Last day of July...

and the last Monday before school starts. Kinda scary. In some ways, I'm ready. I've been ready for a year, to be back in my own class, running things how I want to, and teaching only English again. And I am ready to deal with the 8th graders (even the ginormously tall boys). I just feel a little uneasy about teaching two grade levels, planning two grade levels and the little things related to it. I still have 4 days of Inservices, so I'm sure I'll be bombarded with even more information than I would ever want or need. It's just that anxiety and nervousness and excitement and anticipation I feel before every school year begins. I'll feel better this time two weeks from now.

And two weeks from now, we will be two weeks away from moving. Crazy!! We've been packing a little each day. Sometimes it feels like we've already made a lot of progress, and then other times I look around at the full cabinets and the stuff on the desk and in the dresser drawers and the toys scattered about, and I feel overwhelmed. We have a lot of crap!! I know we still have 4 weeks and we'll have plenty of help when the day comes, it's just that this is our first move without the Army. Seriously. The past 6 years (and like 6 moves), the Army packed and moved us. We haven't needed to locate boxes or store the packed boxes or keep track of all the stuff left to pack. It's a nice feeling that we're not moving because of a deployment. We are volunteering to move. That's a really nice feeling. I just can't wait to be settled into our new place. I can't wait for Christmas time, where we can decorate our house with festiveness (not a word, I know), and just have that general feeling of warmth and the love of the Holidays. The little lights of the Christmas tree...the smell of Cinnamon and Pine...the bright colors of presents and decorations...Lighting the fireplace and cuddling around it...Having family over at our house for Christmas...Ahhhh...

On that pleasant and nostalgic and warm-fuzzy-feeling note, I am off to bed. I have a day of training, sitting at cafeteria tables in a high school to look forward to.