Here We Go Again...

 Last night, Evan and I sat down to get him registered for junior year. I blinked and he is about to be an upperclassman.

We is going to do dual enrollment like Issa did, so we are starting to really think about where he might want to go to college. I think it was the first college conversation Evan initiated, and it was definitely the first time we started pulling up websites and looking at curriculum. This one is following in Dad's footsteps: currently thinking a math major with double concentrations in data analytics and computer science. Right now, Western Carolina is the front runner, but we have a lot of exploring left to do. 

It's just wild to be here again. 

What a Weekend

 We had a super busy weekend after a quiet few snow days.

Issa came home for the weekend, and we spent Friday evening just the four of us catching up.

Saturday, Issa and I went back to campus for Scholars' Weekend. It is always fun to meet the students who will be joining us next year, and I love having some informal time with our current students. In my current role, I don't have as much of that as I would like!

Evan spent Saturday afternoon and evening with his friends, and Issa was with Kai and his family celebrating his birthday. So, Brad and I finally got to have our Valentine's Day date! It's been so nuts lately that it was really nice to have some time just the two of us.

Yesterday, I started the day with a former student coming over for brunch. She is like a big sister to Issa, and she is dangerously close to finishing her PhD. It's always fun to hang out with her, and I love listening to her banter with both of my kids.

Mom, Issa, and I also went to the ballet. They have a new choreographer who is playing with movement in silence, which is super cool. She is doing the whole program next month, and I can't wait!

This was just the kind of soul-filling weekend I needed. I have a short week before I head out to HERS, so it's going to be a blur!

Snow Days

We are enjoying a couple of snow days around here. Between yesterday and today, we are up to close to five inches. I've spent the past couple of days at the kitchen table working, and it's been gorgeous to watch the big fluffy flakes fall, and the cats have enjoyed it as much as I have:

The cardinals have been particularly gorgeous in the snow:

I've treated myself to pretty tea:

And candlelight:

And I finished book 8:

I I go back to HERS next week, and this was the book we are expected to read before then. It was glorious to have cancelled observations and classes so I had time to actually read it carefully.
 

Book 7

I finished book seven this morning:

It's a YA novel that a colleague suggested I read before we add it to our literacy lab. It is such a well-written book that tackles all of the issues of first relationships in a positive, healthy way. It depicts functional families and real feelings all around. It's one of those books that makes me wish I was teaching freshman English again.
 

Weekend Update

We had a great weekend. Three of Evan's teammates qualified for states, and the three of us worked part of the regional tournament. Evan loved having that last weekend with this year's team.

Saturday night, the three of us saw Kevin Hart. That man is hysterical. Getting these tickets was right up there with getting Taylor Swift tickets, and it was so worth it.

I also finished books five and six this weekend.

This is the next book club read:

It's a solid middle grades book, but I have no idea why book club chose it! It was cute, and I will definitely donate it to our literacy lab.

I also read Kaitlin's latest manuscript:

This book made me cry and laugh and I so hope she is able to get it published so the rest of the world can read it!

 

Book 4

I finished book four this morning:

 It's the last of the Daindraith's Assassin books, and it might be my favorite. It centers around two side characters in the main series, and I loved how it tied the series together without putting the whole thing in a bow. 

At a time when the real world has been so insane, I've loved escaping to this one. I will miss these characters so much...

So Productive

I had a hyper-productive weekend.

Saturday, I was the campus contact for an NCAE Conference on campus. I was super busy with set-up and clean-up, but I had huge chunks of time in my office to work. The most important thing was decorating for Valentine's Day:

The world is a lot right now, and a little happy is necessary. I also wrote some reports, did the fall schedule, and generally got ahead for the first time in forever.

Yesterday, I had big plans to do nothing. But...it is false spring down here, so I packed up all of the snowmen and loaded everything back into the attic. We are all decorated for Valentine's at home, and I love how it feels more like spring.

As much as I love a restful weekend, it also feels really good to get so much accomplished. It means this week will be so much easier, which is lovely.