This month has been quite busy for us! I started the month with homecoming week at school. The wonderful thing about homecoming week was the dress up days! I got to wear a snuggie, tye dye, and a batman costume to work. Unfortunately, I was busy educating our future generation and didn't take any pictures.
The first weekend in October, Justin and I drove back to Tennessee to visit family and friends and to see Sherayah and Reed get married. The drive is 12+ hours each way, and we were only in town for 48. By the time we got home, we were exhausted. On the way down, we stopped to eat at our favorite fast food restaurant... I can't believe there is not a single one in Wisconsin!
The storms held off until just after the wedding and it was great to catch up with some friends and family. Justin's brother and sister were there... it is so weird to think of them as brother and sister in-laws now!
After we returned home, I had to jump right back into work to gear up for our school's event night. This night is one of four nights throughout the year that our students get the opportunity to showcase their learning to the community. It is the final product of all our work. Lots of time was spent preparing, practicing, evaluating, and reflecting. Lots of late nights were spent at work. By the end I was exhausted, but then I got to step it up even more... I chaperoned my first out-of-state, 5 day field trip. FIVE WHOLE DAYS with 31 teenagers in unfamiliar places. We traveled south to St. Louis and back, stopping along the way to visit a few different places. We toured a couple colleges, saw the arch, Western museum, St. Louis zoo (which has one of the BEST penguin exhibits!), City Museum (basically a 12 story metal junkyard playground for teens...awesome!), Lincoln Museum, Illinois capital building, old Illinois capital building (where Lincoln worked), Lincoln home, Lincoln tomb, and attended the play Cyrano de Bergerac. Most of my pictures contain students so I cannot post them.
It was so different being the teacher instead of the student in this situation. You have to constantly check on the kids... are they where they are supposed to be, are they doing things they should, are they ever going to unattach themselves from electronic devices? Luckily, we have a great group of kids at our school. I did not enjoy having to be the last one asleep and first one awake, but overall, I had a great experience and it is something I would definitely do again... just not in the near future. I need a break! haha.
Because we did not want to leave my car parked outside for 5 days, Justin had to come pick me up from the school when we got back at 1 in the morning on Tuesday night. He brought Peyton with him to see me and then informed me that he had planned, shopped for, and was fixing meals for me for the next four nights. How awesome is he?! And how lucky am I? ;) So, right now I am enjoying my break. Tuesday I will take my Praxis I (which tests basic reading, writing, and math skills, even though I got a degree in math, have passed all Praxis II tests, have my Masters degree, etc... so frustrating!) and fly to Nashville to spend 5 days with my family!
Now I am going to go enjoy some more of this wonderful Halloween treat from my parents!
