IT'S HUUMMMP DAAAYYY, Y'ALL!

This Wednesday was a very typical Wednesday.

It started with the obligatory wake-up shower, coupled with some N.W.A blaring on the little Bluetooth speaker I keep in the bathroom.



I had to get the obligatory selfie with the camera in the mirror shot:


We had a teacher's meeting this morning before school to go over all the end of the year procedures. There is so much I have to learn in the next couple of weeks!


I spent my prep periods trying to figure out how I'm going to cram 2 months worth of material into 2 weeks and make it interesting to Seniors who are graduating in 2 weeks. Yeah, right!


I did have some pretzels and Diet Dew to help me through it all...



After school, Mom and I did our routine meal/snack at Perkins. I had eggs (scrambled), hash browns (lightly done, no crispies), and sourdough toast. Mom had a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a turkey sandwich (whole wheat bread, not toasted, not kept under the warming lights which toasts the bread, no bistro sauce, and a side of mayonnaise).


Mom was not amused by this self-timer taken shot of us trying to look natural and nonchalant.

Zack was at our house when I got home, doing his weekly laundry chores.



He started throwing towels at my to get me to stop taking his picture. Oh silly lad - you should know better by now....

Rob got home from working out at the Y and proceeded to clean up the debris left over from the plaster guy repairing the cracks in the walls in Alyssa's room. She's going to be home tonight so she and I can go to the Carrie Underwood concert together tomorrow.



Zack commandeered the TV watching the special features on the "Deadpool" Blue-Ray that Rob bought yesterday. He's still frustrated with me pointing the camera in his face.


Rob spent the evening in the bedroom watching the Colorado Rapids beat Sporting Kansas City. He loves watching soccer!

I spent the evening watching Max Scherzer (my baseball Cutie Patootie) tie an MLB record for the most strike-outs in a baseball game - 20! He's so awesome!!!!! (imagine my eyes fluttering here).

And now I'm up waiting for my daughter to get home. She decided to leave Bozeman at 9:30 pm and drive the 150 miles to Billings in the dark. Yeah - nothing to worry about... UGH!!!!

Oh, I did get one of those feet pics today:

Day 2 is in the books! I didn't take nearly as many photos today as I did yesterday, but I did get enough to tell the story of today.

Today started with my daily medications. I actually forgot to take these yesterday and could definitely tell the difference!



I usually take my breakfast with me to school. I'm not hungry when I first get up in the morning, so I bring food with me.  Lately, breakfast has included oatmeal with dried fruit & nuts and an oh-so-healthy Diet Mt. Dew. Don't judge....



School today included lots of grading.



I am beginning to utilize online classroom tools. It is so handy - having assignments turned in online where I can grade them digitally. I share a Chromebook lab with the teacher next door, so coordination can get kind of sketchy.


If its Tuesday, its Big Ass Burrito Tuesday at Chipotle. I love this weekly tradition!





The night was wrapped up by spending time online, and having my nightly yogurt and Diet Dew (there may or may not be a slight addiction).




Have a great day!

I am really psyched for Week In The Life this year, mostly because my documentation includes my new (temporary) teaching job. What a great chance this is to document what I want my true professional life to be.

Monday began early, as all weekdays do for me. Teaching an early morning class is tough for a night owl like me.

I am now in the world of the gainfully employed!

A bit of background: I'm a certified social studies teacher and have been unemployed/subbing for the past 6 years. Being hired by school districts in my area is an incredibly difficult prospect. I have interviewed countless times, but have always gotten the "you're a strong candidate, but we decided to go with someone else" phone call each time. At one point, I told a friend "if I hear the phrase 'strong candidate' one more time, I swear I'm gonna take a hostage!"

I recently applied for, and interviewed for, a long-term assignment teaching high school social studies. The teacher who was leaving the position was one I had subbed for frequently. I knew his classes, his routines, and his students very well. But, yet again, I got the "strong candidate" phone call. I was DEVASTATED!

Yesterday, however, I got a phone call from the principal at this high school. Evidently the guy they hired was "unable to fulfill his contract" (her words), and then offered me the position. I was in the middle of subbing at another school, and I literally started doing the happy dance in the middle of class. Yes, I got many strange looks from the students. I then wrote out the sign above and showed it to them, all while still talking on the phone. Smiles and cheers replaced their quizzical looks.

I know this is is only a temporary position, and I am not taking it for granted that I will be hired on permanently (been down that disappointing path before). But, I am still over-the-moon happy. First - I get to teach for 2 months. I get my own classroom. I set my own agenda instead of deciphering other teachers' agendas. But most importantly, second - I feel validated. Even though I am their second choice, I was still selected. After the year that I've had, this is huge!

Yes, Spring has sprung!

Here in Montana, we were blessed with an early Spring. My crocuses were sprouting in early February and were in full bloom by the first of March - a full month earlier than normal. The lilacs, daffodils, and crabapple trees have all followed suit.





Given the crises and sadness we've experienced over the past six months, an early Spring is definitely welcome. There's just something about the growth of new life that puts things in perspective for me, that things will get better. My heart has definitely felt lighter the past few weeks.

Of course, our early Spring will come at a cost. We haven't had any significant precipitation since the middle of January. I've already had to water my gardens, a chore that normally I don't have to begin until June. We could be in for a bad drought and fire season this summer.

But right now, that seems so far off. In the meantime, grow little plants, grow!