When the weather turns HOT

Teagan LOVES the water- and the water was FREEZING!
Here she is playing in her new pool and loving it.

May Madness

I feel like joining in sometimes!With all joking aside.....this month is flying by!! The end of the school year always seems to pass quickly with my to-do list growing longer each day! But I LOVE when I can mark the items off my list as completed as well as place a huge X on my desk top calendar at school. OH and counting down the days with my class is even better!! Gets me excited for summer vacation!! Today we counted 26 days left!!

As most of you know I am going to be starting at a new school AGAIN in August! This change is a huge opportunity to "spread my wings" as my administrators would say! I am going to be helping open a new school and I am very grateful for this amazing opportunity! It most likely will be the last elementary school opening in this district and I will be a part of the team that helped open it! I will still be teaching first grade but will be taking on a new role as team leader of first grade!!!

I am excited to see what is to come with this and I am confident it will be a great experience! So, I am busy packing up my room and am sort of enjoying it! I love fresh beginnings and having a chance to get more organized than the year before. Planning classroom layout, decorating, and getting everything situated and prepared for the arrival of a new bunch is what I love to do! The new school is going to be very nice! 2 story, K-2 on ground floor, with built in lockers in each classroom, new and current technology so I will still have my SmartBoard plus some other new media equipment for the students to use. A principal who I already have a strong connection with since she was the one who got me into this district in the first place; only having interviewed me once, and a strong team of teachers that I can't wait to learn and grow with!

On top of the taking down and packing up there are end of the year grades, assessments, spreadsheets, portfolios, cumulative folders, meetings and presentations for Action Team (I am the Academic Action team leader) and have such a great team working together to accomplish amazing Action Plans for this school I am currently at. I enjoy being a part of and helping implement ideas. It kind of reminds me of "Undercover Boss." The teachers- the ones in there everyday- were asked to come up with Action Plans to better/benefit the school and the environment of the school. It's great! Tedious, but great! :)

I am mixed with emotions from all of this change happening. I am excited, anxious, anticipating what's to come, sad to be leaving all of the friendships I've formed at this school, happy with accomplishments. Some bonds will be lasting friendships. They were all there supporting me when I was pregnant with Teagan! When I had her. When I returned to work and went through all of the emotional stages a working mother goes through. I wouldn't trade it for anything! The experience, the advice, the excitement when Teagan hit certain milestones! NOW celebrating her 1st birthday coming up!! I am so looking forward to each one of them being here to celebrate with us!

Teagan is busy busy! Walking everywhere! Loving her freedom to move and go where she wants. She is talking more and pointing to things and showing amazing signs of understanding. She will let us know now when she would like more of something with sign as well as when she's done eating she says "duh" and makes the motion for finished. The video is when she was pointing out ducks in the book. She has found that she really likes ducks! Maybe it has to do with the funny sounding quacking Adam and I do when she finds ducks! :)

Adam had a day off Tuesday and took Teagan to get her blood drawn for lab tests they do now to make sure she isn't anemic, hasn't ingested any lead, etc. SHE WAS PERFECT! No squirm, no cry, not even a peep! She held bear, sat in Adams lap and did great! I was so proud of her and proud of Adam for his calm nature. I know she sensed his calmness and therefore was calm herself! He amazes me with her and with his involvement. Such a great father and husband!

More to come later.....
Have a blessed week!!