School is Over--Sort of

School has been out for one month but I have still gone to Forbes every day. Call me a devoted teacher or a nut. Kortni, my granddaughter, went to summer school at Forbes each day in June from 8:30 to 11:30. Heather had to be at school in American Fork at 8:00 so I met them at my school and did reading recovery with Kortni each morning before she went to school. While she was in class I worked in my room or the guided reading library, taught at the literacy conference, went to Professional Development training and taught a professional development entitled Creating Writing Units. Then I usually took Kortni home to Herriman. Most days I have gone back to school to work. Kortni did really well in Summer School. She is now reading at a second grade level. Yesterday, her last day, Heather, Britni, Kortni, Sadi and I went to Applebees for lunch to celebrate her success.
My mom and dad celebrated their 62 wedding anniversary last weekend. I went up to the Spruces and had dinner with them and Holly and Dirk and their friends and Josh and Patty. It was very relaxing. I love the mountains.
I have been painting every chance I get. I finished a picture of a country cottage in the summer time. I am going to do one of the same cottage for each season. I also finished one of a house with sunflowers. It turned out well. My last class was waves at sunset. I haven't finished that one yet. It's hard. I am working on a picture of Hogwarts. I want to have it to hang in my classroom for my last year of teaching.
I turned in my retirement papers the first week of summer. I officially retire May 29, 2009. They told me I turned my papers in the earliest of any teacher in the past 26 years. I'm not too anxious. I'm really not all that anxious, I just know it is what I am supposed to do. My tentative plans after retirement are to teach reading recovery half days at my neighborhood school. I plan to volunteer until I have been retired long enough to get paid. This week I have received two calls from Utah Valley University. They need teachers with doctoral degrees. I just think that might be more work than I really want to do. I have been teaching for 33 years.
Skip isn't doing too great. He sleeps a lot and is in pain most of the time. I'm grateful for my painting and my job as Relief Society President. Between those activities and school I keep busy. I've also done some gardening. We are thinking about redoing the front yard. Our walkway is quite steep and difficult for Skip to climb especially in the winter.
We are so looking forward to visiting Stormi and Rick in July. Counting the days!