New Job

So I am officially a Red Raider now. I have had two days of "New Teacher Orientation" even though I've been teaching for eleven years now. It's fine though because I feel like they are truly trying to set up everyone to succeed. The administration is really positive and they talk about the pride of everyone involved. Most teachers have been there for years and will never leave. There is a small turnover rate here, which is great. I am looking forward to starting next week with the other teachers too and meeting them.

Of course, I miss my old friends from my other school but have met some great people now. None can take their places (in case they are reading this) because they know the special place in my heart.

BounceU

Okay, so for all you people out there with kids-any age, listen up! I figured that since I go back to work on Monday and things will change big time with my time I wanted to spend all day with the kids. Well, on Tuesday, I was with my mom and found a flyer for BounceU. There was a preschool playdate for Tuesdays and Fridays. Originally I was going to meet another mom there but she bagged so it was just us. It was about ten minutes from my home. We walked in and signed a waiver, paid my $8.50each for my kids and watched a video on how to jump responsibly and then away we went. For once, I didn't bring my camera and I'm sorry I didn't. The kids had a blast and I would highly recommend it to anyone. There were only about seven kids there today and all had to be under 6 so I didn't worry about 16-yr-olds jumping on my poor kids. The kids got to bounce, run, jump, roll, box etc. for an entire hour and then afterward they were given a juice box and snack in another room. They provide hand-sanitizer too! My kids had a great time and they slept like rocks afterward. I feel like I should pay them! Sorry I have no pictures but you can click on the link I provided and see for yourself. There are many around.

Renaissance Faire Annual Trip

This weekend I went to the Renaissance Faire with my "peeps" from SHS. We have gone pretty much every year since I started working there. It was great to hang with the ladies but even meant a lot more since I won't be returning to work with them this year; I begin my new adventure August 18th. But enough sappy stuff...

The Ren Faire has always been the place where, we ladies, have had to opportunity to hang out, laugh, joke, and just plain have fun without kids or husbands around. This was really the first year that I wasn't so impressed with the shows (I've seen the same shows with the same jokes a number of times now) or the street interaction. The street interaction was null and void and that's one of the things we really enjoyed. It is always fun though to walk around and see the people who flock to the Faire. Jenny called many of them FOFs, Friends of the Faire. They spend every weekend there. I don't know how they can do that because I get bored with the annual show as spoken above. Anyway, people watching is a pleasure. Our favorite this year was the fifty-something year old woman with the a corset, no bra, striped leggings, and spike heels. But to each his own, right?

I guess the way to fix the boredom would be to see other shows than the ones we've seen every year. This year we went to the Feast in the glen and that was fantastic. We paid only 22 bucks and got a meal, sans silverware, unlimited drink, lots of food, dessert and a show. Shakespeare was the main attraction for this show and the man who plays him does a great job. We really enjoyed ourselves, some of us more than others as seen in this photo op. Pictured below is Amber in the foreground, Jenny, Melissa, and Christy. I am sure going to miss these ladies-although I will probably see more of Melissa than anyone because she lives pretty close to me now. It's going to be very difficult to leave these ladies as I've become such a close family with them. I know that it will be nice at my new school but as a wise woman said to me, "It's always harder on the ones you leave behind." I think that will be true in this case too. They have the memories in the building...I'm starting fresh. I'm sure I'll get calls the first week of how weird it is to not hear me at in-services. I feel like crying thinking about it, but enough of that. I will miss you, MY SHS HOMIES! Please keep in touch. Always, KC

Franken-Coy

Friday night we spent the evening, not food-shopping like I should have, but in the ER with the family. Around six-thirty my husband came home and walked into the kitchen. I saw my son and daughter in the living room about to jump on the couch. I said, "Don't jump on the couch; you'll fall and crack your skull open." You know the thing your parents said to you all the time when you didn't listen. Well my child is no different. I walked upstairs and heard my husband coming up with my son. I looked at them and saw blood pouring down my son's face. I was very calm! I really was. (Until the actual stitches, that is) We went out the door to the ER and sat in the hospital until 10 pm when they finally put three stitches in his forehead. They wrapped him in a sheet so they could hold him still. It took three doctors and my husband to hold him still enough to put the stitches in. I couldn't help because I was in the corner crying just as much as he was screaming bloody murder. Hmmmm, I always wondered what bloody murder sounded like, well I found out. Those sounds will haunt me the rest of my life. I've attached two pictures for those of you with a solid stomach. His wound actually looks like a bullet went through his head, but it was the corner of our coffee table. Funny thing was when we got home and put the kids to bed, we checked the surrounding area of the scene of the crime for blood and couldn't find a drop. This child bled like crazy but we figure it wasn't until he started to cry that the blood flowed. WOW! I'm thankful that it wasn't any other part of him like his eye. He will have a scar now just like his father in the same place. Please be warned that the pictures you are about to view are not for the squeamish.

BTW, he is doing very well today and hasn't even said a word about the stitches. We wait five days now to get them removed. That should be another interesting trip to the hospital.

Driving, driving, and more driving

Yesterday and today I drove through three states eight times. That's right, I said eight! My grandmother had to have cataract surgery and I volunteered to help her. She has never gotten a driver's license in her eighty-four years and relied on my grandfather and her loved ones. Since I'm home for the summer I voluteered to drive her. We drove from PA to MD to DE eight times which was fun...I got gas for 3.60 a gallon there so in my mind that was worth it alone.

Now an interesting point about my grandmother is that even though she is 84 years old she doesn't look it. No, I really mean it...she doesn't. You may be thinking, yeah right, of course you'll say that, but no even the woman at the eye doctor's said it too. My gram put her birthdate down and put 1923 as her year of birth. The woman actually asked if she had made a mistake. Gram's skin is flawless because she never tanned, smoked, or did anything bad for it. I've added a picture of her from this year and you can see for yourself. I pray that my skin will look as good when I'm her age too! You go girl!

Tethered to Technology

So I'm finishing up my online course that I've been facillitating for seven weeks. It's been great and has shown me even more why I'd like to work with teachers and technology on a regular basis. I have to give my work laptop back this week (a week before my new one arrives) and it kills me to be without it for that long. How much of a tech geek am I? My new job doesn't seem to be that tethered to technology as my previous district so that should be a shock to my system as well. (Have you noticed all the alliteration? Crazy!)

I know my family will be glad when I get rid of the computer. I am on it way too much...from skyping to oovoo to online summer school and professional development courses, I use it too much. You know you use it a lot when your son, with whom we play this game called, "I love you a million blanks...." and you fill in the blank with "a million teddy bears" and he fills it in with "a million computers and cell phones." If that doesn't break your heart, nothing will.