I dub thee "rock star"

This is my new title at work – rock star. The teachers think they are SO funny. They tell me that I have reached “rock star” status with their students. I am loved. I am popular. I am who they want to see. I am mobbed by my “adoring fans” 30-40 times a day. I have kindergarteners blowing me kisses from the hallway as they walk by. All of my fans are under 4 feet tall.

Work went pretty well this week. We had our share of issues – I had several crying kids in my office this week, helped put out a few “fires” for the principal, and went to bunches of meetings to break up my day. Thursday was by far the craziest day this week. Early in the day the administrators had announced that due to “impending snow storm” Friday would be an early dismissal day. The kids got VERY excited. So excited, they felt they were sick enough to see the nurse. Little fakers. The hardest part of the constant visits was that I have my “Christmas laryngitis”. No joking folks, I get laryngitis EVERY year around Christmas time. I think I am allergic to something like the tree, or whatever. But I get laryngitis. Every year. Now, I don't really feel bad, however, I cannot talk very well. By the end of the day, I didn't have much of a voice. The kids thought this was hilarious. A few of them felt that they were “coming down with” laryngitis as well. On teacher overheard one of her students saying that they felt laryngitis coming on and she mouthed to me “rock star”. Ha. Ha.

So Friday we expected to go a half a day, and instead, school was canceled. My school, Arlington's school, every school in Connecticut. Now, I was upset only because now we have an official “snow day” that we have to make up. And in our schools, they make up these days at the END of the year. UGH! It isn't bad enough that Arlington and I have to go until June 15/19th respectively. Now we have to add a day onto that. Sigh.
Now, it wouldn't have been a big deal if we actually couldn't have GONE for most of the day. The snowflakes didn't start falling until 1:15pm!! We were supposed to be dismissed in the elementary level at 11:30am – PLENTY of time to get everyone home before the snow started. Oh well. Once the snow started to fall, it fell fast. We ended up with a total of 9 inches in our area before it finished up last night. Arlington was THRILLED!

Yesterday afternoon we did play outside for about ½ hour before it got too dark to be outside. Arlington loved it, but did find that her hands got cold quickly. We need to get her some different gloves. The babies THOUGHT they wanted to go outside – until they saw how deep it was. Finley was okay for a little while, but wouldn't walk in it. Cainan fell over once, and that did it for him. Arlington fell down in the snow and made a snow angel, however, she had “A Christmas Story” moment and rolled from side to side and couldn't get up. She even said the famous “I can't get up!!” line from that movie. It was hilarious. After that, we came inside.


Today it has been flurring all day, but we decided to take the kids out mid-morning to play. Everything was cancelled today, so no basketball and no “live nativity” like we originally planned. We went outside for a few hours and the kids had a much better time. Finley was the first to get tired. Both babies weren't able to move much without help. We have two baby sleds that they wanted to use mostly just to sit still in. Arlington was all over the place, of course – having a great time. The snow is fluffy, so we couldn't build a snow man, and that was disappointing. But she enjoyed sledding down our driveway/hill. We don't have an official “sled” for her yet, so we used our boogy board from Florida and that worked really well. Even Finley and Cainan took a turn riding down the hill with Arlington holding on to them. Cainan LOVED it. Finley only went once and she and Arlington landed in a snow bank and Finley was covered with snow, so she was all done after that. She didn't really want to go inside, but she didn't want to be in the snow either. So we opened up the back of the van and she sat in there with her cup of milk and a candy cane. She was in a happy place.


So we have no plans to go anywhere. We are pretty much snowed in. Shoveling our driveway is going to be challenging and we are going to do that tomorrow. We are going to be wishing for a snow blower. Our neighbor has one and was nice enough to plow our shared driveway this morning. That is a huge help.

Tomorrow's plans are up in the air. We are getting another storm. It is a 50/50 chance whether it will be snow or it will be rain. I am hoping for the rain ONLY because I don't want to miss work again on Monday. I must sound like a crazy person – wanting to NOT miss work. But going later and later into June is sounding less and less fun to me!

This week we have to wrap up our Christmas shopping! I know – running it a little close. But we only have a few things left to get. I put the presents we do have wrapped under the tree today during the babies nap. Arlington was the first to discover them and is busy trying to figure out what is in her packages. When the babies woke up Finley poked at the packages - I thought she might put a hole in them. Cainan did a little happy dance when he saw them, but left them alone. This year each child got their own wrapping paper, so I could keep it all separated! I thank my wonderful mom-in-law, Sally, for that idea! She always did that for her 5 kids (and then all of their significant others and children.......) and I always thought it was a great idea! I can't wait to watch them open their presents – I love watching their faces.

Cainan is really into Christmas this year. Last year he cried the whole season – when he saw Santa, Christmas morning.... the boy was overwhelmed. This year he is so giddy! He is a hoot. He hops all around the Christmas tree and has learned to sing “Jingle Bells” which is really cute. Finley will sing Christmas songs as well. When we get into the car, she wants me to immediately turn on the radio station that is playing Christmas songs right now. I hope the giddiness lasts through Christmas day!

On more thing I wanted to share – this year I organized for us Kindergarten parents to give to a family to make their Christmas a little brighter. Our family was a 6 year old little girl and her dad. I am so proud of our Kindergarten families!! We did GREAT and we were able to give a ton of presents to this family for Christmas. I will be thinking of them on Christmas morning, and I hope we helped make their holiday a little brighter.

So here are all of the pictures I have taken this week (mostly weekend). I hope you enjoy and I will see you Tuesday!! Oh, by the way - I posted a cute commercial on Thursday (post below this one) Check it out!!!