So, I’m falling into that pattern of neglect again in terms of posting, and for that I apologize.
I’ve had a handful of things happen over the course of the past two weeks that have really impacted my life and my future. I can’t yet go into too many details about all of them, but here’s the basic gist.
Changes are coming my way over the course of this next year, professionally, and probably by extension, personally. It’s a little scary to not know what’s coming, but at the same time, kind of exciting to know that I have a lot of possibilities at my fingertips.
In other news, I unfortunately lost my dear Grandpa Bourey this past week. It was surprising, but not a major shock as he’s been sick for quite some time. But losing someone you love is always hard, and it was definitely rough…I was fortunate to be able to fly up with my parents (and even more fortunate that they purchased my tickets) and spend a good few days with my family. It’s always interesting when a lot of family members gather together in one place for whatever reason…I met a lot of people who I’ve only heard about or perhaps been Facebook friends with. It was great to see so many people, although not necessarily the best circumstances.
The beauty to be found in the tragedy of losing someone who was more or less the cornerstone of a family is that when people come together, though sad, they celebrate the life of the person who has passed. They mourn, of course, but in truth we can’t spend too much time mourning before we begin recounting tales of how the person touched our lives, or a funny anecdote. And that part is truly beautiful to witness and be a part of.
So, to wrap up this quick update into what’s been keeping me otherwise occupied, lots of things are heading my way and I’m going to be working really hard to move forward in a positive, proactive way. Be on the lookout for exciting news, which I will share as soon as I feel it’s appropriate. 🙂
Hope you’re all doing well. Have a great weekend!
Today is an interesting day in the church. It’s the day that we remember and in some ways relive the Last Supper of Christ with His apostles before His crucifixion.
The Maundy Thursday service has always been a favorite of mine for many reasons. Some of them are more logical than others.
1. It was one of my mom’s favorite services, and it makes me feel connected to her in some way. I have vivid memories, even from when I was an acolyte and was serving at the altar…of just hearing my mom sniffle through the service.
2. It’s a gorgeous service in its simplicity. There aren’t a bunch of hymns or a lot of pomp and circumstance, but it is easily one of the services that impacts me the most throughout the Christian calendar.
3. Hear our priest read the Psalms while the altar is being stripped is such a beautiful, powerful moment. I get goosebumps thinking about that part of the service.
4. After the service, we have the all-night vigil, and it’s always a beautiful set up. It’s also a very intense way to spend an hour of time with God.
So I’m excited to head to church tonight for many reasons. Part of my excitement comes from spending time with family, too. My dad has been out of town for the past few days, and I haven’t seen the lovely Linda in a good bit, either. So I’m glad to get to spend this time with them, especially with it being such a special service to be a part of.
I don’t know what or if you believe, but regardless, I hope you have a blessed Easter weekend. Depending on what’s going on for me over the next couple of days, I may not get to post, but I promise I’ll try my best. Worst case scenario, I’ll be back on Sunday or maybe Monday with some catch-up news.
Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Hello, Friday! I’ve missed you!
Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful day. 🙂 Here’s how mine is going so far:
Today’s Silver Linings:
1. We most definitely watched a Magic School Bus video today…the one where they go inside Ralphie to get the inside story on what’s making him sick. Amazing!
2. All of my report cards and done, proofread, and in their respective envelops. Score.
3. It is Friday, and that’s a silver lining if you ask me.
4. I’m attending what’s sure to be an interesting meeting after school. It will hopefully give me some insight, at least.
5. After said meeting, I am heading to that favorite place of mine with a bunch of my favorite people.
6. I didn’t think that we got to attend, but there’s a spelling bee for tracks 2 and 4 today, and we definitely got an invite at the last minute! My kids are excited because it offers a sneak peek of what they’ll be doing not too far from now.
7. I just realized earlier today that since Easter is next weekend, we only have a four day work week! Having a three day weekend is always a lovely surprise. 🙂
8. Today marks the end of third quarter. That’s pretty big. It’s also a reminder that EOGs are creeping closer and closer, and we’re about to dive into a whole bunch of EOG review.
9. As of right now, we’re all on green. Everybody! And I’m pretty sure this makes two days in a row. Awesome.
10. Wow, didn’t expect to be at 10 at this point in the day, but there we are! Today should be pretty awesome, but no worries if it isn’t. Tomorrow could totally be even better.
TGIF! Have a great Friday night!
Oh, Friday…why does it seem like it’s been so long since the last time I saw you?
You can’t really be in a bad mood on a Friday, so let’s get going with today’s list, shall we?
Today’s Silver Linings:
1. Did I mention that it’s Friday?
2. One of my students bought me a book from the Book Fair–it’s a Skippyjon Jones book, and those books are dear to my heart!
3. He actually approached a writing assignment head on today, and came up with a topic on his own. I helped him flush it out a little with more details, but I would say serious progress has been made.
4. It is beautiful outside–totally flip-flop weather.
5. I got my flippy-floppies, by the way. (I’m on a boat! Just kidding…won’t go there. :-D)
Gotta go grab the little ones from lunch, so I’ll catch you folks after school! 🙂 Later taters!
~*~*~*~* (TGIF!) *~*~*~*
Alright, alright, alright. (I always say that in my head with Matthew McConaughey’s voice…go figure.) Let’s see how this day is shaping up!
6. He drew me a super cool picture/sketch and I told him it reminded me of stained glass windows. He smiled really big and said he was thinking about the windows in his grandmother’s church when he drew it. Score one for me!
7. We did a massive timed multiplication quiz and I was a little worried that I would have a bunch of my students just pass out from distress over seeing so many problems to solve. They took it head on and while there’s still a lot of growing to do, they rocked it. I was a proud mama.
8. It’s Friday, and that means that I get to spend time with some of my favorite people in the world. 🙂 Yaaaaay, Friday!
9. Tomorrow is an exciting day. 🙂 I get to be present for a good friend’s wedding, and I’m so excited to see her all beautiful and ready to commit to the love of her life!
10. Fridays are amazing, but the cool thing about it is that tomorrow could be even better!
Have an awesome Friday night. Don’t party too hard, and I’ll catch you all tomorrow–SATURDAY!
It just keeps getting better.
This is gonna be a quick one, because I wasn’t able to post at school and I’m moments away from going out on the town with some of my favorite people.
Hold on tight, folks. Here we go!
Today’s Silver Linings:
1. Today is Friday. Point made.
2. Today we made Gallon Man, which is a really fun teaching tool to use when teaching customary units of capacity. He came up to me afterward and told me he thinks it might be the most fun activity he’s done in a long while. Score.
3. I’m dressed up pretty and ready to have some fun! 😀
4. I’m extra pretty because one of my favorite people in the world loaned me awesome earrings.
5. I got to eat some really yummy home-made cake! Happy Birthday, Rachel!
6. I would share Rachel’s happy thought for the day, but it’s a little on the rated R side of things. Glad something nice happened to you, though.
7. Tomorrow, I get to spend some time watching good movies with my parents.
8. Hillary’s happy thought: she gets to go to Texas in a few days for a cool work thing. Yay!
9. I’m going out dancing, and I have comfortable shoes! (They’re cute, too!)
10. Have a fantastic Friday night, loves, and don’t party too hard. I want you to be able to enjoy all that tomorrow has to offer!
Happy Weekend!
This day has been a chance to really revel in how beautifully broken I am. My heart has been really heavy over things I can’t change, but sometimes it’s hard to let things go when your moral compass tells you something just isn’t right. The beauty that I speak of is where my faith comes in. The wonderful thing is that no matter how stressed I am or how hopeless a situation makes me feel, I’m going to be okay because Jesus loves me.
I know that sounded corny, but for serious, kids, sometimes that’s all we’ve got to hold on to. And when you’re hanging by a thread, it makes a difference if it’s a thread of titanium steel or a fraying thread of twine, don’t you think?
So I’m working on letting go, and it will be a work in progress, but I’m still going to be finding those silver linings, so no worries there. The beauty of this undertaking of mine is that I’m forcing myself to move beyond daily stresses and find what was amazing. Even if it was that I got my kids to stand quietly in the hallway for all of 30 seconds unattended…there’s light in the small moment.
Thank you for continuing on this journey with me. I’ll post my list of today’s silver linings at the end of the day.
Happy Friday, folks.
~~~~~~~ (So glad we made it…)~~~~~~~
1. I taught a lesson on integrity today, spontaneously. It felt right and made my heart a little lighter.
2. When my kids were writing about people they admire, who they think show good integrity, one of my quieter kids chose to write about two of his classmates. It was very sweet, and something that he would not have been able to do at the beginning of the school year.
3. He wrote about his mom and why he admires her. It was sweet, and he did it (mostly) by himself. Any completed writing assignment I get from him is a hallelujah moment, if you catch my drift.
4. I work with some extraordinarily kind people.
5. After writing a finished paragraph about his mom, he actually wrote more than a page of responses to the four questions at the end of this week’s story. He did this quietly, at his seat, without complaining. (Hallelujah!)
6. I will get to see some of my favorite ladies tonight at our favorite hangout place.
7. Today is Friday, and that’s always a silver lining.
8. After a bump in the road yesterday afternoon and a little bit of this morning, he had a pretty awesome day. Our goal is for next week to be smooth sailing.
9. I have a lot of students who really do show a great amount of integrity.
10. And, beyond all else, remember that tomorrow offers the opportunity of bigger and better things.
I’m worn out, folks. I hope you had a great Friday and I guess I’ll catch you all tomorrow at some point. 🙂
Stay positive.
So, my voice is almost gone this morning, but it’s actually okay, because there’s a whole bunch of stuff going on today and I don’t have to teach that much, actually. It’s early, and the kids haven’t even arrived yet, but let’s get it going, shall we?
Today’s Silver Linings:
1. Helloooo, pay day!
2. Today is Career Day, so for the first half of the day, all of our students will be meeting and listening to a bunch of different professionals: sheriffs, newscasters, engineers, etc. Should be a lot of fun!
3. For the second half of the day, we’ll be eating lunch in the classroom and enjoying a movie about MLK. Thus, I will be able to rest my voice.
4. I have a microwave in my classroom, so I am able to make hot tea to get me through this day. 🙂 (I also have honey! See, Linda? I didn’t forget!)
I think that’s a great start for before the bell rings! (Which will be any minute now.) I’ll check back in with you later today, but have a great Friday, loves!
——- (Aaaaaand we’re back!) ——-
5. So my kids are currently watching a pretty cool movie called “My Friend Martin.” It’s really neat to see them learning about MLK this way.
6. I got to enjoy a little popcorn with my students during the movie.
7. My kids are getting excited about thinking about their futures, and their careers to come. His aspiration? A ninja.
8. I’m excited to have some hot tea with honey tonight while I catch up with a few of my favorite ladies. 🙂
9. By the way, in case I haven’t said so, my students totally rocked their concert yesterday. I was a very proud mama.
10. Remember, there’s always tomorrow! (And even better than that, tomorrow is Saturday!!)
Happy Friday everybody! See you tomorrow!
Hello, Friday! It’s so nice to see you again!
I’m starting early today!
Today’s Silver Linings:
1. Today is Lodge Day! 🙂
2. I get to have my favorite hazelnut coffee with some of my favorite ladies tonight.
3. I asked him to reach into the “super smart” part of his brain…and he found it.
4. Today I get to remind my kids that I’m awesome by bringing out my fantastic prize box! (Update: Had to postpone until Monday, but my kids still think I’m cool.)
5. Mmmm…pot roast for lunch.
6. My kids have become completely captivated by the Charlie Bone series. I love introducing something and winning them over! They are so psyched to finish this book today! (Update: Book was finished; worlds were rocked.)
7. His self-confidence is definitely increasing today. Always a good sign.
8. Where there is a mess, I will bring a Magic Eraser.
9. I watched a whole bunch of kids make fantastic thank you cards that will be sent to our troops. What a cool thing to know that the kids here at my school will make the day of someone somewhere in the trenches of war.
10. Hey, there’s always tomorrow. 🙂
Have an awesome weekend!
PS: The “he” I refer to here is the same “he” from yesterday…for anonymity’s sake I won’t use any students’ names here. (Also, I’d like to keep my job. Kthnx.) Suffice it to say, “he” is my life’s lesson in patience, though I love him just as fiercely as any of my students. (Sometimes I think I might love him twice as fiercely, actually.)
The Positivity Project 
