Class of 2022

Made it through the first week. In some ways, it went great. In others, it was OK. The important part is that everyone survived and the tears were few (4 kids cried this week and I only cried once). I know some people love the first week but I don't. I would like to just get in our routine and get to work. The training and "breaking of the students" is not fun to me at all! I'm a week closer to teaching now! Here are some stats about my class for the 2010-2011 school year:

- 12 boys and 8 girls

- 6 nations are represented in my 20 kids (U.S., Mexico, India, Pakistan, Scotland, and Africa-I know not a nation but I haven't figured it out yet)

- By race, I have 7 White children, 7 Hispanic, 4 African American, and 2 others

Favorite realization of the week:

- According to the getting to know you activities, my class if full of kids that are mathematically minded, artistic, athletic cowboys/girls who love to dance. Yes, they are 6....

Copy Cat

Earlier this week, Erin blogged her always, sometimes, never list. Now I'll take a turn:

I always:

- write in bulleted lists whenever possible

- want to beat my brother-in-law in whatever game we are playing

- dream

- count steps when using stairs

- love a good hug

- make a new recipe when I invite people over for dinner

- rub my eyebrows to help myself relax

I sometimes:

- wish I had a house

- think to myself out loud (often with great emotion)

- use Starbucks as personal incentive to get to work early

- miss my French Horn

- want to learn to fish or play golf

- consider deleting my blog

- think about chopping all of my hair off again

I never:

- stop reading in the middle of a chapter

- cook with Velveeta (gross!)

- take a sick day unless I'm actually sick

- go to the grocery store when it's raining

- chew gum

- can keep a secret from my sister

- pass up a chance to hang with the Johnsons

Hiking With(out) Dad

Today I decided to run away for a few hours. I was needing to get out of the city and my mind wandered to Huntsville State Park. I hadn't been to a state park in years. The thought of getting away from anything related to my normal life appealed to me greatly so off I went.

I'll tell you, just the act of driving out of the city limits makes a world of difference. It feels like I'm stretching my legs and letting out a deep breath I'd been holding all at the same time. The park was perfect. There were no signs of people anywhere. I only saw a handful of people on the trail. Exactly what I needed.

As I hiked, I thought about growing up. We went through a few years when going to the state park was a pretty regular thing. Mom would pack a cooler of food and we would head off to any number of parks. We would drive the park, eat, and take off down (or up) a trail. As we got older (and busier) we stopped going as much. However, the last few times I've been, Dad and I would take off together - just the two of us. We would hike and talk more then than probably any other time. It was something I looked forward to.

Today, I thought about Dad a lot. I thought about his little hiking reminders when my toe would catch a root, my fingers would start swelling, or there would be a steeper part of the trail. I thought about what we would talk about - work, church, family, God, something we were reading, or the occasional guy whose name he had started hearing. I thought about how we always stopped at the prettiest place on the trail to just be quiet and enjoy the beauty around us for a few minutes before moving on. I tried to guess where on today's hike that would have been. I found a few spots I thought he might enjoy. I wondered if he had hiked that trail in college. Every time I passed another hiker or a biker and said hello, I could hear his "howdy" in the back of my mind.

It's funny how even though someone is miles and miles away, they can be with you every step of the way. Maybe next time I go, he can come too.

Time

So its that time of year again - I've already spent quite a bit of time in my classroom. It's almost finished and looks pretty good, if I do say so. Lots of warmly decorated, empty space to hang up learning as we go. My favorite part so far? A bulletin board outside my room with owls/moons (to be labeled with student names) that says "Look Whoo's in First Grade". It's simple but too cute.....

As glad as I am to be getting this done early, I'm already thinking about time. How quickly the summer went. How I'm not quite ready for it to be over. How to readjust to getting up with the alarm. How to balance work with the rest of my life. And on it goes.....

Last school year (and this summer, to a degree), my schedule was packed. My calendar is already filling up for the next two months. Craziness! So this is my personal prayer as this school year starts: That God will show me what activities to hold on to and what to let go of. That He show me where to make room and how to prioritize my activities. Where to spend my time and where to rest. I'm having to let go of some good things to make room for the better things. And sometimes resting is better.

Now if I can only practice what I'm preaching.... :)