Back to the Grind

My Christmas vacation this year was a short one, not that I am complaining so much as just remarking! I spent the first week and a bit pretty sick with the flu but still managed to fit in tons of time with friends and family and lots of catch up on sleep!  Christmas was quiet and lovely and I was spoiled by friends and family. It was nice to sit around the dinner table with those I love and laugh and share stories. Being so far away for long periods makes you really value the short time you do get to spend with family so for that I am grateful!

I've gotten almost all my shopping done, Costco was yesterday and I can't even whisper how much I spent or it becomes a real number and I have to acknowledge it. When it comes to shopping and preparing, its hard to explain to people why you need so much of this or that, I think most have a hard time understanding that when you say "I can't get it up there," you really mean "I can't get it up there!!!"  In an age of easy accessibility and a 2 minute drive to the nearest store and being able to buy whatever it is your heart (or classroom) desires or needs, it's hard for most to imagine why it is necessary to stock up on 3 containers of Ring Pops because you can't buy them in the grocery store and they are your student's favorite prize to pick from the treasure chest! 

My mom is gearing up for the trip, packing all sorts of things. I now see where I might have inherited my ability to collect, pack and overpack. I used to think it was a highly sought-after skill, honed through years of moving from one place to another, but now seeing my van packed up and we still haven't put in clothes, regular grocery store items OR Bobo, I'm beginning to see it more as a bit of a curse. 

Tonight I have some plans for a quiet New Years with good old friends. I feel lucky to have a core group of childhood friends that I can rely on and always come back to. You don't need to explain yourself to these friends, they have seen you at your best and worst, know most of your secrets and still accept you for who you are. I feel lucky that even though I made the choice to go so far away for a career, they still welcome me back with open arms as if no time has passed!

Anyways, this new year is going to be an interesting one! I don't necessarily want to set "New Years Resolutions" but I do want to set some goals for myself this new year. I hope to spend more time in the classroom working on more effective differentiation, coming up with some neat and expressive creative arts experiences for my students and getting better at detailed long-range planning. I want to try and become a more patient and positive person (although I've always said gossip, complaining and spite are the rich spices of life so we'll see how far I get with that). Of course there are the typical health and fitness goals so wish me luck on that too!

So my mom, Bobo, Carmonika, Nick and Mary and I will be taking off on Friday morning and heading back to Wemindji to start a new year and a new adventure! There is no possible way I will slide off the icy roads on this trip due to the intense amount of crap I have currently in my van. I may explode all my tires with the sheer weight of all the toilet paper and lemon juice I have acquired and in that case I will be quietly murdering my mother and collecting my inheritance early to cover the cost of repairs. 

So Happy New Year to you and yours and thank you for indulging my ego and reading faithfully!