MRI. misfeed. meh.

Feeling meh for sure.

Got the MRI results this morning. There is another spot (smaller - 6 mm) in the same breast. Nothing in the other and the lymph nodes appear clear (both good things). My pincushion self will be undergoing another core biopsy this Thursday to see if this is a worrisome place, as well. The MRI shows EVERYTHING, so there are many false positives. I am hanging onto that glimmer of hope. Jon (thank GOD he's allowed to attend), the surgeon, and I meet in a week to discuss all results and plan the type and date of surgery. That's only one more agonizing week of waiting to get to the next step.

I was laminating some music-teaching things this morning. I still need to figure out THAT part of life, and quickly, in my BRAND NEW DISTRICT, starting the year with a LONG-TERM SUB in the middle of COVID CONCERNS due to being IMMUNOCOMPROMISED. Who doesn't love a challenge, right?

But, back to the lamination. I laminated 18 of these boogers perfectly. As symbolism would have it, with this one, THE LAST ONE, I misfed and it's a mess.

Here's hoping the universe was trying to remind me that this health challenge is nothing more than a little misfeed. I am going with that.

Boosterthon 2017!

https://funrun.boosterthon.com/a/s/XuGrN7LK
https://funrun.boosterthon.com/a/s/1HsR7biq

Unexpected Gift(s)

Just when you think that spring break could not be ANY further away (APRIL 8, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD) and that you can't go on teaching for ONE MORE MINUTE....

... the SWEETEST, most unassuming 1st grader proudly struts into music class with a jewelry box and hands it to you. Inside, you find the coolest pair of earrings EVER, that he got for you on his recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago.

Smile achieved.

You can do this.

Putting it in Writing

Hello blog, my old friend.

I have missed you.

I really do love you and have enjoyed posting on you for nearly {eek!} NINE years now. It has been a fun hobby at which I want to get better in 2017. 

Actually, I need to improve in quite a few areas, and since now is annual resolution time, it's time to put a few things in writing to {hopefully} hold myself accountable.

2017 Objective: 

Get Healthy

Physically AND mentally. I know about myself (and most folks) that when the physical happens the mental usually easily follows.

There wasn't really a defining life moment that caused me to stop caring about my health, but instead a gradual decline in my attention to that over the past four years or so. And let's face it, none of us are getting any younger! 

The time is NOW.

Goals to Achieve Said Objective:

Move More.
Consume Less.
Be Present.

On movement: When I have committed to a regular exercise regimen, I have enjoyed it. I have been nicer to everyone around me as a result. This is not rocket science. I also make better food choices because I don't want to waste the effort of the miles I just put in.

On consumption: Again, simple. Taking in fewer calories and making most of the ones I do consume clean, healthy choices. Yes, I said "most of." Nobody's perfect and there will be slip ups and cheat days and that is all part of the plan.This "consume less" goal also refers to using basically anything like money or time. The only exception to this is water. I vow to definitely consume LOTS MORE WATER.

On the present: Focus on the moment. The gift that is now. Be there mentally and physically. Really listen. Really learn. From everyone, especially my precious family, including four-leggers. Dora did this better than anyone.

So there it is.

In writing.

To anyone besides me who is reading this, cheers to you in this impending new year and may you get everything your heart desires!

First Day of School 2016-17

The boys and I had a great first day back.  Jon did, too.  We were all tired, but the day was fun. Can't believe we have 1st and 4th graders in the house.

Had to add one from the blooper reel, as usual.  I swear these are not staged.  We just usually get a few terrible ones before the good on day one.

Here's to a happy, healthy, fun year at school for all!

Here is a Post!

The last post was from our March HI trip.  So much has happened since then, I really am trying to catch up and post about it and then go back in and get things I missed like, oh, Andrew's 2nd grade musical?!? {The kiddo is going into 4th, for crying out loud.}

I do still love blogging and have neglected it!  I know facebook is the go-to for pics for the most part, but you can't really design your own fb page.  Also, with the blog, there are no ads or other unwanted stuff.  So I will continue!

Most recently, Jon's sis got married in Austin and we were there with most of his family.  SO. MANY. PHOTOS.  I will get through them before the school to-do list onslaught in 15 short days!

~mk

Light at the End of the Tunnel Haiku....

March will be insane.
We'll push through, ending with a
trip to Hawaii!

September Haiku

Hello, September.
Chewed me up and spit me out.
But, Friday is heeeere!

First Day of Kindergarten and 3rd Grade....

...and I didn't even cry!

Both boys had a great time.  The classes I taught were fun, as well.

Here's to a great school year!

A little anxiety.... 2015-2016 Students Start Tomorrow!

Students start tomorrow! Two of them, AT MY SCHOOL, will be Andrew (3rd) and Ethan (Kindergarten).


This has been kind of a rough start to the school year, but I know all will be well:

• I am happy/sad that my baby is in Kindergarten.  Mostly sad. Time. {sigh}
• My best friend was just diagnosed yesterday with breast cancer and is facing a bilateral mastectomy and probably chemo.  
• My classroom is not where it should be yet and I still need to spend the next few days making it so.

But everything will work out.  In the end, we are all lucky people!

The steel pans were delivered this afternoon.  It is a good problem to have.
There is no chance of having them unpacked before the students come in tomorrow morning,
so I moved them to the walls shortly after this photo was taken.

Our school wide theme is Pete the Cat.  I love him.  So, I made this bulletin board.  The only thing that needs fixing is his floating pan.  No one plays a pan that floats in the air.

Here's to getting over the back-to-school jitters that I get every year (even #17).  Everything is going to be great!

As my best friend who is facing the biggest challenge of her life always says, "Just float."
And I will.
Like Pete's pan.

I'm Back to School!

It was back to school for me today. Kids start in a week. I love my school and my administration. I also really love my related arts team members, some of whom are pictured here, cutting up during this morning's inservice. Really looking forward to this year!

Summer Pattern

Tomorrow, I embark upon full-time elementary music teaching, year 17. SEVENTEEN.  Where does the time go?

And my summers have fallen into a pattern over the past few years....

Early June: List-making and exercise plans and imaginings of phone calls to long, lost friends and family.

Mid June: I'll do all of that tomorrow.  I'm on summer break!  I am hungry.  I want something cheesy and fattening and delicious.

Early July: Vacation time!  I will run tomorrow, I promise.  For now, I will sit on the beach.

Mid July: OMG scale!  This can't be happening.  I think the thing is broken.  Now what's on HBO?

Early August: I must have shrunken my school pants when I washed them back in late May.  I need to be more careful about that.  Now, to have that ice cream as I make my latest school to-do list....

So, the scale is in a really ugly place and I will spend a few months this fall getting it into a more reasonable spot.  I do have fitness goals this semester.  Major ones: Ray Tanner 12K October 24 and Lexington Half November 14.  Already registered.  No turning back.  Plan to clean up the eating and actually take care of myself this fall.  I want to become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers by the end of 2015, which means there is major work to be done.  Training plan is in place and I have been limping my way through a few August miles already.  I will NOT miss a day of training.  It is all in ink on the planner.

Professionally, I am excited, as well.  This year will be interesting and challenging and exciting: new steel band at our school, possible arts grant recipients, honor band trip to Hawaii in March, and this Friday I am presenting about Orff, my LOVE, to the district elementary teachers.

To accomplish everything I have in my swirling head, I must get, and STAY, organized.  I know this and laying it all out here for all 5 of my blog readers to see will hold me accountable.

In the meantime, I will spend today running a couple of errands, but mostly reflecting on the amazing summer our family has had.  There were many, many special moments:

Summer of 2015, you will be missed!

Boosterthon Fun Run!

I have gotten very far behind on posts, and will spend a few end of school/summer days trying to make up for lost time (blogging is one of the hobbies I most enjoy and I am NOT going to let it go)!

On Thursday, April 23, our students ran in the Boosterthon Fun Run (and now I can't help but quote Fallon the other night, as he said, "Thank you, fun runs, for being half true."  But, I digress...)

They earned pledges for laps and the $ went toward steel pans that have been ordered for this coming school year!  I am beyond excited.  Our PTO is really, really wonderful.

The students earned $17,000 and ended up running over 35 laps that beautiful morning, which is the equivalent of 2 miles!  Andrew had a great time.  He really enjoys running.

Schoolyear's End: A Haiku

Oh, dear "end of school..."
You have made me so, so tired.
Summer, where are you?

Aunt Phyl's 80th Birthday Weekend

Aunt Phyl turned 80! The weekend was a very special one with family that hadn't been together in a long time.

I took a personal day April 17 so Andrew, Ethan and I could embark upon the whirlwind WV adventure to celebrate. It went like this:

Friday, April 17
Drove to York, SC at 5:45 am, piled stuff and people and hound dogs into Jack's truck and headed to Yeager airport in Charleston, WV, where we picked up a rental car in the afternoon, then picked up Aunt Rena in Sissonville, then headed to the farm at the Mellin Ridge, where the boys and I hung for a while before driving to Harrisville to be with Mom for a couple of hours and then journey North to Morgantown to Mary Beth's place, where we arrived before 10 pm and crashed in her gorgeous basement.  Woosh!

Saturday, April 18
Breakfast at MB's, then I took the guys to Skyview Elementary for a few minutes so I could see and hug Jennifer, Heidi, and Janet because they were running an Orff music workshop there, played for a while at Aunt Phyl's and had lunch there, I bummed around Morgantown for an hour or so by myself, then we headed back to MB's for naps.  By then it was time to get ready for dinner at the Montmartre restaurant, which tops the historic and beautiful Hotel Morgan.  It was definitely the fanciest dinner the boys had ever attended and they both did pretty well.  After that, we all headed back to MB's to chat for a while and then it was off to bed for all.

Sunday, April 19
We awoke early and were on the road headed South by a little after 8 am.  It rained on us nearly the entire drive home, but we arrived back in Columbia around 6:30 safe, sound, and a little weary.

The weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday.  Here are my favorite photos from the trip....

Playing on the swing that was just hung by Uncle Jack as I know their Grandad Chuck overlooked

Three generations of the Welch family!  Here we are with Aunt Rena, Dad's sister

Pre-dinner chat at the Hotel Morgan

Asked a purple-haired passerby to take some shots of us.  She did well.

Beautiful Welch sisters.... I can only hope I look that great at 80 or 85!

Right before digging in!  Al was hiding.

This time, Aunt Rena was the one hiding.

Aunt Phyl and Uncle Jack (who the boys call Big Jack)

Ethan's reaction after witnessing a kiss moments before...

Always giggling

Still broken up over Ethan the comedian

Peek-a-boo

Ethan was "leading" the Happy Birthday song, but decided to
 take a ginormous bite of his ice cream right in the middle of the song.

Happy Birthday Aunt Phyl!

Field Day 2015

Our school's annual field day was today.  There were so many wonderful volunteers that I got to spend most of the morning taking photos and hanging with Andrew's class.  Second graders are hilarious.

And, maybe I am giddy because this is the BEGINNING OF SPRING BREAK!!!

Andrew scored some points for his team by chucking beanbags into hoops.

High knees

Andrew's favorite, BY FAR, was the tug of war.  It was always mine.
His class did really well against a THIRD grade class!

They are checking out the bodies all over the ground on the other side of the rope.

This could be my most favorite photo of the day. Or ever.  Third grade goes down! Check out the student in the red shirt with sore hands, the guy in blue shorts who has clearly had enough, the other bodies all over the ground,
and the boy in red shorts laughing about it all.

Uh oh.  This was a loss from the 2nd/3rd grade boys after the game leader put them against all the girls.
The female teachers MAY have helped out on the girl side a little.....

Cute 2nd grade feet learning how to march and chant from a real drill sergeant.

One of Andrew's sweet, pretty classmates.

Got My First Fix!

I recently learned of a wonderful San Francisco-based company that, put simply, shops for you and then sends you the clothes.  I received my first box today and am in LOVE.  This shopping hater needed a major wardrobe upheaval.  I am pretty sure this company was created just for me.  Check it out!