Off and running

School year number nine (NINE!) for me as a teacher kicked off last week, and there's been no slowing down ever since. Our teacher work day was last Monday, and the kiddos arrived on Tuesday. 

I forgot how excited I get for the first day of school. I absolutely love meeting my kids. There's something really great about that first day that I don't know if I can describe in words. There's just...a palpable energy that surges all day long, until I come home exhausted. 

Last week went especially fast because after spending Tuesday and Wednesday getting to know my kiddos and talking about all things English related, I took off Thursday and Friday to be a bridesmaid in my cousin Amanda's wedding in Detroit. I absolutely ADORE our family weddings because, well, my family rocks! Seeing Amanda and Jacob tie the knot just makes me even more excited for the next nine months as Dan and I get to plan our day. Mostly, I just can't wait to celebrate with the people we love the most! 

And speaking of off and running, last Saturday, I ran six miles. It felt AWESOME to get slightly higher mileage in, and I was even able to run my last three miles faster than my first three. Total win in my book! 

So now, I'm gearing up for another great week at school while I try to remember that grading is a time consuming and necessary part of the job. But it's 9 p.m. on a Monday, and the thought of correcting newspaper interviews right now isn't nearly as enticing as making my lunch for tomorrow and going to sleep. I wish students understood that teachers need time to adjust to the school year too!