Labor Day is approaching, which means the end of my summer. It was one of the BEST summer’s that I can remember! It was very fun, busy, and relaxing. Since I am no longer enrolled in school, I had more time to explore hobbies, visit with friends, and enjoy the weather.

I came very close to completing my Summer Bucket List. That’s a good sign in my book – it wasn’t too hard or too easy, and it leaves me with a couple of items to add to my Fall Bucket List.

Some of my Summer Highlights include:

Finishing my Zoom Loom Blanket. It turned out even better than I had hoped!
I even took a crochet class to add the border.

Attending a beautiful wedding in Vermont

Growing flowers and herbs in my garden

Making and eating delicious foods

 Spending a “Girly Day” with my niece

State Fair… with Cream Puffs!

 EAA Airventure with my pilot husband

And spending time with these cutie pies! We took lots of walks and enjoyed the sun.

It was a wonderful summer and I wish it could go on forever. I hope you had a wonderful summer, too!

Fellow teachers, you will totally understand where I am coming from with this post. We get so excited for summer – not because we plan to sit around all day, but because we’ll finally have the time to catch up on all of the ‘life’ we miss out on during the school year. We get to take care of ourselves, take care of our homes, and reinvest in our relationships. I don’t know a single teacher who doesn’t push themselves even throughout the summer to be the best they can be.

Most of us, in fact, continue to work on our teaching practice throughout the summer. We tutor, plan, research, collaborate, and create. I don’t stop thinking about my students and my classroom at all throughout 10 weeks. In fact, I will be doing something school related 5 days per week. The best part, of course, is that I get to sleep later, work at my own pace, and work anywhere I like (including my sunny backyard, the library, or a coffee shop).

I have many things I’m really excited to do this summer. I also have things I know I need to accomplish. To ensure that I maintain a healthy balance, I’ve created a Summer Bucket list. I’m happy to share it with you. I’d love to hear about your summer goals, whether or not you are an educator. What are you most excited about? What do you hope to accomplish?

This template was designed by My Love for Words

Yesterday was my last day in the classroom for the 2013-2014 school year. I said goodbye to my empty classroom for the summer. The lockers are empty, the hallways are eerily quiet, and my students are gone 🙁 I miss them already! At least my heart is full with the memories, and I look forward to them visiting me next year to tell me all about their freshman year (so glad our high school is just right across the street).

I’ll still be posting throughout the summer. As a true teacher, I will never really stop working. I am teaching a college course on reading, tutoring a student, and researching writing workshop for curriculum hours over the summer. I’ll also be schooling myself in new reading interventions for the fall – I’ll be sure to post anything I think you’ll find interesting.

I’m also excited to have somewhat of a life this summer! It’s just me and the two dogs with a whole lotta sunshine. I’ve got a huge stack of books to read, 2 summer crafting projects. an empty fridge that needs to be filled with my cooking, a basement that needs organizing, the gym I’ll be frequenting (so many classes I’m excited to try – especially Zumba!), friends to visit, parties to have, movies to watch, and so much more. I’m thinking of making one of those summer bucket lists – I just love lists! Here’s to a great summer!

BTW I’d love to hear your summer plans! Please let me know below.