First Two Weeks of School

Well, we have all officially survived the first two weeks of school! We started on Tuesday, August 21st and had that first four-day week. Then we went the full five days the second week! Now it is Labor Day weekend, so we have off tomorrow (Monday) and then we are back to it again! I feel like I had a rough time getting into the groove of it. I think once I'm there each day, by the second hour it's fine. But then we I have time at home like I do this weekend, it's like, "Aww man... this is so nice and relaxing. I wish I didn't have to work full-time!" I really think I'm going to try to not teach next year, but it's hard because if I work full-time for the school district for five years, then I'm "vested" and that's something good for retirement (I actually have no idea what... but...) So we will see what happens come like, February, and if I feel like I will sign on for another year. At this point though, I'm saying no. 

Avery started sixth grade this year and we are still trying to work out the kinks. I know she is a little behind in math, but after they tested her a few days ago, they said, "She is a LITTLE behind, but not drastically behind." So it's up to us if we want to keep her in the current math class she's in (with a teacher that gives LOTS of homework each night) or move her to the easier math class with only 12 students in it and less homework. That's the way I'm leaning towards, but I think Avery is worried about the social aspect of things and wants to be with the "normal" kids. I think we will meet with her teachers next week and try to decide. I just no that we will not last a whole school year of doing hours of math at the dining table every weeknight from 4:30-7pm and that's what we did last week.

Caleb started at the high school, which is his sophomore year. He kind of goes up and down with his grades. He will be doing great, then he will forget to turn in something big and suddenly drop to a C. It drives me crazy. He just doesn't have the OCD nature about school that Gabe does. He is also busy with football and is playing both JV and Varsity. He usually plays at least half of the JV games, and then suits up for Varsity as kind of a backup center. He doesn't usually play more than five minutes for Varsity though. I think it's just to get him ready for next year. However, only about 5 sophomores are even suiting up for Varsity, so he still considers it pretty cool. 

Gabe started his senior year. I can't believe that honestly. He has a pretty nice schedule this first trimester. He has an online history class for his first hour, which he busted his butt on morning, noon, and night for the past two weeks and is ALREADY DONE WITH! Then for the rest of his day, he is in the environmental science class where they go to school every other day and alternate with going into the woods to do plant studies and things. Somehow this class also gives him an English and a math credit, so basically, he's with his same little group every day from 9:45 - 3:30. I think he kind of misses the social aspect of talking to lots of different people in different classes every day, but it's a super easy day. He said it's going to be kind of hard to go back to a normal school day after Thanksgiving. 

As for me, so far I have been pretty happy with the group of 8th graders that I have. It's honestly my ninth graders from last year who come into my classroom throughout the day that are kind of giving me a headache! I've actually started leaving at lunch every day because they were being so rowdy and messy in my room at lunch! I love that they love me, but I feel like they need to learn boundaries! Sometimes they will even burst into my classroom when I'm teaching! It's a lot to handle. But as for my 8th graders, so far they seem pretty good. 

Josh has been STILL working on the yard. I feel like we got it about 90 percent of the way done by August 11th, but the last 10 percent seems to be taking forever. We really just need to get woodchips at this point. We are debating if we want woodchips in the front AND the back, or if we want rock in the front of the house and woodchips in the back. Woodchips are cheaper, but they fade and blow away and you need to replace them every couple of years. I also went on Amazon and bought these string lights and metal poles for the back patio. I really want Josh to build a pergola, but he told me that wasn't happening this year, so that means it probably won't happen ever....So, yeah! 

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to lately and the first day of school!