One Year Sabbatical

I absolutely love this time of year. I love the excitement of decorating and prepping things for my new year of kiddos. I love boxes and bins of new school supplies. I love the anticipation. I love all the energy that I seem to have as I am planning and prepping all of my lessons. This year it is a bit different.

This year I am taking a sabbatical while my husband finishes his last semester of law school. He only has one semester, which means we are only going to be gone for about six months. Since missing six months wasn't a real option the sabbatical seemed like our best decision. I admit I cried taking my classroom down. I love teaching and that part of my life. Not having school is going to be hard. The best part is going to be the year spent at home with my little girl. It will also be great to spend the year attending my older two's classroom parties and special events. 

To make this happen we packed up half of our stuff and moved our little family across the country. We have spent the last week moving into our apartment and adjusting to life away from what we have known. The one thing that has helped me feel connected to the classroom is still doing what I do best. Planning and creating. I hope you will continue to follow me and see what fun products I have to share with you this year. 

 All packed up and ready to go. (See my tiny trailer? Not bad for a family of 5!)

Driving. Pulling a trailer took us 40 hours! It was a long drive.

Mt. Rushmore just one of the stops my little family made. 

The best part of my day...

There is nothing like a phone call, moments before school begins, from the daycare telling you that your little girl threw up all over another child! I admit I laughed. 

I had a momentary chuckle and then got busy getting a sub and getting things ready for someone to take things over so I could go and rescue my sweet girl. I feel very blessed to have a team of teachers and friends that were there and willing to let me simply walk out the door. I didn't do it - not completely at least. I jotted down a few sub notes with the promise that they would translate if needed. 

I found my baby curled up in lap of one of her supervisors. They had cleaned her up but I could tell she was exhausted. Even then she had a giggle and a bright smile for me when she saw me. Makes a mama's heart melt. 

We haven't done much today...it is the best kind of days.  I have held and simply snuggled this sweet girl. It isn't very often that I get to take advantage of these sweet moments. 

When she got tired of sleeping on me she wanted to sleep in her crib and I have gotten a few things done. I had to take a moment and thank heaven for moments like this one. Nothing else in the world mattered right then but her.