Taught to the tune of the hickory stick....

Sorry for the lack of new posts, but I am swamped! We had to start back to school on Monday, and are back under contract, so we have been at meetings, etc.. I have been working on getting my classroom ready, and honestly, I have thought of little else. Open House is on Tuesday. If there was such a thing as "The Ultimate Opening Cardboard Boxes and Slicing Open Packing Tape with a KFC Fork" contest, I would win a million dollars. Between the house and school, I am beginning to think cardboard could be a replacement for sheetrock in some homes. It is durable, unbendable, unbreakable, and water proof. I haven't tried lighting it on fire yet, but I am sure it could take the heat. Who knew I would be spending so much time unpacking? My house has even been put on hold! David did hang a wicker chandelier basket outside over a small table on the deck tonight for me, and I also hung a painting in the guest bedroom. That is it though! I have been taking a million pictures of my dirty classroom to show you the horror that is my classroom at the end of May, left without a thought, ready for summer vacation. Coming back now is like walking into a volcano after it has erupted and dried on everything. I'm like, "Oh! I left a diet coke on the bookcase all summer. Gross!" I have been laminating like crazy, getting ready for my new theme this year- dogs! I.E... "How to avoid being in Mrs. McCash's doghouse." "Dog-gone Good Work!" "The Dog Days of Summer" "What's Up Dog?" Just kidding on that one... : ) I, however, left my camera at school in my room. Sorry! You will love the before and after shots though. With name tags to make, files to organize, school supplies to unpack and put away, Tupperware to label and stack, learning centers to arrange, and my classroom library to alphabetize and sort by genre, even my dog has been neglected. The good news is that I have smaller classes this year. Last year, I saw roughly 68 kids every single day. This year, it looks today (knock on wood... or maybe even cardboard) like I will be teaching only about 54. When each number represents a living, breathing, little person, that is a big difference! Don't give up on me.. I promise to post tomorrow. I'm heading off to the tub for a good soak and a promising dose of Lindsey Loahn, Nicole Richie, and Britney Spears- it's magazine day! Yeah!!!!