Hello Friday!!

Ah, Friday.  My favorite F word.  Not the only F word that may or may not have escaped my lips in the past couple of weeks, but definitely my favorite F word.

It's been a week, let me tell you.  Then, the week before MAP testing always is.  Review, review, and more review.  Practice testing, testing strategies, testing scenarios....over, and over, and over again.  Yet, I've finally entered in to that state of mind that says "I've done all that I can, there's nothing more I can really do now".  It's put up or shut up time.  My kids will either rock it, or they won't.  I have spent the school year teaching them everything they need to know in order to ace that test... it's now up to them to show it.

And, all of a sudden, I finally feel like Obi Wan Kenobi.  "The force is strong with these children.  But, they must let the force guide them."

I have to say, though. I am pretty proud of my kids.  It's been tough putting up with me and my crazy stress.  But, despite being a little riled up, the kids have worked hard and dealt with me like champs.  I told them yesterday afternoon that they only had one more week to put up with me, and then all would be right in the world once again.

Thankfully, before the fun of MAP testing actually begins, I will get a weekend away to relax, destress, and prepare for the week ahead.  Well, OK, so I'm not sure there will be any relaxing, there will be lots of stress, and absolutely NO preparation for next week... but the weekend away part is true.

Tomorrow, Peanut's school band is going to Kansas City to perform in a band competition at the theme park World's of Fun.  So, we'll be boarding the kids on to buses at 6:30 tomorrow morning and heading to Kansas City.  I'll be driving my car behind the bus.  We'll arrive, spend time enjoying the theme park, the kids will perform, and then we'll have a couple more hours riding on the rides.  Then, the rest of the band will leave, while Peanut, her friend, and I will be staying.  We're spending the night, and making a mini-getaway out of it.

We'll probably stay at the park until it closes, go back to our cabin, get up early on Sunday, and spend the day exploring what Kansas City has to offer.

I.  Can't.  Wait.

Not a single bit of relaxing.  Walking around ALL day.  Stressing about the heights I have to endure if I'm going to ride on anything.  Staying up late.  Getting up early.  Stressing about driving around a city I've never been to before.  Getting to see all kinds of awesome sights, having amazing amounts of fun, and probably coming home ten times more exhausted than when I left.

What could be better than that the weekend before MAP testing?

I really am looking forward to it.

But, before I can head to Kansas City, I need to get through today, get through ball practices, and take Butter and Jelly to P-Momma.

And, before I can do any of that, I need to go and get ready for work.