"First Week" Back to School

I say "first week" b/c in reality teachers get two first weeks.  The week we go back for inservice and then the first week with students.  Kind of like a warm up for the 10 month marathon we are about to embark on.  Technically, I got 3 first weeks back b/c I went back to school a week earlier in order to get everything prepped for the year (new curriculum in all classes, new everything in regards to technology, new textbooks, new principals, new...well you get the idea.)  So that means that my summer with the kiddos ended a bit earlier than preferred but as I started the year officially on August 4th, I felt marginally more prepared and slightly less frantic than I would've been.

The Sunday before teachers returned, we decided to take Jackman to do something fun and memorable (aka play putt putt!)  Widdi and Rachel came along to join in the fun and it was a very amusing afternoon :)  Lucy even got her own club and proceeded to chew on it as much as possible. (What's on her nose?  Oh, just another scab.  B/c she's determined to scrape off as much of the skin on her body before the age of 5 as possible.)

 My favorite part of the entire thing was watching Andy coach Jack and Jack eagerly asking his daddy for tips and advice and basically showing him how he managed to hit the ball period.  It was really cute.  And proof once again that Jack idolizes his daddy :)

First day of school picture!  (Technically this was week 2 of them being back at school but who's counting by this point?)

These two pictures are so precious of Lucy I had to put both on there.  Jack may look confused and out of it but that's because I had made him say the word "cheese" for a solid minute by this point and his smile had flatlined.  I think the shield adds a nice touch don't you think?

Sibling love!

And now that I'm back to school, the unsettling mom guilt sets in.  I'm seriously considering ordering this mug.

 Thankfully, my job offers quite a bit of comic humor since I'm working with teenagers.  I came back to my classroom during inservice on Friday only to find a nice little present in my room from some former students. We were celebrating the glorious defeat of the dumbest man to ever run for office.  Hasta la vista Campfield!

 My first week back with students was - as always - the same week as my birthday.  I'm super pumped about my classes and the students so far seem pretty great but no one likes to work on their birthday.  It's just a fact.  Luckily I have an awesome family - ones who bring me brownies and wine - and an awesome husband who insists on shortening my life even more by making me the best(worst for me) food ever.  For a Thursday, it was pretty awesome :)

Plus, how awesome is it to have friends that take you Karaoke-ing the next night for your birthday?!  This is Lizzi doing Gangsta's Paradise.

Lizzi was pretty much my co-singer all night - that's what sisters are for.  We did 3 duets and I'm pretty sure our Proud Mary made everyone at our table...well, proud.

I didn't get pictures of everyone that night but here's one of Rachel with our reservation sign.  Thanks to Chelsea for organizing the night out and to everyone for joining us for some off-key fun! Great way to start a new year!