Oh. My. Word.

I think I still have my sanity. Managing 24 active, naughty, hyper 6 & 7 year-olds is not what I call a fun time. At last, at last they're gone! And they can all read. And they can all add and subtract. And they can all write a coherent sentence. And they all know the life-cycle of a butterfly. And they all know the difference between "needs" and "wants". And they all know they will be in 2nd grade next year. And I know that I only have one year left with this sometimes insane job.

Don't get me wrong. I still feel there is something special about teaching 1st grade, and it's been an extremely rewarding journey. Maybe it's because I'm older, or maybe it's because the children of today are so different . . . or maybe it's a little of both. But the intense pressure and fast pace of every day just plain wears me out. I'm looking forward to enjoying my days--not just surviving them!

And now this is what I can look forward to working with during the upcoming weeks. I think our roses are really pretty this year!