Goodbye Daggett

Say it isn't so…summer is wrapping up. I mean that only in school terms, not in terms of weather. Summer in Texas doesn't stop until October.

I have some big news. I'm changing schools! It's bittersweet. I love Daggett Elementary. It's was my first school where I taught. It held my hand when I thought I made the worst mistake of my life by making a career change from the corporate world of merchandising. It put teachers in my life that I cherish and will always consider friends. And the kids. I only pray that the kids at my school will be as sweet and smart as my kids at Daggett. Well, minus a couple ;).

I'm so thankful for my time there and what it's done for me to help me grow as a person and a teacher. I have so many memories. In the three years that I was there, I had a baby, I lost a very dear co-worker of mine, and I celebrated Daggett's centennial. Did you know that Daggett is the second oldest school in AMERICA (that's been open consecutively)?!? Here we are, can you see me smiling?

As I was packing up my classroom, I had one of those I hope this is a good decision moments. I don't know if it is, but I just have to believe that it is.

We had a little summer get together and a little goodbye party. I love these girls. They make me laugh, calm me down when a kid drives me crazy, and they give me wonderful ideas. They are my family during the day.

Here is my 5th grade team. We had everything set this year to be a team and each teach different subjects. Then I go and mess everything up by leaving. I will miss these girls so much. You can count on them for ANYTHING.

And it wouldn't be a party without a dessert. We had some bite size sopapilla cakes that were DE-LISH!

As much as it hurts to leave, the excitement about my new school is hard to contain. It's half the driving distance from my house, they offer child care for their teachers, and it's an exemplary school! Triple bonus is that eventually the boys get to go to school with me! I feel like this was really a door opening that I couldn't close. I only pray that my experience at my new school will be as rewarding and dear to my heart.

Thank you Daggett for all the wonderful memories!

An early Mother's Day surprise

Every year at my school we have a Mother's Day picnic the week before Mother's Day. In years past I was either pregnant, on swine flu break or thought it would be too much to have my own kids up there. This year I thought I would take a chance and have Justin bring them up there for me.

How many brownie points does my sweet hubby score? He goes entirely out of his way to pick them up (really...I'm talking at least 30 min.), picks up a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers including my favorites like gerber daisies and lilies with both boys in tow, picks up lunch for me, changes Campbell's shirt so he doesn't look like a daycare ragamuffin, and stays late after work to make up the time he missed...all for me!

Since it was going to take another 30 minutes to drop them back off, we decided it was better just to leave them with me the last hour of school. I was so nervous about how they were going to act but they were really great. That last 20 minutes of school was really rough with Campbell, but we made it. Another day when we were about 3 hours late on nap. They were both zonked before I even hit the highway.

My students loved them and since 95% of them are Hispanic, they couldn't help but just stare at Campbell's big blue eyes. One of my girls said, "Those girls won't stop talking about his eyes, Mrs. McDonald. Be careful, they might rip them out." Let's hope not.

I'm one lucky mama.