Camping

This week has been crazy. Crazy busy. Crazy sad. I desperately need to find our new routine that involves teaching, being a school-aged parent, and juggling after school activities. It'll happen, just not this week.

As I was publishing last week's post, I learned that a colleague and friend had been severely injured in a bike accident. She was left paralyzed and severely brain-damaged, and her injuries were irreparable. I'm honored to not only have worked with Cheri for twelve years, but also have her as a friend. My very first sub position was in her classroom - I thought her name was pronounced "Cherry" :) Cheri was encouraging, a cheerleader, and an incredible athlete. A runner, a swimmer, and a biker - a great triathlon team.

Teaching with a happy face while our staff grieved was very difficult. My parents surprised me with flowers.

Finley completed his first full week of school. Full weeks are new to him and he's been exhausted. There were a few more 'firsts' and I think we now feel comfortable with this thing called Kindergarten. Finley participated in the YMCA before/after school care program and LOVED it. He had so much fun he cried on Wednesday when it wasn't a "YMCA Day". Finley rode the bus! 

Our assigned spot is a short walk away, or drive on a rainy day. That's the bus literally passing our house, grrr. Upon learning where our house was, the afternoon driver offered to drop him off at our driveway (yay!), but on Friday she drove right by without stopping! Patrick called me, Finley didn't get off the bus! I thought it was a sick joke, it wasn't.  A few panicked minutes and a phone call to a neighbor, we learned he was indeed on the bus. The driver looped back around dropped him off.  I'm not sure what happened, but it ended OK...just scared the crap out of me.

Waiting for the bus is sucky.

Soccer on Tuesday!

A cute little fan. 

Seriously looking old.

A bug bite.

Hadley & I brought Finley lunch at school. He was SO excited to see us!

Photobomber.

We walked Finley back to class, he held Hadley's hand and showed her everything.

Since Finley's missing out on home-days, I plan for lunch dates to happen regularly.

Sister started her ballet/tap combo class. Grandma surprised Hadley with a dance jacket.

Ready!

First position.

Traveling is my favorite.

Tap shoes - ah, the cuteness!

Hadley did really well, she listened, and followed along to the instructions.

The kids went camping! Patrick's family has an annual camping trip near Grandma Kathleen's house. If you know me at all, you know camping isn't my thing. It's dirty. It's a lot of work. I saw something online that said camping is a really expensive way to live like you're poor. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a nice bonfire, eating a crazy-amount of delicious food, but the other stuff - the tent, the dirty hands, washing dishes in a basin, yeah, not my thing. The temps dipped into the 30's Saturday morning, Patrick sent a picture of the chilly campers.

They left Friday night and my excuse was a long run Saturday morning (it was our last long run before the marathon - eek). I went down to visit on Saturday, I enjoyed spending time with everyone, doing the bonfire-thing, eating good food-thing, but then my butted headed home (alone) to our warm house. The kids fished.

The kids played in the dirt. 

One kid cried when I forced her to eat a hot dog, because all she wanted was candy corn for dinner.

The kids learned how to start the perfect campfire.

One kid burned himself while fanning the fire with a paper plate (sometimes it's better that I'm not around to see what's happening)

The best part? Spending time with family we don't see often enough.