#241/366--First Day Notes

Before school started, over the weekend, 

I had my kids come help me in my classroom.

When they weren't cutting things out, 

or

sticking things on desks,

they were hiding notes 

for me to find 

on the first day.

((from Lauren:  "Have a good day :)," 

"Jesus loves you," and 

"Lauren loves Mom."))

((from Michael:  "Mom, you make

everyone smile enjoy the year! 

yo son 7th grader"))

#240/360--First Day Kids

Jr High and High School

My precious darlings--all grown up...

...and just for "precious" sake...

Lauren, on her first day of Kindergarten:

Mikey, on his first day of Kindergarten:

my loves.

#239/366--First Day Breakfast

Chocolate Chip Muffins...and yes,

I was out of muffin liners...

...but they sure tasted good...

#238/366--Ready or Not

My disarray of curriculum 

and 

where I will be mapping out 

my first week

as a 2nd grade teacher...

...my living room floor...

My classroom, right before I left today...

still missing some items...

...that I had to buy today...

...and lesson plans

that I have been working on

since this summer...

I am both excited and anxious

about this new adventure.

There are volumes of 

curriculum information

...and...

picking through it all

in order to plan my lessons

has not been 

the most fun thing ever.

But seeing all my

old friends

at "Meet the Teacher"

the other night

made my heart full.

#237/366--Electives

#236/366--Maps

Sophomore orientation tonight

still not believing I have

a high school student

...and there's no sneaking

a pic of her either...

especially not 

with all her friends around...

When did I turn old?

#235/366--New Spartan

It's hard to get a picture of a Jr. High kid...

...they are just so easily embarrassed... 

#234/366--Crashed

Lauren snuck this pic

of me

passed out

on the couch

last night...

...seriously...

I'm exhausted...

#233/366--In the Mail

She got her "for real" permit in the mail today...

...no longer does she have to use the

"fake-paper" one...

#232/366--Whassup!!

#231/366--Chill in the Air

That temperature

in August,

in Texas,

means

get out your

gloves and sweaters

...brrr...

#230/366--Dancing Queens...

...and 2nd Grade Divas...

#229/366--Promises and Progress

#228/366--Rocky

#227/366--Can I...

...drive?

Those words

will be

used

an innumerable

amount

in the

coming

months...



#226/366--Starry

Tonight, we went out

...late...

to see

if we

could see

...some meteors...

...maybe our eyes

were playing tricks

on us

because

we think

we saw

...some shooting stars...

...think my wishes might come true?

#225/366--Successful Chinese

When Lauren was in China,

there was a period of time

in which

the kids stayed with

families

from the sister school

--kind of like an exchange student--

...and while there, they visited

that sister school.

One of the activities the kids did

was to make dumplings.

Since she's been home,

Lauren has been

wanting to make

dumplings for us.

So this afternoon,

Lauren and I worked together

to make

fried rice and dumplings...

...they actually turned out really tasty! 

#224/366--Late Night

...watched a late night movie...

...Wrath of the Titans...

...with my favorite guy...

...but 5 minutes into the movie...

...and I was out cold...

...I just can't handle...

...late nights...

...anymore...

#223/366--A Dog's Life

#222/366--Too Big

...off to learn how to drive...

...soon she'll be driving herself around...

...too grown up...

#221/366--And, Still, More Clouds...

(I just love clouds)

#220/366--Painting With a Twist...

...Twisting on Monet's Lilies...

...start with a blank canvas...

...add some blue...

 ...add a mixture of other colors...

 ...add some other colors...

...(for...um...reflections?...)...

 ...take a minute and look at your work...

 ...smile and think how wonderful it looks...

 ...add your lily pads and lilies...

...smile because you are a superior artist...

 

 ...add some more lilies...

...add the branches...

...voila!  You have your very own work of art!

...and you've just spent a wonderful evening...

...with friends...

...creating art...

...laughing...

...bonding...

...and loving...

Thanks, girls!

#219/366--Pinterest-ing

Gettin' excited about

the move to 2nd grade...

...makin' some cute stuff found on Pinterest...

...the all-famous crate-seat...

it's storage, it's a seat,

it's a storage seat! 

#218/366--Painted

#217/366--Setting Up...

...for Second Grade...