Share

In my first grade classroom, we begin every day with a Morning Meeting. We start by greeting one another, and then we go to a time of sharing. We sit in a circle and go around taking turns sharing about a given topic. I love it because every kid gets his or her voice out there, especially for those who might have come in the room a little extra cranky, shy, or tired, but it's also awesome because I get a little insight into their lives outside the classroom. Every single Monday our share is: "Over the weekend, I _______." The best shares come after long breaks and vacations, because then they get to be exciting things like "Over Thanksgiving break, I went to Key Lime Cove and cannonballed into the pool and made my sister cry." We have an extra day of winter break today and tomorrow due to the -50 degree windchill (not even joking) and so our big share day will have to wait until Wednesday. Each kid will get a turn to say, "Over winter break, I _____________." After all of the kids go, my fellow Instructional Assistant and I take a turn so the kids know what their teachers were up to as well. I woke up this morning and thought to myself what I'll say on our first day back. There was a lot of stuff that happened this winter break, both seemingly small and definitively significant. So here it is in pictures. Ready?

Over winter break, I....

cruised in the backseat with Xander, 

got engaged to this handsome guy, 

cleaned my disaster zone of a room, 

went out for enchiladas, 

ate some delicious gluten-free cookies, 

reunited with some of my favorite humans, 

braved #Snowpocalypse2014, 

and had the best snow-removal-service around de-snow my car. 

Baby It's Cold Outside

Okay before I start my writing, can we all agree that the song to which this post's title refers is a thinly-veiled poppy version of date rape?! "I really can't stay?" "Say what's in this drink?" Terrible. Girls, it might be cold outside, but get the heck out of that guy's apartment. Put the hat back on, go home, and deadbolt that door.

....Pause for a reflection of this creepy song and a transition to fun things....

Now, onto the warmth and cheer. It has been freezing outside. I got into my car this morning and the temperature on the dash read -3. Negative three. Gah. Yet with this abominable weather, there have been some lovely little moments. And, of all places, these moments happened outside in the midst of the frozen tundra. I absolutely hate being cold yet here God put all these fun moments in my life, right in the middle of negative degrees and numb noses. Sorry that sounds sentimental, but I am sentimental. I'm overtired, and I taught Christmas activities to antsy overtired children all day, and I'm in grad class on the last night of the semester, and therefore I'm loopy and therefore sentimental. Oh well. Here are some positive moments from the past few weeks when the temperatures were in the negatives.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we took part in the Christmas parade in the tiny town adjacent to the tiny town in which I was raised. Sawyer was a little elf (very cute I might add) on the float and I was the official face-painter and sign-maker and glow-stick-passer-outer-to-the-crowds-er for my dad's business. Ah small town life. And a backseat selfie. 

It's hats and hoods and gloves time at recess. My kids love going outside, even in the cold. It makes me rethink my laziness of my "I don't wanna go out there" when it's freezing cold and consider the joy of a six-year-old going down a slippery snowy slide. And also the joy of a fur hood selfie. There's that too. 

Karley and Sam asked if Brian and I wanted to walk around The Magnificent Mile to see the lights. I hadn't been downtown in forever - funny how living in a big city makes you take the touristy things for granted - but it was awesome to stroll in and out of shops, sip hot chocolate, and soak up the Christmas spirit. And, of course, another selfie. SO MANY SELFIES.