HEY! New school year!---- you're on deck

Holy smokes I am exhausted right now...  It isn't so much the fact that I hauled myself out of bed indeed before 5 am (because I am crazy, that is why) but the fact that I ended up with 2 kayak sessions yesterday for a grand total of 9.3 miles or something to that effect....

Clouds began to breakup and the sun did indeed come out!

While I am certainly capable of going 9 plus miles in a kayak, I had also done a nice little weight lifting session on Saturday and concentrated on my shoulders, abs and arms. So, yeah, I feel MY triceps this morning.  And when I do fairly heavy workouts like that, I do not sleep well.  Because I wake up all the time and rearrange myself and fall fitfully back to sleep and then rinse and repeat.  I believe I got up at 1:30 and took ibu- evidence left on the kitchen counter points to that conclusion.  Lol.

This blue heron proved to be a little sneaky, but Lisa spotted him in a tree

It was a GORGEOUS day for kayaking though.  Both times!  I went on Butternut Lake with the Mad-Lisa friend in the morning.  We didn't see the eagle, as per usual, in the tree of choice- but we did scare up a blue heron and then followed the thing over to the other side of the lake.  And we founded him!!  YAY!  While there were a lot of fishing boats on the lake, it was pretty peaceful and nice.  Perfect temps, only light breezes- water therapy at its best.

The clouds were quite amazing- I was wishing for my wide-angle lens

Last night, the MA sprung it on me that he wanted to kayak with me--- so I am INCAPABLE of saying no to that, so off we went to Smith Lake.  I found some ducks and a loon and some fishermen- but only one boat full.  It was super nice last night and the river was like glass.  And then we got back in time to FaceTime with the Mad-Oldest son and his lovely family.  With those two girls, that can be quite the entertaining event.  Ava is starting to crawl around and Ella gets increasingly silly as she gets more tired....  It is quite enjoyable.  hehehe

Young mergansers

Anyway, I do realize the post title says something about school- so yeah, we have full-fledged, sitting-all-day, summer-ending meetings..... today and tomorrow.  And then there is Open House on Wednesday with school beginning on Sept.1.  I've just resigned myself to the meetings, as they must be morally obligated to "improving our teaching" or some such thing.  There is a session this morning that seems will be pertinent and sometime in the next 2 days I get to collaborate on curriculum with my compadre from the Glidden school- so there is that!!  I just hope that I have enough breathing room to keep working on my lesson plans.  I used to be able to have a semester worth of plans ready- but that was when I only taught elementary school.  So I retain that panic of not having more than the first 3 weeks pencilled in.  Though I know that is ridiculous and no one has a whole semester ready, unless they do the same thing all the time.  Which I am incapable of doing.  Which reminds me, I have a brand new first day of art for the elementary school in the works (I always love finding new stuff like this) and I have a HUGE amount of paper cutting that needs to be done- any volunteers???  Lol, just asking'!

This guy showed up unexpectedly right in front of me!  The light last night was lovely

Hey, when did it occur that it is so dark at 5am??  I know that there are clouds and an impending Thunderstorm, but wth is with that??  I think I am in seasonal denial.

A pair of fishermen were spotted- I have other photos- I just found this one interesting how the people pop out and the rest is sort of hazy-- and I see its a touch crooked.  oops.

Anyway, I have to finish this up and go do a few things- at least I do not have to dress up today.  That will be coming soon enough!

So, make this day a joyful one.  I, for one, will be avoiding the joy-stealers that lurk about the area.... I am going to make the best of the day if I possibly can.  Happy Monday!

Graduation Saturday- Before, during and after

I want it known right away that I am incredibly attached to my students.  I may complain, privately and not so privately, that they can be messy, selfish, inconsiderate, and at the end of the school year- LAZY!  Yes, lazy, you all know it- so no arguing!  Anyway, I also find them incredibly funny, smart, talented and so awesome.  I have know most of them since they were little bitty things- Kindergarteners!  That is the joy of living in a small town and working at a small school, you get to see the majority of your little kids through their school age lives!  So to say I am attached is a bit of an understatement.

Graduation is kind of hard for me, I appreciate the uniqueness of each student, know a lot of their personal story and what makes them happy and sad.  It shows in their art, it shows in their daily interactions.  And so to have these relationships come to an end, such as they are, is a heart wrenching affair.  I've had so many fantastic students through the years, and what is amazing is the phenomena known as facebook!!! I can keep up with them and their lives after hs on FB, which is something I really enjoy.  It is so cool to know what they are doing through their college/tech/jobs after school.  AND I have gotten 16 friend requests in the past 48 hours- all from former students, and in a few cases, kids I never even HAD as students in the art room.  Which is cool.

At any rate, there were a few tears shed by me this weekend, I have several special children graduating.  BUT WAIT, I guess the aren't children any more.

So while I don't have an extensive selection of photos from the parties, there are a few here, along with my carryings on the Thursday before graduation day- that is when the real goodbyes were said.

Billy H., Tim L., Mary P., me, Brooke, Lisa D.

I've know Lisa since she was a baby!  

Brandon,  Amanda, Belle, Emma, BrianS., Corey H., me, Ryan, Kaylee

Corey

Brandon

Belle, Brandon, Brian

Noelle, Ryan,Amanda, Kenray, Kayla, (Bo- the official mascot), Nicole, Tiffany, Harli, Mariah, Allie

Kenray

Sarah and I

Kenray and I on graduation day

My stars-  Sarah and Kenray

Part of the choir during the ceremony

FUNNY pic- Jon and John, Debi and Debbie Oswald

 Jon is my son, John is the MA's cousin's son- who is a teacher here, Me and Debbie Oswald who is John's wife.  AND she used to live in the house that I live in now!  At Brooke Sommerfeldt's party- yet another "Mad-realtive"!

Brenda Oswald- the carpenter's wife

My buddy Maia Oswald

I found Erica at Mark and Renee's house- at Lisa Donner's party.

It really was a lovely graduation day in spite of the spotty showers.

So it will all start over again next school year with the next batch of awesome students.  And we will find some joy. 

Birfday celebration- Birthday month ends with a bang

I had a wonderful birthday!  Thanks to any and all who participated in any way. And there were a lot of you!!  I got lots of love and hugs and wishes and it was great.  Birthday month is a great idea, you all ought to try it!

I began my day by going out for breakfast with the Mad-accountant.  I love going out for breakfast, and we haven't done it for a while.
 I have a picture of me in the morning, before breakfast- compare to the later in the evening photo!  hahaha  Great face- and that was the best one of me sitting by the campfire.  It was darker than it looks in the picture.  Really I was only on beer #2!

I spent a good deal of the day baking and shopping and cleaning and arranging and generally getting myself party worthy!  This is a pix of the somewhat homely chocolate cake from heartburn hell!

Here are some of my friends and relatives either feigning interest in my boisterous stories or the M-A, who is trying to pretend he doesn't know me!!  HAHAHAHAHA, that'll never work buddy!  

M-A, Rog and Lisa 

The elusive Mike plus Ed and Cathy

I let Jane sit on my butterfly throne!

I need to sit in my throne MORE often- now where did that tiara go??

The Builder and Brenda!

Cake cutting went terribly wrong

Now you know why

WA HOO

Can you imagine who was trying to take pix after 3.5 beers???  And 1.5 pieces of nasty chocolate cake???  5 points for the first correct answer!  Go and post those responses!!

Gorgeous smile

Notice the lack of blood shot eyes!

Wisely handed off the camera to other more sober guest

Cathy and birfday girl

Lots of Oswalds!!

Janey and me!!

The more you drink the more teeth that show!!!

I was pretty busy all day, what with making birthday cake, and then birthday dinner for myself, Fred and Mike, plus shopping and preparing for the party at the end of the day.  I was sort of exhausted by the time the guests arrived!  My guests included the Builder, Joe and his wife, Brenda, Jane and Rog and Ed and Cathy.  And of course Lisa, The Builder and Brenda's youngest, Joey- their oldest, and Mikey- my youngest.  I made that huge chocolate cake, brown-butter Rice Krispie treats (if you never had the brown butter kind, you havent tasted the best RK treats!) a few munchies and a selection of beverages.  Got a couple more outdoor chairs from town and a few other useful things from the rez!

Woo hoo!!!

Look closely for an unwanted guest!

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes~  Until next time hug your joy to pieces!