ice cream, old friends, weddings, and other good clean fun!

So I've had an excellent few days...BUSY, as usual, but good! Summer school is off to a GREAT start. I have reading lab for the 4th summer and I just like that class, but my "Off Broadway" class is pure genius! I get paid for doing theater games for a half an hour, teaching basic drama skills for a half an hour, and then letting them use those skills to practice their own skits for a half an hour...all while hanging out with one of my good friends! BRILLIANT! Friday I had my ice cream "date" with my silent auction winner from school - my "date" Ray was to embarrassed to talk to me...he seems to have a small crush on me :) but his sister and mom and I had a fun time teasing him about how he ignores me all the time and ice cream is even better when you have it for lunch!!



That night I went out with my friend Matty - it had been way to long and we had a good time just laughing and talking - I remembered why I missed hanging out with him so that was good! Kim and I spent Saturday morning getting ready for her birthday party. I then got ready for
my friend Karyn's wedding - beautiful! It was a lovely day, the ceremony was nice, the couple fantastic, the other guest wonderful friends...just a good day!


I came home to a house full of people for Kim's birthday party - which was very nice, her friends are all very sweet. One of her friends had brought a friend...yea that's way 3rd party, but you get the idea. Anyway, this friend had just gotten back from teaching in China for 2 years so that was awesome to be able to talk to her - great perspective!! It was so nice to hear about someone else's experience and get a little more of an idea of what to expect - all in all the conversation was an extremely pleasant surprise.
I got home a little bit ago from church this morning and then a lovely day of hanging out with Sarah, D, and Caiden. It was one of those very peaceful days, where you don't really do anything, you're not sure where the time went but it was good all the same! I was a little teary today at random times - I kept having to say I leave in about 5 weeks, it seems a little to close now...not that I'm not excited, or thrilled to be going, but there's so much to do and NO motivation to do it. My goal is to have my classroom packed at the end of the week (we'll see if that happens) but I'm in pretty good shape there. I want to spend a couple of weeks organizing the stuff I'm leaving for the new teacher so she's not at a total loss about finding things. Not everyone can be organized chaos :) Soooo...yea, I should go to bed now so I can be properly rested for the next bit of my crazy schedule...

Funny...

So I bought my first day of school outfit - yes it's early, but when the outfit strikes...you gotta buy it! Yes, I'm the biggest nerd on the planet...but I'm VERY into the first day of school and the outfit says a lot about the year, so it has to be good. Last year's outfit wasn't so good and the year wasn't so good - it's my little superstition :) I've liked my other outfits and my other years have been lovely! Anyway, so that's exciting - don't worry, there will be the traditional first day of school picture, but the outfit is top secret for now. I also got my eyes checked - good vision (not perfect) but was told I don't need glasses! This is a big relief after my coke bottom days of childhood...gotta love outgrowing your eye problem. I met some guy that's traveling with a rock band to Japan for 3 months and he told me some cities I should go see and I just laughed nervously - he gave me his email and told me to look him up...I think that was a pick up line (it's been awhile) and the whole thing was WAY to random for me...this might be why I don't meet new people. Oh well...today on the other hand was Dim Sum day...a couple of the school families took me out and I ate yet another meal entirely with chopsticks (I think that makes 4, I'm on a roll!). The food was different, but I liked most of it and the company was good...goodness, yet another occasion I forgot my camera - need to stop doing that. I think part of it makes it more good-byeish if I take pictures - the whole I won't be seeing you so I need pictures thing is just hard. I also got lots of packing advice and tips about the vending machines for food over there ???? I'm not so sure about those, but I guess I'll see soon enough!

the first of the lasts

So I went to San Diego for probably the last time (at least for a long time) this weekend - yet again it was the last day and I hadn't taken pictures so I have one of the ocean but the one of Jen and I wasn't that great...so I refuse to share it for both our sakes! We spent the weekend hanging out together and some other friends and reveling that we have very few weekends in California -her off to Kansas and me to Japan - strange that we're off in such different directions after knowing each other for 10 years (wow that makes me feel old) BUT friends stay friends no matter the distance or time difference (that's the one that concerns me) and all my friends seem to be off on new adventures right now - new jobs, new babies, new marriages, new experiences. It's true what they say about life never standing still. My roommate was gone on vacation to Yosemite this week and I had the week off and we both expected that I'd get some nice quiet time while she was gone. HA HA I was telling her about my week and she was like, you were as busy as ever! Yep, I guess so - I spent last Saturday doing nothing and I was bored - I think my ADD might be more severe then I thought :) Oh well, summer school starts tomorrow and that will be a different kind of busy - hopefully fun! I added a picture of San Diego ocean...soon I'll be on the other side of the Pacific - I'll have to post a picture to compare!!

vacation :)

So today was my first official day of summer vacation (Friday is my last day and then there's summer school ha ha!) Tash, Adrienne and I went to Disneyland...we didn't take a single picture I just realized - oh well (I'm sure Adrienne is thrilled!) My legs and my brain are having an argument about whether I'm old or not...I think my legs are winning, but I'll let you know and listening to the ocean on my "sounds" setting on my new ipod docking station...very fancy alarm clock, radio, stereo that is very small for Japan. We learned today that if it doesn't fit in our suitcase, it's probably not worth shipping it...$50 later we can ship the world's smallest box with as much in it as we can fit or $38 for an even smaller box...I would pick the country that no one ships to, including Sephora....JCrew and Lakeshore seems to sum it up (not that I can afford either on my new salary!) oh well I now have to separate my maybe pile into my MUST HAVE pile...I'm now looking through my friend Sara's wedding pictures which turned out very nicely and contemplating what to write to the other two girls going to Japan with Adrienne and I. We're hoping to meet them before traveling however many thousands of miles and however many hours later we get to bond over this crazy year we've all taken on. Side note, yesterday's email also held the GOOD news that I have a straight second grade class (might have had a combo) and I have 18 little ones so I'm THRILLED to not have 1st graders and to begin my 7th year as a second grade teacher...I LOVE 7 year olds...Ok ok, I'm a nerd I know, moving on. The rest of the week seems to be quickly filling with a dentist appointment, a 2nd grade meeting, church, dance class, and hopefully my eye appointment, got my bloodwork back and my dr can sign off on me because overall I'm ok, minus the fact that my body blocks insulin, has low good cholestrol and high triglycerides, which may turn into diabetes if I don't start watching my fat intake, which includes eating more fish, less dairy (NEVER going to happen), and eating less fat. I bought 1% milk this week - that's my big step in my lowering of fat intake for now, oh and plain yogurt because I read that it would be better for me...he did say that moving to Japan would be really good for my health so we'll see how that all goes-hopefully that solves the problem :) All in all I'm checking things off my list and trying to fit in as much of my friend time as possible...ok, going to bed before I have to get going again!

Detox...

So I survived the end of the year...many tears later but that's ok! It all felt a little surreal to think about how soon I leave and how I quickly the last 5 years has gone. How quickly people feel like family and how hard it is going to be to say the last good bye before getting on a plane. Anyway, the packing has begun (it was easier then cleaning up my classroom) and now I have a few days to just hang out and be quiet before summer school starts! It seems like I have all these appointments though - gotta get stuff done! Thankfully I'll have the house to my self because my roommate is going backpacking with her sister...nice and peaceful...I know I'll be bored by Wednesday :) But that's ok! Anyway, adding some last day of school pictures of my children cleaning their desks with shaving cream - FUN! and my adorable nieces playing in the laundry basket. I'm also making a list of things I haven't yet done in LA that I want to do...

1. Go to the Museum of Tolerance
2. Go to Santa Monica pier
so it's not much of a list yet...any suggestions?

Movie...

Ok, so I made my first "movie" It's not all that great...but I now have 27 copies of it and my kids are cute and I know they'll be excited...so I'm excited and it's fairly cute - not as cute as some other people's movie (not naming any 1st grade teachers names...) I tried loading it...but I can't seem to figure it out - any help here?? We did decide that we should make a Japan movie for when we come back - let the movie do the talking about our adventures and I can post it "in progress" Fun!! I had this lovely relaxing weekend - gotta love when report cards are done, Spring Concert is done, packing is being ignored and I had NO commitments this weekend, rare as that may be :) So I spent the weekend reading, went on a walk to get ice cream with my roommate and was generally lazy! So that's my idea of a good time...anybody do anything fun this weekend?

The end of the year...

For people that know me, they know that the first day of school is like a national holiday...or at least it should be. I HATE the last day of school (except for last year...no comment there) it's always the end of something that I've loved and lived daily. Blood, sweat, and tears - ok more like, band-aids, kleenex, and lots of soap, but A LOT has gone into these kids and their families. And I love every second of it - some more then others...but every second. This class has been one of my favorites - I seem to adore all my even years of kids. First year was interesting, special because they were the first. Second year was fun - they were my hug a bunches and very sweet - I still have them coming by for hugs :). Third year was ok - a couple of VERY strange kids, but overall a decent year. 4th year was lovely, I loved that class. Fifth year made me question my ability as a teacher and made me cry most days, but I learned I could persevere. And now this year...I have 5 siblings of previous students (gotta love repeat customers!! and I do love those 5 families!) and the whole class is an absolute crack up, there are very few days that I haven't come home with some funny tidbit, I could write a book all about their little escapades. The latest one involves how old you need to be for a cootie shot because yes, boys and girls still have cooties - I told them there's a shot when they go to college. I love that they take me seriously and one even asked if his college brother had had one. Anyway, back from my bird walk. I'm dreading this last day of school in particular because it's more of a permanent good - bye and it puts me that much closer to a lot more good-byes. Sigh....

Too fast...

So I've realized that I would like it very much if time could slow down for the next two months...I have dr.s to see, the dentist, computers to deal with, a classroom to pack, a house to pack, all that stuff to move, a car to store, insurance to be dealt with, summer school to teach...I think the list might go on, but I'm not sure. And all I really want to do is spend time with my friends and enjoy the next two months. hmmmm, I guess it's good that I'm so relaxed about all that needs to be done...any volunteers to help whittle it down?? Anyway, speaking of enjoying time with friends, I added a couple of Disneyland pictures (trying new things on my blog!) I apparently need to practice because it won't go where I want it...oh well! Oh and there's one picture of my hilarious class...the Giggleboxes at Junior Olympics - they crack me up!!