school.

A sweet friend sent me this card today. (Funny... as I was scanning it into my computer, I realized that she never signed her name on it anywhere. I hadn't even noticed. I saw the handwriting and just instantly knew who it was from.) 

I kind of feel like this lately. 

I would love to just curl up under my desk and stay there for awhile. 

But I have a feeling those darn kids wouldn't let me stay there for long. 

School is... 

overwhelming. 

It always is this time of year, I think. But I always forget just how overwhelming it is. 

I spent about 3 hours up at school last weekend and could have easily spent 3 hours more. People outside of education really have no idea. 

My schedule stinks. 

I am really not loving having plan time first thing in the morning. Tuesdays are my least favorite day. We have to go with our kids to the computer lab both times this year (for reasons that have yet to have been explained to any of us teachers), so on Tuesdays and Fridays, I only get 35 minutes of plan time. On Tuesdays my kids go to library at 8:10, so my break for the entire day is done at 8:45. Awesome. 

The one positive thing I've found... I'm snacking a lot less during the day. Since I eat breakfast in the van on our way to school, I'm not really hungry 30 minutes later. I used to always eat lunch and then have a snack (or two) during my plan time an hour later. This year I'm eating during my 20 minute lunch only. 

My class is rather exhausting. 

Not all of them, but a few of them. One of my kiddos has spent nearly half of his day, every day, laying on the floor beside his desk. He's tired... or cold... or his teeth hurt... or his arms. One day he couldn't do his work because his crayon box was just too heavy to pick up. Yesterday a para came in my room and found him laying underneath his chair and saying, "This chairs just too heavy. I can't get it off me." I've been struggling to find a consequence that he actually cares about. So far nothing has worked. (But we may have found an answer today! I'm hopeful!!) 

My very identical twins have been a challenge. Mom dresses them exactly alike every day. I can tell them apart if I am looking at their face and they are close to me. (One has a tiny scar on his nose. The other a tiny birthmark under his eye.) But that didn't do me much good if they weren't looking at me or if they were on the playground or across the classroom. Yesterday one of my girls pointed out to me that their shoes are different colors. Fernando's shoes are black. Misael's are white. I'm not sure why I've never looked at their feet before, but that would have been really helpful to know for the past 11 days. 

My little one who didn't speak to her kindergarten teacher until the 43rd day of school spoke to me on the 1st day of school.   :) 

One of my kiddos is sporting a very stylish mohawk/mullet. It's really something. 

Our new math curriculum is stressful. Not the curriculum necessarily, but just the fact that it's all new and there's just so much to it. Lots of technology components, which is good, but so far I've only been able to get it to work 50% of the time. And of course, it's the time when I'm testing it without kids that it works perfectly. So far using it in front of the kids I'm 0 for 2. I'm sure it will get better. It's just new and uncomfortable. 

Lawson loves kindergarten. 

He loves his teacher. I think she is fabulous. She's one of those people who is just little and cute and full of so much energy and spunk. Just being around her makes you smile. One of his best friends is in his class. They are apparently having some fun conversations during their afternoons together. 

Sophie loves 2nd grade. 

Our family has loved her teacher for a long time. 

She didn't want to do ballet this year, but she is loving gymnastics. (And I'm kind of loving the fact that it's here in town! No driving 20 minutes to get her there!) 

Gretchen is still adorable. 

She makes me smile all the time. 

I'm so lucky I have her to love on after these long days at school. 

One more day... and then it's a long weekend at home with my favorite people. 

Maybe then I can get caught up on all the posts on my Google reader and on Facebook.