The First Day of School

One of the down sides of being a teacher, is that you have to miss out on being a Mom on the first day of school.  I had to be at work REALLY early that first day, so I didn't get to see the kids until they showed up at school (and I didn't get to see Sam until I got home late that night!).  Luckily, they were very excited for their Dad to take them to school.  The only problem was that the only control I had over the whole morning was laying out clothes the night before.  It was up to Dad to make sure everyone actually put on the clothes that I had out, brushed their hair, brushed their teeth, took some pictures and made it to 2 different schools on time!

Other than Lucy's hair not really getting brushed, I am pleased to announce that Pancho did a very good job!  He even took a few pictures for me!

The first stop was Spring Creek Elementary, for Sam's first day of 4th grade.

Sam's 3rd grade teacher got moved up to 4th grade this year and Sam moved up with her.  This really cut down on that first day of school anxiety, because he already knew his teacher and most of the kids in his class.  He was actually a little bit excited to start school this year (this is HUGE progress!).

Max and Lucy at O'Hara

 . . . so much sibling LOVE!

Lucy with her awesome teacher Mrs. Vriem.

She is the only teacher to have had all 3 Fulton children.  I am so happy that she finally gets to have Lucy!  I feel like its a little redemption that we really are good parents!  Ha ha - no offense to my boys!

Lucy couldn't sleep the night before school started because she was so excited to be in first grade!

(side note - Mrs. Vriem's daughter is in my class!)

Max is in 5th grade, in Mr. Floretta's class.

I am so happy that he gets to have such a spectacular teacher (my teaching partner is the BEST!)

I cannot let this picture go by without mention of the elephant in the room - THE GLASSES!

Yup!  He loves them!  They are very expensive (I know because I paid for them) prescription sports goggles.  I wasn't sure about how wearing them to school was going to go BUT. . . they have been a HUGE hit with the other students.  All of the boys in 5th grade think they are so cool!  The other parents and my fellow teachers, on the other hand, have had a few giggles over them though.  I am thinking that these are going to be those awkward pre-teen pictures that we are all going to look back at and have a good laugh someday (because the hair style is not much better and also his choice).  You gotta love Max's confidence though, and his unique sense of style.

This was the only picture Pancho took of me on MY first day of school!

It was a really long day, but lots of fun too!

I am so excited to be teaching Max's class this year. Many of these kids, I have watched grow up since they were in the 3 year olds class together, 8 years ago!

I took some pictures of the kids in my class working on a very cool Science experiment.  This is one I got of Max working in his group.  They had to make a boat out of clay and one out of tinfoil and see which one would float better.  Then they tested how many pennies their boat would hold.   So fun!

So far having Max in my Science and Social Studies class has gone very well!

My life is pretty busy right now . . .

In fact, sometimes I am not sure how I do it all.  For future reference, I am going to record how I spend an average day right now.  Feel free to skip this part!

5:00am - alarm goes off

5:00-5:45 - I get myself ready

5:45- 6:45 - wake up kids, help them get ready, make them breakfast, load lunches in backpacks, put in a load of laundy, do any dishes in the sink, pick up the house, make sure homework is in backpacks

6:45 -out the door

7:00 - get Sam to Springcreek where he goes to "Before School Care" until he can go to his classroom at 7:45  luckily he loves before school care and begs to go even when Pancho is home

7:20 - arrive at O'Hara

7:50 - my students walk in the door - be ready for the day!

8:10 - 3:00 - Teach Spelling, Reading, Writing, Science 5B, Social Studies 5B, Science 5A, Social Studies 5A, and Religion with a 35 min lunch break in the middle (which barely gives me time to go to the bathroom!)

*Lucy (Tues.& Thurs) is at soccer practice at this time out on the O'Hara field 3:00 - 3:45, then she comes in to my classroom and hangs out with me until I go home

3:00 - 3:20 - back lot duty (YUCK!)

3:30 - 4:30 - work myself into a tizzy and a sweat trying to plan for the next day, make copies, talk to any other teachers that you may have to connect with, call and return emails to parents, talk to any students who have questions, and feel like you will NEVER get everything finished that you need to! (not to mention all of the orthodontics, dentist, doctor, etc. appointments that have to fit in this time slot somehow)

4:30 or 4:45 - run out the doors of O'Hara very late and call my awesome babysitter Kaela and tell her that I am running late.  Ask her to get the boys started on putting their football clothes on and make them a quesadilla or something (I couldn't do this without Kaela - Thank You!!!!)

5:00 or 5:15 - Run through the door of my house VERY late!  Give Lucy a hug, thank Kaela profusely, yell at the boys that we need to be in the car NOW! and get back in the car to try to make it to football by 5:30.  Actually BOTH boys have football practice on the same nights and they both start at the same time at different fields.  So, Kaela takes Sam to his practice, then heads home, I take Max to his practice.

5:50 or 6:00 - make it back to my house with Lucy, lay out eveyones clothes for the next day, make my own lunch for the next day, put the clothes in the dryer, unload  the dishwasher

6:45 - 7:00 - drive to Sam's practice to pick him up

7:30 - get to Max's practice to pick him up

8:00 pm- Make it back home after 15 hours of running as fast as I can all  day! Whew!

9:00pm - put the kids to bed and fall in my own bed exhausted!

What a life!  I guess that you can say that the days go by fast!  I really do like everything that I do, I just need about 5 or 6 more hours in a day to get it all done.

side note - Max has football Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 5:30 - 7:30 (sometimes Mon. too!)

Sam has football Tuesday & Thursday 5:30 - 7:00

Lucy has soccer Tuesday and Thursday 3:00 - 3:45

Pancho is almost always out of town for work Monday - Thursday night!

Yes, that 's right, he makes it home just in time for Friday, the only night there is no practice!  (but I'm not bitter - ha ha just kidding)

I promise you that I am not complaining, I just wanted to record this amazing time in my life, because I probably won't believe that I made it through someday.  I also have to give credit to all of the people who help me . . .  my Mom and Dad, Kaela, and Pancho, between all of us, it all seems to get done!