Back To School

Back to School!

So, having survived the first (partial) week of school, I am so glad to be back.  Looping with the same class to the next grade level is going to be AMAZING!  It felt like we were sophomores in college, coming back knowing each other and what it's all about, happy to see each other with a short warm-up phase.

On the second day of school, I asked them to write me letters.  They could tell me what happened to them over the summer, or something they want to work on for the school year or just anything they thought I needed to know to start our year.

Here are some classics...

"I don't like bananas anymore. I only like strawberr[ies]."  Fair enough.

"Can't wait [for] what's waiting to be learn[ed]"

I'm glad you have areas for improvements, little man, and clearly I need to change my focus from butterfingers :)

 Oh, so many things... 

My personal favorite.  This letter is from a student who Always keeps things interesting. 

 Here is what it's intended to say:

"I had a good/bad 

summer.  My grandma died 

but other than that I had a 

good summer.  Is this math going

 to be fun?  If it is, then I want in 

because math is good for everyone."

It's going to be a Very interesting year...

Learning!

Today I learned how to take a screen shot on my computer!  It was incredibly easy, but I never looked it up.

It inspired me to take a class over the summer at Apple to learn other cool computer tricks!

Screenshots of today:

Changes

A lot of changes in 2011. 

Some I don't understand.

Some it will take me time to get on board with.

Some I don't know if I'll be able to get over for awhile. 

Some I know that I need to work on.

Some are joyous news.

I'm figuring it all out and looking within a lot recently.

2011... growing and changing and hopefully learning

Oh, dometer.

There was lots of amazing on our trip. Beautiful weather, sleepy dogs (one who is STILL sleeping next to me, after sleeping from 8pm-9:15 am, then napping from 9:30-?), good friends.

On the way home, however, something very cool happened to the Scarlet Harlot (my car). I hit 100,000 miles!

Catherine and I were traveling north on I-81. This is a road I am very familiar with, having traveled it at least 5 times a year while I was in college.

Ten exits away from JMU, at the Weyers Cave exit...

My sweet car hit 100,000 miles! Woo hoo! What a life you've had!

**Mom and Dad, I was keeping up with traffic. Not speeding excessively, ignore that part.**

Phebe was less impressed and more tired and hot. Also, I think her head expanded in the heat.

Then I just took some more familiar sites pictures...

Sigh...

The exit I used ALL four years!

Love the canoe on top of my car, but this is the Port Republic Rd exit. Love driving through JMU.

JMU 1999-2003.

Old Friends bring New Discoveries

Tonight as I was trying to do low key activities in order to fall asleep (failing miserably, I might add), I was perusing Bep Lindsey's blog. I never knew she had one and it chronicles the events of her wonderfully charming life (part Virginia, mostly Maine). Bep is one of my favorite people in the world-- she and I were camp counselors together at Chop Point in Maine. She fell in love with and married a boy named Chad that I was friends with when we were CAMPERS at that camp in Maine. They now have two beautiful children and a peaceful, happy life in Maine. I was reading her blog and getting happier and happier. I love when life works out for people I care about. :)

One of Bep's posts was a link to a fun site that tells you what your name means.

Here's Caitlin:

You Are Original and Innovative

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. Fascinatingly accurate.... good and bad! Thanks, Bep!

Olympic Hockey

RULES!!!

It's so fun to watch!!

I am sad that Russia just lost to Canada. I would have liked to see some USA/Russia/Canada in the finals...

Oh well.