Where Did The Year Go?

So has it really been that long since my last post?  I'm thinking yes.  This past year was exciting and full of new experiences. 

Busy, Busy Week!

I've had a very busy few weeks!  I enjoyed getting to meet new friends at a new campus (for me).  The first week of school was AWESOME!  I was able to see lots of faces of students I taught in a lower grade.  It was fun getting to see how much they have grown.

The first day of school was very tiring, so when I wearily walked myself out to my car, I was pretty bummed to find a very low tire.  I thought I could drive to the nearby gas station and put air in it, but soon realized (while driving) it was more than just a little low...it was totally FLAT!  I made it to the gas station, started to take off the cap to fill the tire with air and then I saw it.  IT was a gigantic nail in my tire!

Photo evidence:

 I was 100% serious in my very first blog post about my bad luck on the first day of school.  My first thought, standing in 100 degree heat at 4:30, was: ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  No one was kidding me and thankfully, the very nice man from the tire store drove down to put my spare on and said he could actually fix it right there.  I bought him a gatorade (his request) because he was doing all the work while I just stood there in the 100 degree heat.  I am so thankful that the local tire shop provides this rescue service because I needed rescuing.

I am writing this blog entry from my nice air-conditioned living room enjoying the long weekend.  Hope you're having a great weekend, too!

Classroom Pictures: Updated!

Here's a view from the classroom now!

Back of the room. To the left is the reading corner and to the right is the small group instruction area.

Wall to the right when you walk in the door.  This is where my computer will be and supplies are on the black bookshelf.  

This is the reading corner in the back left area of the room.

Computer area and the word wall.

Small group instruction area/my 'stuff'.  Notice the Sonic drink?  I've since added some cubes for the kids to sit on.  

It's just about ready for students! :)

Classroom Pictures

I spent several hours last week working in my classroom.  Here is how it looked before I started working:

This will be the area where I will have my desk and small group teaching area.

This will be the reading corner.

Front corner of the room.  

This is the back of the room between the reading corner and small group area.

This side of the room is between the small group area and the door.

Updated progress pictures coming soon...

The First Day

So it's my first day!  Do you remember how you always felt nervous on the first day of school?  You weren't sure what to wear or if any of your friends would be in your classes.  The night before the first day was a restless one, for sure.  My earliest memory of prepping for the first day was when I was about to begin first grade.  I remember being so excited for packing my lunch in my new little nifty lunch box, so I packed it the night before.  And I went ahead and put milk in my thermos, closed it up tight, and promptly put it in my lunch box.  That I left out of the refrigerator.  All night.  It was a smelly mess the next morning.  

Then there was the first day of a new teaching assignment back in 2002.  I was at a brand new campus and super eager to be working there with a great team.  As I drove to work, my mind must have been racing with all the things I needed to do on the first day because I didn't exactly believe the sign that said merge right.  I waited too late and hit the actual 'lane ends' sign with my driver's side mirror which was now dangling and mangled from my door the rest of the way to that first day.  Luckily my caffeine was still safely tucked away in the drink holder (a can of diet coke).  I left it in my car in my hurry to get out and settled on the first day.   Imagine my surprise when I walked out to my car at the end of that very exhausting day to find something totally brown covering every single window of the car.  What in the world?  Further investigation revealed cans of diet cokes do not survive enclosed vehicles in 100 degree temperatures.  It was a sticky, sticky mess.  I drove myself and my poor, poor car to the Super Target to get something to clean off the inside and some duct tape to tape the barely hanging driver's side mirror.  Now THAT was a first day story I couldn't possible make up.

So this is my blog's first day. And mine.  I'm pretty nervous because I don't know a thing about writing a blog or if any friends will show up, but I have high hopes.  And a thermos of diet coke all ready!