>I woke up Tuesday morning feeling tired, looking forward to the end of the week and sleeping in. What a concept! As I staggered through the routine of feeding bunnies, showering, and getting breakfast ready for Amigo, I realized that I had a lot to accomplish before I could get to the end of the week, the end of the school year, the end of my tenure at this particular elementary school. Robert Frost’s words started to echo ominously through my head: “…miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep.”

My friends at work wouldn’t let me panic. They offered a Babe Ruth bar, a Snoopy doll, and a giant Hershey’s Kiss, all in addition to more packing boxes and strapping tape and a plan for Thursday that leaves me time to finish packing and preparing for the move.

This left me with time to spare on Wednesday. I posted a new cartoon in the staff lounge. I snuck into the classroom next door and changed the “Good morning” on her white board to “G’Day, mate.” I finished emptying my desk and found a classic picture of our building engineer wearing an elf hat and holding a big bag of something (chocolate covered raisings = deer droppings, if you must know). I borrowed (no, I won’t return it) coffee from the office when we ran out in the lounge, and recycled pile upon pile of old papers.

Today, Thursday, is moving day. I will allow (trust me, they’ll love it) my students with ADHD and my highly kinesthetic learners to carry boxes galore to my minivan. When it’s full, we’ll pack the rest in Mrs. Sip’s minivan. Then they’ll hang out and have an end-of-year movie, pizza for lunch, and an overwhelmingly relaxing day. I hope the relaxing summer-is-here feeling extends to me, their teacher, as well.