S'more Last Day of School Fun

I know I say it every time I write about my kiddos, but seriously, I LOVE MY JOB!!  My second year of teaching is in the books, my standard license is on its way.  My kids have made so much progress in so many areas, and I have felt myself grow into a more confident teacher.  My kids amaze me everyday, and naturally, they had some of their biggest breakthroughs in the last month of school.  We spent the last week of school learning about camping!  We read around a TP roll and tissue paper fire, had a tent, and made s'mores.  We 'roasted' marshmallows over our fire and the kids loved their s'mores that my ladies made in the microwave.  we all had marshmallow all over our faces, but the smiles all told me the mess was worth it! 

4th graders-  One of my fourth graders has gone from a fighting mad boy to a talkative story teller who can add, tell time, and write so much better than he did at the end of last year.  He has been transitioning to the next school for the last 6 weeks, and the time was so bittersweet.  We are so excited for him and all he will accomplish in the coming years.  I cried as he walked out that door on Friday.

My other little fourth grader gets to stay one more year.  After much deliberation and pros and cons lists, we decided another year would be best for her.  She has come so far in the last few months by answering yes/no questions.  We worked on it last year, but the pictures were on one strip.  Who knew that cutting the pictures apart would make a difference?!  She is also starting to walk into the bathroom when she feels the urge!  Seriously, potty training is a big deal in my classroom.

3rd graders-  Conversationally he has come very far compared to last year.  He is starting to ask better questions, and is learning how some of the things he says don't relate to the topic at hand.  He has gained friends this year.  His mom has gotten to see this outside of school. We've worked on independence this year, and on the second to last day of school, he took books back to the library for me and came right back, all by himself.  It made me sooooo happy to watch him walk back to me with a big smile on his face!

My other little guy has started to respond more.  He is actually starting to understand how his eyes are being used to communicate and how by him hitting a switch is giving him a chance to respond.

1st graders-  My little girl has blown everyone out of the water.  She is so smart and she went farther than any of us expected her to go this year.  Once we tapped into the fact that she can write answers, it opened up so many doors.  On the last day of school, she was answering what her favorite part of first grade was.  Her answer?  'My teachers helping me talk.'  Boom.  The majority of my kids aren't able to express feelings like that.  It made my tear up when I heard.

My other little guy has amazed us with all the secrets he kept last year.  He is able to read.  The words he is able to verbally read is growing.  He can count, it still takes plenty of practice, but compared to last year, he is a whole different kid.  He loves to follow the examples of his peers in first grade, and has hugs that can literally take you to the floor.  His smile is only gone from his face when he is sleeping, or really tired.

Kindergartener-  This little girl keeps us giggling all day long.  Seriously, some days that's all she does is just sit in her chair rocking and giggling with this big gap-toothed smile on her face.  She has gotten so tall and so smart!  She has kept us on our toes with thinking of new ways to get her to tell us what she knows.  She is able to build sentences, add, subtract, and spell some words.  Sometimes the battle is getting her to pay attention.  She knows, you just have to get her focused enough to answer the question.  This girl is full of sass! 

The team I get to be a part of is beyond amazing.  each of my ladies has a heart of gold, and we could not do what we do for these kids without everyone's help and each of us working together.  If you walk into my classroom, it does look like a flurry of activity, but if you stay long enough, you will see my ladies picking up where another one left off.  One goes to help with a student, another steps in to keep feeding, one lady starts with a student until hers gets to school.  My team is so vast, but so helpful.  The team includes teachers, a speech teacher, 6 paraprofessionals, principal, AEA reps, PT/OT, and anyone else we need to call in!  At the end of the day, I could not be more blessed to work in the room I work.  I love to talk about my kiddos and all the funny things they do!  It is just so crazy that I am done with round 2!

Married Milestones

Well, we made it folks!  Dustin and I have been married for a year!  Some days it seems like it was just yesterday, and some days it seems like it was years ago! 

Our first year of marriage has been full of bliss, but we have had our newlywed share of fights and disagreements.  I always tell him that there is no one I'd rather fight with, take a break, talk about it, pray about it and make up with than him.  We've fought about the usual things like money, and we've also fought about my things and moving his things.  He had a hard time even changing the direction of the loveseat, or getting rid of his dirty stained bed sheets.  I guess that's what happens when a man lives by himself for 5 years before someone comes along!  I mean, I did changes gradually.  I did the bathroom and bedroom coverings as soon as they were bought, but my sewing room didn't get put together until October which meant my treasured snow globes stayed tucked away in their boxes until then.  Then Hobby Lobby opened and I had to lay the new fabric for the pillows on the couch for a couple weeks, just to let him get used to the idea of new pillows!

And we've had our fair share of fun in the kitchen.  Probably about a month after we got married, we were having the very fancy frozen pizza for supper.  I was sooooooo hungry!  I still don't even know how it happened, but all of a sudden, that pizza hit the wall and slid down...  I almost cried and then decided to laugh hysterically instead.  And then there is our differences in cooking.  I can make a whole meal while using under 5 dishes and I've gotten better at 'cleaning as I go' as my mother suggested I needed to do.  Dustin, my dear sweet Dustin uses almost every dish he can find and covers all the counters in dishes and food and crumbs and it sits there for days.  Our most fun is when we cook together.  Our specialty is meatloaf, where more than once he's tried to tease me and claim he lost his ring while mixing the meat!  He always keeps my heart racing!

And we've had plenty of new additions this year!  A week after we got married, we had a little black and white baby show up, and she's been around ever since.  Our home is just a little cozier with Bonnie Blue in it.  In the fall when our garden got plowed under, we added a little more room for more tomatoes!  Because we didn't get enough salsa made, and Dustin is just a little ambitious!  In December we added 7 more acres of land where we will someday build a house.  Around March, Dustin decided we didn't have enough trucks older than 20 years old, so he bought a 1974 Chevy with a lift box in the back to be used for wood.  And then at Easter, that was the best running truck, so we added a 2010 big red Chevy.  Along with all these things we've added more bills!  but isn't that what happens in life! 

We've also made some subtractions in our year together.  We've gotten rid of all of the tattered, worn out, stained sheets, blankets, and towels of his bachelor days.  We've gotten rid of all the outdated food from when it was too lonely for him to eat at his house and would rather eat at his parents house.  And I think our saddest goodbye was when the '94 Chevy drove down the road with a new owner.  This is the truck where we shared our first kiss, and the truck that brought us to our house on our wedding night. 

We spent our anniversary waking up in our own bed just the way we woke up on our first morning as a married couple.   We went to church where we were serenaded with 'Happy Anniversary' by the congregation.  Then for lunch, Dustin took me out to Mexican which has become his favorite restaurant.  For the afternoon we came home and took a nap snuggled on the couch with Bonnie resting close by.  The evening will probably end with popcorn and cards, just the way we like it.

We've made so many of our married dreams come true this year, but we still have plenty more dreams to fulfill together.  Good thing we're sticking together for the next 50 to 60 years, or however many we are blessed to share together!