Finals

Seth has been studying daily from 7:00 am to 12:00 am. Finals started on Wednesday last week and end Thursday this week. It has been killer but he is working so hard to do well.

Good luck Seth and keep up the great work! :)

Exciting

Seth and I heard a little quick heartbeat today. It's official! We are 12 weeks pregnant! :) I kept making Seth make the heartbeat noise while we were eating. I wish I had one of those machines, I would listen to that baby all day.

Baby Atkisson is due June 19th. So happy!!!

Gosh

Gosh Jack. You need a new post. Oct. 24th??? What the heck is even happening in your life. Your blog is boring. I hardly ever check it anymore.


Gosh.

Heaven, I mean Hawaii

Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

Class

Here is my cute little class. We have another first grade teacher now, so I have 21 kids in my class. Yippee!!! It is amazing! :)

I'm not braggin

I am not bragging, I am writing this down so when hard school days come I can remember, I am a good teacher. Alright, maybe a little bit of braggin...

Every parent of a child I had in my class last year has come up and hugged me this year.

Two have said, "We love you, thank you so much for everything you did for my son/daughter."

One bought me three pairs of earrings.

One made a scrap book of last year for me and brought it by my school when her kids don't even go to our school anymore. She said after they left Quinn (my former student) said, "Mom, can we go visit her every Friday?"

Three have asked me to teach third grade next year.

One father told me, "Boy, do we miss you. I told my wife to write a letter to the principal telling him he is sure lucky to have Mrs. Atkisson around. Things were a lot better when you were his teacher."

One brought her new baby in to show me.

And to top it off, on parent surveys passed out to all students and parents last year one parent, in the comment section for "Things I like about Heartland", wrote: Mrs. Atkisson. I was the only teacher to get recognized in any of the parent comments.

It is one thing for the kids to really like me, all my kids loved me. I get nearly tackled everyday after school by my former students. Even though some of the boys are too cool to give me hugs they still hang around me and show me whatever they can think of to show me or talk about. It is a totally different thing for parents to love me. I feel so happy about being a teacher and feel so rewarded by the little things parents do to show I was a great teacher for their child. Boy oh boy, I feel great. :)

Classroom

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. Mrs. Atkisson's classroom for school year 2009 - 2010. Thank you, thank you.

Seattle

We had a great trip to Seattle! I got to see Seth's aunt and uncle and my friends Mandy and Brian and their sweet little guy Zander. Also, Seth's friend Nate flew out to hang with us. SO fun!!! Here are some pictures!





Also, I am the worst at taking state signs. Here is proof:

Fooooore, not.

Golf: n.

A game played on a large outdoor course with a series of 9 or 18 holes spaced far apart, the object being to propel a small, hard ball with the use of various clubs into each hole with as few strokes as possible, all the while trying not to die.

Two days later

Kellllllly

Ok, this video is loud, shaky, and therefore amazing.

Dreams do come true

I once heard, if you write goals down there is a greater chance they will come true, than if you just think about them (paraphrasing). Interestingly enough a few days after my life goals post I will be accomplishing one of them.

Last night, Seth said, "I am about to show you something, don't get too excited." What I saw was a ridiculous price for round trip flights to Hawaii. We partook of the amazing deal and are officially going to Hawaii in October. Hawaii!!!!!!!!

Moral of the story, write your goals down.

Life Goals

I am here at home, alone, feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to make a list of all the things I want to do before I die.

Buy a house

Have babies

Have a dog

Go to Hawaii

Go to an Oprah Show

Learn to sew

Go to The Price is Right

Have my own car

Go to Australia

I found a dollar on my walk home from Walmart!

I think it is from mother nature, rewarding me for being green with my walking feet and canvas bag.

June 5th

June 5th. First year teaching done. Been looking forward to this date all year. Now it's over.

As soon as we returned to the classroom after the dance festival the tears started falling. As I hugged each child goodbye I couldn't even speak. My heart was breaking 25 times. The parents were crying, even the children were balling. Tyson clung to me until the last minute, his weeping face scrunched up in sadness.

This is what happens. You teach, you love, you are disrespected, you are yelled at, you are exhausted, you are driven crazy, but at the end of the year...you weep. Every year will be the same. Even the kids who drove me to the brink of insanity will be missed. They will not be my kids next year, they will not idolize me as they do now. But, come this fall, I will have 25 new little ones who will drive me crazy and who I will love with my whole heart. I never knew my heart could expand around so many different individuals.

I sit here on June 5th and hope, and pray, I made a difference and they will know, no matter what, that Mrs. Atkisson loved them.

Battle of the Jackies

Which Jackie do you like best:


Can you say, 'Identity Crisis?'

Friends Forever

A long, long, time ago I became friends with this girl:


And no, she doesn't have a tiny arm out the side of her head...that's my arm.

We are still friends:


We play games, like hide and seek:


We sometimes get mad:


But mostly we are happy:


Most importantly, we love our husbands.



We love our little gang. :)