Day off!

Since I last posted on here I started my new job - teaching a combined class of 3rd and 4th grade at the small private school where Luke and Abby have been attending since last year.  Will now goes there, too, so we all get to go to school together everyday.  I really like being in the same building as my kids all day.  I really don't see them until after school but it's a great feeling knowing that if they need me I am close by.  I've been a stay-at-home mom since Will was born.  Except for the three years I home schooled (2 for Coleson, 1 for Will) they have always gone to school and I was available to volunteer at school or stay home with them if they were sick.  When we returned to the U.S. last year I knew that I would eventually have to return to the work force.  I worked for 6 months as a secretary, 3 months of  which were full time.   I missed seeing my kids and being a part of their lives.  I realized then what a blessing all of those years at home were.  Now, I'm once again blessed to be able to ride to school with them in the morning and go home with them in the afternoon.  And because we are a small school, they can pop into my classroom to say hi or store their lunch boxes by my desk.  All of them helped me get my room ready before school started.  Abby worked hours helping me organize and clean.  I could not have done it without her.

We are at the end of week 2 of school.....and today, Thursday, we have the day off due to heavy wind and rain caused by Hurricane Isaac.  The authorities were not sure exactly what track the storm would take nor how powerful the winds would be so they cancelled school yesterday for today.  It has been lovely to be at home in the middle of the week!  I'm still in my pajamas and it's just past noon.  I've mopped, done laundry and cleaned a bit.  I didn't have to bring home any lesson plans since I got those done ahead of time so I have felt like a free woman.

Teaching again after 18 years away from the classroom has been challenging to say the least!  And, teaching two grades in the same room is HARD, y'all!  Thankfully I only have 12 students.  Yes, 12.  I know, I'm a weenie.  But I feel exhausted at the end of the day from going from one subject to the next, trying to keep some very active/easily distracted students in their chairs and on-task and actually trying to teach them something.  I do love my class.....lots of sweet kids who are eager to learn and eager to please.

No pics yet.  Maybe soon.  So I'll leave you with my current stream of thought since it's SO very interesting.....NOT!

I'm getting very sleepy because it's cloudy and I can hear the wind and the rain and Will playing soccer on the PS2.......I wanted to listen to Abba earlier but we don't have one single Abba song on our iTunes.  How did that happen?  I have a pork loin thawing for supper.  While looking on Pinterest for recipes I got distracted by math games for my classroom that I needed to pin.   Still don't have a recipe.  This weather makes me want to bake.  I mopped today.....first time in a long time.  It's not a good thing that my kitchen floor is gray.  I can't see any dirt.  Or maybe that IS a good thing.  Made a pot of coffee this a.m. instead of my one cup with the Keurig.  It was lovely.  And it went well with the blueberry muffins Luke made for b'fast.  Coleson and some friends are coming home tomorrow for the Labor Day weekend.  He's enjoying school - the beginning of his 2nd year at univ..  He's a Mass Communications major now.  He's still playing guitar, singing and writing songs.  I hope that one day when he is famous he'll buy us a nice house to retire to. :-)  I miss Africa.....a lot!  But I'm peaceful and content here.  I actually love where we live.  I'm speaking to a ladies group next month...on Living Outside the Box for the glory of God!  That should be fun.  It's now time for my Hurricane Isaac nap.  Have a good day, peeps!