Goodbye Summer??

**I started this blog post several days ago and just now finished it. I had to decide which pictures to upload and it was soooo hard to decide. ha!

The beginning of the school year has always meant the end of summer for me. Michigan weather starts to cool off after Labor Day and school starts. Now that I'm in Texas, we start a week before Labor Day and the weather doesn't cool off for a while yet. It was in the high 90's here last week so I think I am safe in my belief that the summer weather will be here for a while. Unfortunately, my summer freedom has ended. While I'll still be able to enjoy afternoons at the pool once I get home from school, it's just not the same. I have school work to do when I get home, dinner to make and housework to complete. So although I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet, summer as I know it is over.

I've finally got around to going through some pictures from my trip to Michigan. Although I haven't really had time to play around with Photoshop (my birthday present from my mom) except to change some to black and white. The ones that aren't black and white are straight out of the camera. :) Cooper is officially walking all over the place. I miss that guy so much!

So serious

There's the beginning of that smile we all love!

Is that leaf tasting good?


Checking out the grass


Look at my stick, Aunt Jennifer!

Love that smile!!!

Investigating the rocks in grandma's backyard.

Checking out what everyone else is doing

What a cutie!!!!

Exhausted!!!

Wow am I ever tired! I forgot how exhausting kindergarten is this time of year! As tired as I am, I am also loving every minute of it! I have 20 of the most adorable kindergarten kids you would ever want to meet. I had a couple of criers yesterday, but today they came bopping into class. It was unanimous....they all love school. I have to agree with them.

I promise, pictures are coming soon. I need to work on some school stuff tonight and upload pictures of my students so I can get them developed. My job board is a "wanted" board. I made wanted signs for each job I have. I'm going to put a picture of the student who is assigned to that job for the day on the sign. It goes along with the western theme I have in my room. Really....I'll post some pictures soon....it's super cute though!

Hope you are all having a great week!

Stuff

I know I'm not always the most consistent blogger, but it seems like a while since I've posted. School starts on Monday and I only have about 20 more things to get done this weekend. ha! I just made one batch of play dough and need to go get more salt before I can make another batch. I love this recipe a co-worker gave me. It's super easy and doesn't need to be cooked like my other recipe required. Just microwave the liquids and add to the dry ingredients and waaalaaa....finished!

I don't have any pictures of my room yet, but I'll add some next week. It's come a long way! We had Meet the Teacher Night Thursday night. I met 16 of my 19 kindergarten students. They are adorable little sweeties!!! I am so very thankful to be teaching kindergarten this year. I can't wait to see all my new little friends on Monday. I just hope there aren't too many kids crying. I know I'll have some, but let's hope more don't cry. :)

Barry's football games started Thursday night. He had a varsity game last night and ended up getting hit by one of the players. He was trying to break up and the kid punched him instead of the other player he was intending to hit. Luckily it was in his leg. He has a pretty nasty bump and bruise to show for it. He has games all day today. He loves this time of year. He works more this time of year than any other time, but officiating football games isn't work to him...he loves it. It also gives me time to get all my stuff done. The beginning of the school year I am always so busy so I won't feel bad about working late with him being gone.

My sister and my mom are both in Alabama this weekend. My mom has been there all week. She went down because my aunt Jo Ann (my dad's sister) was very sick and in the hospital. She has been since the middle of July when I was in Michigan on vacation. She was originally admitted with double pneumonia and then kept getting more and more infections. By the time my mom got there this week, my aunt was unconscious and on a ventilator. She passed away Wednesday afternoon at 71 years old, surrounded by people who loved her. Aunt Jo Ann was a wife of 53 years to my Uncle Bob, a mother, a grandmother, an aunt and a friend to many. She has been a constant in my life. She was one of my dad's older sisters. She is certainly his sister I am the closest to. After my dad died, she stayed several weeks with us after the funeral. I know she was a great source of support to my mom then and over the years. We spent many holidays there and part of our summer vacations in Alabama. She leaves a legacy to all of us who knew her. There wasn't a person around that didn't' know her and that is evident by the turnout of people who came last night to the funeral home. My mom said there were probably 500 people there. My aunt was always there when her friends and neighbors needed her. She was a woman who loved family and had an open door and a meal ready at any time. My visits to her house were always a highlight in my summer or any other time we vacationed there. I remember sitting in her living room and listening to stories about her life, which often included my dad. She was a bridge to those memories of my dad. I didn't have him anymore, but I had her for those. I know I'm not the only one who will miss her. Her children and my uncle are grieving her loss with the rest of the family. Please pray for them today as they attend her funeral and in the coming days as they find a way to continue without her around. My Aunt Jo Ann was a wonderful woman and will be missed greatly.

I don't want to end on such a downer, so I'll add a funny story my friend Laurie told me last night. Her kids go to the same daycare my nephew, Cooper attends. Actually her youngest is the only one that goes on a daily basis now. The other two are in school so they don't go much. Laurie is a teacher and went back to work so she sent her older two this week as well. Her son Nick (he's going into 2nd grade) came home talking about helping with the babies at daycare. Laurie asked him if he helped with Cooper and he said, "Yes, how do you know Cooper?" She told him Cooper was my nephew. He was thrilled....he asked, "So Cooper and I are related?" Laurie told him no they aren't related. He told her that since I was his aunt, that would mean Cooper is related to him. Laurie explained to him that yes, I am like an aunt to him, but not by blood like his Aunt Amy. I am his aunt because I am her best friend and have known her since before he was ever born. She explained it all to him and then he ended the conversation with, "Wow...so Cooper is like my little brother!" Ha! Can you tell this little guy really wants a brother. Sorry, Nick...that's just not gonna happen. I don't think Julie will mind you being like a big brother to Cooper though!

Have a great weekend and week everyone! I'll try to post some pictures when I have time. Say a prayer for my first day! )

Thankful Thursday

This has been such a busy week for me. I've been trying to get my classroom organized and ready for kids on the 25th. I always try to go in a week before I'm required to so I can get stuff ready. The week before school starts we have teacher in-service days so that doesn't leave me much time in my room. I should have taken before and after pictures so you could see my progress. My room has come a long way! It was a disaster in the beginning!! Which leads me to all the things I'm thankful for...

My friend Jennifer came up to school on Monday to go with me to pick up a bookshelf we found at a garage sale for $5. When she walked into my room I was just standing there looking around. She felt bad for me so after we picked up the bookshelf, she ended up staying the day. She was a worker for sure. She also came back on Tuesday. I begged her son Zach to come and help us with a couple things and he graciously did that. Her daughter Lindsey also came Monday and Tuesday. She is the sweetest college girl I know! She is getting ready to go back to college and instead of spending her free time doing what she wants, she hung out with us making my bulletin boards look adorable and pitching in wherever needed. I honestly could not have gotten so much done without their help. Our friend David even stopped by to drop off some razor blades....we needed to get all this very ugly contact paper off the filing cabinet. Thanks you guys! You all rock!

This weekend we are going to visit Barry's parents. I went earlier this summer for a night when Linda had a Pampered Chef party for me, but I can't even remember when Barry was there last. This will be his last opportunity to go for a weekend until sometime in November. Football begins for him next week so he will be busy with that every Saturday and most other days as well.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Not Good Looking Enough??

If you haven't read about the controversy over the Olympics opening ceremony, you must go here and read it. Apparently the 7 year old sweetheart of a girl who preformed "Ode to the Motherland," during the opening ceremonies was lip-synching. Not to her own voice, but to the voice of another girl who was deemed to be not good looking enough to take part in the ceremony.

Are you kidding me????? I don't even have words to describe what I am feeling about this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what makes this even worse is that all reports so far have the Chinese Olympic Officials presenting this as no big deal. That it is actually fair for both of them. Give me a break!