There's No Tired like End-of-the-year-Teacher tired

There's a thing going around Facebook. It is a quote on top of a cartoon of an exhausted teacher and the quote says,

"There's no tired like end-of-the-year teacher tired."

Yes, except there is no tired also like end-of-the-year para-pro tired, too.

We have so many end of the year activities, end of the year assessments, end of the year deadlines, it's bewildering.

Today we had a party outside sponsored by the Library at school. The school librarian, her parapro, and other staff associated with them held a reward party for accelerated readers. All those children who earned a certain amount of points in a reading program were treated to an end-of-the-year party. This party, which was held outdoors, included amplified music, Popsicles, and a fire truck spraying water! The kids were told ahead of time and wore their bathing suits to school. Release 120 kids on the soccer field to run around, dance, do cartwheels, chase each other, and play under the fire hose, all under breezy, cloudless, 80 degree skies, and well, you have the perfect recipe for fun under the sun. You never heard so much kid laughter.

For me it was exhausting, it was hot, but it was absolutely wonderful to see so many happy kids playing outside, all because of their success in reading and being rewarded for their efforts!

I was pretty beat when I left school. But it is Thursday and if it is Thursday I must grocery shop. I must. Luckily the Dollar Store and Grocery Store are only 1 mile from school so I drove down and noticed the new striping when I approached the stores' parking lot. The two stores are adjacent to each other. I am glad the parking lot was re-striped. It was getting kind of like a free for all there with cars parked every which way. I like things to be organized. So I was happy with the new striping alerting one and all as to where they should park. Organizing the world one parking lot at a time.

In the Dollar Store, which was mercifully quiet, I was bleary and not making good decisions. Or maybe they were excellent decisions. In addition to my other groceries, unusually I ended up with a bag of popcorn, a bag of chips, and a bag of potato sticks. Clearly salty and crunchy is my comfort food.

I came home and made an open faced tuna & grapes sandwich, spilled out some chips, and drank chilled hibiscus tea mixed with fizzy club soda. I had a piece of blackberry pie with Cool Whip for dessert. Ahhh, home and peace and quiet. But mostly sitting down. I was sitting down. That's my goal in life now. Not being President. Not winning the Pulitzer. Not finding a cure for cancer. Just sitting.

Now to make it through Friday, then the next 4.5 days at school with the kids, and the next 5 days after that. Then I'm sprung. For now, I'll watch Bosch on Amazon streaming, have a glass of milk, pet my cat, and soon after, fall asleep.

Zzzzzz....