End of the year 2008

I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, so if that's what you're expecting, so sorry. I have also never written a Christmas letter. So this is sort of my version of one for this year.

This year has brought our family many changes. It started out fairly busy. Fred left just after the new year for an advanced course in Alabama. He was gone for about 4 weeks. He returned for about 3 weeks and was off again. This time for 6 weeks. In the middle of this course, was Spring Break for the kids and I. So we trekked it the 11 or so hours to Alabama from Indiana to visit for a long weekend. It was a nice time. We headed out the next day to an indoor water park for an overnight trip in Indianapolis. It was a great size for just me and the two kids. I could plant myself in one spot and see both kids. At the same time, I could see snow on the ground outside! We said we'd want to come back next year. During this same time I started on my Master's degree for Education, as did Fred (MBA, though). Boy, were our lives changing!

Just before the school year ended, Fred heard grumblings about a position in the Washington DC National Guard. He'd get to fly more and possibly secure his retirement. We left on our annual furlow to our favorite camping spot for the Memorial Day weekend and had it in the back of our minds. I finished up my first series of classes and started my ESL summer school position for the next 5 weeks. This after flying the kids down to Florida to spend it with my family down there.

The first of these weeks were met with a tornado and flooding. A tornado hit Camp Atterbury where Fred was doing his annual training and nearly totaled our truck. It took them a month to fix it. The tornado was followed 4 days later by flooding that made national news! What a mess. We were spared, but so many in our community were not.

At the end of the 5 weeks of summer school, we still hadn't heard about the DC position, so our lives were literally on hold. The principal at my school was anxious to hear, but promised me that I would retain my position, despite the fact that I may be leaving. This brought us to mid-July.

We left on our week-long vacation at the end of July and returning the beginning of August. We visited and explored Northern Indiana in Amish country. We learned a lot and sampled some great food. They have the best cheese up there. Yum!

Still no word...then wait! Around August 8th, 3 weeks before Labor Day, we had the word. Fred was going to DC. They wanted us there by Labor Day. That was 3 weeks! and 2 1/2 weeks into the school year. We had to act fast. In the middle of all this, Fred had to do a weekend drill. Then we headed out to Virginia to look for housing. The following week, we moved. We sold a lot of our furniture, but nothing from the bedrooms and loaded up a Uhaul and moved! Oh my! What a trip. We took 3 days, but the Uhaul would only go about 30 mph up most of the mountains! We were moved in officially on Labor Day and registered Tristian for school the next day. That was the first day of school in Virginia.

We then set off to look for a pre-school for Kaela. We found a local Christian school and checked it out. They observed our interactions with her and suggested she try Kindergarten for a day. She did and did extremely well. So, bam, she was enrolled in Kindergarten. Of course, we missed her first day of school pictures because we weren't expecting her to start Kindergarten. Oh well. So next year, we will have the choice of whether she will start Kindergarten again or 1st grade, but she's doing extremely well in Kindergarten, so we'll see.

I got a job as an ESOL teacher, primarily teaching 1st graders, which I love! The school is on the Northern part of Manassas, but it's a quick commute, taking about 20 minutes from Kaela's school. Tristian wanted to join me, but all his friends would be all the way across the county and that just wouldn't be fair. Maybe next year all 3 of us will be together! ;)

Tristian was involved with Basketball for the first time and joined the Cub Scouts. He's in a wolf pack. Kaela has taken up ballet and tap and is also a Daisy, which is girl scouts for Kindergarteners. They both love their activities and will continue with them into the new year!

So we ended the year on a good note. We are wavering back and forth between saving more to buy a house or jumping on the housing opportunities now. We love the area we live in and wouldn't want to settle for another area at the moment just because the price is right.

I guess that's all for now and have the plans to do a real Christmas letter next year. Uh, was that a resolution???

The Letter Game

My daughter came up with this game we play in the truck. We play it on the way to and from school or anywhere that we are driving to/from around town. It's very simple, but it keeps her busy. Keep in mind, she's 4 1/2.

The game is called "The Letter Game". This name she came up with herself. She announces, "Let's play The Letter Game." And usually, we agree. It starts by her saying a letter and everyone has to come up with words that have that letter in it. When we started this game several months ago, we came up with words that began with whatever letter. Now, it's more challenging, in a way: You have to come up with words that you hear the letter. Everyone takes a turn saying a letter. We go 'round and just shout out words and when there seems to be a lull in words, we move on.

So, tonight, we're playing the game and the letter is "d". Several words are said and my daughter yells out, "Dammit". My husband, very seriously, explains to her that she shouldn't say this word. I am in the passenger seat silently laughing my ass off. Then we are having a very quiet conversation about what if the letter was "f" or whatever. Oh boy!

Maybe you had to be there, but we were dying.

Furniture Shopping

We went furniture shopping yesterday. What do we need? Living room furniture (except side tables & coffee table), family room furniture with side tables and a new mattress for our bed. My hubby is trying to talk me into one of those memory foam mattresses. Can't get the feel of that? Not very comfy. The FR couch has to be long enough for him to nap on and comfy. We definitely don't want a sleeper in the family room. So, we went to Value City. Eh, not so great. Something called Room Store (?), eh, okay, but nothing "jumped" out at us. Then to IKEA. Looked a lot like dorm furniture or kid furniture, but great storage ideas and basement furniture, maybe. Then we ended up at Ashley. Didn't even know they had one. We probably would've bought furniture there, but the sales people were very pushy. Not a good point in our eyes. Leave us alone and let us look! So we walked out, but we left liking a lot of things they had. Now we need to figure out what to buy. I hate this. I wish someone could just come in and say, "Oh, well the couch and chair and ottoman is a must and the other chair would be fine too." But, no such luck! UGH!

People in Virginia

They are so nice here, at least so far. I can say that after having to talk with them for about 3 months now. When I first started contacting the school system here about getting a job, they have been extremely helpful. One lady in HR even returned my call (long distance) to explain how I would go about getting my Virginia teaching license. When their application system was having problems and another lady in HR had to input all my desired teaching positions manually (in the days of computers, what a pain!), she still seemed to be smiling on the other end. After the summer, when we came for a long weekend to find a house, a third HR lady was calling all over the county to get me an interview because I had gone through their interview process and was considered "recommended".

So now, we're having house phone problems. Can't get calls in and can't make local calls out. I should say that the only reason we have a house phone is because we have two children with the propensity to have fibral seizures (get a temp. too high, too fast and their body reacts by seizing). Anyway, so 911 doesn't work too well with the cable phone service yet or cell phones. So we feel the need to subscribe to a house phone.

So I've had to deal with many phone calls to the phone company. Each phone call, I know I sound exasperated, but they always seem to be smiling. :) Good thing, because I'm not on the other end.

Anyway, they are fairly courteous here with their driving. Everyone seems polite. I'm just amazed. Is this Southern Hospitality? I don't know. If so, I'm never leaving the South!

My new position (not sexual)

We came to Virginia 3 weeks ago to look for house and the school system here wanted to do a pre-screening interview. It was explained to me that this was to insure I had everything I needed to be a teacher in Indiana and to what knowledge was in my head. Immediately after the interview, they had me go to a school to interview with them. I didn't get that position. My husband was bummed, but I was okay with it.

So, 2 weeks ago we left Indiana to make the big move here. We didn't have internet for a week, which, as Kier put it, was like losing my right arm. So I was going to the library and Starbucks (oh hardship) for the internet. All we had were cell phones, too. That part was really bad, but Verizon proved true. I never lost a call and was able to do a lot of talking when I needed my phone. Anyway, last week I spent a lot of time updating resumes and applications online, but no interviews.

This week I had 5 interviews! 3 of those went really well. I had Monday's set last week and one of Thursday's set on Monday. The other on Thursday was set on Wednesday and one of the ones today was scheduled this morning! The one scheduled at the last minute was the one I selected.

My first interview on Thursday I was told I had the position, but had to hear it from HR. The 2nd one on Thursday was special ed. Not my specialty and that would mean more classes! I had one interview scheduled for this afternoon. A kindergarten position. Then, as I was heading out in search of uniforms for my daughter, I get a call on my cell phone. This principal wants to interview me in an hour & a half. Okay. So back down the driveway to change and head out again. At the end, the principal said, "Now I can't offer you the position, but you'll be hearing from HR." So off to my 2nd interview of the day and 5th of the week! That principal says I interviewed really well!

So, now, my dilemma: which one do I choose? I decided that whichever school called me first, they wanted me the most and I would choose them. The school that called at the last minute, called first. It's what I wanted - an ESOL position in a needy school. The 1st interview on Thursday was like that, too, but that school takes longer to get to, but I would have taken it. I would have to go with a lot of traffic. The school I chose is in the direction that the traffic would be coming from. How nice!

So September 22nd, I will be employed once again. Yeah!