My life is not my own

The last two weeks of school and the first two weeks of school are the stuff anxiety attacks are made of. I am currently in the midst of the latter.

For a teacher, the first two weeks of school take on more of a secretarial aspect, collecting forms, sorting forms, issuing lockers, completing checklists to make sure all the correct forms have been turned in, and then delivering said forms to appropriate persons. Medical forms, registration forms, forms to join the PTA, forms to read certain books, forms to give your first born to the district. Then there are all the classroom things, like learning the names of 127 students. And just to make it easy I have a set of twins and at least 14 kids with some version of the name kayla/kalyn/kaleigh/kelsy. I'm thinking Gwyneth might have been on to something with Apple and Moses, cause I'd know those names by now.

I have a slightly different schedule this year, which takes some adjusting too, especially when it means a 1:00 lunch time. I may have to start bringing some snacks! I'm also pretty sure that I'm allergic to the combination of axe and old spice that seem to emanate from preteen boys. I am not used to eau de cafeteria or exhaust either.

As a parent, the first days of school mean getting everyone back on a sleep schedule. Making sure snacks are available and breakfast can be fixed quickly --and eaten in the car! Helping with homework and cooking dinner. Filling out forms :) It's just a little bit exhausting.

So please excuse my MIA status for the time being. I'm not a slacker, I'm just a teacher.

Six Word Saturday

One week down, thirty-five to go.

To play along with six word Saturday, visit Cate.

Wordless Wednesday

The first week of school is not fun :(

Six Word Saturday

I think I can do it.

What a difference a week makes! Bulletin boards are up and decorated, first week papers have been typed and sent to copy shop, class blog is up and running, literature books are neatly stacked. Now if only it could stay this tidy for the next 36 weeks :)

Walk this way

See these feet.

These feet are tired. These feet pounded the pavement to 20 houses for 2 hours in the 105 degree heat. All to welcome a group of 6th grade students to their new campus and enjoy the confusion on their face when I introduced myself as not their teacher.
Wrap your brains around that one. That's right, I spent 2 hours greeting kids I don't teach, and won't teach for another 2 years. And touchphobe that I am, I squirmed my way through every uncomfortable handshake (I'm too socially awkward to master the fist bump) sweat pooling on my brow and running down my back. I'm pretty sure the last house thought I'd run a marathon through their neighborhood.
So begins another year. So ends my vacation in sanity.

today

6.5 hours of meetings.
2 hours of typing up materials.
20 minutes of ice cream bliss.

Paleo doesn't stand a chance :(

Six Word Saturday

I'm just a little bit terrified.

For the past 4 years I taught US History, a subject I am completely and totally passionate about. It was a focus of study in college and I watch the History Channel till the wee hours of the morning. I can totally dork out with the constitution and election years make me giddy. But last week I made the decision to switch to Language Arts, a subject I've previously taught, and am (in my opinion) equally as passionate about. I am excited, yet at the same time, feeling so overwhelmed. I have 9 days to prep for the next school year and I don't even know where to start... ok so I know where to start, but I have yet to meet someone who can actually translate TEKS into usable language :)

So there's my big confession for Saturday. It's the little thought that's bouncing around behind my smiley face and "I know exactly what I'm doing" facade. 8th graders can be awfully intimidating.

Flashback Friday

Trying out the Moon Shoes. 2006.

Made of Awesome

In my daily blog perusal yesterday, I came across what could become one of my most favorite blogs in the history of ever. If you haven't checked out 1000 Awesome Things, you need to clear your afternoon and just click away. So many things to make you take joy in the simple things, like finding that Sonic card with just enough for a happy hour Vanilla Cherry limeade. Or finding a box of clothes that you packed away last fall and forgot about. Or jumping up in an elevator as it stops on your floor. Or putting on sunscreen in December just so you smell like the beach. Or finding no misspellings in your blog post :) Or finishing that final coat of paint on the kitchen cabinets. Awesome.

Frankie says Relax

Massage.

Doesn't the word just send blissful waves of relaxation washing over you? For me it's a love hate relationship. I am one of those touch-phobic souls. I have a high level of regard for my personal space and can freak a bit if someone invades it, yes, even when it's well meaning family. I spend hours arranging my desk at school so that only I can be behind it. The thought of a student hoovering right over my shoulders is akin to nails scratching down a chalkboard. And don't even get me started on the close proximity talkers! Can. not. handle. it.

I am fine if I initiate the contact. Side hugs? Only if I approach you first. But when it's not my doing, I feel like I'm completely suffocating. There have been plenty of nights that I have to extricate myself from the Mr.'s arm after he's gone to sleep. Otherwise I lay there awake, feeling trapped for hours. It's a full on panic at reunions and social events (church- I'm talking to you!), and I'm not afraid to say I have come across as socially awkward on a few of those occasions. It's not the germ issue. I'm no Howie Mandel or Monk. It's the touching part.

Knowing that, you may ask how I could possibly handle an hour long massage session without completely loosing my mind. And the answer would be that I have to fight the urge to twitch for the first 20 minutes or so before I relax and fall asleep. Only that didn't happen yesterday. I think my first "red alert" moment came when my massage therapist came in wearing a sweatband on his head. I can only handle light pressure, anything more and I completely freak- giggling, jumping, wiggling, gnashing of teeth- the works. So working up a sweat during my session is probably not going to happen. This guy was serious about some massage. About 10 minutes in I was starting to find my "happy place" when I was jarred out of my near bliss-fullness by. a. Drill.

Seems the yogurt place next door is doing a little remodeling. And they are unaware that a drill and a tile cutter can drown out the relaxing sounds of waterfalls and birds in the woods. I was pretty much a goner from that point on, as construction interrupted at least 3 more times during the session. And it's hard to get the full benefit of a massage when you're tense and panicky. And I couldn't just sit up and walk out. OK, maybe I could, but there would have been some kind of indecent exposure laws violated. So I laid on the table and counted in my head and pretended like I was a normal person getting a normal massage and not secretly terrified of him touching my feet. Somewhere around 3,037 it was over.

Relaxing is hard work.

Six Word Saturday

Farewell my carefree days of summer.

I have to go back to school in 6 days, the young un in 16. Bleck! I still have a million things to do before getting my mind back in teacher mode...

I should be painting

But instead I couldn't pass up a little fabric/Goodwill/Dollar Store shopping. As for that tray, I have plans for it. And tomorrow, I promise I'll finish the cabinet doors!

When the parents come to town

The kitchen is still in a state of "almost but not quite" done-ness. I did not make my parents work on this vacation, as tempting as it was to have 4 extra hands instead of my lonely 2. We took a few days to play tourist in our neck of the woods.

First stop was Inner Space Caverns, a place the young un knows well. It was a great escape from the heat to be 90ft underground, but the humidity was at 98% in there---whew!
Another day trip we took was to the tiny town of Bandera, TX, known as the Cowboy Capitol of Texas. You may remember it from Simple Life Season 2 when Nicole and Paris work at the ranch. Yeah, I didn't remember that either, but it seemed to make an impact on the owners of the General Store. My dad has been looking forward to this visit since we first moved to Austin.Throw in a lazy float down the Comal River, and a fabulous root beer float from the general store and we had a picture perfect tourist day!