If I could turn back time...

So, I haven't blogged in ages.  Here's are all of the things I wanted to blog about but haven't had time to do so:

• Wednesday, June 22 - HUMP DAY!!!  I can hardly believe it - I'm half way through institute.  (Seriously, this was a major milestone).  Just like on a rollercoaster, I have a feeling the downhill portion of institute is going to go by super fast.  (It has been).
• I can't believe how much I actually love my students.  It was an instant love, too.  Knowing that they were my students made me just automatically love them before I even got to  know them.  Is this what it's like to be a parent?  (Note that kids at my school who are not my students frequently bug the crap out me...so I know I'm not completely crazy yet).
• One of my students came to school last week with a huge tattoo on his neck.  My heart sunk.  Of all places.  Does he realize the impact this is going to have on the doors that open/close for him for the rest of his life?  The sentiment of the tattoo is sweet - it says "in loving memory of - " his deceased baby brother's name, who apparently was born with a birth defect.  The sentiment is real sweet.  Put it on a tattoo on your forearm with all of your other tattoos, please - I wish I could've said to him the day before he got the tattoo.  And who is giving 8th grade students tattoos on their neck?
• This same student has been one of our most stellar students since getting the tattoo.  I don't know if the timing is related in some manner...but he's been focused and trying every single day in class.
• Monday, June 27 - today was my last day of lead teaching a full lesson!  OMG!  What will my life be like without the constant stress of lesson planning?
• Tuesday, June 28 - Today was my last day of lead teaching.  I taught a 45-minute lesson that went absolutely amazing.  Really, what am I going to do with all of my free time?
• Wednesday, June 29 - Today I felt really old.  I was talking with my co-teachers about 9-11.  They were saying how our students (14yearolds) barely remember it happening since they were so young at the time.  But they (my co-workers) remember exactly where they were when it happened - "in 7th grade math class".  WTF.  My co-workers were in  7th grade on 9-11.  I was graduated from college and years into my career.  I feel so old.
• Thursday, June 30 - Today was a good day.  Although I haven't had just hours upon hours of free time, I am a lot less stressed.  And I went to bed at 11pm last night - the earliest bedtime I've had since arriving here - and woke up with an incredible amount of energy, which I'm sure contributed to my great day today. Unfortunately, it's now pushing 1pm so there won't be a repeat.  Today I went to the gym for the first time in a week and a half.  Today at the cafeteria it was "Everybody's birthday" themed with streamers and signs and birthday cake!  Yay!  Today at 9pm there was a 30 minute dance party in the courtyard.  Today I called all of my student's parents and got to have nice conversations with some of them.  Today was a good day.