what have i been doing?

well mostly getting ready for school. The month of August has FLOWN by. My SIL left at the beginning of the month. It took a couple of days to recuperate from all the running. We're not so used to late nights and then being out all the next day and we (and the kids) were tired... so we spent a couple of days just getting our legs back, so to speak.

That next weekend first a little rest and relaxation and renewal with two of my best friends from college... it was WONDERFUL. We picked up just where we left off over 20 years ago. I can't say how good that was for my soul. Now we're staying in touch with facebook, although I may drop them a text message now and again, just to haunt them!

Then I got home and one of my dear friends and colleagues passed away from cancer. It was a shock to all of us. It was merely one month from diagnosis to death. I spent that week in a fog. I still can't believe she's gone.

The rest of the time was spent in full steam preparation for the kids and myself for school... uniforms - check, school supplies - check, open house at the kids school- check, meeting the new teachers- check, get my classroom in shape - check (or thereabouts) lesson plans - ongoing check (which is why I've been awol.... it's a long story that I'm not ready to complain about now, because there is no time to do so)

I was really leary about this year and was in my principals office my first day weeping a bit. Of course some of that could have been because my baby went to kindergarten that day and I didn't even get to say goodbye because I have to leave before the kids are awake.
But then last Tuesday as I was driving to school I saw this:

I took it as a sign that things would be OK this year....And for the first inservice day I knit the wallet in the Cat Bordhi book A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. So I learned the invisible cast on and can now use that to knit toe up socks!

The baby still doesn't want to be at school although I picked him up after his first day and he was all smiles... but he doesn't like the fact that he's learning Mandarin Chinese. Well we're all doing things we'd prefer not, and we have to do them the best that we can. I remind him of that daily.

My first 3 days with students was fine... I hope it continues that way. I know it's the honeymoon, but......
The schedule is nuts. I meet with each class for about 90-100 minutes for 30 consecutive days, then don't see them the rest of the year. So I need to cram a lot of stuff into a small time. I'm still waiting on the recorders to be delivered. I have some really fun plans with those!

The kids and I visited mom today with the sheer intent of finding her hearing aid. It's been lost for a month. THere was an angel on my shoulder because I found it after about 4 minutes of searching. SO Mom left for church and we stayed and I cleaned out a little more... could you find everything mom? I tried not to put too many things in new places. Cleaned the cat litter since she can't. Today I also started the winter sling bag from the same aforementioned Bordhi book, on the way home while DH drove. I want to put the wallet in the bag so I'll be felting them at the same time. That möbius strip takes forever to knit! I'm hoping the end result rocks.

OK that's it for now... I'm beat and have to pack my lunch and finish some school work and be out of the house by 6:15 tmrw...