Friday, June 03, 2011

The End Is Near

No, this is definitely not another Judgment Day prophecy - just the reality in terms of my kids school year! Another week and a half and we are home free....YIPPEE!!!

And none too soon, because....get this...tomorrow we are supposed to reach 80!!! Woo hoo! It's about time Oregon! This whole week has been pretty miserable (cold and very rainy), and then miraculously, the switch got flipped today. Just in time for me to celebrate reaching that "magic number" that appeared on the scales at last year's doctor appt. today at this year's appt. (let it be said that I'd really like that number to still be less - but, hey, I'll take it). I'm also apparently very healthy, which makes this whole over-heating issue (yes, still a problem) a mystery. I've stumped my doctor on this one, so we're both curious to see if anything becomes obvious with the blood test results. I'll keep you posted!

More about today in the next post - it's been a very wonderful day.

In the meantime, a couple of highlights from all us in the family that spend (at least some of) their days in a classroom.

First up: Miss Mikayla. What do you think of the beautiful bottlenose dolphin project that she turned in last week? Such a different student she is than Brayden in terms of eagerness to do projects such as these. (Or at least continuously pester Mom until she gets to completing the project....) The neat thing about this project is that the idea for the "visual" piece of this report was modeled after something I did at her age involving a seahorse suspended by fishing wire (which I'm pretty sure my dad created for me). Kind of fun to repeat the memories and continue the enabling legacy (ha ha!).....

Second: Mr. Brayden. He's involved in a leadership class and one of the projects they took on was raising interest and collecting donations for a local pet adoption center: Greenhill Humane Society. They took a field trip there on Thursday (which I couldn't attend as I had a pre-scheduled sub assignment) and the plan was concocted that when they presented one of the dog cages that was donated, they'd put Brayden inside as a surprise to the employees. One of Brayden's friend's moms snapped a picture of him. Let's hope that this is the last time we'll ever see a picture of Brayden behind bars!!! =)

Finally, Mrs. Riley. Yes, that's me - at least as far as the kids I substitute know me. The month of May was an absolute DREAM for me when it comes to being the perfect set-up for my ideal sub positions. They were pre-arranged, averaged once a week - and flip-flopped between only two schools - with the majority being out in Walterville, the school out in the boondocks that I love being at. It's playground is nestled right up to the foothills, with cows watching the kids at play. =) It's really just a great community, very small-town Americana feeling, reminding me so much of the small elementary school in another part of the valley that I attended.

Kind of a fun piece of trivia - the last time I was out there, for 4th grade, a girl came into the classroom nearly a half hour before class began. She explained to me that she was turning in the previous week's schoolwork as she had been gone...."shooting a tv show". What?????!! She proceeded to explain that she is an actress and was guest starring as a "kidnapped victim" in a July episode of the USA Channel's drama, "Leverage". No way! So cool.... I teased her that when she accepts her future Academy Award she can thank "the best substitute teacher she ever had" in her acceptance speech. We laughed together, but I have to tell you that, at the end of the day when she gave me a hug and told me I really was her favorite substitute ever, it really did touch me heart. =) Good times - I'm very much ending my first full year back taking sub assignments on a very high note.

The days and weeks ahead promise lots of reasons for pictures and posts...hopefully I can stay on top of getting them put up!

1 comment:

sara said...

ugh....just the thought of school still being in makes me cringe a little...however, come the middle of Aug when we are all back and you are still on summer break the tides will turn!!!