ahhhh...summer is here

well, i made it...there were times i wasn't sure i was going to get through this past school year.  not because i had troubled kids, actually quite the contrary...this is by far one of the BEST years (of students) i have had (in my 16 years of teaching).  i taught a 5/6 blend....14 6th graders and 21 5th graders.  generally speaking, blended classes are made up of independent, bright students.  this blended class was no exception.  WOW!  i would say the class average was an A-....seriously, i had some of the brightest, most creative students...they taught me so much during this year.  it was a fun and unique year, though, because i kept finding all of these fabulous projects on pinterest to try out on my students-especially since i had never taught 6th grade before.  i spent so much time on the computer and planning...and it paid off though...we had some pretty cool projects and lessons.  because of this, however, i was spent...just tired and ready for a summer break to do whatever i wanted-whenever i wanted!  so...summer is here.  i HEART summer!  here are a few pics of the craziness of this year...PS did i mention that i really like to "get into character" when i teach...

 the queen of mesopotamia

 my favorite pinterest project..."when we grow up..."

 jenny, a pilgrim girl from the mayflower voyage

 who doesn't love "nerd day"?

a greecian princess

first day nightmare

so my girlies started preschool and pre-k this past week.  we have all been so excited for it for weeks, probably months.  on wednesday night, the night before, i packed up their bags of extra clothes, crib sheets for nap time, etc.  we laid out their clothes, had them wake up early on thursday so i could do their hair, take pics, eat breakfast with them, etc before i went to work.  mark has the blessing of taking them each day.  well i took the new car, liberty, as we have affectionally named her, because it gets better gas mileage than the toyota.  as i am just getting ready to transition to the 57 freeway, i receive a phone call from mark.  he goes on to tell me that i have taken the only set of keys to the toyota, the car he was taking the girls to school in......silence.....crickets......then tears.  i couldn't believe it.  i did not have time turn around and almost panicked.  fortunately, grandma valla lives close by and mark was eventually able to take the girls to school...one at a time because we had only one car seat.  the girls had to flip a coin for the first ride.  august won!  all-in-all the girls had a fabulous day and i was able to pick them up and take them for some ice cream afterward.  at least the first day is overwith...phew...we survived.

this is the funniest video and so incredibly typical of our girlies!

a new skool year

did anyone notice i spelled school incorrectly in the title??? just checking.  sorry, occupational hazard.  i am pretty sure i could get sued for posting this pic, but what the heck.  they are the cutest bunch and so incredibly quirky.  i call them the quirky bunch (sung to the theme of the brady bunch).  32 of them!  the other day one of my students (to remain anonymous to protect the innocent-heehee, i just wanted to say that) told me about her many cats she owned.  she proceeded to tell me that one of them was "special ed."  she was dead serious.  it has a lazy eye and walks quite unbalanced.  i about died laughing!  i should have asked her if it had an IEP????