Apple Pie Spice: Reader Request

There's a Junie B. Jones book that I read to my students that repeats the phrase "toot your own horn" over and over. Even though I explain to them that this means bragging and it really has nothing to do with farting, the word TOOT makes them laugh every time. So where am I going with this? Well, I don't mean to toot my own horn (insert carpet full of first graders laughing out loud here), but I did have a reader of my blog ask me about it last night and hint that she was missing it. It got me thinking about last summer when I discovered my favorite blogs and started my own. And then how I gradually found less and less time to commit to blogging as the school year went on. The free time I do have while teaching is not time I like to spend on a computer. I like to stare mindlessly at a whole different kind of screen, because the Real Housewives are screaming at eachother and I can't turn away.
former 'Real Housewives of

But now that I do have time for reality TV and a little more to spare...I'm blogging!

Being a teacher feels a little like leading separate lives. There is the one life you lead between the months of September and June when school is in session and time is all spent and the other life during July and August when school's out and you have more time on your hands than you know what to do with. Here are the major differences between Life #1 and Life #2.

Life #1- Picture this: Mrs. Bushey, no time, messy house, cooler weather, less (to zero) blogging, very sound sleep, early mornings, getting dressed everyday, time management, empty cupboards, empty fridge, Lincoln home alone all day :(, piles of laundry, little hands, corrections, lesson plans, GrayC snuggles, DVR, coffee everyday, cubbies, snow and Snow Days :), buses by the house, clutter everywhere, exhaustion, holidays, field trips, meetings, "Sound it out.", knitting, pile of dishes, school ID and keys (ball and chain), testing, dart league, email, tying shoes, zipping coats, "Mrs. Bushey! Mrs. Bushey! Mrs. Bushey!", tattle vs. report, "Is that a good choice?", snack time, PTA, waiting on the next vacation, naps, watching 1st graders learn to read, sick day, dried up glue sticks, sharpening pencils, woo I need a drink, and did I mention NO TIME!

Mrs. Bushey's reading table.

Life #2 - Picture this: Sarah, lots of time, visiting Cole, vacuum, dishes are done, take a walk, sleep in, fans and AC, fresh fruit and veggies, time to blog, time to scrapbook, time to shop, time to do anything!, take a break, pedicures, Petersitting, laundry almost everyday, lunch with Andrew, water with lemon, can't fall asleep, door open, windows open, Lincoln time, Facebook, reading, staying in PJ's, tan skin, sundresses, allergies, bed's made, full fridge, gardening, iced coffee, clothes on the line, thunderstorms, concerts, Creek softball, ideas for a new class, camping, blonder hair, sunscreen, NO alarm clock, bees, ice cream, weddings, graduation parties, busy weekends, getting excited for school to start, magazines, BBQ, margaritas, relax, swimming, exercise, mopped floors, fireflies, flip flops, trip to Moses Farm Stand, drive-ins, flowers, bathing suits, "It's HOT!", setting up for a new school year, woo I need a drink, and did I mention LOTS OF TIME!