Family Assisted Bath Time

So I got home pretty late today.  I left the house at 6:30 this morning and didn't get home until after 5.  LONG DAYS.  I did get some snuggle time in with my Chunk though.

She woke up right before we ate dinner and had a good time kicking on her floor gym.  After dinner, it was seriously time to give her a bath.  She has been going to sleep so early that it has not happened as much as it should this week.  Oh well.  Mac decided he also wanted to help with bath time.  They are so stinking cute together!

My classroom

I work in a rather large school district.  We have almost 50,000 students in my district.  Last school year, we were under a $25 million budget shortfall.  Next school year, between $21-$23 million more dollars will need to be cut from the school budget.  Needless to say, there is no money for class supplies.  My students are the ones that suffer.  My awesome sister in law told me about a website that she used to raise money for technology in her class.  I decided to give it a go.  I am really hoping that I am able to raise the funds to get the supplies that I need for my class.  I teach special ed students (the majority of my students have behavioral issues) and they are working REALLY hard to graduate....I want to see them be successful but this is going to take a little support....

Here is the project that I have posted in order to raise the funds for my class!  If you donate and use the code INSPIRE before September 5th, your donation will be doubled for my project!  Words cannot express how much I appreciate any support that can be given to my students.

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/motivated-to-graduate/1316131/?rf=email-system-2014-08-proposal_approve-teacher_2461539&challengeid=20453738&utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=proposal_approve

Not only do I have a project posted but so do several of my friends who are also high school teachers.  At the high school level, we often have to do without a lot of things because a lot of the budget goes towards the elementary schools.  A lot of our parents are not as involved with their students as they were when they were younger.  We can honestly use all of the help that we can get.  Here are the links to my friends' projects!

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/word-nerds-need-new-necessities/1313579/?challengeid=20458284&more=true

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/reaching-our-goals/1304553/

Please share this with anyone you think would be interested in helping out some teachers in Alaska!  Fingers crossed that I meet my class goal!!!!!

Oh boy

My kids are adorable.  I am pretty sure other people think they are adorable too.  They are even more adorable together.  Love is not a good enough of a descriptor for their relationship.

Today I had both of the kids in my lap.  Nora was smiling HUGE while looking at Mac.

Today, we got some awesome cupcakes.  I LOVE CUPCAKES.  Love.

Here are some random adorable pictures of Nora...

On Sunday we were getting some crazy rain (who am I kidding?  It has been raining nonstop) so Mac did some art time at his desk in his room.

He also got busted coloring that night when he was also supposed to be asleep....

A little late

Whew.  Going back to work is hard.  Not the leaving my kids with someone else part (our daycare family is awesome).  The beginning of the year stuff for high school kids is hard.  Schedules are REALLY messed up.  I am doing something different (again) this year.  I think I am really going to like it when things decide to settle down.  I am teaching Affective Skills (behavior classes) and Study Skills (aka a homework period) and Apex (an online credit recovery class).  Most of my students are upperclassmen which is nice.  Sad face though because two of my favorite students are gone....I called their mom on Friday and she told me that they had moved to another city but that she would send me emails to keep in the loop of how they are doing.  She said a lot of things that validated why I am a teacher.....a special education teacher.  Sometimes I lose perspective of that because my job is just so dang hard.  I am expected to be a teacher and a paperwork pusher and a counselor and a person who helps them set things up for life after high school and to top it all off I only see the students that most teachers complain about having.  It's worth it though when I have parents who say how much we helped and how much I mean to their kids.

On another teacher note, I ordered an Erin Condren teacher lesson planner and I cannot wait for that thing to get here!  Rather than keeping up with several different calendars and planners, I am going to lesson plan and do family stuff in the same planner.  I.  Cannot.  Wait.  Yes I am a dork.

Joe is staining our deck.  He still has a little bit to do on it still but it looks FIVE million times better.

My kids love being around each other.  

Her facial expressions are so funny.  

I love seeing my family all together.

Chunk had to get a bath.  She is like a baby Buddha.

Mac got put in time out and he fell asleep.  Thank goodness.  He has been a little rough lately.  Super argumentative and lots of tantrums. 

Mac was keeping Nora entertained. 

And another silly face from my little girl. 

Mac likes to put all of his toys in his bed.  He is a little ridiculous.  Every time I go in there I have to clear off an insane amount of toys. 

Check out that giant belly. 

Nora passed out on the sofa next to me yesterday.  She is so stinking sweet.  She is seriously the happiest, currently easiest baby ever. 

Sibling time. 

They are looking in the mirror at each other.  

My parents sent Mac up cowboy boots and he likes to wear them with random clothes.  This is what my man wore this morning to go get donuts. 

Some more of the chunk.  I cannot get enough of her.  

Happy chunk.  This was about 5:45 in the morning when we were all getting dressed for work.  

She is either happy like this or asleep.  She does not cry or fuss much.  Honestly, Mac cries more than her. 

My family watching Toy Story.  As I am typing this, the only person awake in that chair is Mac.  True story. 

Mac loves kissing her too and after a little bit he was kissing her feet.  Weirdo. 

Check out that drool on my girl's face.  

I have a Michelin baby.  She is not super fond of tummy time and her head droops towards the end when she is tired.  She thoroughly enjoys eating her fists though when she is doing tummy time. 

5:30 in the morning apparently was too early for her. 

My family!

Any time that she is wearing a dress, she grabs hold of the bottom and pulls it up.  I am going to have my hands full with her later in life......