What's Going On

Well, this time next week, we'll no longer be homeless, living out of boxes in Erik's parents' house.  This time next week, we'll be moved into our new house, most likely still unpacking things.

Don't expect an update.  We'll be internet-less and cable-less for most of the week, I'm sure.  Though I do have my AP class at Goucher College that following week, where there WILL be internet service, so I won't be completely out of touch.  I just hope that I don't have to do any assignments that week that would require internet service.  Otherwise, I'll be spending some late evenings on campus...

Anyway.  We've been keeping busy around here.  We've been to the aquarium:

We closed on our new house on June 5th, and that evening we took Jacob to his first carnival of the season.  We took him the Howard County Fair last year, but he didn't ride any rides.  This was his first carnival/fair where he was a rider -- and he loved every minute of it (even if he doesn't look like it in the pictures).  He was very interested in how the rides worked, and often spent more time looking at the mechanics of the ride than looking at us as we made fools of ourselves shouting "Jacob!  Over here!  Smile, Jacob!  Hey Jacob!  Look here buddy!"

This sweet boy heard us talking about it being Jacob's very first ride, and he volunteered to sit with him so he wouldn't be scared.

Funnel cake and crazy eyes.

Jacob was mad that we had stopped to take a picture and weren't riding more rides.

We went to DC this past weekend to show Jacob the steam engines in the American History museum.  We also made our way to the Natural History museum to see the "stuffed animals."  And we now have a boy who's big enough to ride a small two-wheeler bike (with the help of training wheels, of course).

Jacob has been testing us, acting like a threenager.  His favorite thing to say is "Stop it, Mommy!" or "Stop it, Daddy!" or some variation of that phrase.  It's incredibly annoying, and we desperately want to break him of this.  We're trying to get him to eat more than just chicken nuggets, pierogi, squash, and melon, but that's a huge challenge, too.  I'm hoping that with us moving into the new house, we'll see some changes.

And changes are happening at school.  This is our last week, and while I'm excited for summer vacation, and looking forward to a break from lesson planning, grading, and trying to tame 9th graders, it's also a sad time for me.  Our department chair (Becky) is going to a new school.  Not by her choice.  This is really hard for me, because Becky really gave me my teaching confidence.  My first school was a trying experience.  It seemed that no matter what I did, it was never right, or ever good enough.  I had support from the administration and our teacher mentor, but my department chair was less than encouraging.  I was beginning to feel like I was a failure and should probably give up teaching.  I was able to transfer, and Becky wanted me in her department right away.  I felt like I finally found a home.  In the four years that I've been at my school, I felt a complete change, and it's been thanks to Becky.  She has been encouraging in every aspect of school life.  She's seen strengths in me that were below the surface and not seen by others, and she brought those out.  I really can't describe everything that she's done for me.  And I'm going to miss her so much.

Ends are beginnings are ends are beginnings...  So said one of my favorite teachers from high school.