Back to "Real Life" and other news...

Hello again!
So, I suppose I should go in the order that things have happened, which means I should explain what happened with our vacation first. We ended up picking Phoenix as our alternate vacation destination, and left within hours of my last post. It was a bit crazy getting that all set up last minute, but it turned out okay. We stayed at a timeshare not part of the system we use, but we got a great deal on it, so it worked out great. We did get to see some family and friends while we were down there, making it less like our "normal" vacation experience, but it was great! In fact, we got to meet our new niece Nevaeh just a little earlier than we'd planned. She was an absolute sweetie! Arizona was PIPING HOT while we were there, which was okay. We were able to stay indoors for most of the worst heat (even saw 2 movies!!!), and also sat by the pool 3 mornings. I finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo (EXCELLENT book!), read a young adult chapter book called Ida B., and also starting reading a Jodi Picoult book. I think John finished a book, too, so that means vacation was exactly what we like. :)

Now, upon return we had a very relaxed Sunday night, but then life got VERY crazy/busy for me. I went back to school for Workshop Week early Monday morning. It's been a tough week for me-- moving to 5th grade from Middle School has been a tough transition. I really thought it would be easier than it has been. I'm really not complaining, I'm just surprised by it all, I think. My school and team seems nice enough, even though not everything has gone how I thought it would. It's amazing how even basic things that I've been doing for years (such as ordering copies) are done completely different at the Elementary level! How could I have anticipated that??? I think I also really miss knowing what I'm doing and being a bit of an expert. I feel like I'm starting from scratch, and it certainly has me out of my comfort zone. I'm convinced that if this doesn't kill me (and it probably won't), it will make me stronger. I'll be better off having experienced this than not. Oh, and might I add that all Elementary level meetings are run quite differently from Middle School meetings. It seems like no matter what the meeting is about there is usually someone there who feels strongly about the topic (usually against), and chooses that moment to bring it up and debate it. As far as I can tell this is actually normal, and not an anomaly. I'm sorry if I've offended someone out there, but this is my observation!!!

One last comment before I go... I got to read up on our good friends the Ray's through their blog this week! This was very fun, and I wish I was writing more in their silly style than my own, but oh well. One thing I read that I identified with is how come no one comments on our blog?! Ebby pointed out that it was lonely, and I agree. So, if you're reading this, please post a comment so we feel that there's a point to this! We like comments. :) OK-- that's all for now. I'm glad I had a minute to get this thing caught up!