A New Familiar Sight

Lee started school this week! He has been so excited all summer and couldn't wait for this past Monday to finally roll around. He had orientation for three days last week, but the real thing started Monday. He's been trying really hard to form a routine for himself. He gets up early and gets to school to start reading, goes to class, eats lunch in the library while he's reading, goes back to class and then back to the library to read or study more until 6:00 or so. YUCK! Lee's sort of a geek at heart...he loves to learn. But even this has been different for him. We're hoping that after this week we'll get more used to the routine and things will settle down a little more. Just a little bit of both would do us good! I'm so proud of him for working so hard...even though I've had to go to bed by myself a few nights this week!

We're going to Pontotoc to see Lee's parents this weekend, and I am so excited. We have both had some long days this week and are exhausted, so it will be so nice to just relax and take a break. That's become one of my favorite things about going to stay with Lee's parents...you really do unwind and rest while you're there. It couldn't come at a better time!

Exciting news!

Well.....it's now official. We went to the doctor Monday and found out we're having a BOY! We are so, so excited. The funny thing is that we came up with all kinds of names for girls but none for a boy, so we're stuck! But we have come up with a few options. Because I grew up with two sisters, I know almost nothing about boys, so it will be fun to learn. Things looked great, and I'm feeling really good. My new students are so sweet and have been really excited when I tell them the news...it's been kinda fun. I guess it's time to get to work! We have a nursery to get together...but it needs to be cleaned out first!



Some of my sweet friends from school gave me this "little boy gear." I was so excited. It's the first real boy thing we've received!!







Another friend of mine decided that since the baby is due on Elvis' birthday, he needed this tshirt. She's a little obsessed with Elvis and jokes that the baby's name should also include Elvis!

Graduation!

Well, we finally finished the past year and a half off with graduation yesterday. It's something I was reluctant to do, but it was a nice closure to the past year and a half since everyone in our cohort participated. The actual graduation was very short - only an hour - so it left the afternoon to do other things. We met Alyssa and Sam for lunch to "celebrate" and then came home for a nap.

As glad as I am to be finished, there is a part of me that is sad. I'm certainly glad to be finished with the homework and projects and late nights and class meetings, but I did enjoy making new friends and seeing them on a regular basis. I also know that going through this process has made me a better teacher, not only because I learned new things that changed my views on how we do things in education but also because I was once again a student. It's always good to be reminded of what it feels like to sit in a class for hours or to be given assignments that seem like "busy work!" Overall, this was a wonderful experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was something I wanted to do for myself, and something that no one can ever take away from me. I know that the new friends I made and even the friendships that were strengthened will continue to grow...they will just take more work now to maintain.

And so it's on from one thing to the next. Tomorrow is our first "official" day of school, although some of us have been up there so much this summer it seems like there was no break. We have professional development for 4 days, and the students come on Friday. Time again for schedules and routines and long days. But I have vowed to not stay at school this year until 6:00 every evening. We'll see how that goes! I'm off to enjoy my one last night before the craziness begins...