first day reflection

I wanted to reflect on our first day...before it was over.  Reflection is part of our daily lesson plan requirements at school.  I am coming to realize the importance of reflection, and how important it is to reflect on your subject while you still remember what to reflect back on.  

The beginning of any school year is stressful, but starting the beginning of a new school year, in a brand new building is even MORE stressful!  There is just so much of the unknown that you can't actually figure out until you're there!  

I was anxious about today--but not so much my mind, but my body.  It was weird.  I think I was anxious about what I was going to do in my room, and how I was going to occupy all of my time with my students--but it turned out to not even be a problem at all!  I had more than enough stuff to talk to them about and "do", and I actually didn't even complete everything I had planned on completing--& that was perfectly okay!

Multiple people told me on Sunday "You got this!"  So I felt like this was very appropriate for my morning this morning!  

I got him that bright orange backpack so I could always find him!  Haha!  

I dropped him off at KeeKee and Poppy's so KeeKee could take him to meet his dad so they could both walk him in together.

I wasn't upset about missing this.  In fact, I probably could have squeezed it in, but I knew that he could handle it! ;)

I had the opportunity to pray with my administration and some other teachers in our court yard at 6:50 before the kids were let inside the gates at 7:10...my principal shared that while we seem to get so caught up and "busy" doing our job, not to forget to just stop and look around to ENJOY what we are doing and who we are doing it with.  Life goes by way to quickly, and to not let it fly by without taking note of all of the opportunities we are given as teachers in these students' lives.  

I'll be honest.  I was so worried about MY kids, and getting them taken care of--I didn't even have time to think/worry about R.  I think that was actually a blessing.  I knew he liked his teacher, I knew KeeKee and his dad had it under control...and that he was going to do great!  I had no reason to worry about him!

It wasn't until I got a 5 minute break and was able to look at my phone and see the picutres KeeKee had sent me...I was like, "Oh yeah...Ryder!!  Awww...he looks so happy!"  

Selfie time with KeeKee!!  Her first official day of retirement!!  Doesn't she look so happy & refreshed?!?  Ms. Pruett already asked her to be PTO room mom!!! I love it!!  THAT is why KeeKee retired!  So thankful for her!  

Ryder with his dad--so glad they got to do this together!  

The little eaglet has landed!!  

I also found out I was in the paper today...haha!  This is a picture from LAST week.  I am talking of course...and that arm and pink purse on the left IS NOT MINE.  It looks like I'm talking on the phone, but I'm not!  But...I am talking...imagine that! ;)

At the end of the day, I felt accomplished and happy.  My feet hurt, even in my most expensive shoes.  No price tag on a pair of shoes can prepare a teacher's feet for the first day of school.  True story. 

I think I'm ready to do it all over again tomorrow...but make it even better!  =)

R finally made it over to my school on the bus...he was on there a LONG time, but I was so proud of him for making it--& with a SMILE on his face!!  He looked happy and had on his backpack and was carrying his lunch box and Camelbak...I told him he could put those things in his backpack! ;)  He will learn soon!

He said he had a great first day.  They talked about vowels, circled them in their "Our Class Rules" book, learned how to walk down the hall, with a bubble in their mouth and a fish tail behind their back, they learned how to hang their backpacks on their chair every day, and a bunch of other things I can't recall at the moment!

They had pepperoni pizza in the CAFE and he said he wishes he wouldn't have brought his lunch!  Ha!  Who knew?!?

He told me he was ready to go back...but "not today!"  

I asked him if they took a nap and he said, "No...I must have left before nap time."  I told him that no, he didn't leave "early"...when he left school was over!  

The precious mind of a child!  

random spring/summer

R at the lake with his friends...

I've been lovin' some scrambled eggs this summer!

Yes...he is wearing Christmas pajamas in the middle of the summer, but he was excited about his new color changing straws...I was too! ;)

Just some Travs baseball...I think he was mad at me, so moved down away from us!!  Ha!

We made our way to a few UCA baseball games...we were out in the outfield with Poppy and R was throwing his hat up and catching it.  Of course it fell on the field...during the game.  I was so embarrassed!!--but luckily we got it back! ;)

mother's day 2015

This was our last Mother's Day celebration at Snuggle Bug.  They are always so sweet to their mamas and I'm so lucky I've gotten to celebrate with my lil man there for the past three years. 

R has been keeping watch on a bird's nest out in his "tree stand" and it had two eggs in it.  They both eventually fell out.  We found one of them and put it back in the nest, but I think the mom had already forgotten about them.  He was pretty pumped to have found it after it had been "lost" though!

Who knows what he was doing out there...

The Little Red was so pretty on this particular day...it was warm, yet it felt so cool down on the water.  You could feel the cool-ness blowing over you.  

I asked Karleigh to give me a lil fishtail braid!

What a beautiful site to drive home to...

...and I love this little one.  Who isn't so little any more.  

cousin Cooper's graduation

Cooper graduated in May and we got to attend his graduation dinner before the actual ceremony at his school.  It was very special, and yummy and delicious!

Nana and Papaw with their 6th grandchild graduating from High School.

He doesn't look to happy to be there...but he was! ;)

school district fish fry

My school district put on a district wide family fish fry--a) I love some catfish b) I wanted to go to meet some of the people I work with's...families c) this was especially important because most of them live in the community they work in, where I don't...but going to "family" stuff like this just me and R is HARD.  But I signed up to go...so we went, and I was glad we did! 

Hopefully it is something that Ryder looks forward to going to each year!

purple cow after school date

I guess me and R go on lots of after school "dates"! ;)

This day was to Purple Cow!  

He went with boring ole ice cream with M&Ms and I had to go with a Purple milkshake! ;)

blue sail date with R

My then boyfriend at the time gave me a Blue Sail gift card one weekend while he was traveling...which I thought was one of the most thoughtful things!--Of course me and R had to put it to good use on a lovely Friday afternoon!  BS is not Ryder's favorite place to go...but there's nothing he can do about it! ;)  I put up with him, so he can put with me!

It was one of my first iced drinks of the season...YUMMY!