-six kids.

Common Core.

Teaching technology classes in and out of district.

What a whirlwind.

September went well. The excitement of back-to-school, newly sharpened pencils, reuniting with teachers...

And then October came.  

Post-partum kicked my butt. That's real life kiddos.  

An overwhelming sense of anxiety took over as I tried to make sense of my new role as a working mom in a classroom full of change. 26 kids worth of change. A fainting spell before the morning bell in early October led to a few mental health days, and boy did I need it.

October and November were stressful, trying, challenging and left me questioning my career path and if teaching was what I wanted to do forever. There were long days and even longer weeks where I just didn't feel the excitement, the classroom "butterflies" if you will, while planning and prepping for the next day's activities. I was overwhelmed with the challenges of a large class, differentiating given the many low reading levels, the dynamics of a two-person grade-level team, new Common Core standards, and establishing routines with a support teacher. On top of that, I wanted to be able to give our sweet baby all of my love and attention in the few hours we had together but school anxiety loomed overhead. 

After a few doctor's appointments, the opportunity to talk with a professional about my anxiety and troubles finding balance, and some help getting my hormones back in check, I'm finally feeling like me again. And boy does that feel good. (How did I know I was starting to feel better? Oddly enough, I wanted to bake. Be creative. Be crafty. I'm sure that sounds odd, but for weeks while I struggled to kick the postpartum I was feeling so down, depressed, and defeated that I had lost any desire to bake and be creative and wondered if it would ever return. And it did.)

Here are merely a few highlights from the end of September and October... (Notice the lack of baking or DIY in October. Stick with me. I made up for it in December.)  

(For classroom updates check out my class blog here.)

September 

A Potluck Picnic display for classroom donations

Our class brochure and "What's Grilling?" handouts for Back-to-School Night

  
Working on our Super Reader capes courtesy of the very talented Hope at 
Shenanigans in Second Grade.
 
 

A back-to-school photo shoot

 Five iPad minis as part of our district's new iPad initiative

Cupcakes for a teacher friend's engagement

 

Deep sea fishing with Sarah, Dan, Mr. Lovie, and my dad. Crazy sea sickness. 

Miss K's 4 month appointment 

 

Celebrated National Speak Like a Pirate Day in Room 16

 

Got pretty in pink for Kerri's bus, burger, and booze bachelorette party

 

Baked a few dozen cupcakes for baby Kai's first birthday

October

Boo!

Lounging at Memere's.  

Miss K's monthly picture

Girl LOVES her toesies...

Playing outside waiting for Daddy to come home...

And wedding 6 of 6-- a best friend's wedding in beautiful Assonet.

 

And while Momma and Daddy partied, Miss K enjoyed a photo shoot with Auntie Leah. 

 

 

While I wasn't feeling 100% that day and was overwhelmed with thoughts, worries, and concerns about school, I was honored to stand by my sweet friend's side, much like she did for me three years earlier. Family-aside, my girlfriends are some of my most valuable treasures.

Meeting Baby Jake

One of my favorite pictures of Miss K--smiling as always

We visited Nana and Grampa and played in Auntie Leah's bed!

Go Pats!

Miss K's first Halloween

 

Did I mention she loves her toesies?

Our little princess--sitting up like a big girl!

November and December updates are coming up next! With the new year upon us, I will strive to blog more--but I make no promises. As I continue to find balance as a wife, mom, teacher, friend, blogger, baker, crafter... etc, family first. Miss K is growing leaps and bounds every day and I don't want to miss a thing.

With jammies on and Chinese food soon to arrive, it's time for some r&r with Mr. Lovie.

2013 you were pretty fabulous, but I have a feeling 2014 will be another one for the books!