Weekend

I couldn't decide it I was catatonic or comatose on Friday night.

I was tired.

The first few days of school are no joke.

I was talking to Nicole on Friday and she said that her first day (she has over 35 students) was awful and she went home and cried.  You should know Nicole is tough as nails and an excellent teacher.

A fifth grade intern told me quietly that "yesterday was really bad" but Friday was better so far.

I said, "Better is better!" and "we all have really bad days."

Because we DO.

Hollie, who is the patron saint of kindergarten teachers (she is amazing!  I can't overstate this!) said that kindergarten the first few days was crazy.  She said, "They don't respond to their own names!  I am herding cats."

I walked by the boys' bathroom and a little kindergarten girl came cheerfully bouncing out.  I explained to her that that was the boys' bathroom and the girls' bathroom was down the hall.

She said, "I know.  I wasn't going potty.  I was just waiting for my friend."

What is really incredible about these people I work with is that they will keep coming back.  They may go home and cry (as have I), but back we go.

Because those kids have our hearts. 

I wrote this dear girl a note back and told her that I thought we had some nice kids in our class and I was sure she would make new friends.  I told her I was glad she is in our class!

Former students (mostly girls) stop by to hug me and it delights me.  My sweet boy from last year who is still the single best person I think I've ever met gathered his second grade and kindergarten brothers in a hug outside my door.  They all had the same brand new shoes and their shirts tucked in tight and their polo shirts buttoned up to the top.  Their mother doesn't speak English, but if she did, I would ask her to teach me her ways.  My former student said he hoped his little brothers would be in my class.

You have no idea how much I agree.

A sixth grader I had in third grade stopped by after school to proudly show me his tiny kindergarten brother.

It's a lot of heart warming on a hot August afternoon.

Friday evening and Saturday Adam was involved with the WGU graduation that was in Salt Lake City.  He invited me to go with him to the Alumni Celebration on Friday night and I've been to a few around the country and they are pretty fun, but I was very tired so I passed.

Adam enjoyed the weekend and brought home a huge floral arrangement.

I said, "That's pretty."

He said, "I didn't know if it was pretty or scary."

Sunday morning when I walked downstairs, bleary eyed,  and was startled by it on the counter, I saw what he meant about it being kind of scary.

It was huge.

I did all the Saturday stuff alone and Winco isn't as enjoyable without Adam.

We watched a movie about the Blue Angels on Saturday night which we enjoyed.  Watching the Blue Angels during Seafair in Seattle in early August is something I miss.

Mark and Emma came over for Sunday dinner and we made barbalade pizza that Adam invented about 15 years ago.

It's good.

After dinner we rushed off to a stake youth fireside.  We didn't have stake youth firesides when we moved here, but our stake president is from out of state so we have them now and I am glad.  It's taken a few years for them to take hold, but there was a good group there and it was a good meeting.  I loved trailing after Adam while he greeted the youth in our ward.  We were leaving and I told him he'd missed two girls in our ward and he turned around and said, "Let's go back." He's a good bishop.

I'm off to another week of school!  Here's hoping I have what it takes!