This particular first day of school was noteworthy for several reasons. One, it was Naomi’s last mandatory one. Two, it was my first as an elementary art teacher.

The evening before we went out to eat and get ice cream after their open house where we got their schedules. Luckily all my girls really enjoy school and were excited to be going back.

Everyone has been very happy with their teachers, schedules, and classes and the year is moving right along.

So about me now being an art teacher…over the summer I got an email from the middle school principal asking if I would want to teach their two new fifth grade classes a weekly art class. I was caught off guard because the offer came out of nowhere but I’m so glad I said yes. We are three and a half weeks into school and I’ve since added a bonus Friday class plus working with a Special Ed room twice a week. I’m learning a lot and my high chaos tolerance is being pushed to its absolute limits but I’m genuinely loving every minute. Here are some of the bulletin boards I’ve put up, with more in the works as we finish projects.

I also managed to finish the oil painting I’ve been working on for a while. It is an attempt to recreate a picture Garyn took up in Alaska…I figure being an art teacher would be a terrible reason to stop doing art in my free time.

A friend of ours is an old southern farmer man and tractors are his passion. He likes to say he is “wide open” to express that he is maxed out and firing on all cylinders and can’t squeeze another thing into his schedule, the throttle is wide open and we can’t go any faster. That was the exact opposite of what I think when I hear “wide open.” When I hear that I think I’ve got all the time in the world, sure let’s add some more crazy. But oddly enough, I’m realizing that adding a 10 hour a week teaching job somehow makes me feel like both interpretations of “wide open” are applicable to me right now. Our schedules are maxed out and crazy. I have a lot less down time. But I’m feeling more energized and on top of things. I’m getting more done because I’m able to just go at a constant fast speed. It’s perfect and I’m so happy to be doing this.