End of the year....

.......almost. 

I'm so exhausted it isn't remotely funny. This 'year' has been quite trying- emotionally, physically, psychologically. It is extremely difficult coming into a classroom after another teacher has started the year. I never wish to do it again, actually. I pray that all my future years of teaching shall be beginning to end. I have done the best I can with my youngens. It definitely hasn't been a negative experience as I have learned a whole heck of a lot. I feel like I've molded these darlings to the best of my ability and here I stand (read sit after a long day) proud of these kids and myself. I've had an amazing group of teachers to help out when needed. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have supportive teammates. Phew- can't imagine. 

Alas, the end of this school year is approaching and I'm ready. Ready to see what great things these kids do in years to come. Ready to see my next group of kids (yes, I have a job!!!!!!) and what they'll do. Ready to relax over the summer and spend time catching up with friends and family. Ready to sleep til 8am (heck I'll take 6 or 7am). Ready to be lazy and read a book. Ready to take vacations with my mister. 

All of that said, I'm sure by the time August comes I'll be ready for the early wake up calls...eager to mold my kids again :)

16 more days of teaching this group of kids. 16 more days to make a lasting impression. 16 more days of these 54 kids making me laugh, smile, cry, worry. Bring it :) oh, and 16 more days of waking up early and hoping I can stay awake longer than 8pm. 16 more days of setting an alarm. 

Here's to the next 16 days of impacting lives. 

Vicky, out :)

Rough Week

Haha!! This has definitely been a rough week. I am at a loss with some of my kids. I just don't know how to reach them anymore. I don't know how else to help them. And this week, it has me feeling like this picture. 

Today, I'm thankful it's Friday. I'm thankful for amazing teachers (friends) at my school. I'm thankful for a supportive family that lends an ear whenever I need. 

I'm just continuing to truck along and hoping that what I'm doing with them is making an impact, somewhere deep down. 

Here's to a weekend of recouping before another week of working my hind end off to get results. 

Vicky, out. 

Cannot Save People

Wow! 

Just wow. 

Agree? Disagree? Neutral?

I hope it's the best April 15th ever!! 

Delicious Ambiguity

Long time no write. I've been über busy at school and home. 

I've fallen in love with (young adult) dystopian literature. I'm loving it. I can't get enough of it. If the mister wouldn't judge me for the amount of books I already own, I'd buy every piece of dystopian lit I could find. 

One of my favorites thus far? Has to be Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series. Did you know she's only 22 years old? Amazing. I love seeing young authors! It gives me hope that what I'm doing in my room every Monday through Friday with these 54 youngens is not in vain. My hope is they'll become inspiring authors (or just able to hold their own in society). This picture makes me giggle each and every time I see it...

As I'm grading 54 imaginative narratives, I celebrate a little when I see one of my kids use the correct there/their/they're!! On the other hand, I cringe a little when I see an adult use there/their/they're incorrectly. It's my flaw. Grammatically judging others. In my younger years I did so publicly....correcting grammar out loud. Over the years, I have grown more to silently correcting grammar. Apparently nobody likes a know-it-all. Haha! 

Off of that soap box......

Dystopias. Make me smile. Make me cry. Make me escape reality. I can get lost in them! Maybe that's what I love most. Have you ever wished you could escape reality just for a bit? Escape being a grown-up? Escape it all just for a few minutes? Sometimes being a grown-up stinks. You have to make the tough decisions. You have to be responsible. 

God has been working on me, making me face reality that I have been trying to escape (off and on) for the past year plus. How can I just let go of things and just go full steam ahead? Meh. It's tough. But sometimes, you just gotta. Ya gotta get back on the saddle and ride it out. Trust. Faith. Hope. 

Veronica Roth said it best-

"Sometimes it’s frightening to let go and trust that I can deal with whatever happens. But life has a way of forcing me to do just that."

Life has a way of forcing me to do just that. Get back on the saddle and have faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to. 

And to end this week's show........

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity."

— Gilda Radner

Vicky, out :-)

Happy Valentine's Day 2014

This. This reminds me why I do what I do. This reminds me I am making a difference. This reminds me to keep on trucking. This reminds me to be thankful for the ones I am reaching. This reminds me to hold out hope for those not there *yet*. 

(We haven't hit your and you're) ;-) (it's on the menu for next week) 

And no one could replace you! 

And these? Oh, these are from the mister. He's a keeper, too! Makes up for the fact today's a duty day. 

I give him crap all the time for not being as romantic as he was when we first started dating. Haha! This... this'll cut him some slack for a while ;-) I love you babe!! 😘 

Days like today I'm reminded he loves me no matter what. I sure do love that man a lot!!

Fresh Opportunity

Thank you, Jesus! 

Time to make this a reality!! 

Prayers coveted and appreciated. 

Vicky, out. 

Dementia..............

.............you SUCK! A big, fat, nasty, fungus infested toe. 

I found this picture online and thought, man! how true is #4!!?? Then I thought, oh man, #5. Oh man. How hard it is to accept that your loved one cannot always respond in a way that is comprehensible. It is one of the toughest pills I've had to swallow. 

Some say I have had it easy so far. I don't live in town and I only see snippets. Maybe that's true. Maybe I can handle it all because I don't see it every day. Maybe I can handle it all because I'm good at talking with her. Tonight? Different story altogether. 

Tonight, I couldn't handle it all because I know life is precious and fragile. 

Tonight, unavoidable meltdown. 

Tonight, my cart has gone off course and I'm plummeting off the roller coaster. 

Tonight, I'm snuggled up with my two pups- all of us wishing the mister was home too. 

Tonight, I'm watching We Bought a Zoo and bawling my eyes out!!

Tonight, I'm laying here wishing we lived closer to family. 

Tonight, I want my family and friends to know how much I love them. I know they are the glue that helps me stay together. 

Just keep talking. 

Vicky, out.