Sorry for the lack of updates - work has been keeping me so busy lately...

I had a breakdown last night because I realized I have 2 ARD's next week that I had TOTALLY forgotten about and am totally unprepared for. After an all day training out of the building today, I headed up to school to get to work preparing for them. I worked for 4 hours straight and got myself mostly prepared... with the help of a few co-workers who are going to take care of a few things for me tomorrow while I'm at ANOTHER training. I am SO incredibly grateful for the amazing people I work with that are always willing to help out with anything I need. I just hope that one of these days I will be on top of everything enough to reciprocate!

Lately I've had more than one moment of feeling completely horrible at my job... whether it's forgetting to do things or doing something wrong... it's been a little overwhelming. I know that it's my first year and that this is totally normal, but it's HARD! I hate not feeling confident at what I'm doing!

I talked to my parents on the way home from work today and my mom reassured me that there IS in fact light at the end of the tunnel and I'll get there. My dad also mentioned to me that I needed to check my mail for a box on the way home... so I did, not really thinking anything of it. And you know what? I have the most amazing parents in the world. I mean, I already knew that... but look what was waiting for me in the mailbox:


A care package! It honestly couldn't have been more perfect timing. The card made me tear up cry my eyes out...




It's so true... sometimes we just need someone to tell us!

I think my parents know me better than I know myself, most of the time. I hope that someday I will be as selfless and caring as they have always been. I'm so incredibly grateful to have parents that listen to me, take care of me, and know just how to cheer me up when I'm feeling down.

I love you, Mom and Dad! You mean more to me than I can ever tell you! I can't wait to see you on Friday and give/get a big hug!

My AMAZING team leader ordered pizza (6 HUUUGE pizzas for 15 people, mind you), salad, and an ENTIRE cheesecake for our team for lunch today... with her own money! It was just what we all needed! Especially on a rainy day... a much better idea than trekking out in the rain to go eat together!

After school today I was working in my office when the principal came over the loudspeaker and said "If someone from Neighborhood 4 (my team) is still here, please come to the office." I stepped out of my office and looked around... every single classroom and office light was dark... except mine. So I headed up to the office and went in the door on the back side. As soon as I pulled the door open, my principal (who was out of my line of sight) called out "Kristen?" I responded that it was in fact me, and she said, "I had no doubt you'd still be here." How lame... will I ever get my life back?

(The principal only called because she wanted someone to take the TEN leftover slices of cheesecake home with them because she didn't want them sitting in the fridge at school all weekend. I don't really even like cheesecake, so I was able to pawn them off on our Special Ed Coordinator! :)

Needless to say, I'm definitely ready for some R&R this weekend after 3 weeks of loooong days at work. This coming week will probably be even worse. I have a training Monday after school, another training ALL DAY Wednesday (and then I have to head back to my school for a staff meeting), and a third training after school on Thursday. MEETINGS AND TRAININGS GALORE LATELY! Just today I was scheduled for 4 days of all-day meetings and/or trainings that require me to find subs...

I have SOOOO many random preschool songs stuck in my head these days! Tonight when I got home, I was sitting at my desk working, and all of a sudden I started randomly reciting a combination of lines of all different children's songs. Not only have I begun talking to myself, but my brain is in full-time 3-year-old mode! I think I need a life outside of school! LOL

Anyway, as I was thinking about this song that Molly mentioned when she commented on my facebook status ("Chewy chewy chewy bubblegum") I decided to Google it and this was the first thing that popped up. That has to be the cutest thing I've seen in a while! I have no idea who that sweet little girl is but she DEFINITELY put a big smile on my face!!

Normally, I love trips home to Austin, but unfortunately this trip is not for pleasure. My dear friend, Kristi, lost her mother completely unexpectedly this week. I can't even fathom what it must be like to lose your mom at the age of 24, especially when you have 2 younger sisters....

Please keep the Shauger family in your thoughts/prayers this weekend and for the many months/years of healing to come...

I'm so glad that so many of us will be in town to love and support the three Shauger girls during a very difficult weekend.

Getting ready for bed, when I remembered this HILARIOUS moment today.

Happily reading a story to my phonology class today... when I looked up to see a 4 year old playing with himself for the whole world to see... outside of his pants! The first, probably inappropriate, thing that came out of my mouth was "hands out of your pants!" I don't think I could have drawn more attention to the situation if I tried. You live, you learn. The whole rest of the class was spent grabbing himself through his pants... oy!

Talked to my team leader (who has him in a different class) later and she said he did the same thing in her class! Uhhhh... thanks for the heads up! ;) Apparently we'll be bringing this up with the counselor.

...call it what you want... I prefer to call it the most stressful day ever!

This morning... get to school to find out that the teacher I co-teach with had called in sick. Kept my fingers crossed for a few hours that she'd decide to come in tonight for parent info night/open house anyway. Went on with my day despite the underlying panic slowly creeping up.

Lunch time... in walks team leader. "Well, Kristen... looks like you're on your own tonight..." FULL-BLOWN panic mode, my friends. I had 20+ parents coming in less than 5 hours and no time to prepare! I had to see kids all afternoon and we had a team planning meeting after school until the parents arrived! I ate lunch in my office because I was on the verge of tears. I was too overwhelmed to function.

After school... team planning. A ton of new information about lesson planning is piled onto my plate. **Insert more stress here** Am I going to survive this day??

15 minutes until parent arrival... race to the bathroom to change clothes. Teammate emails me a powerpoint she's using, but of course there's a TON of information to change because we have totally different types of classrooms. Quickly print and copy handouts... and back in the room with 1 minute to spare. I feel like I might vomit.

The next 2 hours is kind of a blur. I talked to lots of parents, gave my little presentation, and deferred a lot of questions to parent conferences (so I could have time to think with a clear head). My principal walked in at least 3 times that I noticed... so either I have a meeting coming my way about how horrible I did or I score a few brownie points for pulling some sort of presentation together at the last minute. Please hope for the latter.

Is it Friday yet???