Year Four in the Books.

This was given to me this week from a student from last year. I love the whole thing, but especially that she knew I loved her. 

One of my students wanted to twin on the last day of school. This is what we wore. 

 Another school year is done. This is year 4 for me. This year definitely had its ups and downs. I questioned whether I was in the right job, I questioned my future with my job, and there were a few times I just wanted to give up. I am definitely not perfect at my job. Honestly, I don't even know if I am good at my job. But what I am good at, is making kids feel loved. I am good at saying hello and giving hugs. I'm good at making space for everyone. 

I don't know how much longer I can deal with the commute, but I am staying where I am for at least another year. 

The big summer concert.

What to say about Thomas' summer concert.  Hmmm...it was a lot of work.  The school asked me to help and I said of course.  They asked me to show up for rehearsal the next day, and I did.  Then they asked me to show up for rehearsal the next day, and the next, and the next.  Six weeks later, it is now over.  I loved being able to go to Thomas' school everyday and get to know his teachers and all of the students better, but it was a time consuming volunteer project. In the midst of rehearsals, they asked me to be the narrator. And since I love to be in front of an audience, it was quite awesome.

Thomas played the part of a crab, and he was definitely the cutest crab under the sea.  

The costumes and the set for this concert were over-the-top incredible. 

Welcome November.

Today is the first day of November.  The month of Thanksgiving, and thus the official month of gratitude. As I am not one to let a cliche pass by me by, I will start off this month with a post about gratitude.

I will start off with a little moment with Jack.  A moment that I think will live in my heart forever.  Tonight Jack was in the school play as a tree.  He was a great tree.  He performed beautifully.  The moment that I am grateful for was after the play was over, and the lights were turned on.  All of the students were still on stage, as the performing arts teacher was thanking everyone.  Jack was looking around for us, and the moment he found us, his eyes lit up, and he started waving as big as he could.  He looked at his friends and announced that he found his mom and dad, and pointed us out to anyone who would listen.  He was quickly shushed, but it was so awesome to see how excited he was to see us.  

I am so grateful for Jack.  I am grateful that he loves us and is completely excited to see us. I am so grateful for how loving he can be.

First Grade.

This is it, the big leagues.  First grade, or as they call it at Jack's school- grade 1.

As Jack likes to point out, he is not a little kid anymore. 

He told me this morning that when he was five- he was cute.  Now that he is six, he is cool.

He also mentioned that if you wear your backpack on one shoulder, it means that you are cool. 

He is most certainly cool. 

Good luck this year Jack.  We love you with all our hearts, and we pray for your success.

What I love.

Jack's school.

Last week, Jack's school put on a production called "Ye-Ha".  It was a fun play that involved the ENTIRE school.  The school is not too big, (Jack's class has 12 or 13 students) but nonetheless, there were over 200 kids that participated.  Each child was given a costume, and each child participated in some way.  It was fantastic, and both Ben and I thought it was one of the best school productions we have ever seen.

Jack in costume.

Jack with his stage make-up.

Then today, the kindergarten classes invited the parents to come see all the work they have done in the last few weeks.  Each child presented to their parents, and then the parents circulated to see all of the other children's work. 

It was so much fun to see Jack and his classmates, and all the hard work they put into their assignments.

This, is a hand axe.  It was used to kill animals in the past, although some of the students said it was for writing.  I think Jack preferred the hunting part.

(It is a rock connected to a stick with string.)

All of his work laid out so I could see it.

Jack's school is great, and the best part is he loves it. 

What I love.

I love helping at Jack's school.

Today the school had UN day, and I was able to help out. I brought a treat, Coco Krispie rice crispy treats, and helped at the USA/Canada table.

It was a fun day! My favorite part of the day was when Jack saw me, he ran to me, and hung out until he had to go back to class. What a cute boy.

There are two things I love about helping out. First, Jack loves when I come to school, and it makes me smile that he likes me there. Second, I am getting to know the teachers, and parents at the school.

I was even recruited for the PTA, so I will have more opportunities to help out more.

 

My treats are the ones on the white platter. I even made little flags to go on them. It is a shame they were the least popular of the treats. Only a little awkward.

But mostly I love this guy right here.

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I always have an excuse.

For the most part, I have really enjoyed my life and have few regrets.  I have made decisions based on what I felt was best for me in the situation I was in.  I am not perfect, and have made some choices that were probably not the best, but I can't go back and fix them.  However, I can learn from my mistakes, make better choices, and move on.

When Ben and I met, we were both attending a community college in Salt Lake.  It didn't take long for us to fall in love and get married.  We both continued to go to school full time and work full time, but I was getting worn out. I was tired and unmotivated, so I stopped going to school.   Time moved forward and I became pregnant and the thought of going back to school was pushed even further out of my mind.  I figured I would go when the kids were older, when we were settled somewhere long enough for me to attend classes. 

Then something happened.  I struggled for most of last year with anxiety and depression.  It was not a good year, and I found myself craving some sort of outlet.  Blogging was an excellent source of diversion; however, I was spending so much time on the computer with not much to show for it.  I wanted to do something for myself, and the idea popped into my head to go back to school.  I dismissed it because I didn't know how I would be able to do school and take care of the kids and everything else that a mom of two little boys has to do.  Then I was talking to a good friend who told me to just do it.  I talked to Ben and he said just do it.  Everyone I talked to said just do it.  So I did it.  I applied, was accepted a few days later and now I am taking two classes online.  It isn't much, but it is a step in the right direction.  For the last two weeks I have been getting back into the groove of reading textbooks, taking quizzes and being a student.  It has been great.  My amazing husband has been watching the kids as soon as he gets home so I can study.  He has even cleaned the kitchen each night!  I wouldn't be able to do it without him.

I realize that it would have been a lot easier to finish school when I had the opportunity the first time, but I didn't.  I can't go back and change that, but I can move forward towards the goal of finishing.  It might take several years, but that is okay.  I will do it.

That is why this blog has not been updated in awhile.  That and since the first of the year I have been reading the Harry Potter books.