Spring Break... It was lovely

In our little heel of the Louisiana boot, we are having our Spring Break. In this education world we live in, it has been nice to really have time to play a game of fetch with our dog, actually clean the house, and just sit in a comfy chair to enjoy the sunlight of a beautiful spring day.

So much was accomplished this week! My 15 year old son took his required 30 hours of classroom instruction. Now on to driving! I will have another young chauffeur to ride along with as I do errands. My how time surely go by quickly.

I finished the graduation announcements for my 18 year old. It seems no ones does the tradition invitations anymore. After begging him to take pictures and doing intensive research on the best price for picture announcements, I settled on Sam's Club. I can have 50 announcements made for $15! And I love the end results. It was easy to work with their templates. I was able to choose a cool font! My next step to hit that submit button and pick the announcements up. With all the emotion surrounding this occasion, I have to say I am super excited about this part.

Finished a great book , For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. Usually during this time of my break, I have completed at least 3 books, but this one took me a little longer to read. It was rich in Japanese culture and physics of all things. I guess I needed to let the cultural aspect sink in. The book was filled with footnotes explaining the many Japanese sayings and traditions. Footnotes on an e-reader is not as easy as looking down at the bottom of the page. With an e-reader, the footnote is linked to another page. I found myself constantly pressing my finger on the blue number and then going back to the page for a reread. All in all in was a great book!

Good Friday was fantastic! Being a busy mom and teacher can sadly keep me from spending time with my sisters. We gathered together at our parents house for some boiled crawfish, lots of laughter, and great conversations. It was so good to sit around the patio tables or jump flowers with our sweet Olivia. With two grown boys, I had forgotten what it was like to play within the imagination and simple joys of a 2 year old.

As we wrap up the week and return to work on Monday, I will look back on this week and be completely grateful that I had this time. Like many other school districts across this country, we will be prepping for state testing. It will certainly be an exhaustion two weeks ahead. Why is it that the only task to monitor and administer a test can be so very tiring? But I believe in their abilities and I know I have tried my best to prepare them. As a teacher friend says, "It is what it is".

So for all of you either going into testing next week or preparing those brilliant minds in your classroom, I wish you sanity, a calm spirit, and lots of chocolate or caffeine. Let's all try to remember the true purpose of why we walk into that classroom everyday.

May the odds be ever in your favor,