Back to life, back to reality

Well, a two-week vacation is coming to a close, and while I don't dread going back to school I dread finishing off my last few tasks that I've put off. My to-do list for tomorrow looks like this:

• New seating charts (4 total)
• Grade pre-alg tests
• Grade course 2 tests
• Course 2 slides
• Thank-yous for Christmas gifts from students to hand out Monday

My original plan was to have January's slides done, but that didn't happen... oh well! I only finished the first week's slides for pre-algebra. It will be so much easier (assuming I get to stay) next year when I will only have to revise my slides...

I also re-realized that another decade is over, and I was thinking about how mine has gone. This was a huge decade for me, as far as decades go. I (get this), learned how to drive, had my first kiss, graduated high school, graduated college, met John,  got engaged and married, bought a house, started my career. Eeek! That's a lot of growing up I've done... cah-razy.

In other news, I really only mentioned one toy I got for Christmas - Photoshop Elements 9. Here are some other sweet treats I got - I feel overwhelmed with my husband's and family's generosity.

This is one of my favorite gifts - a sure sign that I'm getting older. This is a highly rated Black and Decker cordless hand vacuum, and boy does it come in handy! I keep in plugged in under the stairs and can pull it out to clean up the counters, vacuum the whole kitchen floor crumbs in the kitchen, clean up the couch, vacuum up all my stray hair from the bathroom. It's been so handy!! Along with that, my mom got me this from business Costco sort of as a joke, but I love it!

This dustpan, coupled with my industrial-size 2-foot dust mop, makes it so easy to sweep the downstairs! I don't even have to bend over anymore! Love it!

My sister got us this, which I am super excited about! No more writing out return labels! What a sweet idea!

John also got me these 2 books I had asked for - I plan on reading the "thanks" book to my students at the end of the school year. I get choked up reading it for some reason. So cute! (yes I know I teach 7th graders and don't have any children...)



An Awesome Book of Thanks! from Dallas Clayton on Vimeo.

 This guy is too cute.


John also got me some necklaces from J. Crew. But... I don't have pictures.

My parents showered us with gifts for some reason. My mom got carried away. They also wrap gifts they get themselves (I'm talkin' to mom from mom) and unwrap them in front of us and act surprised. It's very silly. They got John a shop vac (which was supposed to be from me... but...) and me a rolling office chair. And a signed baseball from Edgar Martinez (whom they met while having a fancy night in one of the suites at Safeco). And... other fun things I can't think of.

Also, our marshmallow gun fight tradition was a success. The boys definitely pick on me, but it's all in good fun. John hid the whole time, wuss. You'd be surprised how much a marshmallow can hurt!