This post serves multiple purposes:

1) As my entry for the Weekly Photo Challenge

2) As a recap of my first week back to school

3) As a personal reminder of the good life I am living

This is a mural on a building in downtown Cleveland, very close to Progressive Field. I captured this pic while we were having a “Meal on Wheels” (i.e. eating a packed lunch in the van before heading into the stadium).

I wonder how many people working downtown see this mural each day and can’t help but smile.

This is also a framed 8 x 10 pic sitting on a shelf in my classroom. I thought it was a good motivational piece for my students.

Speaking of happy….

It is Saturday and I couldn’t be happier.

I slept in until 8:00 today. After a whole week of getting up before sunrise, this is by far the best thing about this week.

Actually, despite a mini-almost-meltdown on Thursday afternoon, I really did have a good week.

I survived two days of in-service and the first three days of school. Enough said.

I accomplished the task of filling out forms and sorting through beginning of the year paperwork for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Ian. Every year I wonder how parents who struggle with reading or spelling, or who do not speak English, feel about this task. I sometimes feel like I don’t have a grip and then I think of how overwhelming some parents must feel when they are slammed with multiple forms and school fees. I remind myself how fortunate I am to have an education, and therefore, a job that allows me to write $50 checks without panicking about the grocery bill or the gas budget.

I embraced the changes that were thrown my way.

• My new schedule – While many people hate change, I have found, and posted about the fact that I kinda like it. It was like I was in a new building this week. I have some new teachers to work with. A change of scenery. A different perspective. A fresh start.
• My new classroom – My beautiful new classroom with my fabulous new round tables. They are the envy of many teachers in my building. I love my room…even when it’s 90 degrees outside and 85 degrees inside.
• My Resource Room – What an interesting and fun mix of personalities at multiple grade levels. I am excited to take on this challenge.
• Block scheduling – 84 minutes with the above group gives me so much more time to expand and do fun activities. So far, I have no trouble filing the time.

I balanced work and play. Eleven miles total on my bike. Two very long games of frisbee with the kids. Two parents meetings. Three sports practices. A high school football game. A birthday party for my step-mom that included outdoor-dining at Danny Boy’s and a trip to Menchie’s for frozen yogurt. A lunch date with Tweedle Ian at Pizza Hut.

Next week brings 5 days of school. Can I do it? Five whole days?

The weekend is going too fast. I have a lot more resting to do.

And lesson plans.

And grocery shopping.

And laundry.

I think I need to make another copy of this pic and hang it up somewhere at home. Just as a daily reminder.

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