The First of the Lasts

It's ironic - I found out we would definitely be moving to London on the day I went in to start setting up my classroom for the next school year.  I must admit that it's a bit difficult to really throw myself into the spirit of things since I know I probably won't make it through 'til May.  Is it possible to slack off in the classroom with 10 and 11 year old kids?  Not if you want to keep your sanity!


I LOVE my team and campus, so this will be a bittersweet experience for me.  I feel a bit like Goldilocks in regards to my teaching experiences.  Some campuses, administrators, or fellow teachers were too this or that, not just right.  My current campus has been the perfect fit for me, due mainly to the fact that my fellow 5th grade teachers are just amazing.  One in particular has been my unofficial mentor and sets such a high standard for herself that it has inspired me to emulate what she does.  I'll never be able to accomplish the miracles she seems to pull off in the classroom, working her magic not only on kids but also parents.  I will miss seeing these fabulous ladies on a regular basis, but hope they'll come visit me in London at some point.


As the new school year kicks off tomorrow, I'll begin documenting the first of the lasts for us.  Time to make sure I've got plenty of AA's for the camera.  Need to keep the video battery charged.  It's all about remembering the people, places and experiences that we have been blessed with here in Texas. Let's hope the future holds a whole slew of grand new memories as we begin to prepare in earnest for our move across the pond.

Are We Really Gonna Do This?

Thanksgiving 2009 - family trip to London

I've read lots of blogs in years past.  I'm a touch voyeuristic in that respect.  It's like rifling through the pages of your sister's diary without the risk of getting caught.  With a big change in our lives looming on the horizon, combined with the probability that I won't be teaching for at least a while as we transition, it appears to be the right time for me to begin a blog in order to document the process.  

And talk about a transition... My family has lived in Texas since the 1850s and sometime during the current school year we will be relocating to London.  I know, I know - we'll be sticking out like the cliche sore thumb.  Jeff Foxworthy's tag line, "You might be a redneck if..." starts running through your head.  Cue the "Deliverance" banjo music.  To say that it's a bit intimidating to this small town Texas girl would be a huge understatement.  Reality is setting in as we begin to investigate schools, housing and all of the requisite items on a checklist involved in moving a family of four across the Atlantic Ocean.  It will be bittersweet, indeed.  However, we plan to make the most of this opportunity that has landed at our feet.  

Despite the demands of full-time teaching and the herding of my 9 and 15 yr old daughters, I hope to keep friends and family abreast of our ramblings that will take us to England and then some.  Hang on y'all - I think we're in for one heckuva time!