New Year | BulgingButtons

Just rolled in last night from nine days of R and R. Peace and quiet. Sun and sand. Tours and tropics. Food and beverages. Love and laughter. Just got back from an amazing trip to Hawai’i. That place is unreal.

I actually slept right through the transition from 2013 to 2014. It was a busy day on our trip, and the three of us were in bed by midnight central time. That’s okay, I can have champagne any time I want.

Right now I’m dealing with a teenager who is having trouble coping with the time difference (tomorrow his dad gets to wake him for school, glad I won’t be there for that), a bunch of laundry, and the harsh realization that tomorrow the party’s over. It’s back to work and school and routine. As always, there’s too much to be done, but now I have a more relaxed outlook. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Most of the trip was spent on a cruise. I loved it. It did make me think about certain things, like how to live in a small space. My home is a mansion compared to the stateroom that I shared with my mother and son for the past week, but we were quite comfortable and had what we needed for the situation.

I have so many other thoughts swirling through my head, but I can’t write much more now. I have to go drag the boy out of his nice warm bed so he can get ready to go to his dad’s. Then real life begins, with some meal planning, shopping for decent food (there is currently canned cheese in my house, this isn’t good, my sweetheart needs nutritious food too), and last minute school work.

I hope your 2014 has begun well with reasonable expectations, a positive attitude, and hope for a bright future.

I guess today’s daily prompt is the nudge I need to come out about my professional life. I’m a teacher. There, I said it. So when asked if I’m looking forward to going back to school, I can honestly say I have mixed feelings.

On the one hand, I love my summer vacation. I use that time to read and study and reflect and plan new ideas for the upcoming year. I also use that time to play and visit my family and old friends, and sleep and swim and quilt and generally have a good time on my own schedule. I often stay up late, usually sleep past 5:25 (imagine that), and recharge my inner battery.

The summer of 2013 was particularly productive. I moved schools, switched grade levels, participated in a national project for teachers, and began this blog. I focused on my health and well being, got engaged, and took a few trips. I started to exercise, lost a few pounds, and created my 47 for 47 challenge. Wow. No wonder I love summer.

On the flip side, though, the new school year makes me giddy with anticipation each and every year. I itch to see my class list, when the students are still just names on a page. I chomp at the bit to get into my classroom and start moving around furniture and putting up bulletin boards. My heart starts to race at the sight of all the brand new school supplies lining the store shelves. All of those Pinterest ideas compete for space in my plans. I begin to fill in my spreadsheets with test scores and start thinking about my new schedule. I especially get excited to meet the students. I will spend a lot of time with them over the next several months, and I can’t wait to set the tone for that interaction.

Overall, I still find that I experience years primarily by the school calendar, rather than the traditional January to December plan. I’m still getting used to the idea of school starting before the blazing days of triple digit heat have subsided, but other than that, I’m ready for a happy new year.