Weekend

(I meant to post this Sunday, but felt like I couldn't say anything without commenting on the pall cast over the weekend, and this week, by the horrible tragedy. But, there really isn't anything to say that can in any shape help anything, so I think I'll just leave it at that)

It's finally winter here in Arizona. Like, really, truly, justifiably winter. It rained all day yesterday - our first sustained rain since we moved. It was in the 50s, overcast, and wet. Ed and I couldn't have been happier! It's just nice to curl up in front of the fireplace, with the rain falling outside, with a nice, warm blanket. Of course, I was plenty happy to see our blue skies back today, especially since our temperature still was hanging out in the low 60s and felt very crisp. I'm looking forward to a wonderful weekend of weather.

Our work had our holiday party Friday at a local restaurant, and it was really nice to get to spend time with my coworkers in a social setting. Saturday was an all day training (my last hoop to jump through before I can get my regular teaching credential) about teaching English Language Learners. While it's wouldn't have been my choice way to spend an entire Saturday, I still appreciated being in a room with a bunch of other teachers who were in the same shoes. A number of us talked about just how different it is here than _______ state. Our instructors were very open to tangents, which was both good and bad - we spend a good 40 minutes talking about where exactly funding comes from for education in this state, and why it is that it's so low. I'll be curious to see where our next classes take us, but am appreciating this opportunity, even if it will be for 4 more Saturdays.

Today was all about shopping. Up to this point, we hadn't really started, so it was certainly busy trying to get gifts for our increasingly growing list, but it was pretty productive. This afternoon has been all cleaning, gift wrapping, and holiday card mailing (finally!), with not a piece of work in sight. I decided one day of weekend work was more than enough.

Now that  we're in the midst of the work week, I can't help but be counting down to the weekend. The kids are definitely feeling anxious for the break, too. Only 3 more days.