Weekend

 Done and dusted.  Literally, I dusted a lot.  Then cleaned with hot water and cleaner.

My classroom is ready to go.

Friday we had meetings all day in the library.  I sat by my team and Alissa and I weren't even snarky (Miriam is never snarky).  We did get the side eye from the presenter a few times because we were chatting a little bit from time to time.

We had an axe throwing activity at a place in Provo.  I think every one of us would have rather been in our classrooms, but Adam told me to have a good attitude and things like that are important.  So I tried my best to have a good attitude and to throw an axe at the target.  I was only successful at one of those and it was not throwing the axe.

Adam was right about it being a good thing though because the ESL coach is new to the school and I was in the same lane as her for axe throwing and I got to know her and I like her.

So hurray for team building activities (even if you'd rather be in your classroom, working).

Adam went back to my classroom with me in the evening to advise on the bulletin board that had been bugging me.  He said he thought it was fine and he wouldn't change it and I was just tired enough to agree with him.

Saturday morning I did some Saturday chores and Adam got all packed up.  Mark and I took him to the airport and he flew to England.  I felt melancholy about it.  I told him that good news, he would miss out on all my whining/hand wringing/anxiety surrounding the first day of the school.  He reminded me that we will talk on the phone, so I guess there is no escaping for that guy.

Mark and I stopped by my classroom with some plants I had forgotten to take Friday night when Adam and I had gone and I wiped off the wobble stools, which I had also forgotten to do.

It takes a village and several trips to get a classroom set up.

I had some bananas languishing on the counter so I decided to try my hand at gluten free banana bread.  I haven't made banana bread for years and I haven't baked too much of anything.  Gluten free took all the wind out of my baking sales.  As I popped the bread in the oven, I thought, I really do like to bake!  Maybe I need to broaden my horizons with gluten free things.  I texted Emma before I made the bread.  Whenever she bakes something for her book club or a friend or church gathering, she always makes it gluten free in case someone needs gluten free.  (Which is so kind, I think.)  She advised me to up the fat and leavening a little.

Going forward this week, I know that I will be very exhausted every night.  I had Mark help me figure out a menu.  I told him our limitations were: I anticipate being tired, I want it moderately healthy, he has taste like a toddler and it has to be gluten free.

He said, "Hey, I don't have taste like a toddler."

(He does.)

He said, "How about I make eggs and sausage and we can have green peppers and tomatoes on the eggs?"

I said, "Done."

I even told him I would chop the green peppers.

Sunday was a nice day.  I took a walk first thing, listening to the Follow Him podcast.  I went to church and a member of the stake presidency was there presiding because all of the bishopric was out of town.  People had so many questions for me.  Where are they all?  But their wives are all here?!?  Are they all at a meeting?

I said I couldn't speak for everyone, but Adam was in England.  Also, what kind of meeting would take them all away during church?  I don't know.

We played a hot potato game in primary and it went pretty well.  I come up with ideas and I am never sure how they'll go, but this one worked. 

I had arranged the chairs into a big circle and I happened to be sitting by two boys who are going into third grade this week.  My people.

Emma came over and we looked through pictures and finished sorting the second box of pictures I have.  Emma was good at helping me figure out what years they were from.  She came across a school picture of me from sixth grade.  She laughed and said, "This is awful!...Respectfully...."

I blame the 80s for the glasses, but I didn't know how to deal with my hair.  At all.  The pictures of Emma were so cute.  It really wasn't fair.

Emma said that it was because the pictures of her were little girl pictures; she said her 6th grade pictures weren't good either.  She said my little girl pictures would be cute.

Then we came across this.

I have always really hated having my picture taken.  Most of my little kid pictures are me crying.

We came across this one though!  A happy girl.

We have faculty pictures today.  I will try to channel the energy of that last picture.  Too bad I don't still have that dress.