24

24 appears to be the number of the moment. In 24 hours I will be getting off a plane in Orlando! In the past 4 nights (plus tonight) I will have had a combined 24 hours of sleep. I think that means I am down roughly 16 hours of much needed sleep. I feel like I have completed 24 items off my to-do list---but to be honest I am not willing to check because I am too tired to attack anything that I might have forgotten. I think I have roughly 24 pieces of clothing in my suitcase. I can't tell if it is because I am tired or what, but I have officially reached that place in life where rather than plan actual outfits I find myself throwing a bunch of clothes into my suitcase knowing that I might not wear half of it. But I also know full well that there is nothing that I may have forgotten that I can't easily pick up at any number of stores within a 1 mile radius of my hotel. Although---if I don't get off this silly blog and pack my "unmentionables" a 12 hour day wearing jeans at Disney World would be VERY uncomfortable!

Ahhhhhhhh!

There aren't enough hours left to get it all done. Something is going to have to give. Hmmm. What to give up to ensure sanity? I vote for the kids bathroom. It is a mess that I am simply not willing to face. Sadly, ballet is also getting skipped tomorrow. Can't afford the 2 hours it takes up. I would show you my to-do list--but it might make you cry. Me? I am too tired to cry. Ok. Time to go. I am determined to cross off one more thing and get to bed by 11. Wish me luck!

YES!!!

Just hit the goal weight I set for my trip!! Next up- goal weight for my birthday! working hard toward a less painful swimsuit season than last year! Insider secret--Chocolate chip peanut butter crunch Cliff bars and a piece of fruit make for an awesome and filling lunch!

Festival of Books

Yea! The schedule is finally posted. Here's is sneak peek at how we will be spending the 12th of March.

The Adventures of Pinocchio.

When: Saturday 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Where: Circus Entertainment Stage

UA Bookstores American Girl Tea Time--Maybe--E would LOVE it!

Enjoy story-line discussion with author Laurie Calkhoven; activities based on favorite American Girl characters; tea, pastries and finger sandwiches. PLEASE NOTE: Limited seating, $15/person, children 2 and under free with paid adult ticket.

When: Saturday 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Where: Student Union - North Ballroom

Funny Faces and Llama Llama Join Anna Dewdney, creator of the popular "Llama Llama" picture books, as she draws pictures and reads aloud from her books about the common childhood dramas of missing mama and being mad at mama.

Sat 1:00 PM - 02:00 PM Education Building - Room 353

Come to hear about the newest and best literature for preschoolers through teens. These are the books worth buying for your home and school libraries.

When: Saturday 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Where: Education Building - Room 310

Bob Wortman

Lisa Morris-Wilkey

More to come!!!

Insomnia

Welcome back old friend. Earlier tonight I thought for sure we were going to put off meeting for at least one night. No such luck. On a positive note-laundry is almost done. Kitchen is clean and I have been a dusting queen. Next up- toilets and cleaning out the fridge. Too bad the vacuum would wake up the kids-that would be so much better than cleaning toilets in the middle of the night.

Night 1 as a temporarily single parent

After an 11 hour day at work, night 1 of 5 as a temporarily single parent=waffles from a can for dinner, 90 minutes of peace and quiet thanks to my new best friend, Netflix, and a 30 minute HOT shower to wash this day away. Don't be too jealous. I have 6 to do lists that will demand every minute of my day tomorrow. And I am still desperately searching for a sitter so that I don't have to take 3 kids shopping with me for jeans tomorrow.

The Importance of Staying Focused

Today I set about getting my house a little more ready for when I leave. My bedroom has become a dumping ground. Clothes, shoes, school things, books littered about the room. I thought that one quick way to tidy up would be to remove some of the books and store them in my fancy new hallway cabinet. (aka my new favorite nook in my home). I have LOTS of books. It is something of an addiction. Take for example the other night. We were meeting our favorite Leslie for dinner, but had time to kill. So of course we went to Barnes and Noble. I left Ben with the kiddos to make a run to the ladies room (darn teacher bladder-how exactly does it know when I am out of school??) Anyway. Ben must have thought I fell in because it took me a solid 15 minutes to come back. I was entranced by the books. Drawn in. In search of a great story to read. Not that I don't already have at least a dozen books sitting in my room waiting to read. Which brings me to today. I have three stacks of books that I acquired during my trip to Salt Lake last summer. I had read a few, but many more were waiting. So in pulling them off my dresser I decided to re-read the jackets. At which point I was caught-hook, line, and sinker. Spent every extra minute of the day devouring a cute little book called "The Importance of Being Married." (At which point I lost all focus of my original intent). But, I loved it! It was a light, easy read that totally took over my day. Which is precisely why it is 11:00 PM and I am still awake. If nothing else, I need to sign the Valentine cards for my kiddos and make sure that I actually washed my Valentine shirt for tomorrow. Have a super Monday!

It's 7:19...what?!?

The clock says 7:19, but I don't believe it. Doesn't it know the kind of day I have had? Let me paint you a picture...1st day since returning from Winter Break that all 24 students have been in class. Most days I have been missing at least 4. Special education student has a sub-aide. He doesn't like her. I understand. His morning was rough. Did I mention picture day? Wrestled said student onto my lap for pictures. University student observation today. Told me within 5 minutes of meeting that she only wants to teach 6th grade or higher. Um. Okay. So why are you spending 20 hours in my classroom? After picture day kids are WILD. Picture day was at 8:15. Centers were wild. ELL students didn't leave. Again, 24 students for the first time in weeks. WILD students. Lunch with my girls. An unfortunate bathroom accident with one. Much gagging. Said daughter had not yet had picture day. Did I mention the gagging. Stressfully trying to figure out how to get her changed into something acceptable for picture day. Have you ever seen the "replacement" clothes in the nurses office??? YUCK. Somehow we scored a cute pair of pants...after I asked three times. Students still WILD. Wiggly-squiglly story time. Loud word work. Louder math time. Time for buses. 6 students should be going to after-school program. 1 student--the one I "wonder" about-- came with us to buses instead. Massive-out-of-control tantrum when the buses leave and he is not on them even though he is holding his note that says he goes to Science club. For some reason my ankle is sore. Walk said student to the furthest classroom from mine and drop him off at Science club. Time to scurry home. New clothes. Definitely different shoes. Pick up the littlest. Rush back to school to pick up the girls from the after-school program. Get ready for Lighted School House movie night. Climb scary ladder to turn on the projector. Spend more than an hour helping pop the popcorn while my three run around like nuts. Ben brings dinner. Littlest throws a fit when I don't immediately open the prize. Um. I don't think so. Finally, movie starts. Children continue to act like they were raised in the wild. After only 75 minutes the movie mercifully ends. Drag the uncooperative beasts to the car. Friend's little boy climbs on me while I am trying to hug him good-bye, kicking me in the ribs. Um. Thanks. I didn't need those. Home at last! Bath time. There is no rejoicing. In fact, there is a LOT of whining. And fussing. And fighting once they are finally in. That's when I threw in the towel. Alrighty, Ben they are all yours. After all...IT IS 7:19. My 12 + hour shift is over.

To stay or not to stay...that is the question

So, as you know I LOVE my class this year. Sometimes I feel like it is my reward for surviving last year. And I have mentioned a time or two that loving them has me seriously considering moving up to first grade. So...turns out I have to be making this decision in the next few weeks. And I have to say that I am feeling a bit torn. I love these kids. I have had more fun in this year of teaching than any other. BUT even if I loop with these kids, I won't actually get to keep them all. In fact, I won't get to keep a third of them due to Arizona's fantastic (read sarcastic) program for English Language Learners. So, I find myself thinking how hard it would be to start with 15 that I love, and then add 8-10 new ones to the mix. As I am sure you can figure out-that could and likely would be a very different class than the one I currently have. Plus there is the whole business of learning a new curriculum and essentially starting over. I find myself asking, why would I do that to myself? I love teaching kindergarten. It is fun and I am good at it. My principal assures me that I would be great at 1st also. But if I were to be completely honest with you (and me) I don't think that I want to keep my kids for another year as much as I don't want to start over. I have got it really good at this school. I am trusted to teach the best way I know how and have proven that I can get results. I don't have a clue what the first grade standards are. So, while I love this class...I am leaning more and more toward letting them go and be loved by others next year. It makes me sad, but I think that I would rather have the memory of this awesome amazing class, than to have a very possible different memory of next year's class. On a super high note, today I scored a very rare compliment from the principal. She said that I have made my name as a great kindergarten teacher that is much desired and that parents are already requesting my class for next year. AWESOME! I think that means that my new kinders could be just as awesome as this group.

Only in Arizona

Ha! We just got a "snow" day for tomorrow! School was cancelled due to foreseeable weather concerns. Where were those predictions yesterday? Today was wicked cold. Here's to a warm Friday in jammies! Yes!

I have an army

Today we were running late. It is oh-so-hard to be motivated to do anything when you can hear the wind whipping against your house and you know that the temperature outside is currently 16 degrees but feels like 4 due to wind chill. Running late on days like today is not a good thing. Cold weather means that the students are sent to our classrooms earlier than usual. Which means the teacher should be earlier than usual...not later. But it was hard to find clothes that would keep me warm enough and still be somewhat professional. Regardless of the reasons-we were late.

Then we arrived at the preschool to drop the little-est off. The whole building was dark. What?!? Last night in the course of 5 minutes I received 4 texts and 3 emails alerting me to the fact that we were allowed to wear jeans today. I know that jean day is like manna from heaven for school teachers, but did the district cancel school and everyone just forgot to tell me? Nope. But the preschool was closed. No electricity=no preschool. NOW WHAT? So I piled the little-est back in the car and hurried on our way (now we were even later and I had an extra, unexpected kid in my car). I knew that my principal would rather have me + the little-est than try to call in a sub for the day. So we scurried into the classroom, mere steps in front of my eskimo students. The principal came by and I told her of my predicament. No problem-he can spend the day here. But somehow that didn't seem like a good idea.

Suddenly, after what had been maybe 15 minutes of panic it dawned on me that I have an army. I have an army of amazing friends that I have made over the past three years. Girls I know I can always count on in a pinch. Two of these friends took care of getting my kids home when I was sick a few weeks ago and will help in a few weeks when we are out of town. Another friend is always ready to lend a hand. At least 3 of the current moms in my class would have come to collect my little-est in a heartbeat. And I could go on. I called one of these girls and she swooped in to save the day. Even that took an army. A mom from another class who happened to still be at school took the little-est to another friend's house who then took him to his destination for the day.

We lived in our South Mountain home for more than 4 years and I never had friends that I could count on like that. 

And once again I found myself feeling so blessed that we call this small town "HOME". It isn't the quaint, old-fashion tree lined small town from the past, but it is perfect and wonderful and I feel so lucky that we found our way here.

Pinch me I must be dreaming

For the past few weeks I have spent countless hours trolling the internet intent on finding just the right hotel in Orlando. I started with Kayak because I love it and it has always done right by me. But through Kayak I found Bookit.com.

I was entranced by some of the "deals" that were offered and by the ability to sort by hotels that included a free shuttle to the parks. I found hotels that sounded promising including a few seemingly amazing hotels that included a "Buy 1 day get 2 free" for Universal Orlando. But then came the reviews. The hotel was so-so, and if you wanted to take the "free shuttle" to anything Disney it could take up to an hour each way. YIKES!

So, then we thought about staying 3 nights at Universal hotel and 3 nights at a Magic Kingdom hotel. By this point I have read so many hotel reviews and reviewed so many amenities that I can't keep anything straight. Then there comes the balance of not wanting to spend a lot of money on a hotel and still not wanting to stay at a 2 star hotel for our 10 year anniversary trip.

Then tonight I decided that I should probably get an idea of how much the car rental is going to add to the cost. We plan to visit the parks on Thursday, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday leaving the weekend open. My eyes about popped out of my head when I saw the insane cost for a car for the weekend.

Then the clouds parted and a light shined from above. Somehow I found my way to Expedia. Can't even tell you how or why I ended up there. For kicks and giggles I decided to check out the hotel+car packages. I could hardly believe that the package that popped up was anything other than a joke. Surely I was mis-reading something. The package was less than $700 for 6 nights hotel and a car. Really? Now, let me tell you about this hotel. It isn't your average, everyday run of the mill hotel. It is a Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond resort. The "deluxe" room that I booked with the package goes for $225-335 a night (depending on the booking site)! I can't even believe the deal. I still think I might be dreaming. More than half off plus a car? If someone is going to pinch me, I hope they do so before I get there! Wanna see where we are staying? Here it is in all it's amazing glory. Just for comparison---the Holiday Inn that I was considering is only about $100 less for all 6 nights. Crazy!