Sunday Afternoon...

I just couldn't help myself. I love this man and the sweet peace and rest of Sunday afternoon...

Ready...Set...Sew!

Today's the day...I can hardly contain myself! I kind of can't believe it's true, and I don't think I'll really believe it until it's over...I'm learning to sew!

Hopefully by the end of the day...

I won't be so intimidated by this,


this bag of notions (?) won't seem so mysterious,

and something wonderful will be made from all of this!

I have a feeling I'm being a bit ambitious, but we shall see...

Twins

Of course I was sleeping in long after Dan today because I'm on SpRiNg BrEaK :) We were ever so surprised to find that we were TwInS when he came home for lunch...I guess it was just the perfect day for green and grey...

It turns out it was also a great day for taking ridiculous pictures of Dan...all because I can...Oh how I love you Spring Break! :)

Katie Bailey and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day

It's official. As of today I am "honorably dismissed" from my position as a teacher in U-46. I knew it was coming, but there's just something horrible about signing on the line and having to face my 28 darlings the rest of the day.

Here I am sporting my PiNk, standing strong with the other 700 or so teachers who were released today...pink slip in hand (I know, it's not even pink)...and a pink bag filled with chocolate from my sweet colleagues and friends at school who also wore head to toe PiNk in support of hundreds, like me, who were RiFfeD today.

I consider it a tremendous loss to leave students, teachers, friends, and families that have captured my heart in many ways, and though I have not lost heart, and I am hopeful for the BeSt, today was undoubtedly a No Good, Very Bad Day...there's just no other way to put it.

The End.

Back to Normal...

Whew...The ISATs (our state assessments) are FiNaLly over! This is what I came back to after lunch on Friday:

These are the little things my 28 DaRliNgS do that just bring a smile to my face and warm my heart. Can you tell they were happy to be DoNe? They did a terrific job, and I'm so very proud of them no matter what the outcome :)

Go here to see us celebrating with a ViCtoRy DaNcE...just promise not to judge me for not keeping up with my classroom blog...it's a work in progress.

At any rate, I'm so glad to be back to NoRmAl...well, as normal as you can get in a fifth grade classroom for the MoNdaY following Daylight Savings Time and leading up to Spring Break...Four more days to go!!

Hope...

It has been another LoNg winter in the Chi, but today gave me much hope that there is indeed a LiGhT at the end of this bleak and dreary tunnel otherwise known as WiNtEr...

SuNshInE...How GloRiOuS!