Gotta Make It Quick

I hit the snooze button several times this morning, which resulted in me waking up about 30 minutes later than I usually do.  Which then led to me checking emails before writing my blog post.  Which now means I only have about 20 minutes before it's time for me to go and get ready for a super day in the classroom.

Despite everything I said about my not going to be out running around last night, and coming straight home and having an early night...that didn't happen.  I, somehow, still didn't make it home until after 9PM and after showers, bedtime stories, and making sure everyone else was nestled safely in bed, I didn't end up in bed until close to 11PM.  Again.

I did actually make it home at my usual time of 7PM, and got to eat something.  But, then an hour later I was out driving to Walmart to pick up food for Payton's game tonight.  I had completely forgotten that I was responsible for providing sandwiches for the team tonight.  And a trip to Walmart can never just be a quick one.  At 8PM, I still ended up being there for almost an hour and..like I said, not getting home until after 9PM. 

Yesterday was a busy day.  Tough because I was so stinkin' tired, but the busyness kept me awake and alert.  

It was the Student Council Election Day, and Peanut was running for President.  Unfortunately, she didn't win.  Which really bummed her out.  But she did make representative... something I'm much happier about than she is.  She had really gotten her heart set on that presidency...and had worked long and hard on the perfect speech.  The child really has a future in politics, I tell ya, but she doesn't really grasp that at the end of the day it doesn't matter how good a speech is - kids are going to vote for their friends.  Period.  

Peanut is pretty popular, and the loss wasn't by a landslide.  It was a pretty close race all the way through, but her competitor ended up coming out victorious.  It was much better than it was last time, when she ran for a position and didn't make it because nobody knew her yet.  

I'm a student council sponsor, so I was keeping my eye on the online voting polls all day.  One of the other sponsors is a tech wizard, and for the first time ever, set up an online voting system.  The kids thought it was super cool...and the teachers loved being able to watch the results as they were streaming in throughout the day.

I couldn't be there when the speeches were all given on Tuesday, but the other sponsor did record the speeches.  I've yet to see them, but when I get my hands on the link to where he uploaded them - I will share it with you all.  I had been in a training that day, but when I got back to the school that afternoon, I received several compliments about how wonderful Peanut's speech was.  I can't wait to actually see and hear it.

The kiddos in my class have all been rockstars this week.  They have worked super hard, have been turning in homework, and were perfect angels for my substitute on Tuesday.  I'm discovering more and more about what motivates these kids each day, and it's amazing the changes I've seen in just a few weeks.

One thing I can really feel good about is my classroom management.  OK, so it helps that I start out with pretty good kids.  This is the second year in a row that I've been dealt a great hand when it comes to students.  But even good kids know how to test boundaries and try and find out what they can and can't get away with.  Apparently, I've made those things perfectly clear...and the procedures and expectations have been set firmly in place.  Because it is so much less of a chore to get the kids to do what I ask them to do.  They have started taking initiative, taking more responsibility for their own learning, and following directions to the T.  

And it feels pretty good to say that only being in to the fourth full week of school.

Having a great class makes stuff like lack of sleep much easier on me.  Even though I show up tired and physically drained - they have really helped me stay mentally focused and charged.  And, that's a great thing to feel when you're exhausted.

OK, I've rambled on enough this morning... I apologize if this seems a little all over the place.  I'm running on a quarter of a tank, and some sputtering is bound to take place.  

I'm in for another late night tonight, as Peanut travels for her first away game.  Which means Momma also has to travel to her first away game of the season.  But, on the bright side...tomorrow is Friday, meaning I have just two full days to make it though before I can recharge my batteries.

I'm pretty sure my blog post won't be written until well after noon on Saturday.  HA!

OK... time to run...

Have a great Thursday!!

Jo