The Kids of Summer!

Yep...it's officially begun! A major perk of being a teacher, is enjoying 10 weeks off with my babies. (although I often wonder if I'll survive intact considering their challenging ages) For the kids, summer began last weekend with Gaga and Grandpa while we were away in Southern Missouri for the Adventure Race and two nights of camping...here are a few pictures.

Okay...cutest thing EVER...Nick after a trip to the barber shop with Grandpa. All he needs is a white t-shirt, leather coat and motorcycle to polish off the grease lightening hairdo!

A trip to Gaga & Grandpa's house always results in sheer exhaustion!

Our Memorial Day weekend was uneventful due to Jason being on call this week...and wouldn't you know it, he received a call at 3:30 in the morning and the client's issue wasn't resolved until almost 3:00pm. So Saturday was a wash...but Sunday we got the pool out and let the kids splash around a bit and Monday we took them to Fun Run (an indoor inflatable park). Gotta keep these kids busy!!!!

End of a Chapter...

Seven years of my teaching career have been spent at Winnetonka High School. The North Kansas City School District has been incredibly good to me over the years and I am far more emotional than I ever imagined I would be ending a chapter in my life only to begin another. I prefer to view it as a pause...hoping that one day I will return to the real brick & mortar classroom. At least that is what I'm telling my heart to ease the sting I feel at the moment. I have no doubt that my decision to teach for the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program is a good decision for my family at this juncture in life, but there is no doubt I am overwhelmingly saddened.

There is nothing like the end of the school year to affirm my decision to go in to education...this time it's different as I know many of these student I will never have the opportunity to see again. I'm use to having four solid years with many of them and often have the fortune to teach them during both their freshman and junior years. Yes, I will miss my colleagues, the administration, the staff...but more than that, I will miss the one-on-one contact with these students..the forging of relationships, the connectedness I feel with these kids. The far reaching impact is sometimes felt immediately when students feel comfortable enough to come to you outside of academics to work through other problems because there is a level of trust. Sometimes it comes at the end of the year in the form of hugs, tears and cards. Sometimes it comes from parents who later tell you how much you meant to their child, and sometimes years later when you see former students out in the real world. Many say teaching is a thankless job. That's not why many educators pick this field. It may be thankless, but it is the most rewarding career imaginable.

Okay...I have to finish packing my room and dry my eyes...

Flowers from the Social Studies Department...too sweet.

I did not get in a fight with a rabid kitten...

Although that is what people keep asking.

No signs of poison ivy yet! I'm not holding my breath yet, but I tortured myself every hour to hour and a half during the race with Purell (pure alcohol feels great with scratches all over your legs) followed by a dose of Ivy Block...I was diligent...but wonder if it will pay off.

Once again, I'm getting in to short season with style!

How do crazy people go through the forest?

They take the psycho path. 6am...getting ready to race...it was raining...and had been ALL NIGHT!

Okay...that was pretty lame. In all reality, we all were a little nutty for doing this Ozark Greenways Adventure Race. There were only two veterans among us...Bob Barth (coworker) who competed for the second time (we raced together way back in 2003) and myself (race #4). So maybe that makes us the psychopaths since we keep coming back????

It was a pleasure to have coworker (and stand-in brother since Tommy couldn't race with me this year due to being on call), Kevin Whaley as well as long-time friend and, husband to another long-time friend, Phillip Parks. This year, the race route had to be changed due to all the rain creating dangerous canoeing conditions, so it consisted of road biking, trail running (or mud running?), orienteering, more running, technical trail biking (on rivers of mud) and finished with more road biking. The weather was PERFECT for this race...low to mid 60's, a few sprinkles...kept us nice and cool. We finished 23rd out of 57 teams...which is the highest finish of the four finishes over the years. I'll be back next year...and probably many years to come. Jason keeps reminding me how a team of 50, possibly 60, year-olds beat us....

Ahhhh...finally at the end!

Liberty Montessori Spring Fling Program

The Spring Fling program is meant to honor those moving on to Kindergarten next year...I got teary even thinking about Jonathan being there yet...thankfully, he has one more year with Liberty Montessori. We were so proud of him!

Though I didn't upload the clip of him with his hands down the front of his pants through and entire song ...

Jonathan also impressed us with his Five Little Monkey's in Spanish too! :-)

Days of our Lives...this week!

Saturday: Wedding dress shopping: Yep, last Sat. we set out to help my sister find her wedding dress for her AUGUST 1st WEDDING!!! Nothing like waiting till the last minute, Katie! So we were semi-successful...a dress was purchased (along with bridesmaid dresses), doubt ensued, and a second outing was necessary yesterday to find "The Dress". First dress returned. New dress purchased. Happy Bride!

Sunday: Mother's Day began with breakfast in bed & a little sleeping in. (Since I get up before 5am everyday, sleeping in is really only until 7am or so). Isn't my husband the BEST?We went to church as a family, had lunch and then I took off for a photo session. We had Olive Garden for dinner (ordered in, but hey, still one of my favorites).

Monday: Had another photo session at Antioch Park Monday evening...tragically, my camera fell out of a small opening in my camera bag...landed on the lens (on our hardwood floor) and the lens filter shattered. The lens filter ring was dented and stuck on the end...I wanted to throw up!!!

Tuesday: Took lens to camera store to have it repaired and assess the damage...lens filter ring removed, lens in perfect working order! WHEW!!!!!!! Jonathan went to bed with a fever...woke up at 11:00 saying his forehead hurt. Took him to his room to rock him...he vomits twice all over his mamma. Fever immediately broke, woke feeling fine.

Wednesday: Wedding dress shopping part deux! Evening soccer practice... cancelled due to thunderstorms :-( LOST SEASON FINALE...so many anwers...yet so many more questions! And I've been a loyal fan since the beginning...sad that Jason and I have to wait until FEBRUARY to continue on the LAST LOST SEASON!!!! Oh well, It will give me pleanty of time to stalk the message boards for theories!

Thursday: (Today) Jonathan's preschool program is tonight @ 7pm...we can't wait. He did tell me he was nervous...I didn't even know he knew what that word meant! :-) I'll be sure to post photos and video as soon as I can!

Friday: The kids will be going to Gaga and Grandpa's to stay the weekend while Jason and I head down to southern Missouri with friends so that I can compete (okay...maybe complete would be a better term) my fourth Ozark Greenway's Adventure Race with friend, Phillip Parks, and coworkers, Robert Barth and Kevin Whaley. God Speed!

Kate Update

One of her final trips to Children's Mercy this past week turned into another. Unfortunately, the dilation of her right kidney is still present and although it could take two or more years for it to completely dissipate, we will be taking her for a Renal Scan at the beginning of next month. She will be sedated this time, thankfully. The purpose of the test is to rule out any other issues with functionality.

She will also be seeing an opthamologist down on the Plaza to determine if she will need to have a procedure to eliminate the constant weepiness of her eyes. Poor gal. :-(

The Lord's Prayer

Jason has been working really hard with Jonathan at bedtime this past week to teach him the Lord's Prayer. He's getting there...he's definitely a fidgety 3 1/2 year old, isn't he?!



(sorry, I keep forgetting to orient the camera the correct way when recording video!)

Bitty Soccer

Jonathan started Bitty Soccer this week through the Liberty Community Center. He has two friends from school, two neighborhood friends and his cousin Daniel in the same session. It took some warming up and frequent water stops, but he had fun and is ready for the next practice!

Neighborhood Garage Sale

Yep...I had my first neighborhood garage sale and raked in about $250!!! Thanks to my mom, sis Katie and sis-in-law, Nataliya who ran the show Friday morning while I was at work saving the world one teenager at a time. It was nice to get out with the ladies for dinner Friday night and have a repeat performance on Saturday. I must admit, garage sales are like airports...a lot of interesting people watching goes on. One lady apparently liked a pair of my old dress shoes enough to put them on and do her dance routine to the musical Chicago and a man apparently tried on some ladies boots...