September Randoms

Hard at work at her makeshift desk.

Hey, folks.

September doesn't let you breathe.  While we didn't have a lot of social obligations to busy ourselves with, we were all so busy with readjusting to the Back to School Grind (lesson planning, homework, piano lessons, Girl Scouts, etc.) that we kept ourselves overly-occupied for the entire month.  Before we knew it, we were heading into October, seemingly five minutes after the start of the school year.

That kinda thing happens in December, while you're busy with Holiday events on your calendar, but September is nothing but eat, sleep, school/work. . . definitely not as much fun.

Anyway, here's some random shots from the Hough Family's September.  Uneventful, boring, and incredibly exhausting.

Behold. . .

Abby can fall asleep anywhere.

I was able to score this collector's dream for HALF it's normal price when it dropped suddenly on Amazon - I've been watching this one for years.

The last Sunday before the start of the school year, Kris and I decided to have one, last bonfire to mark the End of Summer.  Just the four of us, some s'mores, and some very-appropriate seasonal craft beers. . .

Any excuse to eat sugar. . .

Alayna volunteered to take some family selfies - her new favorite thing to do.

One Saturday, we drove out to Rosebush to hit up an old roller rink for my buddy Trevor's kids' combo birthday party.

Who the hell thought this was actually a good idea for a token-generating kid's game?

Kris gets down.

After the party, we swung out to Trevor and Sara's house in Clare to pick up some totes of clothes their kids outgrew (and to feed their chickens, which is always a hit with our kids.)

Our kids and theirs duke it out in these American Gladiator-esque inflatable combat suits.

Abby knocks down her older sister.  Easily.

Kris had to take a stab at it, too (she wasn't very good at it.)

Taking a break at the kids' school playground, during a father/daughter bike ride, so Abby could attempt breaking her neck doing a 'gymnastics routine.'

The girls take some 'portraits' with their cameras. . .

In a rare moment of not-killing each other. . .

Celebrating another 100% on a spelling test (I seriously think she can spell better than I.)

Me and my Work Wives, representing our individual houses.  We've established a system of houses based off of the Ron Clark Academy and Harry Potter, with our 8th graders being 'sorted' into one of our respective houses at the beginning of the school year.  We each end up with 30 or so students, and they're ours for the entire school year, through competitions, sporting events, etc.  Each house has a coat of arms, an animal sigil, a chief IB Learner Characteristic (we're an IB school) with the name of that characteristic in a foreign language as the house name, and team colors (all designed by Yours Truly, might I add.)  The students love the concept, and it's done wonders for their behavior, grades, attendance, and personal growth - I should have been doing this years ago.

Later in the month, Kris and I took the kids down to the Midland Fairgrounds to check out the hot air balloons they launch annually from there.  When we got there, it was around dinner time and we couldn't find any decent food on hand (it was all fair food, and the people in attendance were all backwater 'fair' folks), so we left.  Kris ultimately decided to head back up there later in the evening with her friend, Cristy - I wanted nothing to do with it.  Fair people creep me out.

Reenacting the Hindenburg disaster.

Cristy and Kris, on the way back.

Alayna and her friend, Samantha (Cristy's daughter.)

Samantha, stuck in Abby's car seat.

Abby wanted to dress up as Hermione Granger from Harry Potter for school one day.  We just went with it.

My students get me.

Eating out with some friends.

At a PTO fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Any time I can drink beer and support my kids' school, I shall do so.

More Hough Family selfies.

Our dog is an idiot. . .

Hitting up a recently-opened Halloween store in the Midland Mall, on a quest to find some accessories for our family's costumes.  It was just Abby and I, as Alayna was dragging her heels and not wanting to get around as quickly as her sister. . . so her and Kris would meet us up there later.

We let the girls pick our family theme for costumes this year, and they decided we should all go as pirates (which was totally fine with me - I love me some pirates.)  Abby was determined to find a suitable sword for her costume, but we couldn't find one she liked.  I was incredibly proud of her attention to detail while selecting a sword.

Having the McNerneys (ies?) over one weekend, later on in the month.  The piano gets a lot of use these days.

- Brian

Fall is Just Something That Grown Ups Invented

What's up, readers.

So today was a stressful, anxiety-ridden day of emotion:  the First Day of School.  As a teacher, I hate the first day of a new school year with a passion:  you have to nail everything down perfectly on the first day in order to avoid pit traps later in the school year (first impressions, procedures and routines, etc.)  It's a lot of pressure, and before the day even starts I'm already looking forward to Day Two (from that point on it's fine.)

Anyway, the day went fine, just as it always does, but I tend to suffer a disproportionate amount of stress and anxiety over the first day of school.  The girls, on the other hand, were both super excited to be back in a classroom with their friends.  Sadly, neither of them ended up being in the same class as their BFFs, but both had other friends in there so it was fine.  Abby was a little apprehensive about starting second grade, but she got over it quickly.  Alayna was shot out of cannon and pumped the second she woke up, which was expected since she's been a social butterfly since moving up here.

I've included some shots here of my classroom, set up for the influx of a new batch of 8th graders, and some shots Kris took from the girls' first day back to the Grind, for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy.

My classroom, from the view of my desk.

Other front corner, from the view of the Flag.

Underneath the Flag, an oil painting of Native Americans I pinched from Granny Hough's house.  I'm sure she'd approve.

My in-class library, for student use.

Student supplies, and a very dapper wolf print I purchased online (my house sigil is a wolf, and it serves as our mascot.)

Sadly, neither Bernie Sanders or Kodos ended up winning the 2016 election. . .

My command center.

Mr. Hough's desk.

This computer's hooked up to my Promethean Smartboard.

All ready to roll for the First Day of School

. . . and the other one.

Obligatory picture-in-front-of-the-School shot.

Putting away her backpack in her new classroom.

Sort of nervous to be in a new class, but she eventually grew to enjoy it.

A much-needed nightcap.

- Brian