Forty and Fabulous

Well, the day has come and gone. I am now 40 years old. Yikes. It seems like that just isn't right!! How can I be the same age as my parents? Isn't that how old they are? 40. My coworkers, friends and family have made this day fun, entertaining (?) and very, very special. They reminded me that it doesn't matter how old I am or how old I feel, or that I'm "over the hill" or middle-aged or Lordy, Lordy look who's ....anything....but that to them: I am special. I am important to them. That made my day. I am important and special to someone today. My kids think I'm the world. My husband loves me. My friends think I'm valuable. That's enough for today. According to one student I should just calm down, "Don't worry about it Mrs. Wold, you've still got 60 good years left!"

40 Eve

Still pretending that I do not turn 40 years old tomorrow. I was almost getting away with it too, until this afternoon! I walk back into my classroom after dismissal to find several of my friends/coworkers waiting for me! "Surprise! Happy Birthday! We're taking you out!" Checked it out with my husband, gathered some buddies, off we went to Chili's to margaritas and nachos. So great! Thank you friends, not just for dinner, drinks and presents, but most importantly, for making me feel special. You are awesome!!!

"A Day Full of Goodness"

Tuesdays are usually very busy days in the Wold household. It starts out like every other school day, rushing to get everyone to work and school on time, working and learning all day. But then after school, Mark picks up Lucy, meets Adam at the bus and takes him to art lessons. I usually stay later at school on this day of the week, get some work done at school, then pick Adam up after his class. Because his class doesn't end until about dinner time, we usually opt for "pick up dinner" so we have some time together before having to get the kids ready for bed. Tonight, we needed to hit the library after art class. ( I need about a million and one books about owls for school, but that's another blog I think) So Mark, Lucy and I pick Adam up from art. We get to the library, check out our books, then head to our little Munchie P's (lots of deep-fried, bad for you yumminess there) and eat. Everyone seemed in a very good mood for kids who were eating dinner much later than normal. Apparently it struck Mark this way as well because he tells them "let's go, we're having a surprise!" He takes us to Dairy Queen! Even though we really needed to get home and get them ready for bed, we head over for cold treats a bit out of our way, and they were ridiculously happy. Lucy shares with us: "I just want chocolate ice cream cones, not white ice cream, the chocolate kind. That will make me so happy." And really...who wouldn't be? But it was Adam who said it best: "This day was just A Day Full of Goodness! I got everything I wanted! I had art class and finished my dragon, I got to eat fried shrimp for dinner, I got new library books with my own library card, I got a new library book bag, and I got an ice cream sundae! AND I got to do it with my family!" He was so right and I couldn't agree with him more.

joy and panic

So. I took out the calendar this morning and just took a look at the upcoming events in the Wold Household to get a handle on the week ahead. Just out of curiosity I began to count the actual days of school remaining in this year. Are you ready for this??

36.


Now if you're a "layperson" in the education field, this may not matter much to you. For those of us in the throngs of 4th grade, kindergarten, high school biology or middle school English...you get it. 36 days. 36 days. 36 days.

36 days to finish your last 2 US regions, states and capitals. 36 days to finish the last 2 units of math. 36 days to teach persuasive writing. To make sure all those kids who are still writing incomplete sentences are ready for 5th grade writing! To get those who still don't know their multiplication facts motivated to practice them! 36 days to reach that kid who so far this year seems...unreachable. 36 days to inspire that kid who never reads, only page-turns a book, to find a book or an author that interests her. 36 days. Panic.

36 days until we can be home with our children and get to be the ones who spend the days with them. 36 days until I can play in my garden and read books to my heart's content. 36 days until we can stay in our pjs until lunchtime if we want to. 36 days until we know our Brazil friend is on her way home to us. 36 days until the kids have my undivided attention, and I have theirs. 36 days until camping trips, bonfires, lightning bugs, long walks, popsicles, and bare feet the come inside black and green on the bottom from grass and dirt. 36 days. Joy.

In reality, out of those 36 days are last field trips, field days, assemblies, special readers, a few early dismissal days, memory scrapbooks and picnics. Our 36 days quickly dwindle down to maybe 28 days...and in perfect Seinfeldian (I may have just invented that word) style...our 36 days just became, really, like 28. Really...it's only like 4 weeks of school left until summer break.

Joy. And Panic. :)

New Photo Album Site

Mark set up a new photo album site this week. It's in a very new stage, just playing around with it right now. BUT...there are pictures from Easter there if you're interested! :)

Happy, Happy Easter

Today was a great day! We started the morning with happy kids and Easter baskets, afterwards went to a joy-filled church service, then back home for a Lucy-nap and dinner prep. We were blessed with 24 family members for Easter dinner, sunny skies and dry ground for an Easter egg hunt (107 eggs!) and able to eat outside on the deck too! After dinner, then dessert and coffee, there was a bit of kite flying before the skies darkened and the rain started to fall. Slowly our family started to drift home and we were even able to visit with our neighbors (Lucy and Adam's Godparents) for a bit. The dishes are done, leftovers put away, kids in bed, and dogs are WIPED OUT, asleep on the couch. God has blessed us immeasureably, and yet again I am amazed at what he provides for us. Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!