Friday night, just got paid...

What a day. In reference to the title of this entry, I got my first Prop 301 check today. Prop 301 was passed by voters, and it's a tax credit to schools, that is divided out to each teacher, in 4 payments during the school year. It's basically an incentive to excel in educating your children, and further inspiring us to push the kids to pass the state tests. Whatever the reason, I got a check that we didn't budget for. Woo-hoo!! It is going directly towards the expenses of our upcoming move (3 weeks from tomorrow!).

Today was my last weekday before school starts. I rode the rollercoaster of emotions today. We had staff pictures this morning, and a meeting on office procedures (which stressed me out just a bit--attendance, write-ups, passes, phone calls, etc.), which I spent stewing about all the things I had left to do in my classroom. For the past couple of days, I've left my room thinking, "oh, I'm almost done. Not much left to do". Haha. Every day I'd return and see this mound of papers on my desk that I still hadn't dealt with, and little things kept piling up. I didn't spend all that much time in my room today, but I was super productive. I was able to get my bulletin boards the way I wanted them, filed some papers, wrote next week's schedule on the board (it's a shortened schedule, because they spend the afternoons in mini classes about school rules and procedures), began working on next week's lesson plan (guess what I get to finish this weekend?), and made a list of things I needed to do before Monday morning. The room looks ready, which in turn makes me look ready. And looking ready and being ready look the same to students. I feel confident about starting school. I'll have first day jitters as I always do, but at least I feel more at ease about getting started. Oh yeah, and I have one of my 6th graders from last year!! As of yesterday's roster, I didn't have any of them. I knew there were for sure 4 or 5 coming to the school this year, but every roster I checked, I didn't see them. Then today, we got updated ones, and there he was. And he was one of my favorites last year, I won't lie. He went with me to the Learn and Serve camp last year, and we just had a good laugh all the time. Should be fun. A little strange having in my class instead of being an aide in his room, but it will be fun all the same.

We got the keys to our new place today. Yeah!! We were so excited to see it again, and start planning where everything will go. Thank you God, for giving this place to us...

Tomorrow is my husband and I's wedding anniversary. 6 years. Wow. A little surreal sometimes. We get to go the movies and spend the day together AND go to dinner. Yee-haw!! I can't wait.

So things are on the upside in my part of the world. Hope everyone is just as blessed as we are right now.