Currently... It's June! (What Happened to May?!)

WOW. It's June! How is it that May lasted a hundred years and yet flew by in a flash?
I sort of fell off the Bloggy Bus for a few months... and now I am ready to re-visit the Blogiverse. I can't think of any better way to do that than though Currently...

I'm not a real bird fan, but I am in awe of any creature that can build a nest and nurture their young in the middle of chaos--guess it's a bit like their human counterparts. We live in a lots-of-people-in-a-little-area place. Yet, every year, the black phoebe returns to lay eggs in the same location under the eaves. This year there are three birdies-to-be...

Which brings me to JUNE. I think June is a difficult month for sixth grade teachers (at an elementary school). I feel an enormous sense of responsibility in ensuring that my students have everything they need to move on to middle school. And with 35 kiddos, that is SO hard to do. I always wish that we could have done more... but I am celebrating the fact that middle schools will be receiving students who have caring hearts, who have been accepting of kids with all kids of abilities and disabilities, and who know that stamina and a desire to learn are skills that are essential to success.

There are so many hings happening in the next two weeks! We have lots of activities and events scheduled. And then on June 13th, Promotion will be here and the minutes will tick away until they are middle schoolers.

I just wish a Magic Fairy would appear and take care of my Report Cards. I would gladly pay... Cash? Check? Starbucks?!

I am REALLY looking forward to summer this year. There are several books that I want to read (more than ten at last count!) and I am just looking forward to the slow and leisurely pace of a day that does not begin at 4:14 in the morning. I am making a commitment to relax and enjoy life this summer--a new skill for me... but, I think, an important one!

Best of all, I will be seeing my buddy, Barbara Gruener, from the Corner on Character this summer! She is the keynote speaker at the Character Matters Summer Conference in my area and I am so excited to learn from her (and to clap loudly and say WooooHoooo!) Barbara's book will soon be available at  Amazon!

Our Barbara is famous! But, more importantly, she is a truly wonderful person with a heart as big as Texas!

So those are my Current(ly) reflections. Even though I am actually linking up on the first day of June, I did not make it into the first hundred... But that's okay. My purple square will be among my BloggyPeeps' buttons and my heart is happy to be connecting with Farley. Yep, you guessed it: She another one of my favorite Texas bloggers. How lucky we all are...

So, click to link up. And, as Farley reminds us: Leave some love to those before you and after you... and, I think, all over the Currently page!

Happy JUNE!

PS Looking for graduation clip art? Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs has sweet graduation hats like the one pictured above for just two dollars HERE!

Currently... It's June!

Hooray! It's June! Vacation is within reach! 

AND it's time to link up with Farley and Friends for another Currently...

Our last day with students is June 11th--which is also the day of our promotion ceremony. This is a day I anticipate (with mixed emotions) each year. This year's group has "grown" more than many other classes. And while their minds are already on middle school, I am reluctant to let go of more than a few of them. It has been a memorable year, to say the least.

However, I DO love summer. I have always appreciated being on a "traditional" schedule because it takes me a long time to unwind after the school year (and even longer to clean out my classroom!) Time is such a precious commodity to me. Just having time is a treat!

Oddly, my free time is often spent planning for school. I love the thinking part of being a teacher. Some people like hiking or canoeing or museum-visiting. Me? I like planning. Just give me my computer, some empty spiral notebooks and some terrific pens, and I will be happy for weeks!

This summer I am going to try to shift some of that time into reading ("normal" books, not teacher books) and relaxing. I am already struggling a bit with this idea. My brain seems to shouting: SEPTEMBER! Three times I had to check... Yep, this Currently is for June! (Thanks, Sweet Farley, for keeping me on track!)

I am excited to be visiting my (adored!) nieces in Washington and then some friends in San Francisco in the next few weeks. I wonder if I am the only one who spends more time worrying about my "thinking" elements over my wardrobe elements. I throw a few comfortable items to wear into my suitcase and then agonize for hours over whether to bring my computer or my iPad.... and which pens and sticky notes I must have... and how many books I can fit in the suitcase (school and "regular")...

And the older I get, the more I have gotten attached to having snacks. What if the plane is delayed, what if there is traffic on an outing, what if we are stranded somewhere (anywhere)??? I am just more content knowing I have snacks! Pretzels are my current favorite--but I can easily adapt to other choices.

So, how about you? Out of school? Last few days? Or looking longingly toward the end of the month like my pals, Jen Runde and Kristen at Ladybugs Teacher Files?

Whenever your year is finished, I hope that your summer is filled with friends and family and plenty of relaxation... and all of the fun you are hoping for!

Don't forget to follow the link below and join the party. And as always, leave some kind words to those who linked up before and after you...

Home Again... and It's Currently June!

Well, it's not like we were without food or water or electricity... In fact, the accommodations were sublime! But five days without technology was a bit of an adjustment for me.

I loved seeing friends and family, (and I ADORE my teenage and almost-teenage nieces). But it is also good to be home.

I have to confess that I got off the plane, hurried home, and turned on the TV...

And, within minutes, I had about thirty-five windows open on my computer... all at the same time.

                        WooHoo.

                         Connected.

I'm sure this means there is something seriously wrong with me, but I felt so much more... comfortable and secure... once I had read the news (on a variety of sites), checked several e-mail accounts, logged onto Facebook, started getting caught up on blogs, and threw a bunch of stuff onto my wish list on TpT. Ahhhh. Yep, my life has returned to normal.




Further evidence of normalcy: My To Do list is eight pages long. My house is a mess. The post-trip laundry is piled up. I am behind on Guided Math AND Guiding Reading. (I think I need GUIDANCE!)


                                         HOWEVER, the calendar still says JUNE!

 

Which means although I am LAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTEEEE, I am not TOO late to join in on Farley's Currently for June! I may have the honor of being the LAST entry (#199!), but I will still be on the list. And my friend Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade will know that I didn't forget about her (like THAT would even be possible!)

So here's my thinking for JUNE... because, in a wink, it is going to be July!

As always, click on the picture link to get to Farley's party. And watch your Blog Roll for the July Currently link-up too. Next time, I am determined to be in the first fifty to join in...