Some thoughts...

1. I get to pick up the boys on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Although it makes the commute longer, I love being there to pick up my own children.
2. My three new classes worth of children are going to be fun. We have a neat group of kiddos. It should make for an enjoyable year.
3. Friday night was funny. I called a "family out to dinner" night because we had been too busy during the week to do ANYTHING. Once we vetoed fast food and some other places with Friday night wait times, Nathan emotionally pulled for Luby's. How original. On the way, we weighed some other more-tempting locales, but NO, NO, NO, we HAAAAD to go to Luby's. We get to Luby's, go through the line, sit down in a whirlwind from getting the RIGHT milks, a share-able dessert, choosing a table, getting TO the table, greeting the hypervigilant waitress (I still wish they had the cart ladies instead of waitresses) who is trying to empty my tray (I appreciate the help, but I don't want Michael to really see that Nathan got chocolate milk while he chose the blue carton because of quite possible, if not inevitable meltdown. Plus, I can empty my own tray.) Anyway, we sit down with a humph and no sooner than I unroll my napkin to withdraw my utensils do the boys start in with I'm not really hungry and the I just don't want to eat...ANYTHING business. Somehow we managed to live through it. There were a few moments of peace, and those felt good. Thankfully my mom came over Saturday and we escaped for a date.

My Baby is THREE!

While fast asleep in pleasantdreamland , Michael completed his third year of life and began his fourth. I'm so excited to see him grow and change, but so sad to see him grow and change. I love my Michael.

Back in the Saddle

I reported back to school yesterday. For the next many days we are jam-packed with meetings and trainings and updates of trainings. I'd much rather be working in my classroom or teaching.
Coming back to school, I am reminded of the scheduling craziness, testing lovefest, and the little blips of nonsense that seem to pop up here and there. I do love my job. I love the people I work for and work with, and the children who fill my days with eagerness, excitement, and...well, challenges! I got so much accomplished yesterday while working in my room, and I am anxious to get back to that. I am working my way back to getting up at 5AM. Yesterday it was 6:00, today it was 6:15; ok, so I am working away from the normal time, but I'll get there. Now, I must insert time for lunches, getting children readied, and gathering all of our paraphernalia that comes along with us. The first day last year (was it last year?), I got everything except Michael's shoes. And for the next week or two (0r two months) I'd forget something or another pretty often. Tomorrow we meet Nathan's teacher...that's exciting!

Alaska Aficionado

We are all-to-quickly back from our trip to Alaska. If I called it incredible or amazing, that would seem so bland. The trip did exactly what it was intended to do: Nick and I got some time to be a couple without the maintenance of our sons' brotherly dynamics, AND we experienced some of the absolute best scenery the world has to offer. The final goal of the trip was to give us a booster, a collection of memories, to get us through the next few years of school, school, tests, housework, school, boys, school, boys, and school. Here are a few photos of the trip. I love Alaska!