Pinch Me Moments

So it has basically been a week since I've updated. Sorry I'm such a bad blogger. Life is going well, it is just very very busy with track season now. We ran an inner-squad 'mock' meet on Friday and it was absolute insanity, especially without the head coach there. It was exhausting, but a whole lot of fun. I had a ton of out-of-body moments during the week where I looked in on myself and could hardly believe it was me coaching.

Do you ever have moments where you have to pinch yourself to believe the life you're living? Lately I've been having a lot of those moments where I wonder A) how the heck I got here? (in a good way) and B) if only my family and friends could see me now...

On my forty minute commute to and from school every day as I drive past the now familiar farm stands, tiny train stations, family farms and livestock, I can hardly believe that I've made it to March of my first year teaching. I remember thinking I would never even make it to Thanksgiving back when I first started. JC kept encouraging me and telling me I would hit my stride soon enough and I just didn't see how that would ever be possible. But now I can make up lessons literally on the spot. Obviously that's not ideal, but I made up my history lesson Friday on the formation of the UN and the Marshall Plan on the fly first period. And it was GREAT! The kids were asking all kinds of awesome questions and the graphic organizer I put together in about 10 minutes was PERFECT. Sometimes when I'm up teaching in front of the class, whether it's my seniors or my 10th graders, I just can't believe this is me. I still think it's amazing when I say something and my kids go and scribble it into their notes. They take notes about what I say? I'm a teacher? Seriously?? We had to hand out grades to our homeroom classes at the end of the day yesterday and I remembered how nervous I was the first day of school when I first met my homeroom. I didn't know any of them and wasn't sure what I should even do in homeroom. Now both the routine and the command of my classroom is so natural. It's hard for me to believe this is really me. I feel like I was just in grad school "playing teacher". My school district is kind of a mess right now - much like every school district across the country - and I'm not sure I'll be here next year, but I really hope I am! I can't wait to incorporate everything I've learned this year into next year. In good news, I had my evaluation meeting with my principle and I got satisfactory all around, which is the highest I could get. So yay me!

The other pinch me moment in my professional life has been this past week in track practice. My first week with the team was really just all about getting my feet wet and learning the routine. This week I actually ran practice a couple of days and taught kids how to hurdle and how to high jump and work on their form while running a 400. I honestly cannot believe I am coaching track. I can't believe when I talk to these kids, who for the most part would be labeled 'at risk youth' in today's PC world, that they actually pay attention and seem to care. They are 9th and 10th grade students I have never met, but whose names I know from seeing on the In School Suspension list just about every week. They have behavioral issues in the classroom and many have serious attitude problems. I won't say their behavior issues go away completely when they get to the track, but when I'm coaching them...they listen. It's amazing. I seriously have to pinch myself that little ol' me is able to keep and hold their attention and keep them working for 1 1/2 hours. I started four kids on Thursday on the 300m hurdles and really couldn't believe how I was able to hold their attention. I ran the 400 hurdles in high school and am pretty surprised at how much I remember about proper form and technique. I heaped on praise about specific things they did right and videotaped them so they could see for themselves. I think it really went a long way. I was talking to a friend about this and she was having a hard time coming up with other examples either of us knew about a girl coaching boys (and I hate to play the race card, but a white girl coaching a bunch of black kids). The head coach was out Friday so the distance coach and I ran the practice meet with our team all by ourselves. I was in charge of all 30+ sprinters and spent all day making teams and relays and choosing who would be anchor and who would be in what heat. Of course, two of the best kids didn't show up so my perfectly matched teams went out the window. Running the meet was absolute INSANITY since most of the kids had no idea what to do or where any of the races started. We had students pulling up with muscle cramps and I had to make up new relays on the fly. It was crazy and a serious headache trying to corral all these sprinters and get them to the right place at the right time, especially since we had to finish up before the late bus got there at 5, but it was a lot of fun and makes me excited for the real meets, even though I know they'll be a much bigger headache. It was a great way to cap off my first real week of coaching. It's frustrating. It's time consuming. But it's a whole lot of fun.

My final pinch myself moment occurs all the time outside of my professional life and is all about my personal life. Yes, that's right, I have to gush about the boy (again). I have to pinch myself several times a day to believe #1 that this wonderful man - who calls me every night just to say goodnight, sends me thoughtful texts and emails throughout the day, pays for my $450 flights out to see him, sends me packages full of random stuff that he 'just saw and thought of me' - exists at all and #2 that he is mine. I honestly cannot believe that we found each other and I cannot believe that he has become such a tremendous part of my life. I know that's a little sappy so I guess I'll leave it at that and get ready for Bunco. It's a brunch theme and I have to go buy a quiche from the amazing bakery down the street. Yeah, I'm copping out and not making anything but I totally think it's worth it for this bakery.

Do you ever have "pinch me" moments in your life where you can't even believe this is your life (in a very good way)?

(PS - I still need to pick a recipe out for tomorrow!)