SUMMER PARADISE

I cannot even express the joy of being home all day.

Quiet. Calm. With lots of time to do...whatever the heck I want.

For example, I can't remember the last time I made myself a beautiful lunch, sat down, and ate it. Without the phone ringing, cafeteria duty to be to, kids needing to make-up work, lessons to plan, materials to gather, papers to grade, messes to clean, copies to make, e-mails to answer, and band aids to apply.

I can arrange flowers from my yard and be at home to enjoy them.

I can spend all morning weeding and seeding and enjoying the sunshine.

I can get started arranging past blog entries into a printed book.
{Something I've wanted to do for a long time. And what a great family journal/scrapbook to have!}

I can even sit at my window and watch that tree go from this...

to this...in less than twenty-four hours.

The best thing is that I have the time to take pointless pictures of weeds and daydream on a piece of land that Andrew and I own as of 8am this morning.

That's right. Breaking ground this afternoon.

Boo-ya, baby! It's gonna be a great summer.

NOW WHAT?

The play is over, report cards are delivered, and students are gone for the summer.

The classroom is all packed up.

Or pushed up against one wall in anticipation for August.

{source}

On my way home that last day, I used a Christmas gift card for a massage. 

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I think I'd be willing to trade my first born child for another one. Maybe. 

I arrived home to where organization, dish washing, laundry, and grocery shopping of any kind has been neglected for some weeks now. 

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I felt it was wiser to spare you the devastation.

I also noticed that I still have my Easter decorations on display through the house. 

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I mean, that holiday was only a month ago, right?

You'd think I'd be immediately off to conquer long lists of things I can never accomplish while working full-time. But I have no motivation. 

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And anyway, my list board seems to have been overtaken by Andrew's artistic fancies. 

Besides, as if on cue, as always happens the day after school gets out, I am sick. My body seems to wait for me to have time for illness in my life. 

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Very courteous, don't you think? 

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So, if you need me, I'll be here on my bed in a flu/mental anxiety-induced catatonic state. I'll probably be here for a few days...

THE LAST DAYS

Four days and counting. 

All I have left to accomplish:

1. Put Together 22 Portfolio Binders
2. Enter Grades and Print Report Cards
3. Clean and Pack for Summer Vacation
4. Make Costumes
5. Finish Building Set
6. Get a Bunch of 9-year-olds to Memorize Scripts and Follow my Choreography 
7. Impress Parents with My Amazing Directing Skills

I'm just a little bit stressed out. 

The kids have done most of the painting of the set. 

(I just added faces)

I built the tree. 




And Andrew built the framework of the little Japanese hut. 




After adding the kids' thatched roof and a donated props, it's looking more like a Hawaiian tiki hut with a Mexican blanket. 
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I'm trying not to let it stress me out. I simply don't have the time to let my perfectionism take control right now. I'll just add some Japanese art to the inside walls and call it good.

I have a bag of about 15 donated stuffed monkeys of varying species and colors to be hang in the jungle...that still needs to be built. 

And I need to find an alternative to these sad, little guys in the chicken coop. They look slightly pathetic. 

But the costumes are almost put together. Just need a tiger's tail and a pair of wolf's ears. 

I soon discovered that sewing costumes without a sewing machine is completely unreasonable. So I turned to the next best thing: a hot glue gun. 
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It works surprisingly well. 



Well, I probably won't see you again until I get to the other side of all this mess...assuming I survive the anxiety. Send a prayer my way, won't you?
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Sayonara.
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SUNDAY

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A week and a half. 

A week and a half. 

A week and a half. 

A week and a half. 

A week and a half. 

A week and a half. 

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Until then, Sunday afternoon was a welcome break. Springtime walk, my love, and dessert. 

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I don't think kids look forward to summer vacation nearly as much as the teachers do. Just sayin'.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE

I saw a tractor. Then, I took fifty-million pictures.

The end.

MOTHER's DAY

Each of my students made one of these in class for their mother. 

I woke up Sunday to Andrew busy in the kitchen.  

I received something fun in the mail from mom-in-law.

And this is my mom. 

She happens to be here visiting for the week. 
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Too bad she's feeling anti-social. 

B-day

Well, life is going to be insanely busy for the next couple of weeks as we wrap up the school year, host family, and enjoy spring.

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Lots has happened that I'm excited to share, but some pics of my birthday last week will have to do for now. The big 'ol twenty-six. Andrew surprised me with a home-made double layer cake.
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LOVE that guy.

Happy weekend, all.