22 sounds so good!

Christmas and the new year came and went in a flash and here I am back busy at work along with tending to 2 dogs who were exposed to Kennel Cough while being boarded while we were out of town over the break. Joy, Joy, Joy! Minus the craziness of getting back into my routine I have been thinking lately about all that I am thankful for. Most of all I am thankful to have Amanda back in my classroom as of this week! Amanda was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in November. Not only is she thriving in the classroom each day, she shows up to school everyday with a huge smile on her face that so many people are so happy to see! It never felt so good to say "22" after being asked, "Mrs. Morris how many kids do you have in your class?" Welcome back Amanda. We missed you!

Prayers for Amanda

I broke the news today to 21 angels in my classroom that one of their classmates will not return to school for a long time. The power of prayer is everything. I pray for Amanda's mother who is also a co-worker of mine that she may find the strength to be strong for Amanda. Please pray for sweet Amanda, a first grader in my class recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. We love you Amanda.

Babies, Baseball, and a lot of Tinsel

What an exciting Fall it has been for us! I know that we are all still bummed about our very own Texas Rangers not making it as World Series title holders but I can hardly contain my excitement considering Carlin and Charles were so thoughtful to ask us to go to game 3 of the World Series!! It was quite the experience! THANK YOU Carlin and Charles!!!

On the other hand I have had the hardest time holding in 2 of our closest friends' secret.........Sally and Evan Batt are expecting mid May!!!!! We are elated for them! They will both make wonderful parents to baby Batt! In the pic below Sally is the one eating the huge piece of pizza of course!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Tinsel and Dreams is my absolute favorite event to attend each year. Since I have known Charlie Carlin has invited us every year to participate in the holiday fun! Way to go Carlin! It was great as expected!

Falling for Fun

This Fall has been so fun already! We had the chance to go out to Sunny California for our nephew's 1st birthday! It was so fun to be with family, visit the Santa Cruz vineyards and of course be with little Will for a few days. It has also been a fun month at school with my precious kiddos! Halloween is always an exciting time to be a First Grade Teacher! Here are a few pics from October.

J-E-N-N-Y spells GUILTY!

Well, our "naughty girl" as we like to call Jenny has been quite a handful this week. She is sweeter than ever and loves her new home but seems to be experiencing a few impulsive behavior issues. In first grade I give 2 fair warnings and then a simple color change to yellow, red, black and so forth on the conduct chart, problem solved. Jenny on the other hand has not been listening to my 2 fair warnings rule! Last night Charlie and I ran a quick errand and came back to find that Jenny had consumed a whole bag of Whole Wheat bread!!!!!! Good........Lord. This weekend I will be implementing a new behavior plan for Jenny. We will see how this one goes! More to come later on our "naughty girl"

Jack meets Jenny

The newest addition to our family..........JENNY!!! A 4 year old black lab rescued by Paws in the City. We love her so much already, and so does Jack! Jack on the left and Jenny on the right.

Lubbock or Leave it

This weekend Charlie and I spent our time drinking Chimey's margaritas, eating Cagle's steaks, and watching some Big 12 football! Needless to say the topography changed a bit from The University of Virginia to Texas Tech University but my heart still holds a dear spot for the LBK!

First Day Jitters

So I believe it is totally fair to say that teachers get the same "First Day Jitters" just like every first grade child does walking into their classroom for the first time each year! I have never been more prepared for a first day of school ever in my life than this year. I don't know what it is? I am always excited to start the year but for some reason I was extra ready to get the year going. I arrived at school at 6:50am this morning, ready to greet 22 nervous yet excited first grade students. At 7:50am the parents were allowed to walk their child into their teacher's classroom for introduction and of course the extra long lasting hugs, kisses and goodbyes! One child in particular walked up to me and said, "Hi, I'm Gray" (cute name). Before I could even get, "Hi, I'm Mrs. Mo.............." out he had his arms wrapped around my neck so tightly I could hardly keep my own balance on my feet! I could feel my eyes start to tear up a bit!!! It made me feel on top of the world!!!! Each year I wonder when these moments will stop making me feel the way they always have, like an immunity or something? For some reason they keep coming back year after year, making me feel like I have made a difference or changed the way they view a certain something. For this reason I will take it as it is, a simple gift from God. To the graduating senior class of 2022, I hope you look back on your first grade year and smile!

2nd Year Toast

Charlie and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary on Monday the 12th! The past 2 years have been nothing but pure bliss. Charlie and I enjoyed Shrimp, Scallops, Salmon, and great wine at our house on Monday night. We can't wait to continue our celebration in Victoria Canada at the end of the month!! Cheers to the Morris'!!!

Oh how I love Summer!!!!

This summer has flown by so fast! I cannot believe it is already the middle of July and in only a few short weeks I will be back in my beloved classroom with 24 first graders!! We had a great 4th of July celebration with friends that we love! Sally and Evan Batt were so nice to host a great 4th party at their house!