summer reflections by Jamie

I must have been enjoying my summer so immensely that I did not post stories and memories on the blog for lack of time in the month of August. There was no lack of stories to share, but merely a lack of time and energy to sit at a computer long enough to post. This evening I was reliving one of my favorite musical memories of the summer by watching the videos I took of the Death Cab for Cutie concert on the 4th of July weekend. Earlier I had leafed through some clothes in my clean laundry (thank you for taking the clothes out of the dryer this morning, Liz) and noticed the collection of new shirts I got from my summer travels. With a sentimental affection I looked at the black “I love le Tour de France” shirt and remembered France before hanging it up. Then with fondness I folded my new Mickey Mouse shirt that symbolizes the days at Disneyland with Liz and the 5K run I completed last weekend through both Disney Parks. If I look at my photos of the summer there is a marked difference in the way I look since I cut all my hair off in the end of August. My only regret of the summer is that I didn’t cut it off earlier. My summer months were lovely and I’ll even reflect on the nursing I did for my Dad as a good time to reconnect with him. I am always aware that I am blessed beyond measure with a life that is full of people who love me and share in my sense of adventure and my testimony of Christ.
However, my summer has ended and my professional life has resumed. This morning I awoke at 5:10am to my laptop playing a Coldplay song and lazily remembered that my life is familiar when I rise before the sun. In those early hours I am able to complete many of my goals and I find solace in the quiet of the air. When I left the house at 6:15am I had already begun watching the newest episode of “Glee”, taken a shower, begun laundry, ate breakfast, packed bags for school and stretched to get ready for my 7 mile bike ride along the river to my school. I felt a sense of accomplishment after only being awake for 1 hour. Regardless that the rest of my day was busy with the management of 42 students with exceptional needs, I focused on my goal to become a Nationally Board Certified Teacher this year. I’ll spend a lot of brain energy on my NBC portfolio and this morning I videotaped myself teaching 8th graders for 56 minutes and then reviewed it at home to analyze and reflect on my instructional strategies. I know this portfolio process will bore many of my blog readers, but my lack of entries will reflect proportionately on my time spent on certifying.
The apartment will slowly change to one of a flourish of packing, reorganizing and last minute charades around Southern California. Next week will include box seats at the Dodgers for Liz and I. I guess the baseball season hasn’t finished, so conversely I shouldn’t count my summer as being over either.