Day113: Begin my 15th year of teaching school

My first day of teaching school I was 23 years old, and I was more than terrified. I had stayed up most of the night before agonizing over my career decision. I thought wearing  french braided hair and a navy  blue business suit (with matching pumps) would somehow command respect from teenagers not too much younger than me. I spent that first year working tirelessly on lesson plans and grading. I would call parents weekly and stay after school to tutor. I wouldn't dare consider so much as a movie on a school night and all of my long dresses came form the clearance rack in the petite section at McRaes. My first paycheck was less than $1200 in the fall of 1995 and I  wasn't quite sure how I would ever spend all that money. There was no computer, LCD projector, Smart board in my classroom. However,  I was overjoyed to secure a 1987 set of encyclopedias for my bookshelf. I had five classes of regular English 9, and the smallest class was 31 students. It was a very hard year, but I returned and now today I started my 15th year as a high school teacher. (I took a year off for Ansley). Life and lessons sure have changed me and my approach to this day. Of course, I am sad to see the summer end but I walk into my room knowing I'm in the right place. Not since that first day have I ever doubted my choice to teach school. Although it is stressful and demanding, it is truly my calling. I am forever entertained, inspired, and challenged.  I know now no matter what wear comfortable shoes, relax, and jump in!

Day 112: Plan a cruise

For my grand finale I plan on going on a cruise next summer with family and friends. Today, I spent time researching and making some final decisions on this trip. We will leave June 10, 2012 from New Orleans. The ports of call include Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Since school begins tomorrow, I thought the most effective use of my time today was planning a vacation for next summer.

Day 111: Host a pool party

Today we invited friends over to join us in ignoring Monday's start of school. It was a nice afternoon spent by the pool with dear friends. Unfortunately, the day ended all too quickly bringing us closer to the dreaded day.

Day 110: Spend a day with just Zach

With Ansley already in school, and most of my back to school work compete, I took today to hang out with my favorite boy. It is rare that it is just he and I together. We went to the school for a few last minute to do's and then went shopping for Ansley a going back to school Vera Bradley purse. We had lunch together and went home for some more serious play. It was a great day hanging out with my little man that I love so very much.

Day 109: Decorate my classroom

Finally after two years of roaming aimlessly, I was assigned a classroom. I have rearranged furniture, hung posters, painted the walls, and decorated bulletin boards. I spent a great deal of time setting up my desk. It is adorned with pencil holders, framed pictures, and office supplies. Setting up the room, I am reminded why I came to teaching in the first place: school supplies! I have  a closet full of all the things I should need to teach, inspire, occupy, or punish.  Hopefully, it is a calm, inviting place for the students and me.

Day 108: Watch Anz start 5th grade

Today I watched my precious Ansley begin 5^th grade. She was so excited to start the school year. She posed for a thousand pictures and withstood even more kisses. Only a few tears were shed as I watched her stop and turn around to wave to me right before she walked through the double doors leading to her class. Sometimes I think the hardest part of motherhood is the way time accelerates after they are born. Today she started 5^th grade, just a few moments ago it seems she was starting to crawl.

Day 107: Revisit my New Year's Resolutions

While I was sitting in meetings to prepare for the opening of school, I took the opportunity to revisit my New Year’s Resolutions. I took a great deal of time writing out my revised list using various colored pens and fancy paper. The overall theme of the resolutions was to avoid excess but continue to indulge. Hoping I can remember to avoid moderation in moderation.

Day 106: Refuse to let summer vacation end

 I leave the summer satisfied that I did most of what I set out to do. I milked a cow, rode a horse, zip lined, danced in the sand, took a pontoon boat to see the Blue Angels, studied the stars, watched a dozen beautiful sunsets, read books, joined a club, tried a few new things, and quite a few old things. I played and laughed and snuggled and hugged and cherished mine.  I picked up sea shells, cleared the undergrowth, made it to two miles, and slept in a lot. I watched my kids catch cat fish off the pier and shoot bottle rockets in to the hot July sky. I never once complained about the rain, the heat, the drought, the time, or the bugs. I emptied bottles of sunscreen, bug spray, and beer. We ate good and slept good and felt good. It was a near perfect summer that doesn’t end when the school bell rings tomorrow. For there is still much that has to be done!

Day 105: Walk the Mall/ Repent

Since we overslept and missed church, I spent my day repenting at the mall. This was surely a just punishment since it was a tax holiday. The crowds of penny savers were unrelenting in their pushing, loud talking, and line forming. Many of these savvy shoppers had children in tow that had post lice check shaved heads. I hoped that belts were on sale to assist in the countless of bargain hunters whose pants rested tentatively around their knees.  I did find a sweet respite from the crowds at the bookstore. It seemed that few of these back to school sale hunters were interested in books.

Day 104: Welcome

Although I didn’t go to Lowe’s, today I shared with thousands of others across America the typical Saturday in the suburbs. It was frighteningly ideal. And like the song, I had to stop and think “how did I get here.” We had our coffee while watching the early news. Like every other married couple in the country, we then went to Wal Mart followed by a few hours of yard work. Watching him push the lawn mower while the kids watched cartoons and ate cereal, I felt so right with the world. We then prepared bbq pork, baked beans, and several cream cheese based dips. Later, we were joined by several other couples to enjoy a day by the pool. At least one SUV and one minivan dotted the driveway. The conversations ranged from kids, work, and the upcoming football season while a gaggle of candy stained faced kids made regular interruptions.  Later that we night blew out the candles, shut the garage, and said goodbye to a well deserved day of friends, family, food, and fun. Maybe tomorrow I will get a monogrammed purse or a bumper sticker with my kid’s name on it.

Day 103: Pausing

Today I took my mother to the airport so she could fly to Houston to see her ailing mother.  Boarding the plane she was keenly aware that the next time she made this flight it could be the last. My grandmother turned 85 this week.  She was never like any other grandmothers. The summers I spend at her house created the best memories of my childhood.  Not too many kids spent their summer e at the Mexican flea market selling antique Depression glass and jewelry.   I lived off of Pepsi, chewy sprees and anything from Dairy Queen. I have never seen this woman cook, iron, clean, or pay full price.  She chained smoke, planted big deep kisses in my cheeks, stayed up late watching soap operas and although she never bought me anything new or really desired, she spoiled me rotten. For my tenth birthday she gave me a used lava lamp and some antique Elizabeth Taylor paper dolls (most kids were getting Atari’s).  By the time I was 12 I knew the value of anything marked “occupied Japan” and Fire King.  In my teenage years, we shared stories of her youth and packs of cigarettes.  However, her life is coming to a close after 8 1/2  decades.  Taking my mother to the airport, the pain she feels for her dying mother is almost tangible.  I watch my frazzled mother exit the car, and say a silent prayer of thanks for all that is, at this moment, mine. 

Day 102: Mother Daughter Lunch

Today my friends and I took our daughters out for lunch. We met at my favorite sushi restaurant. We stayed for almost two hours enjoying the company of one another. Motherhood requires patience, support, understanding, and unconditional love. And most of all a powerful support group. These girls are a part of mine.  Together we brag, complain, ask, answer, fuss, wonder, fret, and compare, and admire these beautiful daughters of ours.  Together we know that the trials and tribulations of motherhood are made easier and richer with each other. (And wine!)

Day 101: Finish my 10th grade sumer reading (25 years later)

Poor Mrs. Ward tried so hard to bestow in me the importance of a good solid education and the pitfalls of teenage rebellion. My English teacher for more than one year, spent hours agonizing over my choices and seemingly hopeless fate. She resorted to Ed psych books and colleagues to try to find ways to motivate me into plugging in to mass education.   I on the other hand rejected her kind and desperate attempts to reach me. I spent most of my time skipping her class to smoke cigarettes in the parking lot with boys who shared my disdain for all things “not fun.”  In 10^th grade she assigned the Good Earth. I never even bothered checking the book out. How could the story of a 19th century Chinese farmer help me get a boyfriend, get off of restriction, or earn the money to buy the Guess jeans I needed? These were the only things that mattered to me at 15.  But tonight, almost 25 years later I finally finished this book. It wasn’t that good or interesting and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but I read it. In some small way I felt like I owed it to that poor old English teacher so many years ago that may never realize that her words weren’t completely lost on me.

Day 100: Play

After spending a day working at the school yesterday, I devoted today to play. I swam with the kids, climbed the fence to pick lemons off of the neighbor’s tree, rode my bicycle around the neighborhood a few times and jumped on the trampoline. I spent the day neglecting errands, chores, the oven, and the phone. It was a great day dedicated to the importance of play made easier by the help of some wonderful kids.

Day 91-99 Get Ready for School

I took a week off from blogging  to  prepare for the end  of summer. I am determined to face this new school year without the usual crying, anger, fury, depression and disdain that I normally do. Saying goodbye to summer is so painful; it is a difficult time for my entire family. They have trouble with my incessant sobbing and whining. However, this year, I am committed to starting school with a positive attitude. I don't want yet another night before school starts to be  spent in fetal position with screams of  "no, no, no." I have to set a better example for my children. Therefore,  my plan  has been  to make myself completely bored in these last few days. This way, I might even be anxious for school to begin. So in the last week I have done nothing fun, exciting, interesting, or productive. I have gone so far as to watch episodes of Jersey Shore, clean out my closet, take Zach to an allergy doctor, buy children's shoes, even stare at this computer screen for an unnecessary amount of time. After a week of this mindless activity, I am still not ready for summer to end. I do know that a rainy day stuck inside organizing Tupperware bowls and counting spoons, is still better than the very best day a school year can offer me.