Monday and Tuesday in San Diego

On Monday we had a restful morning and then went in search of Horton Plaza mall to see Shrek 4 as a family. The kids and I see a lot of movies together...usually at the $1 movies...so there was a bit of sticker shock, but hey...it's vacation, right? After the movie we headed to the Chula Vista Nature Center The kids had a great time touching the bat rays. They also saw sharks, eels, seahorses, and a variety of other fish. We finished off the day by buying Ben a new pair of tennis shoes and having some yummy dinner.

On Tuesday we spent the day at Sea World.
The starfish were a favorite for sure. We also caught the Shamu show.
And My Princess in Training found us the only shady seats in the place!

And here My Princess in Training is climbing up on the
barrier you know...
the one between her and the
shark tank.

We fed the bat rays.
Naturally, Princess in Training skips
everywhere she goes.
Priceless.
And here we are at the end of the day.
Classic kid pictures.
More to come soon...

Vacation...more to come soon

I promise more...
more pictures...
more fun...

when I can breathe for more 
than 1 minute without coughing.

Until then I am going back to bed.

My Classroom in May

Done!

The kids are gone and the room is empty...ish. Now all that is left is unearthing my desk and filling out cum folders. Summer here I come!

Loving This!

I am loving Cjane's recent post:

"I hoard too.

Not stuff. I throw things away while they are still hot. This may even be my weakness. The day of the yard sale I was scouring my house looking for items to throw out on the front lawn with the other merchandise. Chairs, stools, tables and my old maternity wardrobe were all sent out with a good riddance!

But I stash other things like hurt feelings and insecurities. I have a stockpile of negative comments people have given me throughout my life. Bits of unforgiving and faithlessness crafted together by sloppy selfishness are in corners around my soul. I hoard fear, and it comes as a set with stress and anxiety.

In thinking about this all weekend, I've decided to have a personal yard sale. To clean out my spirit and get rid of the stuff I don't need anymore."

Isn't that so true. I know that I have been hoarding lately. Hoarding all the negative conversations that I have had with E's mom. All the frustration that has built over the course of a year as I have tried to be patient with E regardless of his behavior or her excuses. Patient to the point that when I come home to my own sweet kiddos I have little left to give them. Late at night I think and worry about all the challenges I have faced with this class. Hoarding. Holding in all the hard things. Forgetting that there are really great kids in my class. That despite the tattling, arguing, racing to be first, and persistent whining, we have had some really fun days. I have met truly amazing families that have poured out blessings and goodwill. New friends made, moms that I will love and talk with for years to come. Little faces I will never forget.

It isn't just E and his mom, though. I hoard other things as well. Like feelings of not being good enough when I am left out one too many times. I cling to those incidents and wonder what I did wrong and why I wasn't part of the chosen few. I stock up on feelings of frustration and self disappointment in my inability to keep my home presentable and kitchen clean for more than 2 hours at a time. Not to mention the constant pile of laundry that lives in my living room and the corner of my bedroom. Don't even get me started on the garage or My Princess in Training's closet. I have a savings account filled with piles of low self-esteem I add to it each time I step on the scale or try on clothes that used to fit. If that isn't enough throw in a heaping pile of stress at the idea of switching classrooms this summer. No wonder I am tired.

I'm with Cjane. It is time to get rid of all this junk. I am cleaning out my classroom, so why not free myself of this baggage as well? I don't have the time or room for it. It's time to look for the good and let go of all this. Summer is here and it is time to feel the sunshine. What are you holding on to? Trust me, whatever it is...take Cjane's advice...clean it out. Get rid of it. I don't need it and neither do you!

Light up shoes

Cody's mom bought him light up shoes.

I am so glad it is Friday.

I bet by Monday she won't think those shoes

were such a great idea afterall.

Summer Is...

wearing jeans any day of the week
sleeping past 4:45 am
reading grown up books instead of Rainbow Fish
flip flops
ice cream
$2 movies
swimming in the pool
walking on the beach
meals that can take more than 30 minutes to cook
watermelon
1 hour of laundry a day...
instead of an 8 hour marathon on Saturday
pigtails
afternoon naps (for the kids)
and maybe for me
real waffles on a weekday
you know...instead of the frozen kind
smoothies
play dates
tea parties
a trip to the zoo
not paying for childcare!
no more days of E
or his mom
barbecuing
concerts in the park

Summer is

almost here!

Just 6 more days...

not that I am counting or anything.

The aftermath

This is what looking for ballet shoes at 6:45 Monday morning looks like.

Tender Mercies

Deciding to change classrooms has been both an easy and very difficult decision at the same time. I have always known that my days in the current classroom were numbered. There was little doubt in my mind that one day I would have to move on. But truly it wasn't even a little bit on my radar that I would be the one requesting the move. That was the first sign that this change was something bigger than me. I felt peace in the decision. But doubt is an evil temptress. Since making the decision I find myself looking around my classroom and questioning "Well, how am I going to make that work? Will I even have room for that? How much will I miss this great, big beautiful room? What was I thinking?" It certainly hasn't helped that the few people that know seem to share the same mantra-reminding me repeatedly of how much bigger the current room is. And so I find myself questioning my decision. Wondering if I was too hasty in making it. Tonight I was blessed to have time to both show my mother-in-law the two classrooms and to discuss the change. She too is facing big changes at school that she feels both peaceful and a little worried about. And she laid it out perfectly for me. She said, "Heavenly Father has given you his answer. It is up to you to listen." And he has. I suppose it is time I quit worrying and turn it over to him.

Later I went shopping. As I walked into the store I was drawn to a picture frame with a familiar quote, "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words." Jan (my new classroom next door neighbor) is that friend in my life these days. She has been my cheerleader and I have been hers. It was the perfect confirmation and exactly what I needed. Just one of several tender mercies this week confirming what I knew in my heart the instant that crazy idea to switch classrooms popped in my head. It is not about the room. Moving next to my friend Jan is no doubt exactly where I need to be. The rest is just furniture and I am a crafty one...I will make it work one way or another! Even if it means my sweet husband never gets to park his car in our fancy new three car garage. Sorry, honey. Just one more benefit of marrying a kindergarten teacher!

To move or not to move...

That is the question on my mind today. Changes are happening in my team. I think I may want to move classrooms. I have a huge gorgeous room right now (the biggest in the whole school!)...the new room would be about half the size, maybe less. I have more than enough "stuff" to fill the big room, which will probably make the small room feel rather cramped. At the same time, I feel like I have been getting ready for a move without really knowing it. Organizing differently, letting go of materials that I have long held onto because I might need them "one day." I will be sad to let the big room go...and it will mean A LOT more work at the end of the year and beginning of next year. But, I have a peaceful feeling knowing that I would be so close to an amazing colleague. It feels a bit like the prompting in Fast and Testimony meeting. It is there nudging me, it feels a bit uncomfortable, not what I thought I had planned for myself, but I feel it, I feel like it is where I am supposed to be and the only thing getting in the way is myself and my own apprehensions and dislike of change. And I am reminded of part of one of my favorite quotes, "Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day..." And today, I think that voice is telling me that it is a good thing I saved all the boxes from moving into our house because I am going to need them.

That mom...

So it turns out that I am that mom. You know the one. The one that gets "talked to" after Primary on Sunday because My Princess in Training was uncooperative and not listening. The teacher went so far as to say that they were learning about obedience and she used My Princess in Training as her non-example throughout the lesson. I am also the mom that gets a private meeting with the preschool director because my children were apparently kissing each other on the mouth in an inappropriate way and the director wanted to make sure that I knew about it in case they were being exposed to something they shouldn't-presumably in our home of course. And last but not least, for some reason lately My Princess in Training has decided to replace the /s/ with /sh/. I suppose she heard it from one of the students receiving speech services at her school. And while it was annoying and I keep reminding her not to, it didn't bother me until she asked, "Can I [sit] on your lap mommy?" I am sure you can make the necessary adjustment to that sentence and understand why my eyes bulged out of my head. Thank goodness summer is around the corner so I can tame the wild animals that my kiddos have become. Yikes!

3 Weeks From Today!

We will be on our way to "the Hawaii you can drive to!" Here we come San Diego!

Of course between now and then we have 14 more days of school which include: report card testing of 21 students that takes approximately 20 minutes per student, the creation of an amazing Mother's Day gift that I haven't picked out yet, but that needs to be done by Friday morning, a full day of training tomorrow, a preschool-visit on Tuesday, viewing of the 2nd grade musical on Wednesday, each of which means less time to figure out the Mother's Day gift dilemma, Mother's Day Brunch in my classroom on Friday morning for all the moms this year-with all the yummy food prepared and provided by none other than myself, a crazy ballet schedule leading up to the recital (which for the Momas is on May 21st at 7), organizing and assembling 21 Kindergarten Scrapbooks, sequencing the end of the year slide show and burning 21 copies for the families, planning and executing Kindergarten promotion, cleaning my entire classroom and stacking all of the furniture on the smallest piece of linoleum known to man, about a dozen more Ocean projects for the kids to complete, subtraction lessons to be taught and learned, one more school newsletter, maybe a water day if I can find the time, and one fabulous "Un-Birthday" party on the last day of school for all my summer birthdays-this year I have 13.

I wish I could tell you that this is my complete to-do list for the next 14 school days, but I would be lying. I think the full list is too much for you or I to face right now. I think I need a piece of chocolate.