Six on Sunday

Hey guys!  I realize "Six on Sunday" is in no way a "thing," but it has been so long since I blogged I figured a bulleted list would be best to get me back in the game.  Things were busy in spring, and I just needed a blog break.  Do you ever feel that way?  I hate for blogging to become a "chore" when it's supposed to be something fun that I do in spare time, so if it ever does become "work," I have no problem giving myself a blogging time out vacation.  Anyways, onto the "six"...

1. I ran my 5th half marathon this morning!  It was an awesome race and a beautiful course on the lakefront path in Chicago.  I wasn't shooting for a PR, but I ended up coming in just 1 second slower than my PR from the Space Coast Half in November, and I felt WAY stronger--what a great feeling!  Check back for a full recap and more pics later this week!

2. Speaking of running, I am officially signed up for the Chicago Marathon in October!  Not only will I be running my first full marathon, but I will be running as part of Team Up!, the charity team for Autism Speaks. I'm thrilled to be supporting such an awesome organization and am excited I've already raised almost $2,000!  Check out my fundraising page here if you are interested in hearing more about my connections to autism and why I'm running this race.

 3. My class is completely falling apart in the last weeks of school.  One girl was out midweek with stomach flu, another went home sick Friday with diarrhea, and another threw up on the carpet Friday mid-morning.  YIKES.  My fifth graders almost always made it to the trash can or bathroom to throw up, but this was our second floor accident of the year.  Must be a third grade and below thing...oh well!  Anyways, since all of this I can't help but view my classroom as a giant petri dish of germs, and I convince myself every stomach twinge I feel is the flu...my fingers are crossed that the large amounts of hand sanitizer I've been using will protect me!!

4. Speaking of school, with EIGHT DAYS of school left, I'm reflecting on what an awesome year this has been.  The kids are totally driving me crazy right now (HELLO MAY!), but seriously this year has been a breath of fresh air.  I loved fifth grade, but 3rd/4th is totally my niche.  Yes, they cry more than 5th graders, but then they write something cute on a spelling test like this:

Adorable.  That being said, I am so ready for summer!  Pool days, nonstop reading, and vacations are calling my name!!

5. Tuesday is my LAST DAY of grad school!  I am presenting my final project, turning in my loooong paper, and calling it a day!  It all feels a little anticlimactic because I didn't walk at the graduation ceremony, but after Tuesday I will have my master's degree.  Woohoo!!  What an awesome feeling.

6. I'm not much of a field trip girl--I think I am still scared from a field trip with my insane class my first year that almost killed me or at the very least almost drove me to quit.  Seriously, it was THAT BAD.  Anyways, like I said, I'm not much of a field trip girl, but Wednesday morning I will board a bus with a billion 3rd & 4th graders bound for Springfield, IL to visit our state capitol.  It is a 3 1/2 hour dive.  We leave at 6am and will be back home at 9:45pm.  Hold me...

By the way, I have some upcoming posts in the making including ones detailing my guided reading structure and notes, a typical day in Daily 3, how I ran guided math this year, updates on my marathon fundraising, and a giveaway for tart cherry juice!