Days with the Dorans

Ok, time to come clean- I'm behind WAY behind in this blog, and if it reads like I'm not, that's because I went back and filled in from the last YEAR! Covid has been a mess (and I will go back and update) but I realized that I have to start now and move forward so I remember the little things that make coming back to read our adventures so fun for me!   So since the world shut down last year, we missed our annual MB trip. This year, it was game on again with Jeff, me and Nana and Papa vaccinated. Though we are vaccinated, we're still careful and were SHOCKED by how many people on our trip down had no masks. It was a bit nuts to be honest (and disappointing). If everyone took this seriously, we wouldn't be in this mess (but I won't go there~ in this blog at least...). There was a Subway that actually enforced the mask rule (though it was in a gas station that didn't enforce it). The lady working at the Subway was really slammed and apologized but we didn'...

I always wonder when the day will happen when the leprechaun stops showing up. I was thankful he made another appearance this year. I wondered (with it being Covid and all) and NOT ONE DORAN tried to make a trap this year... But~ when we woke there was a mess so we knew he must have come. He seemed to do a lot of the same shenanigans he usually does, green mile, and little clues left all over the house. I know that MY leprechauns were hopeful that their lucky charms would be at the end of the rainbow, er... uh... hunt! Sure enough, it was Sean that solved the riddle nad we all lucked out with a little treasure! Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone!

Well~ we FINALLY got to have our XC Banquet for Joey but like everything this year, it was a bit different... It was in the auditorium and of course there was no eating. The catch-phrase "Every Child, Every Day" has become "Some kids, Some of the time" to some of us teachers... :-P I shouldn't be so jaded. I am thankful that they got to do this recognition. It has been a LONG time since Joey has been inside his high school and I was thankful for that (even though I'm still a little bitter that they wouldn't let him run Regionals- and that has historically been a PR for him). The seats were marked so that the boys could sit by each other- this is as close as it got. You can see that Joe and Brad got to sit next to each other but there had to be two seats between them. Later on stage though, they stood next to each other and got their awards. I was really proud of Joey! He made the top 50 All-Time fastest runners in the school history. His coach talked abo...

I'm SO mad at my district for the way they have handled this and all the stress it's put on me. They did give us some "free" therapy opportunities (which I was thankful for and used), but of course it had it's limits and since they were no longer paying, I was out. I am a bitter Betty toward them but the PEOPLE I work with are gems!  True I haven't taught first in quite a while but my team is familiar! Jill and Lisa are the best and were part of my first team (with Lynn). When I got to school there were love notes, and encouragement and a sweet care package (complete with the mascot "Rasheed" from Lucy- I'm NOT a fan of that curriculum but they each have a stuffed animal that is cute). When I got to school, this sweet note was on my door! Gianna's mom told met that when her daughter came back to school she really struggled going by my room and knowing I wasn't in there. As hard as this year has been, this meant a lot to me! The names on t...

Just like Z's high school orientation was over Zoom, so was Sean's middle school orientation. The good news is that I think by next year, things may be a bit more "normal." At least, I hope they will be normal. I may have to drive Sean to school, but I am looking forward to him being back with friends. It was also good to see a familiar face! Jeff was Joey's counselor and was such a good guy and helpful to Joey. I feel like Joe and Sean are very similar so seeing that he will be Seany's counselor put me at east a bit too.  Here we go! Time is really flying now!  

FINALLY!!! Dumb Covid put a wrench in Ali's license plans. Everything was delayed and she was SO bummed that she couldn't get her license on her birthday (I was bummed too). But on the day she could FINALLY get that license, she did~ AND... it happened to be on "International Women's Day." She's such a strong girl. If it couldn't be on her birthday, this seemed like a good 2nd place. Visiting the SOS during Covid has some perks... You have to make an appointment and you don't wait quite as long which is a little bonus. I snapped this picture of her getting her picture but they told me that was a no-no. I still don't get why but whatever- I have a blog to write. She drove on the way home but that probably felt like driving with her permit. The real test would be later... For her first drive, Ali went to Kickstand to pick up dinner for us. You can't go to restaurants but we have tried to do our part by ordering out. I don't know if Ali was mo...

  Just when I start to find my groove in this crazy time, my lovely district ripped the rug out from under me AGAIN!! To say I am upset, is an understatement. I was told that I will be returning to school in a couple weeks to teach first graders face to face. This will be my THIRD group of kids and my THIRD curriculum to learn/teach. My kindergarten parents are so upset but because two kids are coming back face to face at my school, I was pulled back. I know the Bigs will be fine continuing to learn from home, but I worry about Sean. He too is going to have his THIRD teacher of the year which makes me so angry! I found out there was another teacher in the district who was being called back face to face in second grade at Dublin and I thought- well, if I could do THAT- I'd at least know the curriculum and I could take Sean with me in the car (I don't want him on a bus). I thought for sure she'd say yes since Dublin wasn't her home school and first grade was the grade she...

With all of us home, we got a request from the yearbook to get a "sibling" picture so I got some pics of the Bigs! I love them so much!!

  If you would have told me that Zach's high school orientation would be on a computer and not in a building I would have thought you were crazy- but here we are... Zach and I zoomed into his High School Orientation. I'm hoping that soon life will get back to normal but until then, this is how it looked...