winding down
Tomorrow I am rearranging my classroom. It’s the last Friday of school this year. Then we go full days Monday and Tuesday then a half day Wednesday, although students only attend 1 hour on Wednesday. Today I did all my progress reports. Still need to proof them and pass them out. Also the checklist for the mentoring program. And the end of the year conference with the principal to "reflect".
I registered for a class tonight, the last one for my endorsement. It is from 5:30 to 9:00 two nights a week. Clint will have having the girls by himself two nights a week. They will go to preschool two mornings a week so I can do my homework. We’re planning a camping trip to a lake in Missouri with my brother and his family. Other than that, our summer is pretty much wide open. Oh, I’m potty training Clara the first couple weeks (hopefully she doesn’t thwart my plans. I’m tired of buying diapers!).
Clara begged today to go to the pool on our way home. She wanted to go on vacation to the pool and hot tub place. Spring Break at Great Wolf Lodge. She was super tired and cranky tonight. Hyper tired. Still making noise in her bed now. It’s 10:01. Yeesh.
So I really want to go out to the city to celebrate the end of the year. Most of my partying buddies hate going to the city for the expense but I like it. Not the expense, just the going out downtown. I’d love to go tomorrow night but probably would be more fun the following Friday when school is actually out, or sometime after that.
The year has been good. Much like other first years in other places, with regard to being the new kid on the block. I am slow to make friends, or at least to feel like we are more than friendly coworkers. I really miss the teachers I grew close to at my old district. And the students. I like junior high better. I like having my own classroom. I like being seen as an actual teacher rather than mistaken for an aide. But I also like leaving work at work at 3:00 instead of bringing as much home. I like leaving and not looking back. But I miss my connections with coworkers and students. I miss feeling like I make an actual difference. It’s a lonelier job. For a loner. It’s good for now when the girls are young and I need to be able to walk out of the room and focus on being a mom at home. My spanish is a lot better this year as I don’t have anyone to rely on to communicate with parents. I’m the one calling for other teachers and translating. I hope my Spanish doesn’t fade dramatically during the summer. I listen to a lot of music in Spanish so that will help. I don’t have time to take a second class, otherwise I’d take a Spanish class.
I’m looking forward to the summer to get the girls back into sleeping better (always a battle here, with the night wakings). I’m looking forward to getting more sleep myself. To having time to meet friends for lunch, having the energy to take the girls on outings, to swim, play, bike ride, go to the library and zoo with them. To share experiences and moments and get to know each other in a new way again. Now as toddlers/young children. Not babies. And naps. I’m looking forward to those too.
Yay summer 
