Hello, Summer! :(

Suddenly, I appreciate the cool spring we had. I even appreciate the 40 degree days we had just a couple of weeks ago. Summer has arrived. Maybe the calendar doesn't indicate that yet, but when you teach in a middle school, one hot, humid day is all you need to be convinced. It was so humid today that I actually had a layer of wet on the floor. Kids were slipping on the floor! Papers were limp, faces were glistening, and no one felt like concentrating. We still have 3 weeks of school, and if this weather keeps up, it's going to be a LOOOOOOOOONG 3 weeks!

On a happy note, I got my flowers planted yesterday. I feel very close to my mom and my grandma when I do that. It was always a spring ritual when I was growing up. In Council Bluffs, we'd head out to K-Mart and buy our flowers. Matt & I would haul the big pots around to the front, and Mom would plant away. Matt is the one who figured out that the gigantic pots are a lot easier to move when you put them on a skateboard! Our deck was always overflowing with impatiens... other things too, but I especially remember how fond my mom was of impatiens. They're cheery. When I moved to Fairfield, I would help Grandma plant her flowers, and we'd haul stuff around in her red wagon. That red wagon just bit the dust last year. I was sad to see it go... many good memories with it. But when a wagon rusts clean through, it's basically just 4 wheels and a handle. Not much good for hauling. Luckily, I have the best boyfriend ever who replaced that red wagon for my birthday this year. I had fun testing it out for the first time yesterday when I hauled my own flower pots and bags of peat & soil around. It's amazing what a few pots of flowers do for a person's yard... and a person's spirit. :)

On a crappy note, I woke up yesterday with a wretched sore throat & headache. It's not any better today, and I CANNOT be sick this week. The 8th grade GOAL kids are premiering their documentary films tomorrow night, and Thursday is the 7th grade GOAL trip to Hannibal. I repeat... I CANNOT be sick this week! Send healing thoughts my way!

To close, I'll reiterate what I said today on Facebook & Twitter. Air conditioning is my favorite invention. Stay cool, everyone!