my 2026/2027 school year syllabus

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd talk about something a little different today instead of doing the usual weekly happies post I've been doing on Thursdays. This post idea was inspired by the one and only Amy, also known as my personal stylist, dear friend and confidante, color specialist, and blog influencer. Here is my "syllabus" for the new school year...I hope you enjoy reading this and that you're inspired in your own life to make this own kind of list or plan for your year. (August really is like a second new year!) 

I will set my alarm to go off at my favorite time of day: five a.m. and I will try to be out of bed promptly, but when that doesn't always happen, I will give myself grace to sleep in a bit longer.

I will go about my normal morning routine each morning of the week; I will drink my favorite and only cup of hot coffee first thing and I will make the time to do something I love to do each morning, which having a devotional time of reading and prayer, and reading blogs. I need to have enough time to leave my kitchen and home clean before I leave. 

I will dress in outfits that I love and feel confident in; I will only wear things that I know are comfortable enough for me to move around all day, and I will wear only the shoes that never hurt my feet. I will do my best to look put together and cute, while not sacrificing the comfort that is important to me.

I will remember to have ibuprofen in my lunch bag for the times when I am aching from all the walking.

I will be better at food this school year! I will be better about packing healthy lunches and for having a plan for dinner each night of the week by Sunday afternoon. My current Sunday schedule will help me with this: it's church, grocery shopping for anything I forgot to order, meal prep for both dinner that night and for the nights to follow, family dinner at five p.m. each week, then packing up for Monday as I clean the kitchen when my sons leave.  

I will keep saying "yes" to after work events with my work family!

I will have plenty of things to do for the times when I am bored as my student does her independent work. I will keep notebook paper, pens, blank copy paper, a journal, and a book with me at all times. I will keep extras in my work bag and I will keep a few things in the bag that I take with me everywhere she goes. 

I will do my best to assist her teacher in fourth grade this year! I've gotten to see her teacher Robyn this week at work; one day when I got home, I went to Facebook to see how old Robyn is, and y'all. She is a year older than Jonah and Noah; she will literally be like one of my kids, not that I expect to mother her at all. I look forward to getting to know her better and I will try to develop a sweet friendship with her since we'll be together nonstop. I love younger people, and I consider her that. I am really excited about this part of the job! She's precious and I already love her. 

I will communicate with my student's mom by sending her pictures from time to time. I wondered how I would feel if it were my child at school for most of the day, knowing of her illness...and I had the thought to just start communicating with her. I know if it were me in her shoes, I would love an occasional update and maybe a picture of her smiling and having fun. That being said, I will not let this get the better of me, and I will give myself grace for when I'm busy or forget. My focus is the student herself, after all. 

I will try my best to display all the fruits of the Spirit each day as I work and go about the day: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I will remind myself of this constantly as I'm with some students who have annoying tendencies. 

I will be prompt each day, and I will not succumb to the complaining that I hear a lot.

I will not speak of students in a way that is anything less than respectful and loving to them.

I will enjoy my thirty minute break each day to the very best of my ability; I will find a quiet place to unwind or I will see if a friend is available for me to eat with. If a friend isn't available, I'll find somewhere to hide that is quiet and I'll read my book while I eat. 

I will use my free early leaves this school year! This is something I didn't know about last year until late in the year, but essentially I can leave by three one afternoon every month (or every other month) and get paid for the full day.

I will use my personal days as mental health days! This just takes planning beforehand. Mine are already reserved for the days when I'll be traveling. 

I will do my best at everything I do, working as if for the Lord and not for men; I will also have fun and laugh a lot when I mess up, which will be all the time. I will be excited to see my kiddos each and everyday and I will happily hug them when they run up to me and I will encourage them. I will have a smile on my face and I will thoroughly enjoy being back in fourth grade with M for the school year. I won't judge anyone, and I will try to put myself in their shoes when it's something I don't quite understand.

These are the things I want to accomplish for the 2026/2027 school year. (I'm sure I'll add to this at some point as the days progress, so stay tuned for more of this kind of thing.) 

Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! I'll see you back here tomorrow for Friday Favorites. Love to all!

Jen 🖤🖤

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's hodgepodge post. I'll jump right in! 

1. What was the last thing you celebrated? The last thing I celebrated was Chris turning 44 a couple of weeks ago! I loved spoiling him for his birthday and bought him several things: a new slim leather wallet (purchased from Amy's son while I was in Louisville), some shorts with tee shirts to go with them, a new Bible (this one made him emotional because I wrote in it and put our picture in the front), and some swimming trunks with a tank top to wear with it at the pool. 

Additionally, I am a fan of celebrating the small things, too! I celebrated with my work besties on Monday, when we celebrated being back at work by going to lunch out. I will do that again today and again on Friday when we celebrate surviving the end of the first week back. 

2. July 29th is International Day of the Tiger. Besides the wild animal itself, what's the first person/place/thing you think of when you hear the word 'tiger'? I thought of myself when I heard this word, which is something new in the last couple of years. I have been docile most of my life and had learned how to keep the peace in my life due to life's circumstances and status of my personal life for 28 years. After my life changed, apparently all of that changed in me as well. I became a fighter and a defender of both myself and for what was right and owed to me. I remember someone telling me that I was a different person, one who was almost unrecognizable, and I just smiled and agreed that yes, I was indeed a different person. Life and certain situations will do that to you! Also, the Katy Perry song came to mind...the one whose lyrics in the chorus are, "and you're gonna hear me ROAR".

3. The expression 'eye of the tiger' describes someone with intense focus, determination, and the drive to succeed. What area of your life are you currently bringing that kind of energy to? The first thing I thought of is that I am this way at work. I love to have fun, laugh, and cut up with the best of them, but when it comes to my job, I hone in on what I need to get done, and I do exactly that. I was this way on Monday when I helped my work bestie get her room in order. She was overwhelmed by the amount of things in the room and bathroom, and I just dove in and got started. 

4. What was the last meal you cooked? The last meal I made was last week...I made a big dinner for my family to eat here that night. For the rest of the week I lived on leftovers and whatever it was that Chris wanted to make. 

I might not be cooking much these days, but sourdough bread baking counts, right? 

5. Describe July using exactly five words. 

July was relaxing, productive, fun, fast, and refreshing. I was thankful to dog sit and have pools to swim in! That is relaxing to me. It was productive with all that I got done in my house before going back to work! It was a fun month of being with my people. It was fast, because the two weeks flew by when SLC ended; finally, it was relaxing to me, because I enjoyed leisurely mornings at home and meeting up with friends for lunch. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. On Monday at work, after the first meeting, we were sent out on a scavenger hunt on the town square; I rode with Heather and Karen, and this was us performing our first task. It was hotter than Hades in this little cabin! 

I love that our admin team is so much fun, particularly our new principal! She loves to have fun and laugh, which I love as well. This was fun!

I'm excited to read your answers to the questions this week! I'll see you back here tomorrow, friends. Love to all! 

Jen 

fashion files & more of what I'm saying "yes" to this week

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm talking about more things I'm saying yes to this week. I'm also linking up with Amy for the weekly Fashion Files and Joanne for Tuesday Talk. I'll jump right in! 

I wore this easy dress on Monday when I met an old co-worker for lunch. I had lunch with her and ran a few errands while I was out. 

I wore this for my dental appointment Thursday. I got hot in leggings! I don't love wearing pants in the summer months. Ha! 

New bracelet love...

...and new ring love, too!

I wore this to lunch on Friday with one of my best friends; it was supposed to rain some, which is why I threw on these pink Dr. Scholl's sneakers.

And you know I always include when I get a new nail color! My nails is Show Us Your Tips by OPI, and my pedicure color is also an OPI one, Baggy Jeans Baby. I love them both, and they blend well...the second one is a bit more gray, which is what I wanted. 

And now for the second portion of today's post...here's more of what I'm saying yes to this week:

• going to bed early so I can get up early
• preparing lunch and my work bag the night before
• easy dinners
• nights spent relaxing more at home while I get used to work again
• more reading
• more time journaling during my priority time during the week
• more grace for myself when things don't go exactly as planned
• writing reminders to myself so that I can remember the appointments I have after work this week
• enjoying being back at work with my people and getting things in order for the classroom I'll be in
• the notifications my watch sends me seeing that I'm back to walking a ton of steps everyday once again
• quiet lunches at home and the chance to put my feet up
• phone conversations
• good news from doctors appointments
• time with Chris after work ❤️
• enjoying the fun admin team I have at my school

What are your thoughts on things that you're saying yes to this week? I'd love to hear about them! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

Jen 

hello Monday

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm still going to link up with Holly and Sarah today, but my weekend plans fell short when I had to take Chris to the ER Friday night. (He's fine now, but it was a scary night; even though it changed the course of the weekend, I'm glad he was able to be seen and tested there at the hospital and that we know he will be okay as he heals.) This will probably be short on pictures and heavy on the words side, since the weekend was so different...also, stay tuned for a note at the end about a few thoughts I have on how the weekend played out.

One of the things on my summer to do list was to get my teeth cleaned; mission accomplished! I was glad to check this one off; unfortunately, I'll be back tomorrow after work. I have a little chip in my back tooth that has a filling in it from years ago, so Steve (my friend Abbey's husband and my new dentist) told me I needed to have a new filling put in with that chip so that things don't get underneath. Ugh...I'm grateful that I have a friend to do this for me, but y'all. I hate going to the dentist! Oh well, right? Welcome to adulting 101.

You know I don't want to complain here too much, so I'll put a positive spin on this. I was so glad to see this nameplate on the wall! The dentist who retired was Dr. Waddell; I love that Steve and Abbey were able to buy this practice and inherit all the wonderful clients that came with it in the agreement. I am so happy for them and thrilled to support them in their endeavor; I had a wonderful dentist my entire married life, but it was another thing I needed to change. I know that Todd goes there still, along with Jennifer and probably all the kiddos, so I didn't want to take a chance of running into anyone there. I feel great about my decision and that I have a new dentist that nobody in my family has been to. A bonus is that Steve is now one of Graham's and Jonah's clients for their business. I love this and am thankful for how it all turned out! 

After my dental appointment, I met up with Chris for an appointment he had made, then we went and grabbed an early dinner while we were out and before we each had to head home. We had Mexican at my favorite place, then I ran to Target to pickup my order; look at my beautiful new planner for the 2026/2027 school year! I love a new planner/calendar, friends, most of you already know that. 

I'm including this picture of my text above because this is another life update for me that I'm excited about: my position at work is changing this year! Most of you know that I was the one on one assistant for a terminally ill student over the course of Summer Learning Camp; what I didn't plan on was developing a deep love for both the student and for the job as her caretaker. During the second week of SLC, I went into the (new) principal's office (her name is Toni) and asked if it was too late in the summer for me to ask to be placed as her new one on one. She assured me it wasn't too late, then said she had to find out more information before she could tell me yes or no. Fast forward to Thursday night; I got this text from M's former one on one assistant, and I was elated! I'm so grateful that God provided for me once again in this way; I don't know what this will mean for my future at the elementary school I'm currently at, but I know that I can trust God with my future. (Again, stay tuned until the end of this post for more about this.)

The reason I say that I am unsure about my future at the school I'm at is because my student will be in fourth grade this year; when she moves onto middle school, I might have the opportunity to move on with her. I also might not have that opportunity, or I might not want to move on or out of my current school; I know it will all work out in some way, though, and I know I don't have to worry even one minute about any of that. Anyway, it felt fitting to tell you this today, my first day back for the brand new school year. 

And now, for the rest of this post...

Friday morning found me at a new to me breakfast place, First Watch; I met one of my best friends there for our brunch. After our delicious meal, we walked over to Barnes and Noble and ogled all of the beautiful books. I ended up buying one!

I can't wait to read this! I finally finished my one and only summer book (Dolly All the Time, by Annabel Monaghan), and will start this one today.

After lunch, I got my nails done, then I went home for the afternoon. I love my nail color; it's Show Us Your Tips, by OPI. I typed that and smiled; I love the OPI names!

You know how the rest of my Friday night went, then on Saturday I went back for a pedicure.

I was stuck between the three of these, but I finally picked the one on the right. It's another OPI one, and the name is Baggy Jeans Baby. I love how it turned out and that it blends well with my nails. 

For the rest of the weekend I caught up on house things, ordered groceries, went to church, and prepared for the week at work. The third installment of family dinner night looked different this week, but I'll share about that on Friday. 

About the way the weekend played out, I want to share something. I don't know who remembers that this was the weekend I was supposed to have been in St. Louis with Chris. We decided almost two weeks ago not to make that trip when he was asked to stay and work; the son-in-law of the couple who owns the small company he works for passed away, and they would be traveling to Colorado a few times to be with their daughter and then again for his funeral. He absolutely decided that he needed to stay put when they asked him this, and I was happy to be home for that weekend with it being my last before work starting for me today. Also, this would be the Saturday that Drew and his brothers were going to move the heavy stuff out of his house to prepare for his move on Augusts first, so this also meant that I could be there to help if they needed me (they did not need me). 

And then all this happened with an old back injury and Chris' ER visit. I am always blown away that sometimes when plans change, it's God's providence intervening. I cannot imagine what the weekend in St. Louis would have looked like had we been there to have all of this happen with his back. We can make our plans, but God orders our steps...read that again...we can make our plans, but God orders our steps. 

I boldened it, italicized it, and made it larger for you to take notice of a very important sentence. I haven't talked about my faith here a lot on the blog lately, but friends, I am a believer and follower of the Lord God. I absolutely believe that God is the One in charge of how life plays out; I know a few of you may not know Him the way I do, but that's okay. It's why I want to share this today. God is sovereign, which is just something I say when He shows me once again that I can trust Him with all of my life, even when I don't understand it at the time. 

If you don't know God the way I know Him and you ever want to talk more about this, will you reach out to me, please? You can email me at allboys@gmail.com. I would love to talk to you more about this and why I believe what I believe. I promise that I will never be pushy about this, but I would love to share with you about the things I've discovered to be true about the Almighty God, Creator of the world, the Maker of stars, jellyfish, hydrangeas, sparrows, Golden Retrievers, you, and me. 

I don't often end on a heavier, more serious note, but it feels right for today. I'm grateful for how the weekend played out, and I am grateful that today I get to go back to work at a job that I love. I'm also grateful for you, the ones who read my words here everyday, and who so sweetly encourage me in the comments section. Thank you, thank you, thank you. That will always mean more to me than I could ever express with mere words. I'll see you back here tomorrow, friends. Love to all.

Jen