Who said you can't go home again?

Life has been crazy hectic...so much so that I haven't been to the gym in a week and BOY do I feel it!  Meeting with contractors, living at Lowes, Home Depot, RCWilley, Stone yards, etc. has been my evenings.  Here are some highlights of the HOME REPAIRS UPDATE as well as a few Halloween pics.

Some of my boys all dressed up (out of 16 boys)

Almost all of my girls (only have 6 total)

Yep - team player again...was out of the toga
in less than 30 minutes.  Halloween is not my
favorite!  But I'll play for a while...

Decided to add a hearth to my fireplace.  They
put on the wrong tile - luckily it's easily take-offable.

The floors are in and I love them...except that
I can't get all the workers dust off them - sweep, swiffer,
vacuum, steam mop...it's going to be a hands and knees
chore when it's all done.

My garage is in there somewhere. 

My method for choosing paint.  I went through 4 tans, 6 greens and 6 reds. 
I also have about 8 yellows from last year's master bedroom painting!
Anyone need samples???

It's been a work zone for so long I can't even
imagine getting to cozy up by my fire to read a book and
enjoy hot coco on a cold day (today would have been perfect)
...except that I don't have time to do that with all the
school work I have to do!

The cabinets are in and the red paint has been chosen.
It looks great.  By the weekend, I'm hoping to have
a kitchen sink...and water downstairs again!
(side note - I replaced the red pendant lights with others
because the reds clashed.  Hence, my many trips
to Lowes.)

Yep, the final decision has been made.  I got a good deal on a slab of
granite and I got a good guy who's going to fabricate it and
install it this week. 

All in all, I'm grateful for this process.  I'm looking at this as an opportunity - a blessing in disguise at first, but now in full view.  The timing was awful and it's been hard to be stuck at work when the contractors have needed me there to make some decisions, but I think the Lord knew I needed a distraction from my trials and tribulations of being a classroom teacher again.  I think a less-intrusive blessing would have sufficed, but who's complaining?  My addiction to HGTV and DIY network shows has come to my own house!  I'm at the point now where I expect them to send me off to a spa and come back to the final result...all clean and put back together!  Ha.  Anyway, I'm extremely grateful for a new downstairs, for good insurance, for good people who have helped me through this process, and for the distraction it has given me from work.

Work.  Hmmmm.  In my 14 years in the district, I have only been a classroom teacher on and off for 7 of those years.  I have been out of the classroom for the past 6 years straight.  I am struggling - big time.  Everyday I give it what I've got and it is so apparent to me that it is NOT my best, but it's all I've got to give.  I'm learning that THAT has to be sufficient for now and that I need to allow myself a growing period.  I am soooo fortunate to have the principal I do who says I'm doing a great job - she came into observe one Friday morning and I was "winging it" big time.  It wasn't one of my best days emotionally, but I managed to pull it off.  I just feel so behind the eight-ball and so alone at that.  I miss getting to talk with some of the friends I made last year, who are just as busy as I am.  I am extremely grateful for the 3 gals I work with in my grade level - I couldn't have been put in better hands.  I am learning to be patient with myself and just try each and every day to start off smiling.  If I can end the school day doing the same, I feel lucky.