It's been awhile

Can you tell school is back in season?  I started working full time and boy, after 17 years, I forgot what that was like.  Working 40 hours and still maintaining the house is busy work.  I don't know how mothers of younger children do it.  I am also running around with Joshua's soccer games and other things so down time does not come often.  I did get a little time to relax during the hurricane last week, but once power goes out, it really is hard to relax!!

Things changed a little at school.  I was supposed to be working early morning care, cleaning and being a permanent sub.  After the first day of school, which was a half a day, the Spanish teacher never came back!!  I have been extremely busy filling her shoes.  Of course I don't teach Spanish, but they were given a long term project until they found someone, so I have been taking that class in the computer lab.  I am happy to report that they have now hired a P/T teacher staring this week!!  The bad news is that I will still have one study hall and an online math to still cover.  I did take over this teacher's 6th grade Bible class.  I was in there one day with the girls and they were bored because they did not have a teacher and was just doing busy work.  I emailed the head of school and told him I would step in and teach if they needed me to, and he took me up on the offer......I was very surprise he did.  So, I have been teaching 10 girls 6th grade Bible.  Whew....they keep me on my toes and I am being stretched and I am learning too!!  I am starting a Bible study with them this week on the book "Lies Young Women Believe".  I am not sure yet on how I will give homework or test them, but one foot in front of the other.....and prayers appreciated!!

We enjoyed watching our Pastor's daughter get married yesterday.  Jenna got to do the cupcakes and we got to spend time with friends, some we hadn't seen for a long time.

Washington DC

We took a quick trip to Washington DC two weeks ago.  Summer is flying by, and I am not sure if Josh will be around next summer so I am trying to soak in as much family time as possible.  Jack had to work late a few nights and one Saturday so he got a couple of days off so we went.  The good part about DC is most everything is free (except for the Bible Museum).  We stayed in Alexandria and took the metro which was across the street into DC every day.  I enjoyed Alexandria because it was a cute little area.  There was a free trolley that took you down the street and to the waterfront.  We enjoyed doing that each night.  We got into DC around 2 (after getting to the hotel and buying metro tickets) and went to the Smithsonian museum.  We were pretty hungry after that and traveling all day that we went back to Alexandria.  We got up early Friday to get in line for tickets for the US Bureau of Engraving and got tickets for 9:45.  We really enjoyed this tour.  It was fun watching money getting printed and watching the entire process.  Right next door was the Holocaust Museum.  We had tickets for that for 11:30 (it was just to reserve our spot....didn't cost money).  I must admit, I was pretty disappointed by this.  It was literally wall to wall people because they let about 150-200 people in at each allotted time (which I think is every 15 minutes).  You couldn't really look, but then again it was a ton of videos and a TON of reading......which I really didn't like.  The kids and I really went through quickly and left Jack behind.  I did like a few parts......actually displays of the ways they got to the camps, the places they slept, etc.  They also had a place where you could go in and open this book and follow along as different people gave accounts of what they went through.  I liked that part and stayed there for about 30 minutes.  That took us about 1.5 hours.....Jack maybe 2.25 hours to get through.  We have been to DC before, but never to those two places.  We hopped on a bus and went to the Lincoln Memorial and rode around DC for a little bit before heading back to the hotel.  Saturday we went to the Bible Museum.  I was told that I should plan for 2 hours, but it took us a half day!!  They have 6 floors.  Top floor is just restaurants and the fifth floor didn't have much.  The other floors had a lot.  Again, some of the floors had a lot of reading.  The fourth floor especially was like that.  We started there and it took us over 1.5 hours!!  The third floor was fast, but I enjoyed that.  It had Bible scenes and it also had Bible looking characters giving information.  Jack wanted to do some of the presentation things, but I also wanted Jenna to go to DC cupcakes (really Georgetown cupcakes but when the show was on it was DC cupcakes).  The four of us took an Uber (first time) and got over there and then came back to get Jack before heading home.  I am glad she got to do that.  There is so much in DC to take in and I know after 2 trips we still have not seen it all.

Melania's dress......Monica, this is for you!!

 this is in Alexandria...the Spite House...one of the Narrowest houses

sunflowers

Today I took the girls (Jenna and Addi) to a sunflower garden.  It was really pretty.

 Each flower had so many bees inside!!

Sweet Summertime

I love summer!!  The break from the hustle and bustle have been just what this momma needed!!  I am especially going to need it before I return to working full time in August.  I am on full time staff now at Southside.  From about late March until the end of the year, I was getting 40 hours in, so I know how hard it is to manage the house and the job.  I think things will be a little easier now since I don't have to do after school care twice a week.


I am not keeping the two boys this summer.  I was asked, but it was more trouble than it was worth so I actually had enough nerve to say "no"!!  I am glad.  It has really freed my schedule up.  I am keeping Addi, a rising 7th grader at SCS, two days a week, but she just goes with the flow.  We usually end up going to the $1 movies or to the pool with her, so it's not any trouble with her.


We took our summer trip early to Universal Studios at the end of school.  We did that in hopes that Josh would be working with the brick mason again this summer, but the man never returned Josh's texts and emails so that fell through.  He helps me clean Southside, and he helps a man from our church once a week.  He is gone for two weeks, so I am not sure if the summer job will pan out this year or not.  He will start soccer in August so it might be hard to get something going, especially trying to juggle school, soccer practice/games and then basketball season.


Jacob and Jenna went to the Wilds last week.  They had a blast.  The house was pretty quiet.  This week and next Josh is there at CIT.  I miss the fellow!!  I just wish I could talk to him or see a picture of him.  I know it is some intense training, and I know he is up to the challenge, but I really do miss him.  Ugh, the thought of him possibly going away next year makes my heart sad!!


We had the pleasure today of trying Duck Donuts.  I must say I have heard so much about this place.  I got some lemon blueberry, orange, strawberry and maple with bacon.  I was so apprehensive about a donut with bacon on it, but it has been my favorite.....it absolutely melted in my mouth!!  Definitely a treat for us.  And that's about it for right now.  That pretty much sums up from the end of school until now. Sorry...pictures got jumbled up and I couldn't move them back.

President and Vice President

School is out for summer!!  Yahoo!!  Southside had student council elections for next year.  I had a talk with the kids earlier and just told them to think about running.  Two of the three went for it.  Jacob was a little shy about doing it knowing that there were two that would definitely get it.  Josh and Jenna both ran.  Josh had 4 in his class including him and Jenna had 3.  They had to come up with poster boards and then give a speech in front of the entire upper campus.  I wish I could have heard them, but I decided to just do my job and not go in there and make them more nervous.  Josh wasn't sure that he would get it as there is one popular girl who gets EVERYTHING in the class (and we don't even need voting as she will be homecoming queen) and then one who is also semi-popular.  He ended up getting vice president!!  Sure enough he didn't beat the girl who gets everything, but I am still proud.  Jenna ended up getting president for her freshman class!!  That blew me away!!  I didn't get a picture of Jenna's posters.....there were two.  She made cupcakes on her board that said "bake my day and vote for me" and then put strawberry candy at the bottom that said "it would be berry nice if you did".  Candy gets ripped off the boards very quickly so I had to restock several times.  Josh's poster board said "don't BLOW it, "Chews" me" with bubble gum on it.  Any case I couldn't be happier for them both and I hope that Jacob will decide to run in a future year.

End of the year......

It's May which means the end of school is in sight.  Soccer is over for Jenna.  She liked it but it isn't her sport.  She played up this year on varsity, which was a new experience for her.  She also has been promoted to work in nursery since she turned 14.  Our director allowed her to come in with us in March.  We were bombarded with kids and she was only a few weeks from turning 14, so she allowed her to come in.  Today was the third time she was in there and she is obsessed with this little boy!!  She also has been bombarded with cupcakes.  One lady asked her to make 5 dozen for her son's surprise 50th birthday party and this week she has a huge order of 300, plus a cake to make for the middle school soccer team.

My Boy is Growing Up!

Last night was Southside's Jr/Sr. banquet.  This is all new to me.  I have never had to get a child formally dressed up before.  I know it will be hard when Jenna has to do this, but I was surprised on how difficult it was to get a male out.  First we had to go suit shopping, and that was an adventure.  Of course he needed shoes as well.  He took his "friend" Ashlyn to the banquet and they were both pretty nervous.  Maybe they eased up a little once the parents got out of the way and stopped taking pictures!!  Seriously, we love Ashlyn.  She is a very sweet, quiet girl (she would have to be quiet the way Josh talks)