Pumpkin Pancakes and Big Accomplishments

First of all, I started off the day with a DELICIOUS pancake thanks to- where else? Trader Joe's!

If you have a Trader Joe's near you and you like pumpkin, there is really no excuse not to try these pancakes. I halved the recipe, but I really could've probably ate the whole thing. You were supposed to add an egg, milk and some butter. I changed it to make it friendly to my tummy by using egg whites, soy milk and oil instead of butter. I only needed 1 tablespoon of oil (2 for the whole recipe) which really isn't bad. I am not a big maple syrup person (and we didn't have any) so I mixed blueberries in. It was delicious and a great way to start the day. Some day I'll stop eating pumpkin stuff...but not today!

Tonight was my big *Professional Status Celebration* For those of you who are not teachers (and do they even call it that in other towns/states?), that means that I now officially have tenure. Which means...they can't fire me, well at least not without some serious effort. The past 3 years they could just decide they didn't really like me and bam, I'd be gone! Fortunately that did not happen and I made it to tonight. I'd like to say I knew all along that I would make it tonight but I definitely had some doubts my first year. If I had this blog that year, things would not have been so positive let me tell you. Plus there would've been less healthy eating and exercising and more comfort food and falling asleep at 7pm!

So tonight the School Committee had a meeting to recognize those of us who achieved Professional Status this year. They said the name of each teacher and then talked about us for a bit. When my friend first told me that they talk about you, I was a bit confused about how they knew what to say (do I know these people?), but it became pretty obvious that my principal wrote it, which was nice. My principal is pretty tough, she has really high expectations for her teachers. She had a reputation when I came to the school of never letting a year pass without getting rid of a year. In my irrational first year teacher state I thought for sure that teacher would be me since all of the other new teachers had taught in other towns and were already fantastic teachers. But, she really has pushed me to be a better teacher than I ever thought I would be at the age of 25. Isn't it funny that people who are the toughest on you can really make you push yourself? Oh, and also she didn't get rid of any teachers that first year, whew!!!

We got to go up and receive a certificate and a present:

Close up (aren't you getting SO curious about what is inside? haha, I knew it!):

Okay fine, I won't leave you in suspense any longer...

It was also special because I started teaching with 2 other amazing kindergarten teachers: Kathy and Katie. They were both already teachers before, but we started in my current school together. Kathy was there with me tonight receiving professional status, which was quite fitting. I sorta feel like Kathy and I have pulled each other through the last 3 years. At times kicking and screaming, at other times laughing and really having a lot of fun. I am so lucky that I really enjoy and like the people I work with, that makes every day so much better, especially when I am not loving the kids that day :) Katie (the other girl I started teaching with), moved back to Minnesota where she is from. She was such a positive and fun influence that we miss her every day, but we are happy she is back with her family and having her first baby later this month, whoa hoo!

This is a little more corny than my originally scheduled post tonight, but I couldn't let tonight pass without mentioning it. Even though I had to drag myself out of the house tonight to go to this "reception", it is a pretty big accomplishment in the little life of me :)