Big week

It's birthday week in our family...BIG time!

Paul's birthday is on Wednesday and then Teagan turns 7 on Thursday. Same day my mom celebrates another b-day!! Paul really wanted Teagan to be born on his birthday, but since I needed an induction and my OB was scheduled for Wed. back in 2004, the 22nd it was! She and my mom love being "birthday buddies."

We do birthday's low key. The girlies and I will actually not get home until 8:30 PM on Paul's big day (our big dance day). He has requested a vanilla cake.

Teagan wants me to make her a layered cake with strawberry/vanilla/strawberry layers and vanilla frosting. She picked Japanese hibachi for her fancy dinner out (love that choice!!). She loves her some steak, and likes the soup and friend rice too. Plus the hibachi part is fun, now that she is no longer afraid of the big flames. We go once a year, usually on my birthday. Found a new place that has steak as a child menu option, it's close by and is on restaurant dot com where I still have a gift certificate from my mom back on Mother's Day. Works out well. I'll be drooling until Thursday night.

Never got around to having a party for Piper back in May. Since they have the same core group of friends, we are doing a combined party for the two of them. We'll be doing some tie dye in the back yard. I have to get on the ball with that.

Guess I have some baking ahead of me this week.

Lots of celebrating ahead!

Long week, but good week.

A week ago at this time I was back on my college campus, walking into an academic building with two other advisers and two national representatives from my sorority to supervise a voting session of formal recruitment. I had just spent the evening back in my sorority house upstairs helping alphabetize hundreds of pieces of paper, while the sisters met five rounds worth of perspective new members downstairs.

I was among a group of area alumni asked to consider going back and helping out. Sounded like fun, so I said yes.

I enjoyed getting to know some of my college aged "sisters" and it was a big throwback to be back in the house where I lived for two years and to see and hear some of the ritual I hadn't thought of in fifteen years.

It was a long Friday. I got back to my parent's home at 3:30 AM.

They asked me to come back for the final round the next night. Not quite as long. It was the final night, so only two rounds. I was able to be in bed by 12:30 Saturday night.

Or that would be Sunday morning, wouldn't it?

Then I had my monthly art show Sunday afternoon. I was tired. And hot. Poor turnout. I did OK. One of the other advisers came by my booth and let me know that our sorority did great and welcomed 29 new members that afternoon. I'll be serving on the advisory board this year. I asked to be "at large" so I don't take on too much responsibility at first. My plate is already quite full.

When the art show was done, my mom and dad helped me pack up and I was able to get on the road home. Pulled in about 9:30 Sunday night.

Monday morning was my first day of teaching this year. I hoped the dark circles under my eyes were not so visible.

I'm thrilled to say that I have an AMAZING group of kids this year (well deserved). I have 8 boys and 8 girls. Such kindhearted little ones. My assistant and I were pinching ourselves all week long. Do we really have such a good bunch??

Wonder what God is telling me and teaching me with my kids this year?

I have a refugee from Africa whose family speaks no English and is supported by a relief agency. She has been her a year and has some English and cracks me up. Such a spunky, tiny thing. I have a Chinese boy who speaks only Chinese at home. And another Chinese boy- one of two adopted sons in his family who just moved to our area. Plus a little girl born with heart issues who will have a second open heart surgery sometime this year. I read her medical info and understood all the acronyms. Funny how following ND heart kids and reading up on heart issues over the past few years will do that!

It was a long week that I started with an empty energy tank. We also had our first night of our two studio dance schedule we'll face this year. 4:45-5:30 at the studio 30 minutes away. Then a quick dinner on the road and arrive at the next studio for class from 6:30-8. At least it's on the way home and only about 15 minutes away. Girls did great. I had Piper's back to school night from 6:30-7:30 so flew from drop off to the school and back in time for pick up. LOVE her teacher. She'll be really challenged in this gifted center this year, but it seems so her style. Really excited for her.



Ready to go to bed and sleep in (Oh, I hope!). I have a lot of bows to sew this weekend (a good thing).

And I hope to sleep a lot too.

Teacher time

It's been an emotional Thursday.

Due to the lack of power after Hurricane Irene teachers were delayed going back to work to prepare for the start of school, so they couldn't send the traditional "welcome to my class" postcards that let kids know who their teacher is. Teachers went back yesterday and word got around today that class lists were going to be posted on the windows of the school after 2:30. Around 2 facebook messages started to pop up that the list was on the school website.

I called the girls over to the sofa and brought up the website. We carefully scrolled through each grade until we found 2nd and started looking for Teagan's name.

She is not in the same class as her BFF. The tears started. Heavy, body aching sobs. My girly was beside herself. I comforted her best I could and asked Piper to run and get last year's yearbook so we could look up the picture of her teacher and the kids in her class. There are quite a few sweet girls in her class from last year and kindergarten... just not her best friend. Her best friend whom she met when she was about 6 months old. As I pointed out who was in her class she just continued to curl up in my lap and cry. I thought I had prepared my emotional little girl to the fact that the odds were not in their favor after four years in the same class. Guess it didn't sink in. They'll be on the bus together, they'll hang out after school. They should have recess at the same time. All Teagan could manage to get out between sobs was "Who will I sit next to at lunch and tell secrets to?"

Oh, sweet girl! Anybody in your class will be lucky to have the dear friend you are!

Piper was pretty happy. Her best friend from preschool who has been in a different elementary school for the past three years is with her in the center gifted program and they ended up in the same class. Her school is sending six girls and six boys into the program, so three girls and three boys in each of the two gifted third grade classes. She is pleased with the crew that is in her class. And pleased that a girl coming from another school we have heard not so nice things about is not in her class. Both CBG teachers are amazing, so we couldn't go wrong.

Teagan's teacher I know nothing about. But the principal has allowed letters indicating what type of teacher and learning environment a parent desires for their child to assist in placement and I have written a detailed letter every year. We have had nothing less than a perfect fit every year, so I have great faith that Teagan was matched with a teacher who will be wonderful for her. I was able to contact a parent today who had a child in the teacher's class a few years ago at another grade level who said that she is gentle, and kind and hugs. That is part of my letter right there- Teaggie needs a nurturer. I'm excited to meet her tomorrow.

I've played up all the positives (she does have many girls she knows in her class, and BFFs class is peanut free and whoa, would that be hard for my PBJ lovin' girl) and she is starting to come around. BFF came home from running errands and they have had a chance to talk face to face about not being together...officially. I have a feeling these two will be the best of friends for life!


Besties in preschool 4 years ago

Winding down summer... thinking of school

School will still start in time, Tuesday, September 6.

Whew! I was seriously thinking that we'd be delayed. Teachers were supposed to go back on Monday, but over half of the schools in the county were still without power, thanks ti all the downed trees on power lines from Irene. There are still 12 school without power today, but the county allowed teachers back in today and announced that the start date would remain the same. Teachers missed two days of prep time.

We *should* get our teacher assignment postcards in the mail tomorrow. The teachers dropped them in the mail today, their first day back. For the past two years one girly has had her card come the next day, and one has not. In case all cards don't come, the school has announced they will also post the lists on the front windows at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon. Meet the teacher is Friday at 10:30.

Teagan is so anxious about her teacher and if her best friend will be in her class for the 5th year in a row (3 year old preschool, 4 year old preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade). We have told the girls that odds are not in their favor to continue the streak, but they do only live 100 yards apart and will be on the bus together at the very least. Fingers crosses.

We'll know tomorrow.

Getting Nasty

Hours away from the full impact and it's already getting nasty outside.

I had to go out this morning around 11 to drop off my loot at the month long consignment sale I participate in each year. The ladies in charge are being diehards about their time line, so it was get my stuff in today, or sit this sale out. I'' earn $500 if all my stuff sells (expecting about $300 based on past experience), so I felt motivated and safe enough to go out early and get it there!

Hard rain and steady winds with 30 MPH winds. Lots of small branches down all over. Chick-fil-A was open, so I went through the drive thru and picked up sandwiches for everybody. Parked the car down on the street so I'm out of the way of all the big trees near the driveway.

Banana chocolate chip bread just came out of the oven. Glad to get that cooked before the power goes out. It's flickered a bunch and VA power has many outages reported already in our immediate area. Dropping pressure isn't good for my headache- ugh.

We are in for a long day/night!

Irene is a commin'

Spent all day following weather models and prepping.

Another run to the store for two more cases of water and some other supplies I thought of.

Picked up a few more books to read from the used book store.

Cleared out the garage so we can park a car inside.

Removed almost everything from the yard and deck that can become a projectile when we get the sustained 40-60 mile winds that are on their way, and 80+ MPH gusts.

Got packs of glow sticks at the ready.

Baked.

And fried.

...We'll need stuff to eat when we are without power for days (what we think will happen based on the last hurricane- and this one is way worse!).

Did many loads of laundry.

Changed sheets.

Cleared out the fridge.

Picked up a block of dry ice (we don't have a generator).

And got NOTHING that was on the agenda for the day accomplished (like several bow orders and entering and tagging all the items for the consignment sale that are due Saturday. The ladies in charge say it's still on for item drop off Saturday. Ha!)

Getting nervous looking at the path and intensity. My folks generator is not working. Dad and some neighbors think they figured out the issue and he's going to attempt to have it fixed tomorrow. Not good the way they stockpile food in their freestanding-has to be bungeed shut freezer in the garage. They are in the 60-80 MPH sustained wind zone and their neighborhood had a lot of damage with Isabel in '03. Mom's nervous about the trees. Me too. Heck, I think everybody in South Eastern VA is.

Prepared best we can.

Praying.

That's all we can do for now... and wait.

EARTHQUAKE!!

Oh my!!

5.8 earthquake centered just 50 miles from me.

I was on the sofa at my computer when the whole house began to violently shake. We don't have earthquakes in VA- I was so taken off guard. I ran out the front door (the girls were outside playing) and found my neighbors also on their front steps. We all yelled to each other- "Did you feel that?"

At first I though it was my washing machine!

Phone calls aren't going through, but Paul was able to get a call through to me. He was in a Walmart 20 miles away and the building shook and was evacuated.

I can't get through to my mom and dad. We keep trying each other, but can't hear.

I called the girls in and talked about what we just felt and told them to stay outside playing since an aftershock is possible.

I'm still shaking.