Time Flies

So much has already happened since summer "vacation" started. Okay, I'm being a bit unfair. Not working is definitely a vacation, but so much has been happening (as evidenced by my lack of posting!). I went to San Diego to take three kids to the national finals of a competition they entered. That was rewarding for me (and them) and fun.

Then I interviewed for and got the media specialist (library) job at my school. Yea! Now it is sinking in what a BIG job it is and how busy I'll be. I have been cleaning out my HOT (read: little air conditioning) classroom the past several days and having to get there at 6:30 to avoid the excessive heat that has been Arizona lately. I am already six hours invested and feel like I could spend hours more. Jon told me if we were moving our whole house it would take some time, too, but I don't want to spend weeks on this project. I have accumulated SO MUCH STUFF and have my mom's leftovers from when she taught.

I am such a packrat I can barely throw anything away in the off chance that I might actually use it one year. But come on, how likely is it that I will go to early childhood and need all that phonics stuff? Or use the stethoscope in the science unit? How about keeping two packages of rocks for when I teach geology? Curriculum from before I was born?

I know, I know. THROW IT AWAY!!!!

But I can't....yet. Sigh.

We leave for Wisconsin tomorrow and I am looking forward to time with family, cooler temps, and a relaxing vacation. I have been busy the last few weeks between packing and leaving for this trip to do much reading, so my total book number is going to fall drastically when compared to last year when I read a staggering number of books (around 30). So far I have read:

1. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
2. A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling
3. The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton (only could get through a third of this one!)
4. Indigo Waters by Lisa Samson
5. The Birthright by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn
6. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory

Before we go on the vacation to end all vacations I will only have a week and a half, so I doubt I'll get too far into my next list of books, but I hope to read

1. The First Princess of Wales
2. The Cross and the Switchblade

in addition to continuing to clean out my classroom and meet with the librarian aid and ex-librarian. It is definitely going to be a busy summer!