boating

Took the kids to Tempe Town Lake on Labor Day for a little boat ride. Kids enjoyed themselves, was a nice day (kinda hot), and something a little different. I would've really enjoyed spending the day with a backyard pool and a carne asada. Will work on that for next year. Gotta know the right people! I think next year we will also tube down the Salt River...

fall family party

The whole family got together the last weekend in August to celebrate all our fall birthdays. Mom, dad and Jenny came down from Pinetop, Kaitlin came from Prescott and Carson, Gaby and their kids came over from Phoenix. We met up at my home, visited for a bit, then went to one of our favorite places for our birthday dinner, Golden Corral. Gaby, Jenny, Carson, Sofia, and I all have birthdays within a few weeks of each other. We had a great time. Tons of loud music, dancing, eating, balloon fighting, helium-talking and craziness made the night! Love my family.

pajamas

Grandma Wessel made pjs for all her grandkids. SO NICE!! The kids were excited to get a package in the mail. Shout out to Grandma Wessel..."You make awesome comfy pajamas!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

fellow hooligans

I LOVE THE TEACHERS AT BURKE!!!! We sure had a good time during our 2 week teacher training this year. Lunch at Crackers, chocolate, and pictures!!

suzie and karen

mmmmm, potato soup at crackers

rachel and i

karen, rachel and i

and us again...

suzie on the hot bus ride to happy valley school.

krystal and i on the hot bus ride to happy valley

5th and 6th grade teachers (with one 2nd grade teacher joining us) from burke at our seminar at the happy valley school.

presenting our use of a thinking map to the seminarees. we rocked it!!

becky parsons, rachel and i

learning stuff...

karen and kat...on the way to wendy's (i think that was our destination that day)

rachel, karen, kat, and i returning from wendy's

becky, rachel and i on our final day of training...ready for the year to start? not really...but we did have fun in the photo dept.

first day of school. 2011-12

So not ready for school to start this year, but oh so ready for school to start this year!!! We love summer with no schedules, nowhere to be, swimming everyday, later nights, sleeping in, and play, play, play. We also like the structure of school everyday with activities and projects and assignments to keep us busy and productive! I just miss my summer Sunday evenings. They are much more relaxing and enjoyable when we don't have school the next morning. Jacob is in 6th grade this year (how did that happen?) Jr. High next year...we are not ready!!! His teacher is Mrs. Hollenbeck and we LOVE her!!! He's going to have a great year! He is an awesome kid. Sofia is in 5th grade. She wanted to be in my class this year, but I have a standing rule of not teaching my own kids, so she was out of luck. She has Mrs. Lesperance and we LOVE her also! The best teachers in the school have my kids this year. Isabel is in 3rd grade. She has Miss Cronk. We LOVE her as well. Isabel has a hard time every year when school starts. She cries, wants me, and this year we added a tummy ache. The first two weeks of school she complained of a tummy ache every morning, at recess, at lunchtime, after school and in the evening before bedtime. Not fun. We haven't really dealt with anxiety before to that extreme. She has been doing better of late. We have a system where she is rewarded for days of not crying and the more comfortable she gets in her class the more relaxed she becomes. Still can't believe my 'baby' is in the 3rd grade and will be baptized in Nov. I have a 5th grade class of 34 students. They are all angels!!! I have the best days with these students. Such a sweet class that I haven't had to use any of my discipline strategies, or call parents, or be frustrated. I don't know what to do with myself seeing as the past 3 years I have had a more than a few 'handfuls' who have made teaching challenging. It's going to be a super year. (Fingers crossed!!!)

And we are still loving the uniforms. Makes getting ready in the morning so simple!!! Who knew!