Let the Celebrations Begin!

Tomorrow I turn thirty.

Yesterday we had a pep rally for MCAS. At the end, the vice principal asked to see me in his office. He was very serious. Grades closed last week and report cards are going out. I've had a few run-ins with kids this week. I assumed the worst.

He led me into the cafeteria where the entire eighth grade and one seventh grade class were waiting for me. They sang and I tried not to cry and there was cake and balloons.

My homeroom presented me with a decoupaged box that each of them had cut something out for and one girl had put together. They all signed the bottom and they gathered around to hug me and wish me a happy birthday.

When school ended, I was taken to a local restaurant where all my favorite colleagues were gathered for drinks and dinner. My beau arrived all dressed up and bearing three dozen roses wrapped up with a cute smooshy ladybug. He also brought a singing candle and I was spoiled all night.

I should tell you that we had a nasty snow and sleet storm yesterday. The good news was that we ended up having the little restaurant mostly to ourselves.

I guess the snow messed up the real plans for my birthday though. On Fridays, we have play rehearsal so I was supposed to stay for that. The original plan was that my beau would come to the school at the end of rehearsal along with the entire eighth grade and two former teachers and the celebrating would be then. After that, he was supposed to bring me to the restaurant where I would be surprised with my colleagues (a bunch ended up skipping out due to the absolutely awful weather, though there were still ten of us there). I couldn't believe that all those kids were planning to come. My colleague and friend said the kids had been really excited about it and that all of them were planning to come, including the ones I don't teach (I only teach half of the eighth grade). She said the things the kids said leading up to it were amazing. In the cafeteria, one girl I've had problems with smiled at me and said they did it because they loved me.

I can't believe the thought and love that went into it. I can't believe the number of people who stayed out to celebrate (we spent a good five hours at the restaurant) in such bad weather (definitely the worst storm we've had all year). I can't believe how much fun I had and how good it felt to be surrounded by such good people.

And imagine, that was only Friday.