Butler Sisters' Best Week Ever Part Deux

So of course, I don't have any pictures of this fun-filled seven days.
Double of course, I'm writing about it weeks after it happened.
But it was just so wonderful, that it actually brought me back to blogging after an insane few weeks (months?) of travel and end of school year activities.

MEB came to visit me in early June and the following list is comprised of just some of the fantastical events: (in random order)

Harry Potter, the Exhibit

Dinner at neighborhood faves Lomzyniaka and Amarin Cafe

Improv Show at the Magnet Theater

Beach Day at Brighton Beach

Doughnuts at Peter Pan Bakery

Drinks at enid's

Numpang sandwiches in Union Square

Chocolate coma induced by dessert at Max Brenner

Greenpoint neighborhood tour

Check out the links, and it will be just as if you were here for all the fun! Sort of.

Seeing Red

The title is a funny pun, see, because I have pink eye....and I'm mad about it. There has been an ongoing pink eye epidemic at my school for the past few weeks and I thought I had successfully avoided it through obsessive hand-washing, but apparently my eyes are just an irresistible environment for infectious disease. Gross.
So I was pretty unhappy about that when I woke up today, but then I was able to get an early doctor's appointment this morning and get some eye drops, and then Fer and I went to brunch together at Lokal, and it was a beautiful sunny day, so I'm actually feeling pretty good right now. Nice try conjunctivitis, but you can't keep Jessica Butler down.

It's Never Too Early for Cake

That was the title of an e-mail sent by my school principal this morning announcing that a student's grandmother had brought in a pineapple upside-down cake for the staff. Yes, the love just kept on coming for Teacher Appreciation Week. I felt like this showed extra special appreciation for me, as pineapple upside-down cake is my absolute favorite cake. (I know I'm such a 1950's housewife.)
So yes, I had a large, sugary piece of cake at 9:30 am today. I'd like to think the carbohydrate rush had a beneficial effect on my teaching, but there's probably no evidence for that.
And this is an ACTUAL picture of the cake. Don't be too jealous.
I will also include a link to a pineapple upside-down cake recipe in case anyone is feeling inclined to make me a belated birthday dessert.

Feeling the love

So I'm not going to provide you with any inspirational quotes about teaching here, because this just isn't this kind of blog (a serious one that is). But it WAS Teacher Appreciation Day on Tuesday, which has been extended into Teacher Appreciation Week at my school. We've been spoiled with a lot of special treats, including these beautiful flowers from the Parent Association. Yay!

Middle Schoolers Keepin it Real

Not much to report today. My middle school students have some big state tests coming up this week. Today I tried to work with them to develop positive self-talk and some messages they could use to encourage themselves during the test which feels interminable to them. They were supposed to make bright, colorful little signs with shiny messages like "Keep going!" and "I know how to do this!" I don't think too many of them bought it though. Probably the only honest one was the boy wrote "After I finish this I can do something else" and drew a picture of himself hanging out with friends at a Chinese restaurant.