Updates.

Quiet. It is nice and quiet. All the kids were asleep by 7:45 tonight. I guess that means we ran them hard this weekend - Football, School, Pumpkin Patch, working at the store. Cleaning.

We did not have a good football game Friday night. In fact, it sucked. It was one of those games where nobody threw the ball, they handed it off and tried to run right through the middle of the players. I threatened to text the coaches and tell them to change the plays up, and that they might score. When something doesn't work, why keep doing the same thing over and over?

I guess I am getting confident after reading Football for Dummies. Nope. I am not even kidding.

Other than that, I am just counting down till snow days. I think that this year, my first year of teaching, has been harder than I thought. I feel so, so sorry for my mentor teacher. I text her and call her. I know she is sick of me. I am trying to take the problems of all of my students. I think about them. I know that I need to set emotional limits. But it is difficult - especially when you are a "fixer".

So, I love teaching. I love my students. I love my co-workers. My house is a disaster, I can't get ahead. But I am so happy with my job. I just need to get a grip and know when I leave the school (at 4, 5, 6 or 8 p.m.) that I should leave the kids and their issues there too. I will get it. I will.

Report cards come out this week. I have New Evaluation #3. Gymnastics. Referral for SPED. That is a whole book itself. Off to work I go. :)

Here I Am.

Wow. What about a blogging break? I knew that I needed some down time, blogging became a chore to me, but I am thinking that I should have written something. I don't have a whole lot to show for 2011.


Speaking of 2011 - Time has flown! We are already in the middle of October. Lots of things have happened... Emma and Eli and Tripp are in school. I am chugging along, teaching 3rd grade. We have completed Dave's football season with a Championship Trophy (!) for the second season in a row. Eli has three games left in his season. I think, at this point, he has scored close to 40 points this season. I love, love, love to watch him kick.

Picture out of the local paper - Eli #85 kicking.

So, we are busy with school, and football and the store. Tripp started gymnastics last month after spending the last six months standing on his head. Emma went to watch one night, and she loved it too, so now she is tumbling around. She also takes piano, but I can only handle one activity, so one must go.

My new neice is coming next month. My sister in law, Terri, is scheduled to have Adaline Fowler in November. Boy, isn't Mallie going to be in culture shock. I can't wait to hold her and change those itty bitty diapers again. I surely thought I would never say that. I also want to do a little baby sniffing. I love baby lotion!

Here is a quick video of Eli. :) I am a proud momma. For those of you who understand football, Eli tackles the guy at the end, too. I just about died.

A Nice Break.

I am lovin' this three day weekend. I am so excited to get one more day at home.

Yesterday, I went to Mallie's first basketball game. Then, we went to the pool and swam for a while. On the spur of the moment, my sister in law took all the kids to the drive in. So I went to Redbox, got a movie and then had a quick dinner with Dave.

Today, I have slept. And went grocery shopping. And slept again. Now it is almost 10 p.m. I only have one day left. I put all of my classroom work on the back burner. But I started updating my TeacherWeb page and now my mind is working toward teaching on Tuesday. I am happy for a short week where my brain can start to catch up.

Well, as for teaching - there is never enough time. I had a student teacher come into my classroom the other day. (I had been to school with him, I just graduated a semester early). He started grilling me about all the cool stuff we learned in school. Did I do _ with my students? Had I tried _ with them? I told the student teacher that I didn't have enough time for the fun stuff. And that is the truth. So last week I learned that Student Teachers are in La La Land. 1. If there are two teachers in the room, it is easier to get everything done. and 2. He has no idea about the "real" world of teaching. I didn't either.

I guess I finally cracked - a little -on Friday. I cried. Not as much as I wanted. I cried because of time. I cried because of student situations. I cried because I was tired. I think that women have this "need" to cry. It just seems to make it all better. And if it is a partial cry, as mine was on Friday, well, it just helps a little.

So, at the end of week four of teaching, I love these kids. I worry about them. I am watching for their moods. And I know who will struggle and who will not. I think about them on the weekends. I guess we are finally bonding.