Happy New Year!

I know... I am terrible! I have been absent for almost two months! In my defense, I had a few things come up...

• My husband came home for Christmas! And lordy, lordy, was it the best Christmas ever!
• My husband left for Basic Training again
• Then he graduated, so I drove out to Oklahoma to see him graduate, with my sister, and my husband's brother, whom my aforementioned sister is dating
• My dog and my aunt were both diagnosed with cancer, but everybody is going to be ok,
• And I was working the entire time!!! 

However, I have ended my absence because it is time to return to the happiness regarding teaching. At work, things have gotten more difficult and stranger than I would have imagined they would be. 

• I am overrun with paperwork- I would lose my head in paperwork if it wasn't attached. My head, I mean. And to be quite honest, most of it has not been done on time. The paperwork, I mean.
• I have been adamant the last three months about adding a service for a student who desperately needs it, and there is finally some progress with that;
• Suddenly, my 6th graders are a lot less insane. My theory is, they needed their sanity back for middle school, so they stole the sanity from the 5th graders, who are consequently  now insane. I swear, if I come across one more kid spinning tops or texting under the table or talking back, I just might go on an early spring break! Just kidding!... mostly. 
• I, however, did catch a 6th grader forging his mother's signature on a write-up. So now he has two write-ups and got a phone call home.
• My wonderful mentor teacher is unfortunately (for me) going on maternity leave. Who will I cry to now? (I haven't actually cried this year, yet.)
• Come Monday, there will be a new student in my class. For behavior. I was asked if my CPI training was up-to-date, because I will probably be using it. A lot.

I'm trying really hard not to dread the last one. Really hard. I keep reminding myself that the kids who need the most love ask for it in the most unloving ways. But I just can't seem to shake the feeling that it is all downhill from here, which is not saying much, because this year was already hard. 

Come what may....