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All Aboard the Crazy Train!!

My time back to school has been nothing but excitement. 

I started back on Monday, October 22... when the State Superintendent of Education was visiting our school. I had to walk by line of kindergartners through her entourage to get to music. 

That Friday, we were going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Unable to stop throwing up, I called in sick (for the first time in 7 years!). Thankfully, my wonderful sub, Mrs. Chambers, had told the kids she would meet them at the pumpkin patch. Instead, she went on the trip and finished up the day as me.

Saturday, I was called to Enid because Pa was in the ICU. Sunday, I got back home around 9. Went to school on Monday. My principal had told me the prior Thursday to plan for a sub on Monday morning because we had a meeting about the new Common Core Standards. Well, in all the chaos that is family, I remembered and forgot, and remembered and forgot about the sub plans. Sunday night, I thought, "I will have time Monday morning to get all of my centers ready during plan time..." WRONG-O! Remember that meeting?? Yeah, me neither, I had forgotten about it again. THANKFULLY, (do you know where this is going??) my wonderful sub, Mrs. Chambers, was going to be me that morning. I was able to leave her barely any instructions on what the plan was and she pulled it off. 

{If you haven't already gotten the hint, my sub was wonderful! I never worried about my class while she was in charge, which says a lot about her because I want only the best in my classroom!}

Anywho, on with the week! Wednesday, October 31st was Halloween. After I returned, I was informed we would NOT be dressing up on Halloween and our "Fall Party" would be on Friday. WHAT?! The kids are going to be batty knowing it is Halloween so why not dress up? Needless to say, the kids were batty on Wednesday because it was Halloween, Thursday because they stayed up late the night before to trick or treat and eat lots of candy and Friday because they got to wear their costume to school and have a "Fall Party".

Come to find out it was quite fortunate we didn't have a party that Wednesday. Instead we had a school lock down! A for real, this is not a drill, lock down! You know, lock the door, turn off the lights, hide the kids kind of lock down. All I heard on the ultra soft intercom was "Teachers, we need to lock down right now. Lock down right now." (i got a little chill just writing it again).

Keep in mind, my kids had never practiced a lock down (at least i had never told my sub where my kids go so i was pretty certain they had never done one)! I immediately start telling my kids what I need them to do as I go lock the door and shut off the lights. Considering their inexperience, they did really well! Then I had the fun job of trying to explain to them why we were having to "pretend no one is home" and not having a clue what was really happening outside of our school. While we waited in the dark, I tried to read them a few stories but everything kept going back to why we were having a lock down. I finally told them, "Friends, I don't know exactly why but we have lock downs if someone thinks our school is in danger or if there is a bad person around."

As crazy as it was, I was glad there was not a Halloween party. Could you imagine trying to get parents calmed down?!? It was bad enough for some other teachers. Fortunately, I did not have any get upset or scared like other teachers.

The next day or so, our principal asked if the kids would make a thank you card to the police and sheriff's departments. When I told my kids we were going to make thank you cards, we talked about what they could write. They all came up with "Thank you for the lock down. It kept us safe." [below are pictures I added before my picture limit...]

While I started this blog weeks ago...Fall Carnival is over. Pa has stayed out of the hospital. Thanksgiving travel has passed. Things have finally seemed to slow down a bit... just in time for Christmas craziness!

There are, however, only 12 days until Christmas break! Holla!

Just a little love

This day (technically yesterday, December 4th) marked 14 years of togetherness for the Hubby and I. That is darn near half of my life with him!

While he was giving Kinley a bath tonight, I couldn't help but smile that he is all mine.

Why you might ask?

• Because of the songs he sings to Kinley. {keep in mind he thought Pa was crazy singing to her yet he was just as entertaining!}
• Because of how he loves to spend time with his girls.
• Because of how he loves Tobie as if she were a human.
• Because even though I am the third in line to his lovin', I still feel taken care of.
• Because of how he talks to Kinley and Tobie as if they totally understand him.

There are plenty more reasons but I don't want to make anyone sick over the cuteness or take away any of his masculinity. Just keep in mind that in 30 years when Kinley is allowed to date... the boys better bring their A+++++ game because she will have high standards based on how her Daddy already treats her.