Hey there,

So blogging every day in June didn't happen.  I think I need to replace that item on my 101 in 1001 with something else.  Oh well.  Onward!

I have been crazy busy and also just feeling quite tired and run down so I haven't made time to do anything beyond the bare essentials of keeping up day to day life, let alone blog.  Poor Ryan has been wearing sneakers with no socks, so I figured I had better make time to do some laundry and Isaac has been eating cereal for dinner more times than I care to admit.

It was an extra crazy end to the school year.  All of the elementary schools are being renovated, and my particular elementary school is being closed, so absolutely everything had to be packed up.  I am being moved to a new school (again) next year, and teaching a new grade (again), so the last few days were extra hectic and then it seems like summer school started before I knew it.  I do get my own classroom again next year, so although I had to pack and move everything, at least I don't have to worry about sharing with someone.  I also got these beautiful roses from a student.

We are in full on summer vacation mode here.  I am teaching summer school a few hours a day which has been keeping me quite busy.  They have given me about 3 times as many kids as other years and a handful with intense behavior needs.  I feel like this will probably be my last summer I agree to do it.   I am also working about 10-15 hours a week at my mall job.  So far I have resisted using my discount, but  we will see how long it lasts.  It is terribly kind of boring but  it is a nice little bit of extra cash for really not much work, so it works for now at least.

I have been asked to be a Den Leader for Isaac's cub scout troop.  Ryan has been called to be a Cub Master.  I am not at all fluent in Scout language or programming, so I really have no idea what is going on or what I am supposed to do, except apparently Ryan and I are teaching knots on Friday of Cub Scout Camp.  Ryan had expressed interest in participating in the Scouting program with Isaac but he was sort of unfamiliar with the Mormon cultural phenomena of "getting a calling".   He was a little surprised that it is a essentially one way conversation along the lines of , "Yeah, we're just going to need you to go ahead and be Cub Scout Master.  Thanks."

Also, I just discovered that all of the e-mails explaining what I am to be doing have been going to an old defunct e-mail account which explains why I feel so lost.  I finally managed to get into it and am overwhelmed with everything I need to catch up on.  Ryan and I just spent a half an hour simultaneously completing an online Youth Protection training.  Nothing says date night like watching a movie about how child molesters groom potential victims. 

Wednesday was teacher appreciation night at the Fightin' Phillies (minor league baseball team in Reading), so I got us five free tickets.  We took Ryan's girls along.  It is always a fun night to go there.  I am so not a baseball fan, and I usually enjoy myself.  The weather has been beautiful the past week or so, mid 70s and breezy.  It has been nice to have the air off and the windows open. 

 This weekend looks to be a busy one with friends and family.  Happy Friday!

oops

I fell asleep before I could post yesterday.  Ryan came home from work a little before ten and found me asleep in bed with all of the lights on and my laptop in my lap.  Which ruins my 30 day streak.  Booooo.  Hiss....  I am going to post twice today and call it good. 

Update to 101 in 1001

9. Try 50 New Recipes

• Secret fruit salad - I ended up accidently hosting a Mary Kay party (long story) and I made this for the girls to eat.  I am not a fan of fruit salad, but it got rave reviews from everyone who tried it.  This recipe is making it's way all over Pinterest.  The recipe says it serves 3-4 but I think it makes WAY more than that. 
• Chicken enchilada pasta - This recipe was from Mel's blog which is a great one for easy family friendly recipes.  This was SO DELICIOUS and it will definitely be becoming a part of our regular dinner rotation.  I did skip the olives though (blech!). 
• Taco Casserole - was from this blog.  Ryan randomly requested a taco casserole and this was one of the first hits Pinterest yielded.  It was very easy to make, but it almost seemed like an appetizer more so than a main course.  We all liked it though, so I will probably make again.
• Breakfast pancake - This was one of those dead pinterest pins with the recipe in the description and no link.  I made it on a random Saturday morning for breakfast when we had Ryan's sister Katherine staying with us.  At first I thought I must have done something wrong because it looked like this when we pulled it out of the oven:

          but it was actually delicious!  It is kind of a cross between French toast and pancakes. 

33. Read 50 Books

• I brought Jodi Piccoult's Lone Wolf to take along with me to Florida.  It was just okay.  I enjoy her as an author, but this was my fourth book in a row by her and they are  all pretty much the same.  Her characters have some sort of unsolvable dilemma which culminates in a court case where a big secret is revealed. I think I need to move onto a different author for a while.

Quickly

1.  Isaac's dad called twice and asked for extra time with him.  And then, when I picked him up, he asked for extra time next weekend too.  That makes me happy.

2.  Today Isaac said "Who am I?" and did a hilarious impression of one of my dad's random mannerisms.  It made me laugh so hard.

3. I got a nice little check from my second job when I worked Friday.  I left feeling pretty good about it. Then I went to return a pair of shoes I had bought for a wedding and never wore and I expected them to give me store credit because I bought them forever ago and they said, no prob, we can give you back the cash.  Extra bonus cash! Then I went home and checked my e-mail and saw that I owe almost three times that much in travel soccer expenses. Bonus money gone.  Grrr.  

4.  Last day of school tomorrow!  Wahoo!!!

5. I am having lunch in two Saturdays with some best girlfriends and I CAN NOT WAIT.  These are the girls I can talk to about anything. 

I haven't seen one of them since my wedding.  It is sad that we are so busy now that we have to pencil in get togethers so far in advance. 

6. I am volunteering two days at Cub Scout camp this year.  Isaac is mortified and is begging me to have Ryan rearrange his schedule to do it because I am sure to embarrass him. 

That's all I got for tonight. I almost forgot to blog!

Feminist rage

Ugh... this was for sale at Shady Maple's gift shop.  I am so disgusted I can't even explain and am thinking of writing to the management.

Fishing in Orlando

We recently went on a trip to Orlando.  We did Sea World, Aquatica (a big waterpark) and downtown Disney but Isaac said his favorite part was fishing with his Uncle Drew.  These are pictures I swiped from my sister. 

 

The resort has a beautiful lake stocked with fish.

 

Not a fan of the worms.

 

 

 

Success!!!

Random Thursday - Photo Dump Edition

Yay... it's that time to link up with the girls for another

 

 

This week's topic is a good one for people like me that can spend an hour going through facebook photo albums of people I have never even met... (Please tell me I am not the only one).... 

 

Most of my recent pictures are from my trip to Orlando.  I will try to choose more of the "random" ones to share, as well as some others.  I am actually in the process of trying to upload all of the pictures from my phone because I am almost out of memory.  BUT ANYWAYS...

 

This was Ryan's random purchase from a vending machine at a rest stop in North Carolina.  It's a little can of baked beans and hot dogs, a package of crackers and two pieces of candy.  I thought it was revolting but he was rather tickled by it.

 

Favorite vacation picture of the trip.  This was our first morning at the hotel pool.  Tell me my kid is not ADORABLE.

My sister made this for me and I LOVE it.  (In case you don't know, Horne is my new married name).  We have to find the perfect spot for it. 

 

This is a groundhog(??) that lives with it's family outside my classroom (and by classroom, I mean trailed parked outside of the school).  I see him a few times a week.   The kids love spotting him.

 

This was during my brother's wedding.  Isaac was getting a bit restless during the reception and asked if it was okay to kick his soccer ball around the terrace.  I said that would be fine.  Soon, all of the groomsmen had ditched the reception and were joining him.

 

 

Today is my last full day of school with kids.  That is, the kiddos have early dismissal Friday and Monday, although I have to work full days.  I will  be busy packing up my classroom and moving to a more centrally located one (yay!).  I am also teaching ESY (summer school with special educations students) so there is lots to do to prepare. 

 

Have a happy day!

 

Kinetic Derby Catch Up Post

A few weeks ago Ryan, Isaac and I went to join my friend Becca and her ridiculous adorable baby William Frances Wolf for the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby.  Here are a few pictures from that day. 

There was a huge group of people wearing these metallic helmets.

 

Hula Scultpure

Say Anything car

This guy was legit playing the piano while his friend pedaled him along.

It didn't photograph well, but that guy has rows and rows of pinwheels on those yellow boards.