September Currently

I loved doing "Currently" for the first time last month. This monthly party is hosted by the amazing Farley...check it out if you haven't before...and check out my September Currently...(oh, btw, I love the artwork she used for this month's currently card...I have had this element pack of Kate Hadfield's on my wishlist at The LilyPad forEVER. I need to buy it. Hmmm...maybe that should have been my "need"...LOL!)

So, anyway...there I was...LOL. Yeah, you may not get that...but I was typing, and literally thinking, "So, anyway", because that's totally how I speak, and then it transitioned into the lyrics of the song I've been listening to on loop for the past 15 minutes. First off, I LOVE Beth Orton. One of my all-time favorite artists. If you have never heard of her...man, you should. I'd suggest Central Reservation as a great entrance point, though I came in earlier in her career, at Trailer Park, and both of those albums are complete favorites of mine. The song Sweetest Decline is off Central Reservation, and I adore it. I "like" Beth on Facebook, and tonight she (or whomever manages her FB, I have no idea), posted a link to this great cover Ryan Adams did of her song. I love it. I will admit I do not know Ryan Adams well, other than to know he's quite popular (yes, I'm one of those people who doesn't really follow "new" music anymore...I have what I love, and I stick to that..I'm lame, I know!). So, anyway, there I was...just listening to Ryan and doing...Farley's Currently...LOL.

Loving...this was an easy one today. From Friday evening till early this afternoon, I spent the most time I have in YEARS in my mom's hometown. I've gone every year, but haven't stayed overnight in almost three years, and that was in November, for my grandmother's funeral...so, while a meaningful and wonderful event, not really a happy, let's go hang at the beach kind of getaway. The hubs and kids and I spent our Labor Day weekend in a small house I share with my cousins (we are very blessed to have been given this gift by our auntie). This was "our" weekend, postponed from the weekend before (courtesy of car problems). The house is 3 blocks from the beach, and we had a perfect beach weekend--high 70s, low 80s and sunny! My kids LOVED the beach, and the water was warm enough to swim comfortably...any of you who have been to Lake Michigan know that is a rare thing! We walked all over town, did the tourist-y thing, visited the shop/pharmacy my grandpa used to own, and showed the girls his picture, still hanging on the wall...I think some other tourists thought I was crazy, standing in MacDonald's Pharmacy, tears in my eyes, as I told my kids that the man up there is your great-grandpa...but it was meaningful to me. Really, an amazing, great weekend. Yeah. Even herding the four and two year old everywhere for three days, it was worth it.

Thinking...school starts tomorrow. TO MOR ROW. No, really. Tomorrow. What the heck??? How did that happen? I am so not READY. And my baby...my little peanut...is a FIRST grader. We are now in to uncharted territory. Last year was easy. I know K inside and out. First grade??? What the heck are we doing? I don't know what happens in FIRST grade!!!

Wanting...Day One to be a breeze. We are doing a"transitional" day for students, coming for half a day. Parents have the option to stay, but do not HAVE to. This could get interesting. Plus, making that good first impression on parents, while working to build trust with students. It's a fine line to walk, and will be interesting. The kids come first, no matter what, so that's where my focus will be. I think we'll do well...it's just a bit overwhelming!

Needing...to go to bed...but first, to figure out what I am wearing tomorrow...and let's not think about the fact that I did not do much healthy eating over the weekend, and I think I gained about 47 pounds (my husband assures me this is not possible. I am questioning his sanity). Yeah. Picking out clothes. As soon as I get off the computer...

Which brings me to those goals...#1 unplug more regularly. While I want to be connected, and I am working to build my professional learning network, through this blog, through twitter, and instagram, and all the social media out there, I need to take more time to just be with my family. Another gift this past weekend gave me! This is going to be a challenge, because my online courses start up again in a couple of weeks, and balancing grad work with family is HARD for me. I will be very ready when December comes and I am DONE and really CAN turn off the computer whenever I want, because I don't HAVE to do anything!

Goal #2 will culminate at the end of September. I am signed up to lead not one but TWO presentations at an RESD-wide PD day at the end of the month. This is terrifying. First, because I've never done it before, and, like many of you, put me in front of a group of 50 five year olds, and I'm fine. A room full of my peers? You have got to be kidding. Second, because I don't feel like an expert at this! I feel like I am just keeping my head above water, or just learning to dog paddle in the shallow end. And I know there are people in the RESD who are WAY ahead of me at this. But I guess, then, the reality is that my session won't be for them, they'll go to something else. I'll be there to help the newbies, the people who are scared to death of all this tech, those who, like me, come with the desire, but not the knowledge of how to dive in, and I can just encourage them to do that, because, hey, I've done it. And it's not as scary as it seems. Really.

Sigh. I could add a #3 on there. And really, I need to...so let's pretend there was room, and I wrote "goal #3" on my currently card. Let's pretend it says Eat Better and Get in Shape...or at least START. Yep. I will admit, it was a bad weekend, I didn't drink as much water as I should, and I sure did not eat healthy foods...add some hormonal shifts over the weekend, and, well, let's just say it was an adventure prying my wedding ring off earlier today, and I have not yet tried to put it back on...So, yeah.

That's it. That's my September Currently. If I was good, I'd give ya a lot more photos. Yep. But I'm lazy, and hey, I still need to go pick out my clothes for tomorrow, so I guess I'll be off...and try to be back tomorrow with an update on the first day of school!

--Becca

(p.s. I'll be doing my love-leaving on three blogs tomorrow...there is no way I can focus tonight...but if you are one of those three blogs, don't worry! I haven't forgotten you, and you are certainly on my must-visit list!)