So Glad to Be Back!!

                                 

OK, so it was a little harder getting out of bed this morning than it was yesterday.  I apparently was more tired last night than I thought I was.  I've also got this weird pain in the back of my left knee, which I can assume comes from the fact that I spent all day on my feet yesterday.  For the first time in a month.  

Yesterday felt like the first day of school, all over again, except better because I already knew all the kids in my class and didn't have to spend anytime doing "getting to know you" activiites.  

It was weird, because honestly I was a little nervous going back.  I felt a little unprepared, not sure what to expect from my kids, especially with it being the first day of our testing.  I made sure to get to school nice and early, to get my classroom all set up.  I unpacked all the junk I'd acquired over the break, and put away Christmas decorations, and fixed the calendar hanging on the wall.  It felt strange to put up the new calendar and half the month being already gone.

But, the minute I saw those sweet faces coming down the hallway....of my coworkers...all the nerves were gone, and I realized I was right back at my home away from home.

We exchanged hugs and squeals of excitement like it'd been YEARS since we last saw each other.  Reunited...and it felt so good.  I've been missing them the whole time we've been out of school, but I didn't realize how much until I saw their happy faces.

It was a short reunion, because we had to meet in the gym to collect our students, but we had enough time to share what we'd been up to over the break...as if we didn't know.  We've spoken on Facebook several times over the break, but it's not the same than having face-to-face contact.

And then, for the first time in 24 days, I saw the faces of my sweet kiddos.  Once again, realizing how much I'd missed them.

The minute we stepped in to the classroom, it was all hands on deck to get started with the test.  I hated not being able to have a little time with them to discuss their break and catch up on what they'd been doing... but I needed to give them my spill on how important the test was, how much I was counting on them to show what they've really learned so far this year, and how I couldn't wait to chat with them the minute the test was over.

The testing, which took about two hours, was over before I knew it.  The kids worked so hard that the time flew by.  I walked around, monitoring what they were answering, and I will admit that I was pretty shocked by how awesome they were doing.  Not necessarily getting all the questions right, but taking the time to read the questions first, reading the passages, and underlining the answers in the passages.  Something I spent the first half of the year trying to beat in to them (mentally, not physically)...but just never really seeing much proof of them doing it.  

It was great to see that they were finally doing it.  First sign of the maturity thing I discussed the other day?  Maybe.

After the test, we spent some time generally chatting.  I heard about their breaks, I shared mine with them, and we had a few laughs.  Then, we started grading our tests and discussing that...and the rest of the day just seemed to fly by from there.

Before I knew it, I was looking at the clock and seeing that I only had five minutes left of the day.  Even the kids commented about how fast the day had flown by.  They all agreed that it had been a good day, and they were also glad to be back.

I had been on my feet all day (minus my lunch break), but I didn't feel near as exhausted as I expected.  My feet didn't hurt, my back didn't hurt, I wasn't ready to curl up under my desk and sleep for a year.  I  felt fantastic, actually.

That was until I sat down at my desk to get my sub plans written.  That 15-20 minutes of sitting at my desk really did a number on me.  The minute I stood up, I felt all kinds of creaking and groaning going on...and I felt about 40 years older.  

When I got home, I spent the evening relaxing in front of the TV and crocheting.  Each time I stood up, the pain behind my left knee was getting worse.  Like I said, it's a weird kind of pain.  More like a tightness... like similar to a trapped nerve or something.  I don't know what it is, but it was pretty bad this morning when I got out of bed.

I think it's just my body needing to adjust back to the swing of things...and a few hours of walking around should straighten it back out.  Unfortunately, that won't happen today because I have to go to an all day training.  Which means sitting all day.  

Second day back, and already going to be gone from my classroom.  That makes me really sad.  I don't like being gone from work (while everyone else is there) anytime, but it's worse when we have only been back for one day after being gone for so long.

But, we'll get through it and then FINALLY tomorrow, life can back to normal.

OK, time for me to get to getting.  Sorry I'm all over the place and rambling this morning.  Nerves, excitement, sleep deprivation?  Who knows.  But, hopefully tomorrow I'll be a little more "with it" and can write something a little more interesting and witty.

Today, I need to focus on getting my mind into training mode... so that tends to kinda drain all the wittiness from me.

Have a great Tuesday!!