This week I’m thankful for…

• slipping in between nice, fresh sheets
• the great parent volunteers working in my classroom
• writing in bed early Saturday morning
• the parents of a former student who called down the hallway “How’s our favorite teacher doing?”  It was the tail end of a long day and hearing that  made me smile.
• Jaison, a server at Olive Garden, who made the Never Ending Pasta Bowl true to the name.  I had dinner, lunch and dinner again.  Plus when I asked if I could box up the teensy bit of leftover salad, he boxed it up and added more salad and garnish.  Best service I’ve had in a long time at any restaurant.  He really loves his job and it showed.
• walking by the river just in time to see the sunset
• my work-out buddy
• lifting weights until I’m sure my arms are going to fall off
• these beautiful flowers picked from a student’s backyard

This week I’m thankful for…

• riding with the top down
• my curly hair
• skirts because it’s just too blasted hot for pants
• the little boy who wrote this for our August weather summary.  “Mostly sunny.  I like Mrs. McCauley.  She is nice.  I like school.”  Yep, that about sums up the weather, both inside and outside of the classroom
• my little one who brought an encyclopedia bookmarked to the page on Nudibranchs for N day.  Who knew sea slugs could be so beautiful.  I heart word nerds.
• the fact that I have 364 more days until SweatFest Back to School Night comes around again
• my parent volunteers, especially the ones who don’t even have kids in my class anymore and still come and help

This week I’m thankful for…

• the conclusion of the first week of school.  They’re cute, but, oh man, training them is exhausting.
• my Neti Pot for battling it out with my first cold of the school year.  Breathing out of both nostrils is awesome.
• Just Because roses from Terry
• Garrison Keillor and his red shoes
• my students, even the challenging ones
• my awesome parent volunteers who are my saving grace with twenty-seven 5 and 6 year olds and no classroom aide
• my little one who turned 6 this week and told me her two goals this year are to do a cartwheel and learn to fly
• Mike & Ike’s after they’ve been in a hot car all day
• my grade level team
• morning prayers with Terry

I’m on a road trip with my mom this week and will get back just in time to set up my classroom and welcome a new bunch of little ones, so I’ll be scarce these next couple weeks, but I look forward to telling you all about my road trip and other things when I return. I hope you’re living a great adventure right now, too.
This week I’m thankful for…

• celebrating 15 years of marriage to the love of my life.  Our life is so, so good.
• SHARK WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• the man a couple of rows in front of me at the A’s game who caught a foul ball and gave it to a kid sitting in our section
• kayaking on the lake with lots of different groups of friends
• the awesome bike necklace Abby made me

• my friend who told me a story that thoroughly disgusted me and just seconds later had me laughing so hard I cried
• lunch at a friend’s house followed up by her homemade blackberry pie.  That pie made me weak in the knees.  I may dream of that pie tonight.
• my very first byline