Seems like a year Ago

I am so happy. And so very grateful for this new stage God has brought me to.

And oh so busy. I thought life was full before. Well, it wasn't. Now I'm responsible for 19 fourth graders... their reading, writing, mathematics, on and on.

I used to be able to sit at our dining room table and write my blog posts while Anna did homework. (after Abigail was all tucked in) Now after Abigail is tucked in at 8 (on the dot, if not sooner) I'm still at the dining room table with Anna. This time I'm writing lesson plans for the next day.

I'm really only one day at a time. Sure, I'd like to be all planned for a week but that is just not possible this year. Although I taught for 9 years before my girls in a classroom and 3 years as a reading tutor in the schools, this is so so different. And so much more work (in a good, wonderful way) than I remembered.

It is a whirlwind of wonderful, confused, happy, joyful, anxious, all rolled into one.

I go from 4:30 am til 10:30 pm each and every day. I've never been busier but I've never been happier. Really.

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When we got home from Disney I had a short 8 days to set up my classroom before Open House when the families would come to meet me and see the room.

I was trying to remember how to set up a room, what kinds of 'parts' I wanted to have in my room, and it was all so overwhelming.

At that point it didn't feel real. I barely slept, I spent a crazy amount of money for all that my room needed and I enlisted all of the help I could get.

Scott was amazing. Okay, he's still amazing. As an elementary principal he's my 'go to' each and every night for lesson planning, curriculum questions, classroom management, etc. He and I (of course) share the exact same education beliefs and they are STRONG.

Creating a classroom together, helping me plan each night, pulling me off of the floor when I've had too much or am too stressed to think straight has brought us unbelievable close and I am so grateful for THIS new stage of life we are in.

Baby Anna on my hip? Absolutely, I'd go back to that in a heartbeat. Sometimes I beg God for just one day of that. But I can't and I know that. So here I am.

Here are a few snapshots from my phone during those 8 crazy days. We went in a million different directions from store to store, in the classroom for all hours; it was nuts but it was wonderful.

I'll share my 'afters' but here are the 'befores'.

We hung clean, cream fabric for all of the bulletin boards. Then Scott hung yarn so that each student would have their own personal bulletin board. I wish you could see them now!



There were many days that after we spent the whole day in the HOT unairconditioned classroom (and stores) we'd paint all night. Yes, true! We painted bookcases white for a clean, fresh look.



If you've read my blog for more than ten minutes you know that children's literature is 'my thing', so my classroom library was very important to me. I sifted through hundreds of books.



From anywhere I could get my hands on them. All sorted by genre.



We went through every closet, every self. Emptied and sorted every thing!



More clean fabric in the back of the room.



The coat room had ugly shelves so we headed to the fabric store.



And Anna sewed one GIANT curtain.



I have the sweetest tree and picnic tables right outside my classroom door. We had many dinner picnics there in those 8 days.



Bought mason jars and plants, and so so much.



Covered everything ugly with light green fabric.



My little family never left my side.



Freshly painted white and stocked with books my adorable Abigail.



The book sorting went on for DAYS!



We bought area rugs and pillows, lamps and cozy chairs all to make the classroom library a welcoming place to be.



Meanwhile my Dad was in his basement painted a huge moon for me.



And then my Dad met me at school on a Sunday afternoon and hung wooden letters and his amazing moon painting.



Do you see Wendy, Michael, John and 'Peter' (as in Peter Pan) flying over London in the moon? My first read aloud is the unabridged Peter Pan and this is the theme of my classroom "Think of a Wonderful Thought"





We worked every second of the 8 days, hardly sleeping Scott and I. And we did it. Just in time we did it.

Right now my classroom is filled with the energy, happiness and joy of 19 fourth graders. And it is tiring, and so wonderful.

I'll share the 'after' pictures just as soon as I catch my breath.