oh dear...too much to say

man, when i wait this long to post, especially on a week like this past one, you know that this post is just going to be way too long. but let's get to the important things first.

little caesar's has these people (usually kids) who stand on the corner with the $5 hot and ready pepperoni pizza signs, right? you've seen them. well i'd like to invite you to take the #1 Hwy to the Sumas exit and drive up the hill (away from the border) to see the kid on the corner of Sumas Way and Marshall. it seems to be a different kid every time i drive by but he is always shaking it like there's no tomorrow. full fledged dancing. by himself. on the corner. no headphones. the past week driving by him every evening on my way home? i just can't look away...but when i do look away at the drivers in other cars? we're all watching. he's the greatest. you'd think you'd get tired. maybe he steps it up a little during rush-hour. either way, it's the highlight of my drive home.

now that we got that out of the way...yes, i started school this year. and i was caught saying, quote "this was the least stressed week of my life" today. the secretary didn't believe me and now that i see that in writing...well...it's obviously not true, however, it was the least stressed week of my teaching career for sure. i think i was just super prepared each day, a slept really well, i ate breakfast every morning, i was happy to go to work each morning...it was great. they say that the second year is easier but it turns out it's true to a certain extent. i put a lot of work into this week but it was relaxing to know so many parents and to know what the school day was going to look like. that there was going to be chapel on tuesday morning and that it would be ok if i forgot to send the attendance to the office (which is pretty much everyday).

so...having younger kids. they're just so eager to do everything. best moments of the week:

> nearing the end of tuesday, a student says, "it's almost time to go home? today has flown by! maybe our classroom is in a different time zone than our old one!"
> counting down from five to get everyone's attention and everyone silent at 3.
> handing out the grade 3 math textbooks - they were so excited to have a textbook because they didn't have them in gr.1/2.
> teaching how to handwrite "a" and "c" and hearing kids say, "i can't believe i'm really handwriting!" (is that not a sylvan commercial?)
> having every single planner brought to class and signed everyday. (that's a record for sure!)
> teaching rotation and revolution today by having the kids draw planet orbits in chalk on the cement and then pretending they're planets by walking around the sun in their orbit while spinning. there were some seriously dizzy kids but they're all clear on those two vocab words.

yes, those are just a few. there were some frustrations too but definitely outweighed. now, i know it's just the first week but today i stayed at work until 5pm ( yes, i was all alone in the school) and have almost my entire week planned for next week. written in my daybook. i love seeing it all filled up. don't be afraid, i'm still the same rebecca. you should see my desk. i lost my grade 2 math sheets that they were supposed to do today. haha. ahh...things to work on.

so tim had told me that if we didn't buy a new car (new to us) by the time school started, that i could drive the truck to and from work. well that day has come and gone and i've been driving the truck. i'm thinking we may never get a new to us car because he's not seeming to mind the car and he's making me look like a whiny baby. haha. as much as i miss the good radio reception in the car, i've been loving singing my heart out to alanis and jann arden this week. (yeah, jann arden. i was cleaning out my cds and found it and thought - i loved this cd...why not dust it off?) although by today my throat was a little sore from all my singing so i put in city and color since i don't know it very well. it's been nice.

tim's away camping overnight tonight. i've had a homebody evening watching tv and eating pizza by myself. i cut out a ton of word wall words. i feel like i should go get a movie or something but that would mean leaving the house and taking this headband off. hmm...