Where did the last two months go?

I have been extremely absent from blogging lately! I have read other blogs here and there, but have neglected Chucks and Crayons for far too long.

It has been a crazy couple of months for sure.
The last I posted, I was very distracted. I thought taking a minute to type out my thoughts would help. And it did. And then I also wrote in my journal and listened to and digested others' accounts of the marathon bombing. I wasn't even there but weeks later the image of the younger bomber has crept into my dreams. Perhaps since we both went to the same college...
No matter what, the tragedy in Boston has now defined my generation, just as 9/11 did. I pray for those who have been directly effected, our country and our future.

In the midst of the chaos that week, I was trying to focus on completing my capstone exam. The culmination of my Master's degree was not a thesis or an oral presentation, but a three essay question, written exam, complete with research, exhibits and citations. I was a mess. I needed a vacation from my school vacation. Despite the difficulty, three weeks after I turned in the final draft, I got the results back and not only did I pass my final exam, but I passed with distinction! I have three more credits to complete this summer and I will receive my degree in August. The one last class I have to take will be like a vacation and I can't wait! I posted about it here.

That was just April.
May flew by! Between standardized testing, final projects and papers for grad school and my middle school's art show, I was cramming as much as I could into each and every day. By Memorial Day I was exhausted and relished in the fact that I could sleep until 7am.
I intend to post about the art show in another entry. Stay tuned!

Now here we are in June and as my graduate school life has settled, my work life is being shaken up. As predicted, there is a great deal of shifting around as principals and other administration are retiring. The gentleman for whom I was covering for (part time) this year at the high school has also officially resigned, opening one full time position in the high school art department. I had to jump at the opportunity to be full time in ONE building and be able to concentrate on one age group/ curriculum. When the principal asked me if I would like to stay on full time, I said yes. I am sad to be leaving my awesome middle school students and staff, but I need to do what makes sense for my sanity and my career. When I started this crazy journey as a senior in high school, I said I wanted to teach high school. So now I have the chance! And to my benefit, it was announced this week that my middle school principal will also be moving up to the high school. One of the biggest lessons I learned as a kid is that the only thing that is constant is change. This time, I am looking forward to it.