I'm back :-)

Okay so I haven't been great about posting lately, but I'll be getting back into the swing of things here soon enough. Here's what you've missed:

-School ended. We waved goodbye to the kids and I packed up my classroom. Mom and I somehow managed to get all of my school boxes into a storage closet in the basement. I have so much "teacher stuff." It's a little ridiculous.

-Andrew came home from 29 Palms. Wahoo!

-We flew to Wisconsin for Andrew's mom's family reunion. We were only there for the weekend. We managed NOT to miss any flights and only had to rebook 1/2 of our trip to make it there safe and sound. With our track record lately, that's pretty good.

-Remember that rash that I mentioned in passing? Yeah, well. It's the bane of my existence right now. I went to the doctor last Tuesday. They took a look at it and said, "hm. that's interesting." I was prescribed an anti-itch med and sent on my way. When it wasn't better by Thursday (in fact it got worse) I called a dermatologist. She said, "hm. It appears you are having an allergic reaction to having poison ivy." When I told this to my friend Sara yesterday, her reaction pretty much sums up the entire thing quite well, "Let me get this straight. You're having an allergic reaction to your allergy?" Yes, friends, apparently that is just how I roll. I know you're jealous.

-When we left for Wisconsin, we flew out of Raleigh so that Nutty could stay with his grandparents while we were away. Nutty is still in Raleigh because Andrew and I have a mini-vacation for the two of us planned for the latter part of this week. So I'm at home without my puppy. Good news? I can make loud noises without apologizing. Bad news? He's got me so well-trained that I still feel guilty every time I make a loud noise. No doubt in my mind who's in charge around here.

I'll post pictures from the WI trip soon :-)

Thankful on Thursday

Well, its another week that I think I NEED to do this post. In no particular order:

-Mom. I'm so happy you've been here this week. I was happy for the extra hugs, talks, and advice. And, as always, I'm happy for the help packing up my classroom. Someday I'll try to teach two years in a row in the same room. Someday.

-Melissa, TJ and Baby Y. I'm thankful for all of you this week. So thankful. I know our little ones are together. And that's something to be thankful for, no matter how many tears it causes right now, or how much I wish that it wasn't that way. I'm so thankful that I have you in my life and I can't wait until we can share some really HAPPY times together! They're just around the corner. I can feel it.

-Shannon and Kelly. Thank you for making my days at school easier and more fun. And Kelly, I looked up that word. I disagree. Wholeheartedly. You two are good people, and great friends.

-Ben. Thanks for being so supportive.

-Sara and Tucker. You guys are quite missed around here, and it was nice to get to chat with you this week.

-Summer is on its way. As bittersweet as I'm feeling about the end of this school year, I am SO happy about the long summer days that are on the horizon.

-My students. As crazy as they are, I love those little people. I'm going to miss them. And I'll ask all of you to REFRAIN from making fun of me tomorrow when I'm crying when they leave.

-Andrew comes home on Saturday! 'Nuff said. :-)

(Not) Wordless Wednesday

I have this friend. She's one in a million. The kind of friend that when we became friends we wondered why we hadn't found each other sooner. She's the kind of friend I want to keep for a lifetime. And this weekend she received terrible news. It's her story to tell, so I'll simply say that her journey into motherhood is beginning much like my own. It has taken me back to February, hurting and grieving for her, and with her. I cannot believe that BOTH of us were destined to walk this path. It (for lack of a better way to say it) is simply not fair.

It's also the last week of school, which is quite bittersweet this year. I am (like my students) excited for the end of the year. I'm loving looking back at the beginning of the year and admiring how far my students have come. They are older, wiser, kinder human beings than they were when they entered my classroom. They will forever be a part of my life, and I am lucky to have known them. I am excited to discover what is ahead of me. I am anxious about the next few months. I am not very good at not knowing what I will be doing 6 months from now, and I'm trying to be at peace with taking it one day at a time.

If you're the praying type, I could use your prayers this week. I'm struggling to hold it all together, and in true Shannon style, have managed to break out in hives over most of my body because of that struggle. I find that wine is excellent medicine. So is having your mom in town for hugs.

Now, I can't leave a blog post quite this melancholy...so let me leave you with a picture. This week I gave out end of the year prizes and privileges. The kids get to choose from a list, and the kid with the most money gets to choose first until all prizes have been chosen. Two of the things on my list this year were sweatshirts that I had recently cleaned out of my closet. I advertise daily my love of my college and all things Carolina blue, so when I put these two sweatshirts on the list, they were quickly swept up. Ironically enough, one of which was taken by the SMALLEST girl in my class. She could not possibly wear bigger than a kids small normally, and she has on a kids extra large. The other little girl has on an adult small. Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen? It brings smiles and laughter to an otherwise difficult week. I'm calling them my newest Carolina girls. Go Heels!

Thankful on Thursday

This week has been full of ups and downs. Just one more week of school left. It's such a bittersweet time for me. I'm so excited for lazy summer days and not having to fight traffic to and from school. But oh how I'm going to miss some parts of working at Springwoods. I hope all of you have had a wonderful week. Without further ado, here's the list o' thankful:

**I've been so blessed with wonderful people to work with. Springwoods is definitely a family. Sometimes we drive each other crazy, but its great to be a part of the family. As much as I know my decision to leave is the right one, I'm certainly going to miss the people.

**Melissa. Just thankful.

**Stampin' Up. Thanks for providing therapy.

**My hubby. Thanks for the flowers. Seriously made my week.

**The small number of days left in the school year.

**The kids in my class. I feel like I'm not thankful often enough for them. I had a great day today with those kids. I'm looking forward to enjoying the last few days.

**The amazing mom of one of my students who is putting together all of my end of year scrapbooks. I am sure that you won't read this....however, I feel like I simply MUST put this thankfulness on the blog in the hopes that you'll truly feel the thankful vibes :-)

**The chance to take care of baby Travis this summer.

**Prayers. Thank you to all of you who are praying wonderful things to happen for Ace and I in the future. The near future. :-)

(Almost)Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to my wonderful hubby for the flowers :-) A MUCH better day.

A Trying Tuesday

Well today SHOULD have been a Monday with the way things went. I was scheduled to have a planning day with my team in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't get a sub. The sub from a first grade class was supposed to come down to help cover the afternoon....only they didn't. So basically, I thought I was going to have the afternoon "off" only to teach all day. Well, that stinks.

Shortly after finding out that I was going to be in my room all day, I was taking deep breaths and calming myself down in my room and I grabbed a notebook to put it away. I flipped it back to the first page.

"I calculate my due date as July 15, and Shady Grove wants to do an ultrasound on....."

And that was all it took. I was a wreck. And I had 10 minutes before I had students in my classroom. It's amazing to me sometimes how close to the surface those emotions still are. All it takes is my being a little off kilter when I get an obvious reminder of what I lost this year and I fall apart.

And in an extreme episode of REALLY?! That's the plan?!.....when I got home this afternoon there was a freebie mailer of formula in my mailbox. Thanks Similac. It's really what I needed today.

But don't you worry, world, I've got a class of wine and I know how to use it.

Thankful on Thursday

As usual, in no particular order:

~Nutty sticks close, even when he won't come to me. We went for a walk this afternoon. He got scared of a trash can (yeah, I know) and backed out of his collar. He wouldn't come to me, so I couldn't put it back on. We ran home together. He was about 10 feet in front of me the whole time. It was terrifying, but I'm so thankful that he wants to stay close.

~My BFF for reminding me that sometimes its nice to NOT be included. And for always making me laugh.

~My hubby. I am continually amazed at how our relationship continues to grow stronger and we continue to learn to bring out the best in each other.

~Melissa and TJ. Melissa, I'm so thankful (as usual) for our friendship. TJ, thanks for considering letting us in, ya know, in case.

~Kate, Mike and Travis. I'm thankful we got to spend time with you last weekend.

~One Tree Hill. It's official. I'm obsessed.

~Shannon. I'm thankful for our morning updates.

~Last, but CERTAINLY not least, my wonderful mother. I LOVE our afternoon phone calls, and I look forward to them every day. Thanks for doing recon on the neighborhood for me.


And as per blackberry messenger live from 29 Palms, California:

Andrew would like to add:
~A wife who makes every taste of life sweeter. (Awww, he's being sweet. Love that. :-))
~A job that forces me to push myself everyday.
~And for people who love Ashley and I for who we are, without judgement.

Wordless Wednesday

Melissa and I attempting to divide the cow. Imagine a lot of, "what's an arm chuck roast?" and "OOO another hamburger! I know what that is!"




All neatly packed in my freezer. A full shelf, most of the bottom drawer, and a few more things stacked on another shelf.