I decided late last night to take the morning off today. After getting my sub plans around, communicating with colleagues, and putting in for a sub, I went to bed later than I desired. Surprisingly, I slept well over an hour past my usual wake-up time. I needed the rest.
I stayed home to be with my daughter, who has been experiencing many health issues and discomfort. Being home allowed me to get some things set up that I've been meaning to get to, such as putting together a small seated pedal exercise machine. This allows her to exercise while sitting. I also made some bingo cards with lots of self-care/healthy choices. The goal is two bingoes a day. Surprisingly, the bingo cards were a hit and very motivating. Another great surprise.
By 10:30 this morning, I was feeling pulled to stay home all day, as I could see that if I left midday, we might be met with setbacks. So, I called my school, and to my surprise, the sub who was covering my morning could stay all day.
I had many sweet surprises today. I'm going back to work tomorrow, but the meeting planned for after school has already been canceled, so another good surprise that gets me home earlier to the people who need me most.
Life has been showing me many cards lately.
The good.
The bad.
You know the rest.
As much as work can be both stressful and rewarding, I have some incredible colleagues who help keep the stressful parts--lighter.
It's funny the things you hear outside of a classroom.
I was minding my business at my desk when I heard, "Maybe Betsy needs an embrace."
I raised my head to see Carrie with Theresa outside my door, stifling a silly laugh. These are my "heart hand" friends. Anytime we begin to feel that, is this really happening, feeling that you get in school when you are an adult surrounded by teenagers, we just throw up our hands in the shape of a heart, and it makes it okay.
Carrie came in and told me the crazy story about hugging that was occurring in a classroom down the hall. So naturally, we hugged, laughed, and laughed more because it was a Monday, and why not?
Today is an untitled day
a down day
full of clouds
streams of rain
down my face.
Trying to manifest
an up day
full of open sky
warm summer air
on my cheeks.
Today was so very blah. I made lists in my head of positive things. And on their own, they are positive; I'm so grateful, but today still held a space for dullness. I took some medicine for the headache. I took a nap to escape. I took a walk to get my head up. Tonight, I'll sleep it all away and look forward to a brand new day.
You wouldn't have caught me teaching summer school a year or more ago. After a challenging year, I was surprised I signed up. To my surprise, summer school has been wonderful. Today, we took a walking field trip to the college library in town. The library was empty, and although we had a small group, we quickly lost control during our exploration. A reminder that a library is the best place to play hide-and-seek, whether you plan to or not. Shrieks and giggles echoed. We couldn't help but laugh. After three floors of peek-a-boos, loud directive whispers, and blocked elevators, we all made it down to play math games and roll some story dice.
The difference between regular school and summer school, at least in my situation, is the freedom. We are focusing on skills, we have a small group, and it's a half day. There's no set curriculum, no timelines, unlimited popsicles, and the kids can take a break whenever it's needed. Needs can be met, we can laugh, and work at our own pace. Kind of a teacher's dream.
It's the first Monday after school is out and I find myself at a table of colleagues for a leadership conference. Truthfully, I was not mentally prepared for the silliness that consumed the first hour or two and found myself checking out a bit. It wasn't the presenters fault, their energy was celebratory, kind of cheesy, and there were many attempts at metaphors--like literally wearing a life jacket to make a point. It was likely very similar to my seventh graders feelings when I am enthusiastic about something and they are completely over it.
To calm my pretty unreasonable frustration I went back a to a poem I found a few days ago. The poem I shared for the call to slices today at TWT. I copied it down and then continued to write as I listened to one speaker, change to another. It helped me feel productive and also calmed my mind a bit.
thoughts at the table
Sitting and imagining the sun, the water, the rain.
It brings me to a place that feels
comforting
known
understood.
Where I've been
and
where I'm going.
Writing my message to the world
I'm finally hearing words that
resonate
feel warm
relevant.
The abrasive switched to smooth.
Knowledge for knowledge's sake
and not for
performance.
I'm not sure what type of tired I am right now, but its symptoms are mixed. I've been the kind of tired that is only realized when I finally sit and feel a sense of relief I didn't know I needed—the kind of tired where thirst and hunger are unrecognized. I have one half day left with students and maybe a full day's worth of hours to finish this school year. It's been a year deserving of extra rest and care. It's been a year of learning and revelations. It's been a year. I'm ready to rest.
As usual, a break never feels like a long enough time to do everything I want to do. I hope to keep chipping away at the list and enjoy the photos I hung on the wall, the organized closet, and the meal-prepping. Tomorrow, I will get caught up on lesson planning and clean a cabinet. What I really hope to do this week and every week in April is walk more. Whether it's outside or on my walking pad, I need to make it a priority during this stressful part of the school year.
Thanks to all the slicers who participated this month. You make the month truly special for so many people with your commitment and encouragement.
I started with some basic warmups for my neck. I realized many of my muscles were tighter than I thought. Loosening and warming them up felt really good. Next up was a really odd-looking chin tuck that did a lot more stretching than the one I had been doing. It felt amazing. Using a towel, I did an extension strengthening exercise. This one was good, too, but the last stretch was by far the most challenging.
If you need a solid 5-10 minute posture routine, I really like this one.
I've been working through my list of things to accomplish over spring break. So far, I am making good headway. Today, I went to visit my sister.
My sister just had a procedure done yesterday and was going to be recovering at home. It seemed like a perfect day to visit and take some goodies. I got some cooling eye gel patches, hand lotion, cocoa-covered almonds, and dry shampoo. I love a tiny gift bag, and everything fit perfectly inside. My sister was appreciative and even shared the almonds with me while we sat and watched a movie. It was nice to just sit and relax together. It seems like we often see each other with lots of other family around and rarely just each other. I hope we can do it more often.
Last night, my husband mentioned snow in the forecast, but we weren't under an advisory. Arie (the youngest) and I were already on spring break as of 2:31 p.m. earlier in the day. Shawn, also a teacher, had to work on Friday. We were all secretly hoping he'd get some wild snow day. But 5:30 a.m. came; I still woke up, took the pups out, and saw no sign of snow. I went back to bed. Shawn left for school, and I got up around 8:00 a.m.
As I walked to the living room, I looked out the window to find this:
Quite a change.
Again, I wonder if people outside of Michigan talk about the ridiculous unpredictability of Michigan weather as much as we all do.
A side note:
The puppies were thrilled to have one more hoorah with the white stuff.
My goals for spring break!
As I sit here, after a long (short) 4 day week, I'm thinking about what I hope to accomplish. The list in my head is a bit unreasonable. Keeping this in mind, my accountability list below is going to alternate between something fulfilling for myself among the things I want to finish.
Here goes:
Re-do and fill my photo frames with updated pictures.
Mop my floors.
Take lots of walks.
Clean the window sills.
Do my nails.
Organize my closet for spring.
Go get coffee with my sister.
Wash the kitchen cabinet doors.
Make some delicious salads for the week.
Take a small book shelf to my classroom.
Go out to breakfast.
Do some lesson planning/pacing.
Get together with my friends for lunch.
Yesterday, we had an early birthday dinner and gift-opening celebration with my parents. Arie was amazed and shocked.
Arie is a big crafter: paints, crochet, beads, clay, and all things paper-related. My mom is also a big crafter and loves this trait of Arie's. It is something they can share with each other. So, when my mom asked about getting Arie a Cricut Joy, I knew that would get a big smile.
What do you think?
Order and watch
The tracking begins.
Prep, bake, check
Then the driver
drives
my pies
perfect pie
perfect end
to pie day
Isn't it crazy that I can track my pizzas' progress? It's one of those things, and since I can, I will.
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| I couldn't wait. |
Each March, I have my favorite signs of spring, and they are always slice-worthy. One of my favorite signs each year is the snowdrops that pop up in bunches. I trek out to the far back woods behind my house, walk the trail a short way, and start to look.
These delicate flowers are so simple. Like little bells, they hang with just a few little white petals. The green leaves spring out of the ground like a nest. They are so soft and flowy. In the wind, the blooms bob while the leaves sway. So much movement as light flickers through them.
I'm always worried I'll miss them. Last year, I only saw a few of the last flowers. Lucky me, this time, I saw several bunches.
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| Seeing these flowers brings me a burst of happiness. |
After a long day, I threw in the sweet potato and carrot mixture I'd seasoned up yesterday. Then, I worked on shredding a bunch of brussel sprouts and some red cabbage. Gotta love my food processor, the true MVP. I already had some dressing mixed up; yummy tahini, date, and orange juice blend of ingredients. I also already had the grains and lentils ready, so it would all come together quickly.
In no particular order:
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| Cumin Roasted Carrot and Brussel Sprout Salad |
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| Parsley Chickpea Veggie Salad |
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| Southwest Bean and Quinoa Salad |
This was dinner and will be my lunch all week long. The bean salad is fantastic with chips. The brussel sprout salad would be amazing in a wrap. The parsley chickpea salad is just so fresh and full of texture; it's a winner. I love eating a plate of salad with a variety of flavors. Each one was so unique and filling.
Recipes are linked in the captions for each photo. I'm not 100% sure the links will work, but I thought it was worth a shot.
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| Willow and Walnut |
We were fortunate to welcome two new puppies into our home in late November. They are King Charles Cavaliers, and they are such a pair. Willow is a mixture of grey, black, tan, and white, while Walnut is almost entirely ruby brown, aside from some white patches here and there. Both are cuddly and sweet. They are true lap dogs when they aren't running full tilt through the backyard or tearing around the couch in circles chasing each other. Just like siblings, when one has something, the other wants it, and half the time, we are trying to figure out what they have. Both love to find a good stick or piece of bark to taunt each other with. I love their silly personalities and enjoyed several couch cuddles today between busy Sunday responsibilities.
I recently finished a round of physical therapy for a shoulder injury. My "at home" exercises were minimal, but we came up with a few more in my last two visits to beef up my ability to strengthen while I await an MRI. I have a couple of stretchy bands, but I wanted to set up a space for myself to work specifically on my shoulder strength. So, I dusted off the old Total Gym we bought about five years ago and made a small area for myself.
