School Days in 2020ville

I think I posted some of these pics already but I cannot remember and don't have time to look back. The start to the school year is a crazy one. We are all doing well. Exhausted. But well! I took two weeks off of therapy so we can adjust, it feels really nice to lead an "average" life where you get to go home after work. We are enjoying it while it lasts because it won't last long. 

Pool day at Aunt Leesies before school starts. Of course she had cupcakes to decorate. Fun with friends!

Attempted the sleepover, nope. This boy is so excited to be with his sissy girl he couldn't settle. She was so disappointed, she wants him to stay the night with her as bad as he wants to stay. He gets too hyper. 

This guard was left on the bed we bought from the previous owner and it would allow them to stay together, if Bubs wasn't in the mood to party all night and would close his eyes!

Evening stretching. 

Luiz took us to get ICE CREAM! Yummy! Thanks Uncle Luiz

Everett LOVES how high this swing goes! 

Congrats Merris!!! Baby on the way, number five for their brady bunch! 

My friend Kate that is a teacher at my school is Kingston's mom and Doe is her mom and Michael is her step-dad and she has shared her parents with us since we need some! Michael is Everett's fav person and picks him up from school each day, we are all in heaven. Anywhoo, Kate just had a baby girl so I grabbed Kingston for a few hours and we celebrated baby sis with a pink cake pop! 

We already had cousin Julia over to play and she knows Kingston too since she used to go stay with Doe and Michael too! 

Before school started, trying to get that boy potty trained. Nope. He can hold it all day, he will NOT go on the potty. At least when he finally goes on the potty I know he has great control. Sissy is sharpening her skills so she can impress her first grade teacher! 

This pic brings me so much joy!

He hates brushing his own teeth but he'll brush Elmo's, with dad's socks on of course. 

Kensleigh - Kinston's baby sis! 

Aunt Leesie trying to help. 

I had to stay late at work to get enough done to be prepared. I'm glad I'm forced to leave since I have kids because I could spend forever at work, it'll never be done. I got one late night and Andre got the kid from Doe and Michael. Everett passed out on the way home, he isn't used to not napping. He was so tuckered out he stayed asleep on the rug in the living room while Clara tucked him in and snuggled next to him. 

LOVE THEM

This old chalk board is something I use to decorate my classroom and it's from Mrs. Vig's class. Love it!

Getting organized. I changed grade levels so many years in a row, I stopped filing my papers because it felt like a waste of time when I had a new curriculum to learn each year. I've been in third for a few years now and so I've decided to organize my files again. So that will likely mean I'll be teaching another grade level next year. Bahahahah. Please no! 

The bar! Andre painted the walls and got busy. The chandelier doesn't match the decor but that's a project for later. I hate to get rid of all the beautiful lights they have in the house but they're a bit fancy for our taste. This one is growing on me a bit. 

Puttin on a show

Testing out the new chalkboard wall. I may have already explained this, but this is the space under the stairs that we're leaving for the kids to play. no space for a vacuum but they love it and it's nice to have toys downstairs and a space to shove them all away and close the door!

End of summer, Adventure Island with Tiffy and a few cousins too

Clara and I went to grab her a first day of school outfit. Not because she needs clothes, we are so thankful that we get so many hand me downs we never have to shop for her but she is anxious about going into a "grade". First is a "grade" mom, it's a bigger deal. I've explained how grades are not scary at all but getting a new outfit and a new lunch box (she needed one anyway) gets her excited. She said she wished it could be a proper mommy daughter date so we made it just that. The lady scraping at my feet and callouses was sweating. I felt so bad. The move really did a number on my feet, so it was great that Clara wanted to step up our night out. 

The poor girl was a bit disheveled. 

Mommy got a sneak peak at her desk! This got her really excited!!!

Clara's schedule. 

Cheers to baby girl Kinsleigh 

This boy and I had some time to ourselves while the big kids went on some big slides. He gets so mad at the water park sometimes because he wants to do things he isn't able to do and doesn't want help. I feel so bad, I can't wait until his body can do what his mind wants it to!

Dipin dots

First Day of Kindergarten and First Grade! 

Daddy draws notes for them each day, of course they showed up upside down. 

Andre didn't like the height of the TV on top of the fire place. The good news is the fire place is mobile so he cut off the bottom and it all looks great!

Daddy daughter dance is coming

Adventure Island tuckered her out

Everett in school! I got to take him in before school started. Guess what I forgot?!?!? Yea, to take pictures. I can't believe it. I was so worried about making sure everyone knew what he needed. I type up a bio about bubby each year and make copies of the signs he uses and give a copy of his IEP to anyone that works with him. I had all my folders ready with a bracelet for his teacher and assistant and I was so caught up in making sure he would be taken care of, I forgot to take pictures. I was so mad. Thankfully he has the best teacher and assistant and they took some for me and still send me pictures and videos almost daily. It makes my day! 

Sissy was really sad not having bubby with us. It was so hard to let him go, it felt so wrong but he is in such great hands, I couldn't have a better set up with him away from me. He is doing great and loves school. Daddy drops him off and he is fine to give hugs and say goodbye and goes with Miss Dawn. 

I couldn't be luckier to call these two mine!

First day! I'm so glad Clara is on the waiting list, and I'm not going to lie, it would be great it she was with me all year. I think we both need this. I think she would have struggled going and I think she is going to really struggle leaving whenever there is a spot for her because she has familiar friends in her class and loves her teacher and being with me. I know Madeira Beach will offer her more and she'll stay through middle school which is what's so amazing about it. For now, we will enjoy the time we have together. 

She is so excited to play with Thomas. Another teacher who works on my third grade team has a son, Thomas, who is Clara's age and they're in the same class! 

I really didn't want to take this picture. However, I wanted to show my boy how sad I was without him. I called Andre and lost it and hid it from Clara. It feels so wrong being without him. Bubby boy, you should never be anywhere but attached to my hip. I'll get to you (and Clara once she is there) one day! 

Reunited. 

My first picture of the year. 

No parents can walk their kids into the school building this year. It makes me so sad for the kids and parents. I took pictures of all my students with the signs I have for my kids. I just had them use chalk so they could make it personal. I feel so fortunate to be able to walk my baby to class when the rest of the world cannot. 

Mrs. Ress!! :) 

I cannot handle how long she is getting. 

I took selfie's with all my students. Here is one cuite. I sent the parents all sorts of pictures from the first day since they didn't get to come in. I spent half the day taking pics. 

Socks up and I'm ready for my first day of K!

After our first day of school we had nuggets fries and some homemade cookies

Pics from his teachers

Aunt Leesie brought fun surprises by after the first day of school 

My pal Ms. Dawn! This is Everett's one on one assistant. I taught her daughter 9 years ago at Shore Acres! Small world! We are so thrilled to have her looking after little man! 

Ms. Greene - My Kindergarten Teacher

My family photo

SNAP chat fun after school

Kiwi kit! Everett got a cool race car kit! 

Pool Party - Dylan got a Go Pro camera when we went to the keys and he put together an awesome slideshow.  

We went over to the Fegers to watch it and swim and eat, check it out:

Keys Slide Show

He did a great job capturing so many fabulous moments. 

The girls playing in our messy playroom. Andre just put a ceiling fan up in place of this light. It gets warm upstairs and we don't want to crank the AC and there wasn't ONE fan. We didn't think about it until we moved in the first night and the air was busted. 

I cuddled this girl to sleep. There's no better feeling. It seems like she's my little baby when I stare at her face close up, like time hasn't completely flown by, then I stand up and see her length and I want to crumble and go back in time. 

This sweet face, those lashes, just like when she was a small babe. Now so big!

Nighttime reading

This is a whisper phone. I am certain he wasn't whispering. He was supposed to be reading his book but instead he was having a phone conversation with Papa probably. Dawn said there were a lot of "okays". He LOVES to have pretend phone conversations. I'm sure he was in heaven with this. Now to get him to read without being a big pest about it. 

Our first two weeks have been great, and just pure chaos. I have 11 students currently. They are all 6 feet apart all day. In line, in class, in lunch, at recess. ALL DAY. It's hard but they are doing so well. They wear their masks most of the day and some do better than others of course. We take breaks at our desks throughout the day but most are fine with the masks. They are a sweet bunch and we are off to a great start. Clara loves her class and her teacher and has so much to tell me at the end of the day. Dawn fills out a chart I created which tells me everything I need to know about Everett's day since he cannot tell me yet. I added a section this year since I'm not there to talk with his assistant at the end of the day like usual where she jots what he did, some of his favorite activities. He loves to talk to me about them and looks at me like, "How did you know?" School is off to a great start. I hope we can stay brick and mortar because of course I'd have to learn a completely new program, the third one, for online teaching. Apparently I'm supposed to have lessons on it right now ready to go just in case. I'm not sure where I'm supposed to find the time to do that. Teachers are being asked to do the unthinkable right now. SO many teachers are hybrid, and teaching kids in their room and virtual and it's NUTS. I'd be losing my mind. We're testing the kids like usual, are people crazy?! I'm so over it. If I'm punished for not keeping up with the program I don't have to sue right now, but might last minute if there is a case in my class then I'll have to deal with the heat. As it is, I try to be a mom and get out of teacher mode until I get the kids to bed. It's finally 9 when I sit down to do my regular work for the brick and mortar demands, I'm up until 11-12 preparing for that, where is the time for me to learn a new program? In which other business do you pay for all the things you need for your profession and also work overtime, for free, it's just expected. I'm super over the bs that comse along with teaching. I feel terrible for the teachers who are doing both and stressed and exhausted more than me, I have nightmares I have to be hybrid or even go virtual. For the love of everything holy, please no. I cannot do more. I want to me a mom, and I'd like to get enough sleep to go for my 5am walks and maybe do something for myself, Pahahahahah, who am I kidding. Rant over.