Jean Day

This was my view after getting behind the wheel of my car. I turned it on and saw that it was a brisk 37 degrees outside. I live in the south since I don't think I could acclimate to colder temperatures. Today is a day to be thankful not to have morning duty. All I can think about is my sweet friend who's getting married tonight... outside... in the cold... At least it didn't rain, but baby it'll be cold outside!

Today is Friday! For us it's jean day... my favorite day of the week. Why is it that we feel like we can accomplish so much more getting to wear jeans? I mean I usually feel like a champion on jean days and that I can accomplish the world. Okay maybe that's a bit extreme, but it sure seems like I can do so much more. I especially love being able to wear tall boots. I know it's totally a mental thing, but it makes me feel stylish. I love that feeling. In all honesty, I probably like them because I'm short and I get to feel like I fit in with the taller people in the world. There are many things clothing wise I have to be careful not to wear because it doesn't flatter short people. So on jean and tall boot day, I get to be just like everyone else! It's the simple things in life.

My husband and I talked this morning, thankfully he's coming home tonight. I was telling him about my blog and he was all excited about it. I love that he is a reader and writer also. He's a very well rounded person. He's an amazing writer, VERY creative! He should probably blog too, even if it's just for writing practice. I think that he will be the author of a book one day. He's got the creativity and drive to do it.

Well in the last few seconds before the school bell rings, I find that I'm enjoying those few precious moments of silence. Today is going to be a super busy day and I get ready to be absent for three days so I can attend a technology conference for my state. I'm pretty excited because I am being presented with an award for being the region's middle school teacher of the year. It's such an honor to receive. I'll find out next week if I was able to win the state level award (keep your fingers crossed). Anyway, I'm off to begin my crazy hectic day. Thankfully I have my jeans and tall boots on and I should be able to conquer the world today!

Currently December

I love this activity! I participated with some friends when we blogged together and it was always great to run across new and interesting blogs. I'm linking up with Farley for the Currently December activity.

My classroom is always so hot! It's crazy how cool it can be downstairs, but upstairs in my world it's like a sauna. So I'm listening to the classroom fan making it's humming noise. There have been many days I was really glad to have them. 

I'm loving that almost all of my holiday shopping is done. This year everyone pretty much received a homemade gift. I made some rag quilts and monogrammed some hand towels and blankets. I love making gifts personalized. I find that it's a great way to be thoughtful. 

I'm so ready for my Christmas break. I feel sad saying that especially since we just got back from Thanksgiving. It just seems like it's well past time for a break. A real break that includes sleeping in, pjs during the day, and reading. 

I'm wanting to sit at home in my pajamas and read. I feel like life has been so busy, that I haven't had time to read. I would love to just veg out and get lost in a book. 

I need my husband to come home from Chicago. I'm ready to see him and spend some quality time with him. Thankfully it's almost time for him to make the trip home. 

This year like most years I'm sporting a faux tree. Our tree is frosted and has the pine cones and cranberries on it. I love it!! I don't think I've ever had a real tree to be honest. Maybe that is something I need to put on my bucket list for the future. 

Back on the Blog Wagon

Welcome to my blog! I'm currently a middle school ELA teacher. I've been feeling a bit empty lately, and I thought it was high time I get back on the "blog wagon". When I was a student teacher (way back in the day), my cooperating teacher used to encourage me to blog. I was pretty good about blogging. It gave me an outlet to sort through my new life as a teacher. I've decided that it was time I start doing that again. I figured maybe it would help me sort through my days and give me a place to share whatever knowledge I can impart to others. This is just a rough version of my blog. It will undergo some personalization very soon. I felt like it was time I got started on it with or without a beautification process.

On a nerdy note, I'm excited to say that this is my first blog as Mrs. Keeling! I got married this past summer and have had to transform myself into a new person. Really that was a fancy way to say that I had to learn to answer to a new name. That has been quite an adjustment for me. After spending 34 years of my life answering to a different name, it was hard to adjust to a new one. So here I am blogging as the "new" me for the first time. It's the simple milestones in life that make me smile.

Well I'm off to begin my school day. I hope that it is a productive one full of learning! We are reading "A Stolen Day" about a young boy who thinks he is "sick". Then we will move into a comparison and contrast paragraph writing assignment. We already read the short story "A Day's Wait" about a young boy who is sick with the flu and thinks he is dying due to a temperature misunderstanding. My students will compare and contrast the character traits of the two boys. I'm excited to see what they are going to do.