christmas came a little early

Check out what Nate got at school today:

How cool is that? A brand-spankin’ new iPad 2! Thanks to his awesome teacher!!!

Our hope is that Nate will be able to use it to communicate in the future. For now, he can use the touch screen to play educational games and have books read to him. He actually started using an iPad this summer and had some success, so when the opportunity came for him to get his own, his teacher (did I mention how awesome she is?) got right on it.

We’re really excited to see what he can do with his new technology!

preschool

Delaney doesn’t officially start preschool for 2 weeks. But this morning they had a play date at the school for the children to meet the teachers and get acquainted with the classroom. Since I was working, my mom took Delaney. She said she did great. I’m not a bit concerned about her feeling comfortable about going. She eagerly goes to the church nursery every week and never cries when we leave her. But she’s always excited to see us when we pick her up. Which is good, otherwise I might get a complex!

My mom took some pictures of Delaney at school. Here’s one she sent me:

I think she’s going to LOVE preschool!

poor little cinderella

Forced to fix dinner for the family once again.

first week back to school was a good one

I think it’s going to be a great year. I have 18 of the best third graders around. And trust me, there are very few years I can say that.

Brianna started her junior year and actually did homework without being forced reminded.

Allison started her sophomore year. I’ve already had to contact the counselor to get her switched out of debate and forensics. The weekend tournaments and workshops were not something I was willing to commit to when she wasn’t interested in participating. Now she’s in aerobics. She’s happy, which makes us all happy!

Nate is in second grade. His primary home health nurse is going back to school, so we’ve spent the last couple of months getting acquainted with a new nurse. She accompanies him to school and so far everything has been fine. Except for a seizure on the first day. Nothing like starting the school year with a bang!

Jeremy is now in fifth grade (teaching) and thinks it will be a good change. He was amazed at what fifth graders can do in the beginning of the year, as opposed to the third graders he’s used to. Learning new curriculum will be a challenge, but I’m sure he’ll be phenomenal.

Delaney will begin preschool on September 6. That’s the day after Labor Day, and the day after my dad’s birthday. So about 10 times everyday she asks, “Is it Papa’s birthday yet?” She just has to wait about 2 more weeks.

But today she was promoted from the nursery at church to the preschool Sunday School class. I remember when Bri and Allison were being promoted at church. It’s hard to believe that we’re now doing this with our baby girl.

last day

Today was my last day of summer vaca. So I ended it with a bang! I stayed in my jammies until well after 9:00. Normally I’m up and walking by 8, but this morning we were blessed with thunderstorms and rain. Hallelujah!!

I took Delaney to a nail salon and we got pedicures.

Delaney chose blue sparkly polish. I opted for Chick Flick Cherry. Which is just a fancy way of saying dark red.

Then this evening I went out to dinner and a movie with 4 of my best friends. We saw The Help, which was as excellent as the book. Definitely a must-see!!

And after weeks and weeks of record high temperatures, we saw much cooler weather with the rain today. I even wore jeans!

I have to say this was a great end to summer. Now I think I’m mentally ready for another school year!

making progress

Here’s a little sneak peak in my classroom.

I still have a lot to do. Like hang things on the wall. Not to mention the kids come in one week and I haven’t even begun to think about what I’ll teach. But I’m sure it will come together. For now, the physical classroom is my priority because we have the community open house on Friday. Yikes!!!

what I’ve been doing…

Unpacking!!! I’ve been frantically working in my classroom during the hours I can get in the building. No one else is allowed in the building (spouses, helpers, etc.) so I’ve had to do all the manual labor myself. It’s exciting but very overwhelming!

And you know what it means when I’m working in my classroom? It means summer is almost over. That makes me sad. I love my job but I also love lazy summer days. Swimming and watching movies late at night and taking Delaney to the library and exercising. Those things are about to come to an end. And I barely touched our summer list. I think I’ll extend it through the fall (that’s not cheating, is it?)

I have 3 more days of freedom. I’m going to try to make the most of them!