Dirty Hands

After shelving books for 45 minutes, I washed my hands.  The suds and water were gray.  Ew.

Human Handkerchief

I saw a kindergartner wipe his runny nose on his teacher's shirt when he gave her a hug. 

Getting Things Done

As this is the last day of my long weekend, I'm spending it getting things done: grocery shopping, laundry, bike tune-ups, finishing a sewing project. I'd feel well rested except for the terrible night's sleep I got last night. Hoping tonight will fix that so I'm ready for the week. 

North Georgia State Fair

 

Today we went to the fair with friends!  We rode a few rides, pet some animals, and ate some cotton candy. Thankfully, it was cloudy and cool and we had some sponsor lounge passes (that provided us with free snacks and drinks). 

Megalopolis

Since everything looked good in our area, Nate and I decided to go on our prescheduled double date last night. We went out for pizza and then to the movie theater to see Megalopolis. It was… pretty terrible. It seemed like the kind of movie really pretentious people will say is their favorite and that if you don't also love it, it's because it went over your head.  1/5 stars- only because the acting was still pretty good and the costumes were beautiful. 

Totally Safe

No flooding, high winds, or downed trees that we can see from our windows. Everything seems to have passed, though hearing/reading lots of reports of flooding and downed trees in the area. We'll take a walk later this afternoon to see how the neighborhood faired. 

Call the Midwife

Over the past few months, I've watched every episode of every season of Call the Midwife from beginning to end. That's 13 seasons, 13 episodes.  I watched the last episode today, completing my quest.   I've loved every minute of it.  

Weather So Far

It's been raining since yesterday afternoon. Sometimes lighter, sometimes heavier, but no winds yet. Thankfully there's no flooding near us (yet) and I was even able to go out to Chick-fil-a to pick up lunch.  Korra's day has been full of video calls with friends and mine has been full of tv, cooking, and crafts. 

No School!

Due to the bad weather (hurricane coming in is predicted to bring flooding and very strong winds), they've cancelled school for tomorrow and Friday!  Really looking forward to reading in my pajamas tomorrow!

Borrowed Car

I'm very thankful Mom and Dad left their car here because I was able to drive it to and from school today. The rain has been pretty relentless since about 1:30 and I would not have enjoyed biking home. 

Snot in the Legos

A kindergartner sneezed into her Lego bin. Thick ropes of mucus all over. It was disgusting as was cleaning it out. 

Pre-Europe Stop

My parents are leaving for a nearly 2 week European river cruise tomorrow and since they're flying out of Atlanta, they're staying with us tonight. I'm so jealous but also so happy for them. 

Horseback Riding

Korra and a friend from Girl Scouts went to ride horses today. They had a good time and discovered they had more in common than they previously knew. It was less fun for me and the other mom, as the venue didn't have any seating or really even any shade for us to wait in during the hour long ride. 

90 degrees?!?

It was very hot yesterday. I biked to get groceries before 8 am (yay e-bike!) and then we spent the afternoon at breweries, chatting with our friends, while the kids rode scooters. Korra and I even went for a dip in the pool before dinner. It's supposed to be 90 today, tomorrow, AND Tuesday. Ugh. I just want to wear a sweatshirt and eat soup. 

Bike Bus Friday

I accidentally arrived at the first bike bus stop on my route 17 minutes early.  If I realized my mistake right away, I might have picked up a muffin at the coffee shop on my way. Maybe next week. 

Old Lady Names

Some names of students:

Odette

Loretta

Josaphine

Francis

Florence

Colette

Mildred

Theodora

Helena

Camille

Vivian

Henrietta

Lucille

Dorothy

Cora

Why do you smell like that?

Kindergarten is stinky in a totally different way from middle school.  Yesterday, one of  the kindergarteners smelled like pee.  Today, two of them either had BAD gas or had pooped their pants.  AND one kindergartener stuck her head in my armpit, took a big whiff, and then said, "Why do you smell like that?" 

Still sleepy, but getting things done

I just can't shake how tired I feel. Going to bed early (again) and taking my late day tomorrow. 

Thankfully, work is engaging but not exhausting. I'm getting a lot of book processing done and starting to weed duplicates and outdated books, in addition to teaching 2-3 classes a day. I started Readers' Theater with 5th grade (Kevin Henkes books!) and 2nd grade is learning how to use the card catalog. 

Colorado Flights Booked!

I tried doing a "flight watch" through our credit card to get the best price on our tickets to Colorado next month.  The prices only went down a few dollars per ticket, but there were less options because some flights were full.  Plus, waiting stressed me out.  Moral of the story: I'll keep buying my plane tickets way in advance.  

So sleepy

I'm dragging today. 

Traveling home

Korra and I drove to Chicago with a quick stop at the Mars Cheese Castle. 

We returned the car, grabbed some lunch, and got on our flight by 1:15. All our travel was pretty uneventful and Nate picked us up from the airport at 4:30.  It was a whirlwind of a trip, and I'm so glad we were able to go and celebrate my grandpa's birthday!

More Time with Grandparents

This morning we went to breakfast with my grandpa and then took a walk through downtown Waukesha. 

We spent some more time chatting with Grandpa before saying goodbye to him going out for custard at Le Duc's.  Afterwards we went to my grandma's house where we talked, played Rummycube and went out for dinner at Diamond Jim's. 

Now we're back at my aunt's and ready for bed- we're headed home tomorrow. 

Grandpa’s Birthday Celebrations

Hi Yesterday morning Korra and I drove from our hotel in Chicago to my Grandpa's place. My dad and uncle were already there and Todd and Sarah joined us soon after. We got Chinese take-out for lunch and took it to a local park. The weather was lovely, if unseasonably warm. It was actually the park that has the swimming pool where I learned how to swim and the park was also near there Grandpa grew up so he told us some stories about his childhood in the area. 

After lunch we went back to Grandpa's apartment for bithday long john doughnuts. We enjoyed looking through a really neat family history document that Grandpa's cousin made in 1998 that includes our lineage back to Ludwig and Catharina, who were born in the 1820s and immigrated to the US in the 1880s. It includes photocopies of the ship's manifest, requests for citizenship, obituaries, land maps, and photographs.  Then Grandpa took us on the tour of his building (it's been redecorated since I was last there) and we stopped in the garden where Grandpa had secretly planted 2 tomato plants. Todd and Korra helped him pick all the ripe tomatoes. 

We went over to my aunt's in the late afternoon to rest a bit and see my cousin Julie. Todd picked up ponza rottas from Jimmy's Grotto for dinner and we all went to bed early. 

It’s hotter?!?!

It's hotter in Chicago/Milwaukee this weekend than it is in Atlanta. I'd like to order some fall weather, please. 

Unexpected Turn of Events

Korra and I had an uneventful (though still stressful for me because I can't help but worry we're in the wrong place or missing something) flight to Chicago. When we landed, however, we found out that during our flight my sister learned that they'd been exposed to COVID so she got tests and… my niece tested positive. It sucks so much, especially for them, because they're flying back home today without getting to see anyone. Korra and I had to find a last minute hotel room since we couldn't stay with them as planned. 

We were feeling pretty exhausted by the time we found the rental car office and were flat out done when we arrived at the hotel at about 11 central time. Of course, my body won't let me sleep is so at 6, I'm wide awake. The plan is to leave here around 9:30 or 10 and drive to Grandpa's- about an hour and a half away. Hopefully everything else will go as planned. 

Another Flat Tire

Just as I pulled into our complex, I felt my rear tire wobble. Another flat tire. Ugh. Guess I know what I'll be doing as soon as I get back on Sunday. 

Not Travelling Yet

I'm meeting my sister, brother, and Dad in Wisconsin tomorrow.  They're travelling today and sending texts of their progress, but I'm still at work.  It's a little strange, but I am very thankful to live close to an airport and have a direct flight to Chicago.  Korra and I will board our plan around 8 pm tonight! 

Tears of Gratitude

When the kids were all doing their mindful moment this morning, I teared up a little.  I am so incredibly thankful to be at this school.  This is exactly where I'm supposed to be and it feel so good to be healthy and full of energy and patience and to be in a workplace that's healthy and treats me well.  

Kindergarten Meltdowns

Today I had a rough kindergarten class.  Thank goodness there were 2 other adults in here because even with only 16 of them, it was a lot.  One was wailing about forgetting her library book (full on sobbing, drooling, etc).  One was crawling around the room and hiding under furniture.  Two would not stop fighting over one tiny piece of Lego.  And that's in addition to several others who would not follow directions about sitting down or not yelling.  BUT, before the 45 minutes were over, everyone was calm, engaged, and where they should be.  It was rough, but there is growth and improvement.  I'm learning how to be a teacher to kindergarteners.  They are learning how to behave at school.  We're all working on regulating our emotions.  

Jury Duty Over!

I called in today and the automated line told me I don't need to call in anymore. I'm relieved that I won't have to miss school, I'm a little bummed I didn't get to experience federal jury duty. 

Library Injury

While trying to remove stickers from books, I accidentally stabbed my pointer finger with my very cool but very sharp label remover. Nothing like a good finger injury to start off the week. 

Vaccination Slump

Saturday night, none of us felt very well.  Achey, irritable, tired.  Much better than getting the flu or COVID, but still not the best way to spend an evening.  

Adulting

This morning I found a new dentist and made appointments for myself and Korra.  I made an account for my new eye insurance and ordered contacts.  All 3 of us went and got our flu and COVID booster vaccinations.  I also took a 2 mile walk and mopped.  Being an adult is not very fun sometimes.

Celebrity

A huge perk of being an elementary teacher: being treated like a celebrity. When I ride up to school, I hear several kids yell, "that's the librarian!"  It's a pretty nice ego boost. 

Last Long Day!

Today was the last day I taught 5 classes a day!  I'm really glad I got to see all 400 kids every week to get to know them, build relationships, establish routines. And also… I'm really glad that it was only for 6 weeks because there are a lot of library tasks that I've been putting off because there wasn't enough time. Starting next week, I'll only have 2-3 classes a day! 

Little improvements

My Thursday kindergarten class was really rough last week. This week, I tried some new techniques for handling challenging behaviors (temper tantrums, going "boneless," or refusing to follow directions) that worked well!  I'm getting better at managing a room full of 5 year olds!

9 Miles

Yesterday was a teacher work day.  I had to bike to the middle school campus, then to our campus, then to the eye doctor, before heading home.  Total- 9 miles.  Man, do I love my ebike.

No Jury Duty- Yet

I started my two weeks of "on call."  I didn't have to go in today and I don't have to go tomorrow. Nate checked and he doesn't have to report for his jury duty tomorrow. 

Korra’s Birthday (through the years)

 

12th Birthday

It's Korra's 12th birthday!  We started the day with scrambled eggs and cheese grits with my parents, then to the climbing gym to show off her skills. 

We went to lunch at Grindhouse for burgers, cheese fries, and milkshakes and then we spent an hour browsing in a bookstore. She recorded an episode of her new podcast with her cousin (it's about her two favorite book series), played sons video games, and then we played Zombie Kittens and Speed Scrabble. She's finishing the day in a bubble bath (in our big garden tub) while listening to a podcast. Pretty close to a perfect "Korra's favorite things" day. 

People often say that Korra looks simultaneously exactly like me and exactly like Nate. I feel like today was absolute proof that she is equally like both of us and also perfectly herself. I love her more every day.