Anecdotal Evidence that School has Started

There is more laundry than usual.

During breaks, especially summer, I spread out the laundry loads and don't have to depend on weekends to do it all. Not any more!

There are books all over.

Yes, that's a normal state of affairs in this house. However, the table next to my rocker now holds Lucy Calkins' A Guide to the Reading Workshop and two books I'm previewing for my classroom library. There's a pleasure book sitting on my bedside table; that's a must.

I'm exhausted. The beginning of a new school year always brings extra tasks, extra stress. This usually subsides with time and then picks up again around parent-teacher conferences and progress report seasons. This year, with the additional challenges in reading instruction, I'm working every spare minute to plan effective lessons and find appropriate materials and books.

I'm running out of coffee. Yikes! I'm making my own and bringing a thermos to school, determined to be both frugal and green by avoiding the drive-through expresso place. But I need to pick some up soon, or this refreshing beverage will be out of stock at home.

Oh, by the way, if you were wondering what the family is eating for our NFL Regular Season challenge of "Eating the Opponents" - we chose Chicago style deep dish pizza. This is Monday night game, and Da Bears are 2-0 just like the Packers, so we might repeat this fine entree on Monday night. I think it'll be worth the sacrifice to eat the same meal twice. Really.

Stumble It!