Marking, Commenting, Report Cards - Oh my!

Marking, commenting, report cards, parent/teacher conferences, #gafe summit, virtual day, last minute literacy training, sub plans, and the rest of life. Yup, it is end of term in my world. All of those things are happening in the next handful of days. On top of the normal end of term crazies I am at a new school, working to understand the hows and whys of a new report card. And just for the fun of it, I said 'yes' to presenting at a tech conference this weekend. You moms know that also means prepping meals, making sure laundry is clean, and double checking childcare arrangements in addition to prepping for my presentation, packing, traveling, etc.

To sum it all up, its a bit crazy around here. (Or at least the 'around here' that takes place in my head!) With all of that going on I am still trying to get back into the swing of things with my blogging routine. As I reflected yesterday, it isn't just my writing that isn't getting its due time, it is my reading too. So where has the time gone? I haven't been able to put my finger on the black hole that is sucking it away. I would love to figure it out so I can put a plug in it. I will say that I am not stressed out about it. Over the years I have learned that it all gets accomplished, somehow. 

As I started writing, the list of things I currently on my plate lead to the title of this post. Two weeks ago my six year old daughter watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time. As we cuddled on the couch, watching the story unfold, I realize how many lines that are part of our everyday quotes came from this legendary movie. "Lions, and tigers, and bears - oh my!" is just one of the many. Others, like "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too!" and "Toto, I've got a feeling we aren't in Kansas anymore" and "We're off to see the Wizard" and "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" and of course, "There's no place like home" are lines we naturally attribute to Dorothy's adventures. But what about, "Going so soon?!" or "Go away or I'll bite you myself!" or "A horse of a different color"? It was fun to watch the movie through my daughters eyes. The next day, when the neighbor boys were shooting various weapons at her she shot back enchanted poppies, to make them go to sleep. I love that "The Wizard of Oz" and all of its ideas and lines can now be a part of our family vernacular.