For me, every weekday begins with mine and Kevin’s alarms going off at 5:00 am, and we sit up and say prayer together, followed by a quick kiss good morning as we start our day.  He gets ready to head out to seminary 30 minutes later, and I try to squeeze in an adequate workout – sometimes it only is about 15 minutes I can get in, and other times I have enough time for a 25 minute workout.  Sometimes it is a jog/walk throughout the neighborhood, a strength training workout, a good cardio workout, or other times it is a good yoga or pilates.  I am very grateful for my Wilma app which has follow along workouts for me to do, so it feels like a class, even though I am in my bedroom.  

I am usually finished with my workout just in time for family prayer at 5:30 am, and then Kevin leaves for seminary, and the boys get up and start getting ready for the day.  After I get ready, I have a quick breakfast of a protein shake, and am usually out the door and to my classroom between 6:20-6:30 am, so that I have time to work on things before the students arrive.  That time in the morning when the classroom is empty and the school is quiet is truly my most productive time of day.  (On a side note, I got really tired of how boring my walls are because of  being covered up for STAAR testing, and so I hung up Fiesta decorations on the black paper – ha ha!)

By 7am, the kids start arriving, and although I don’t let the majority of the students into the classroom until the first bell rings at 7 :20, I do have a few that come in for tutoring first thing.  Then we make our way through the day, not stopping until we have recess at 12:00, and finally getting lunch at 12:30pm (we are always starving!!).  After school, I take the bus, daycare and walkers down for dismissal, and then I go up and help finish up with the car riders.  The kids are all usually picked up by 3:05pm, and I have a few minutes to get some things taken care of in my classroom, before I have to leave by 3:35pm to pick up Arthur at the middle school.  And then the evenings are filled with all the normal craziness of life – lessons, young men’s, meetings, making dinner, doing laundry, etc., etc.

This Friday, I headed back to the school to attend the PTA meeting and choir concert.  (I have a lot of students in choir.). Luckily for me, there was also a taco truck, and so I picked up some tacos for my dinner, and then brought some home to Kevin.

The weather is continuing to be gorgeous, and my garden is thriving.  So exciting!  And the smell of the honeysuckle bushes is intoxicating.  I actually took this picture to show my brother what the weather was like here after he sent us all a picture of how it snowed in Reno where he lives.  Good times.

On Sunday, for our family activity, we played the game “Play Nine,” and Kevin had way too much luck!  It was quite annoying, especially after I kept having to discard “Hole in One” cards, which he could promptly pick up.  Oh well.  I knew who he was when I married him – the king of winning at games.

This past weekend, I used some of my extra time and energy to bake cookies.  I wanted to bring something in to brighten up the staff’s day, so I made Swig knockoffs and chocolate chip cookies, and then I put them in the office with a note that said, “Happy only 4 more Mondays left!”  Good times, and it made me happy to share some happiness with those around me.

On Tuesday, Arthur had his voice recital, and he did a fantastic job!!  He sang the song from Hercules, “Go the Distance,” and we were so proud of him!  I love that he gets to have the opportunity for voice lessons, and that they happen during the school day.  Definitely a win-win.

It was also great, because there are not that many students in voice, and so it was over in 45 minutes.  So much better than the two hour voice recitals Derek had in high school.

On Wednesday, Arthur’s YM’s activity was at Top Golf, and Kevin went along to chaperone, as well as participate.  Arthur had a fantastic time, especially having his dad there, even if his dad beat him out of first place – ha ha!

Thursday, we had our Fiesta celebrations.  We started off the day with a special assembly, complete with Mariachi and dancers.  It was headed up by a former Las Lomas teacher, Anna Pina, and she was amazing.  

At one point, they pulled students out to dance with them, and Audrina, from my class, got to dance.  And then my friend Farida’s daughter also got chosen, so I had to snap a picture and send them to her.

In the middle of the Fiesta fun, we also had a birthday celebration for Liara.  Nothing like having cupcakes at 9am – ha ha!

Then we finally got to watch the movie from the book we finished as a class, “Ella Enchanted.”  The kids loved it, but were annoyed at how totally different it was from the book.  Before we knew it, it was time for the Fiesta Float Parade.  They chose to do it outside this year, and it was not a great idea.  The kids didn’t get to see any of the floats of the students who went before them (and after them), and it was meltingly hot and humid.  Oh well.

It was fun that they had mini floats with the principal and the teachers of the year, but they could have done that inside.  Oh well.

When the parade was done, it was time for our class party!!  On the good list, a party with nachos and churros.  Yes please!  The parents were fantastic at both putting it together and running it, and although we had to quickly regroup and create our own Bingo boards when the Fiesta Bingo got misplaced, it all came together.  The MVP was totally Trent Kimball, who ran the show.  And meanwhile, a bunch of the moms helped me cut out lamination.  Fantastic!

It has been a crazy busy, but also very good, bit of life lately.  That is for sure!