Thankful on Thursday

Oh, it’s been a L-O-N-G week. Always time for thankful though…

• I feel as though I should find a way to be thankful for rain…I got nothing. But, um, it’s not 100 degrees?
• My team, they are fabulous.
• Ashley and her text messages
• Bestie listening to me complain and assuring me I look neither 15 nor 90 (lies, lies, lies, but nice lies).
• Olives.
• Hubby for doing EVERYTHING.
• TV and internet. I am going to be without them for 1.5 weeks, so I need to be thankful for them now.
• Macaroni and cheese
• A moment tonight when Logan said, “I sit in mommy’s lap?” and it was just the cutest thing in the entire world.
• My new kiddos. We have our moments, but they are cuties!

All right, that’s all I’ve got. I shall now go look for an ark. Flood Day anyone?!?!?

The Little Things (again)

I think I’ve used this title before. But, you see, when your life is kind of up in the air with moving stuff, you rely on the little things to keep you sane (Ahem,  HIVES all over my face today Blah, yes, they are back – you have to look close, but they are there and they HURT!).

Here’s our favorite little thing:

These have become known as “Grandma’s crackers” at our house. You see, Grandma K had them at her house once and Logan loved them. So she bought us some, because they are a store brand that we don’t have here. And now we are all obsessed. Peter wondered why I was eating Logan’s food, until he had some, and was like uh, wow, those are awesome. She brings us multiple boxes at a time, that’s how much we like them.

See? He has like 3 in each hand.

They make him ridiculously happy. This is why we don’t give the child real candy and cake, these little crackers make him this happy and I don’t want to know what real sweets would do…

I know, I know, processed food, bad, whatever. It’s cinnamon crackers. We’ll live.

In possibly related news, I think this is the last time Logan can wear those plaid shorts he has on, we may finally be finishing with those 12 – 18 month clothes. Crackers, perhaps?

In totally unrelated but really cool news, Logan told me this morning his shirt was green! First thing after we put it on!

Two minutes later he told his daddy it was purple.

Day 1

Well, the first day is over! After a mad dash to the bathroom at 8:25 (the kids come at 8:35…lunch is not until 12:00. I get nervous the first few weeks about making it that long!) I stood at the door with the clipboard, waiting to mark down their bus numbers. And I thought, tomorrow, this will all be a distant memory and we’ll be down to business.

They are a good little group – busy and chatty, which honestly, often translates to SMART. I had one that had a smile like this on his face all day:

I’m not kidding, he looked that happy, all day. It was pretty great. I like to think Logan looks that happy all day too.

They nearly died of starvation when they didn’t get to have lunch until noon.

Two of them told me over and over they remembered where the office was from kindergarten, they could take the attendance envelope – and they turned the wrong way right out of the classroom.

There were no bathroom accidents! Not even me!

It was RAINY – which meant inside recess. No fun for them, and hard on the first day, but I shut the door and let them loose with some math games (cubes, blocks, shapes) and we all survived – and bonus, they were doing MATH games!

They liked hearing about Logan…although now they think all he does is play catch and sing Elmo.

Everybody got home safe and sound!

And tonight I came home, put on my pjs, and played with my Logan. And told Peter that there should be no packing tonight – because whew, we need a break.

Before you know it, there will be a last day post…but until then, let’s grow some first graders, shall we?

Hope you had a great first day, teachers! And, hope everybody else found a way to beat some of this rain!

First Day Jitters

I vividly remember the first day of ninth grade and being TERRIFIED of high school. It didn’t help that we actually started school two weeks late because of our school being under construction and not being ready. Longer to worry. But, I know exactly what I wore – jeans and a striped (blue, pink, green), ribbed, short sleeve shirt from the Limited.

Tomorrow is, of course, the first day of school. My facebook is all crazy – teachers with upset tummies, worries about the weather, sad notes about lunches being packed…this is what happens when half your friends are teachers.

I still get nervous, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. My worries are a bit different though: Will they all get on the right bus? Will I be able to comfort the criers? Can we avoid bathroom accidents the first day at least? Will they go home happy?

And then, before you know it, the first day is over, and another year has begun. I LOVE what I do. I wouldn’t be able to leave Logan each day if I didn’t. First graders are incredible. Light bulb moments happen all the time, they have the best stories, they have no filters – so you get the truth, and honestly, they love you unconditionally. And that’s what I try to give back to them. My goal every year is to get them to love school. If I can hook them in, they will be a learner for life – and believe that school is a safe place with adults they can trust.

So, tomorrow, we’ll go at it again. We’ll tie shoes, read stories, help open bags at lunch, ask them 10 times to push their chair in, and be TIRED when the day is over. But it’ll all be worth it, a million times over.

In other, non-cheesy news, Logan’s first day of school is tomorrow too! His day care provider does a little “school” with the older kids, and she told me last week she thinks he’s ready. Logan is still the youngest there, but she usually has them start around 2, so he’s right there.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not much, but it’s sit at the table, art projects, learning colors, tracing things, etc. And the teacher in me is so excited for him. This was his reaction when I told him:

“WHAT are you talking about? Just tell me, will there be crackers? All right, I’m in.”

He clearly has no first day jitters.

HAPPY FIRST DAY!

Stop and Say Cheese

We’ve been in the middle of some busy times here at the Z house, this weekend is no exception (more to come later). But, sometimes you just have to stop and take in this cuteness:

Posts with more substance to come soon, I promise…just as soon as this whole, where do we live? thing gets all sorted out. Until then, hopefully you can just handle the adorableness.

Friday Night Leftovers

• Woo Hoo, it’s my birthday!
• I met my most of my new students today (they did not know it is my birthday, when I tell them next week they will be mad at me, I’m sure). They were AWESOME. These huge smiles that just stayed on their faces, oh, it was great. I’m so excited to teach them this year!
• The movers came…we have very little furniture left, which means Logan now thinks our house is one big race track to run around!
• I get to have PF Changs for dinner, yummy!
• Logan and Peter surprised me at school this afternoon, it was a very nice surprise after a bit of a hard afternoon.
• My face is one giant itchy mess. It is becoming much clearer that this is all related to stress, but I still refuse to admit it and really think I must be allergic to something.
• We have to get into the attic and Peter sent the ladder with the movers. Oops! I’m going to just boost him up and see where he lands…
• It is 8:55, dinner is now finished, and seeing as how it’s my birthday and I can do whatever I want, I think I’m going to bed!

For more leftovers, visit Danifred!

Thankful on Thursday

• My dad, who is always worried about me and me smile!
• Both my parents for their help with Logan so I could go to a colleague’s baby shower (though I’m sure they are just as thankful for that time!).
• Bestie, because wow, it is so bizarre to see someone you’ve known since you were 11 in a completely professional position and do a fabulous job.
• All my new kiddos that I’m going to meet tomorrow – and their parents for trusting me with them!
• Melissa and Ashley for some fabulous cards earlier this week!
• Power, finally, for my in-laws!
• Logan, who is truly all boy – he even knows how to fake burp now…
• My husband, for getting the house ready and taking care of practically everything move wise. You are awesome.
• My bed!

Happy Friday!