Monthly Archives: June 2014

Last day of school

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Today was the last day of school, for all of us!  We successfully completed 1st, 3rd, and kindergarten!  We may have gone a little overboard with the treats this year.

We made cookies for the classes.  I had in mind bright, sunshiny, lemony cookies, but time and ingredients dictated and we ended up with spice cookies in flower shapes.  Yellow, at least.  Not exactly perfect, but no one complained!  The kids wanted them for classmates and I wanted them as a thank you for the teachers at my school, so we divied them up three ways and there were plenty to go around.

IMG_1726We also made goody bags for the students in all three classes.  The bags had a jump rope, bubbles, and Starburst inside, then a cute note and ribbons on the outside.  They were pretty awesome, if I do say so myself, and the kids loved them!IMG_1731 IMG_1732 IMG_1733 IMG_1735

We also made gifts for the teachers.  All eight of them!  The gifts were Pinterest-inspired and I loved them.  I got freezable tumblers with straws, put Lindt chocolate balls and a gift certificate to the local ice cream stand inside, along with thank you notes written by me or the kids (depending on who’s teacher it was!), then wrapped a Real Simple magazine around the outside and tied it all up with a ribbon.  A little obsessive, but super cute!

IMG_1737 IMG_1739Alan is away this week so I brought the kids to school.  Probably a good thing because he would have scoffed at the ridiculousness of my last-day-of-school goodies.
imageI made the poor kids carry a ton, then asked them to stop for a photo directly in the sunshine. Lex protested and moved over to the wall, out of the direct sun. The background isn’t lovely, but the kids are smiling so that’s enough for me.

I dropped the kids and all their stuff off at school (and helped them carry everything in and deliver to the appropriate classrooms), then headed down to my school where I precariously carted in all of my end-of-year goodies.  I left a tray of cookies in the teachers’ lounge and sent out a lovely thank you note to the teachers and staff (via email), thanking them for their support this term and telling them about the cookies.

At lunch I went back to my first school and spent an hour with my fifth graders from the fall.  I watched a memories slide show my mentor teacher had put together and chatted a bit with the kids. They’ve all grown so much this fall!  It amazes me to go back and see them.  I got lots of hugs and it was nice to get to say goodbye to them.

Then back to kindergarten for the rest of the day.  Some kids were thrilled to leave for summer vacation and others were in tears.  It was an interesting experience.  I’m going to miss them all, 5th and kindergarten!

After school my kids came back happy with their new classes and teachers.  I now have 2nd and 4th graders!  Eek!  They are growing up way too fast!!  This afternoon we did karate, then home for the dinner and bedtime routine.  Then we snuggled in and read three chapters of the Lightening Thief book we’re reading!  Super fun way to start vacation.  Then, even more fun for me, once the kids were in bed my friend from UVEI came over and we celebrated our last day of school together with wine on the front porch!  She just left and now it’s almost midnight so I really should go to bed!  I’m terrible at putting myself to bed when Alan isn’t around.  I’m going to be tired tomorrow, but guess what, no alarm for me!  Whoo hoo!  We have one of Lex’s friends coming over to play, and one of my friends!  I haven’t seen Elizabeth in ages because our schedules just haven’t lined up this spring, so I’m excited to have her and Alistair come over to visit tomorrow as well.

Summer vacation is here!

Lex’s checkup

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The boy is 9 years old so we went back to the doctor for a well-child visit.  He’s 77lbs and 52.75″ tall.  He gained 8lbs and 1.25″ from last year, but lost 3lbs from a visit in October.  The doctor was a tiny bit concerned, but after a conversation and check she was happy that he’s doing just fine.  We chalked it up to winter clothes. :)  We had the usual discussion on activities and exercise (plenty) and healthy eating and veggies (none).  I always feel guilty when the feeding discussion comes up.  The doctor is great, but I feel guilty anyway.  This summer I plan to get us back on a better eating schedule.  This year has been tough with school and work and all.

Today was exhausting!  A very rainy field day that got moved inside, so we were shepherding over-excited kindergarteners throughout the school from one activity to another.  They got very little down time and no quiet time.  This is a class that regularly has five or six sleepers still at quiet time, so by the end of the day they were exhausted.  So were the teachers!  After school we went right to the doctor’s appointment, then home and I will admit that the three of us have been staring at screens for the last 45 minutes.  It’s so quiet!  I’m going to rally again and make some dinner now.  No rest for the weary. :)  Kidding.  Summer is coming soon!

NH

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I got my teaching license from NH in the mail today!  My first inclination was to take a picture and post it on Facebook, but I restrained myself.  :)  Now I have to get one final paper notarized, then I can send the whole packet (NH license included) to VT and get my VT license.  Then we’re really in business!  :)  I was going to get the paper notarized after school today, but it was raining and I couldn’t find parking, so I didn’t.  I’ll do it Monday instead.  How’s that for dedication!  :)

It’s official – I’m a teacher!

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Today was a beautiful example of the saying, “The days are long, but the years are short.”  It has been a long, tough at times year and suddenly it’s over.  Well, almost.  Tonight I graduated from UVEI and officially have my Elementary Teaching certification.  I’m certified to teacher K-8 in the great state of New Hampshire.  In the next week or so I’ll receive my license in the mail, then I’ll turn it around and get my VT license.  Then, maybe, I’ll get a job!

Seriously though, the year has flown by.  Fall in fifth, spring in kindergarten.  Both had their pros and cons, and both were great.  I miss my fifth grade buddies and I know I will miss the kindergarteners as well.  They gave me a sweet book today in which each kiddo had drawn a picture of me and them and written a sentence about what they like to do with me or how they will miss me.  It was very sweet and made me feel very happy and loved.  I have two more days with them and then we’re out for the summer.

This evening was the UVEI graduation ceremony.  Alan and the kids came along to continue their steady support of this effort.  They even put on nice cloths and washed their faces.  Hard work for some of them! :)  I put Alan and the kids in charge of photos and they did a great job.

wine

Everything is better with a glass of wine! :)

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My UVEI BFF! This is what we look like to the little ones we teach. :)

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Eve and Bitty Baby, sharing a plate of veggies before the ceremony began.

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This is my faculty coach speaking and my coaching group. It was a great group and I really enjoyed working and learning with them this year.

aspirations

We put together a statement about what our aspirations for our students were, then had to read it at the graduation ceremony.

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This is what Eve thought of things.

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I got my teaching certificate and a family photo. It was a good evening!

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Alan entertained the kids with a game of tag while I stood around in high heels and chatted with my friends. He’s a good hubby and daddy!

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Eve at her finest. :)

Back to school tomorrow for field day… most likely an indoor field day as the weather calls for rain, rain, and more rain.  Lex and Eve had their field day indoors today.

I feel like I should have some eloquent wrap-up for this post, but I don’t.  The culmination to my huge year and I’m off to drink a glass of wine and fold laundry.  Some things don’t change. :)

Only a few days left…

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We are in full end-of-year mode.  Summer goody bags being prepared for classmates, full folders of work and projects coming home every day, spirit week at school, field day and parties, dragging in the morning, and today I even made the crazy decision to bake a ton of cookies to share with everyone on the last day of school.  I graduate in two days and have no more homework, so there’s plenty of time to bake!  We’ll sleep and clean another day… or month.

I’ve started looking at summer plans and it’s filling up fast.  On a related note, we seem to be running out of money just as fast!  We put a halt on spending (after one last purchase – BNL tickets for September!) and now we’ll try to settle into the summer…

Just a few more days!

Notice anything missing?

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imageEve lost her first tooth today!  Top, front, left.  She had four pulled, of course, but this is the first one that fell out on it’s own.  It has been wiggly for a long time and she recently started working it hard to get it out.  Today it came out in her bagel and cream cheese.  She licked it clean with her tongue.  She’s so weird.  She’s also SUPER excited for the tooth fairy.  And she’s excited because the one next to it is is also wiggly, so she has already started on her next project. :)

On a First Name Basis

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Eve recently discovered that teachers have first names.  We were at a birthday party a few weeks ago and I was talking to the mom.  I called her Rachel and Eve, who happened to be right near by, said “Ohhhh…. Mrs. B’s first name is Rachel?!  Now I know!”  Mrs. B is a sub at school and Eve was pretty darn proud of herself for knowing.

This afternoon I was talking to Alan about a long-term sub position I applied for at Eve’s school.  I mentioned the teacher by first name and Eve perked right up.  “Who is Nikki?” she asked.  I said, “Oh, that’s Mrs. R at school.”  Eve was super excited and decided she’d better start taking notes.

imageHilarity ensued. I told her the first names of one or two teachers, she guessed her own teacher’s first name, and then I wouldn’t tell her any more.  I told her she’d have to figure them out on her own.  She begged and pleaded and I agreed to give her one more after she ate all her dinner and drank her milk.  May as well get something out of this game, besides pure entertainment!

She finished her milk and dinner just as Lex was coming into the room with a question.  Eve said, “Ok, what is Mr. D’s first name?” I told her it began with an R, then turned my attention momentarily to Lex’s question.  Eve thought for a minute then guessed, “Ragaloni?”  I nearly fell out of the chair laughing!  She was on my lap and we were both hysterical.  Ragaloni?!  What kind of a guess is that?  The girl kills me sometimes!  She also couldn’t remember Nikki’s name when it came time for writing and kept calling her “Nickel-y”.

She is now on a quest to discover first names at school.  She says she’s going to bring her note with her to school to write down more names.  I suspect she’ll lose the note before Monday.

I was also remember a similar situation when Lex was in kindergarten.  Similar, but more Lex-like and a lot less Eve-like.  I mentioned a teacher by first name and he said, “Oh, is that Mrs.?” (I forget which teacher it was.)  I said it was and asked how he knew.  He replied, “They all wear name tags, Mom.”  Duh!  In kindergarten he had already read everyone’s name tags and was well aware of first and last names.  Of course!

Eve on the other hand, well, she keeps me laughing!

Rainbows

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We had the weirdest little rain this afternoon. I was in the kitchen making dinner and I noticed it was raining gently. Part of the sky was blue and sunny, but part obviously had a rain cloud. I called to the kids in the living room because I thought there might be a rainbow, but the insisted it was not raining. Turns out it was raining in the backyard but not in the front yard! We ran back and forth between the windows for a few minutes until it started raining in the front as well. Less than five minutes later it stopped and we saw an amazing rainbow! It was a triple rainbow, all stacked on top of each other. ROYGBIVROYGBIVROYGBIV! If that makes any sense at all!! :)

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Of course we went for a walk!
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We followed it to the end, or at least to the end of our street where it disappeared behind a house. I love out it faded out so clearly.

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By the time we got back to our house I noticed a weird cloud or something seemed to be cutting right through the rainbow. It almost looks like it’s being erased with a big, square eraser. Lex pointed at the rainbow and said, “That there is some serious science!”

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Seriously awesome!