This past weekend in Dallas, daughter #2 and I prepared a room so that it would be ready.
One wall says welcome. Another one has an eight foot cut out tree where owls will proudly perch. Another wall bears a name significant to her and memorabilia of a place she loves to be. Drawers are tidy and organized. Cabinets house her “go to books”. Rubber bins store manipulatives for hands on learning. Four cheerful valences in various shades of green and blue are hung from the housing of white blinds. Still another wall carries out her blue/green theme that invite, encourage and reinforce learning. One very large binder has a lesson plan for every day she’ll be absent. Is this a baby nursery? No. It’s her classroom ready to meet an eager substitute and another flock of learners this year. Everything is ready for the start of school and her return in November after baby.
This room is ready, too.
So now we are waiting for baby to come home to his room and for her to meet the rest of her flock in another cheerful room.
Exciting times!
Dianna, thank you for visiting on your busy morning. Please know I’ll be thinking of you and Sundae this morning and this afternoon.
It is exciting–one more week. I failed to get pictures of her classroom, so if and when she sends pictures I will add them to this post. Her classroom is really cute!
Thanks for the thoughts. I’m such a wimp when it comes to dental appointments! Looking forward to seeing pictures of your daughter’s classroom! What does she teach?
She teaches middle school science–with a flare (no pun intended). 🙂
Aw, sweet : )
Thank you, Lisa. I need to tell daughter #2 and SIL that we know of a certain young man who does amazing things with bicycles, not to mention motorbikes.
You caught me! When I began reading, I assumed it was the baby’s room you were describing. How much fun it must have been to help decorate two rooms.
I still remember the fun of coming into those grade school classrooms. I understand now what I had no idea of then – how much work had gone into preparing for us. Houston’s own radio ranter-and-raver, Michael Berry, dedicated his morning show yesterday to first graders (and all grade school children, really), but especially to the teachers. So many called in, and it was pure delight to listen to them talk about their feelings about their little charges.
There was quite a discussion of the uses of crepe paper, too.
You must be so excited – the fall always feels like a time of possibility, but you and your family have some exciting certainties ahead!
My daughter was faced with changing her traditional room on the first floor to her new one on the second floor in the new wing added to her school over the summer. Don’t they build fast these days? Usually she would have been in two weeks ago to get her room set up. However, it wasn’t until last Thursday the teachers in the “new” wing were allowed access to their rooms. She called Friday night very apprehensive about having that room ready. I told her to meet me at the airport in the morning. Soooo…a dozen packed boxes, 4 bulletin boards, and 4 curtain valences later not to mention drawers, cabinets and desks arranged and organized later–at around 8:00 PM Sunday night, we could stand back, view the room with satisfaction and say “The baby can come tonight and all would be well.” We laughed about all the staples, push pins, sticky foam squares, command strips and 12 feet of velcro it took to put that room together! We were greatly relieved that what was put up on Saturday was still on the walls on Sunday. As late as yesterday, she’s reporting, “It’s all still up.” Yay!
As I look back, it was so much fun to prepare my room all those years at the start of school. At the top of the list was “room set up.” It was kinesthetic, helped me put one foot in front of the other after a lazy summer. The ritual of setting up the room got the juices flowing and built the anticipation of the coming year, not to mention all the creative “thinking” time spent while putting up things, throwing away old stuff and putting away things.
This daughter entered college planning to be a decorator. I told her I wasn’t opposed to it, but she needed to also, graduate with a teaching credential. I am so glad she loves what she does and it’s fun to see her enjoy the satisfaction of being a decorator, too, at school and at home. That being said, teaching was not a fall back plan as she graduated summa cum laude in math and science from A&M.
That is one beautiful nursery for this welcomed little one soon to arrive! And from the sound of it, your daughter’s classroom is just as beautiful in welcoming students to learn. That substitute teacher is blessed to be in such a prepared room! And of course, that new baby will be blessed to be welcomed into such a loving family. Looking forward to when you announce the big day that your dear little grandson arrives!
Thank you, mama. Whereas I had both girls at the end of the school year (not planned), we laugh at how things happened differently for her. She has a very capable sub and all will be well in both rooms as each tends to the matters at hand.
so sweet! two rooms waiting…
Just another week until baby. School starts Monday and she will go as long as she can go…
So, so sweet, this post! I’m smiling to think of the joy soon to come (home).
We’re all converging on Dallas in about a week. We all can’t wait.
What fun to decorate a new room. I bet that substitute is glad to have detailed lesson plans as well.
Daughter #2 has left a detailed binder, day by day instructions. From this former department chair, I am very proud of how she has left things. Everything will be fine.
So the acorn doesn’t fall far from the oak? This must be giving you pangs of delight, Georgette. I am off to google “louisville slugger”. I love learning about these priorities in family life!
Amy, I must say I jumped at the chance to help her “set up the room”, an annual ritual among teachers. hmmmm…so now you know what a Louisville slugger is? So cool!
Yes I do…and am awed that you still have your Dad’s!
oops! “Dad’s Louisville slugger” meant my son-in-law’s bat, not my father’s, the Dutchman born in Mexico City.
How exciting! Very cute room. And how nice that you were able to help her set up her classroom. I’m glad she got to do that, because that is always a fun thing to do the end of the summer when you’re a teacher.
I’m glad she called. I told her if I came up for the weekend, everything would be up by Sunday…and it was.
Perfect!
So far so good, Elyse. Prayers please, that we see a healthy baby boy in a week.
May the owls that perch there bring wisdom and fun to the room! 🙂 I enjoyed your pic and post, Georgette. Sorry I’m a bit of a stranger to your comments, but I do still read your blog. 🙂
Oh, Val. I should apologize for not visiting you often enough. Thank you for reading. I’m trying to keep up right now with the beginning of school– daughter’s and mine. I’ve been given a course for the fall that I have never taught before and writing it has really taken away from my blogging time. (sad face)
Don’t worry!
Thanks. 🙂
That was tricky, I thought for sure you were going to tell us about the nursery; but then, the baby is close, so I’m sure that was taken care of before this. Another teacher in your family! 🙂
Patti, didn’t mean to be tricky (wink). Just didn’t want to go on and on and on about the event. Really, though in the past month we have gotten two rooms ready. One more week!
I can feel the excitement and anticipation here, Georgette. I’m smiling with you. Here’s to the big day and the special bundle of joy!
Thank you, LD. I want it to be next week — now!
I need to stay focused too, for this first week back to fall term classes.
Georgette, I’m so excited for you. It looks like she has things ready for the next family member, and the next group of young students. She must be really organized as well as super excited. Of course, mom is certainly a good influence there to be sure.
Thank you, Renee. You have certainly given this blogging thing some serious thought. I enjoy the company, comraderie and it keeps me writing. All the advisers I have consulted say “Keep writing.” We have missed you around here, friend.