8/7

I'm determined to keep my face pointed toward the light this year, no matter what. Last year was rough, I will admit. I'm determined to stay light. To be lighter. 

Blessed to be a blessing. 

8/6

I'm up tomorrow, bright and early, to practice driving a bus. A small bus, but still, A BUS. No more comfort zone for me. The comfort zone is gone. 

8/5

August isn't my favorite month, but it is near the top!

Today feels like my last day of summer, even though that is technically still six weeks away! Today is the last day I babysit the kids who stay with us three days a week during the summer. Today is the last day I am on "summer time". Today is the last day I wear my full-time-mom hat.

Tomorrow I put on my teacher hat. I will plan and organize and clean (at school instead of home).

Each role means a lot to me and they blend together so much that they often feel like one thing. I like that I get to do something different each day, week, month...I like the cyclical nature of being a teacher.

Today is all about gratitude. I'm so thankful for so much. Each time I see a joke on facebook about dreading the start of school, I hide it. I'm excited and happy, not sad and filled with angst. At our house, August feels like the new year, more so than January. I love it!

source

8/4

source

Every day.

8/3

 

August causes periods of extreme reminiscence for me, which is at times coupled with nostalgia.

How is it that these two are now in 6th and 3rd grades? He's going to learn multiplication and CURSIVE (gulp). She's got a ten period day and will be studying world cultures.

There is no sadness to this feeling of time passing. Only excitement, joy and gratitude. That being said, how lucky am I that I got to spend a blink with those two little cuties? They are now big kids, which is also fun.

I plan to give this day my full attention, working hard to stay in the moment. Even if my heart sneaks back to think about past days too. I can't help myself.

• ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

rem·i·nis·cence

reməˈnisəns/

noun

1. a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator.

   "his reminiscences of his early days in Washington"

   synonyms:

   memories, recollections, reflections, remembrances More

   • the enjoyable recollection of past events.

     "his story made me smile in reminiscence"
   • a collection in literary form of incidents and experiences that someone remembers.
   • ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. nos·tal·gia

   näˈstaljə,nə-/

   noun

   1. a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

      "I was overcome with acute nostalgia for my days in college"

      synonyms:

      reminiscence, remembrance, recollection; More

      • something done or presented in order to evoke feelings of nostalgia.

        "an evening of TV nostalgia"
      • • ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      • 
        

8/2

 

Dinner on my sister's new patio, drinks with one of my favorite people. It was a beautiful end-of-summer-break night. Ahhhhhhh...

8/1

Bee had her first pedicure today. What fun it is that we still get to have milestones, that there are still these "new" moments to share together!