Best Weekend Ever!

 (This pic was taken Saturday in the Tobacco Warehouse District.  Hank was working on ice cream from the Cuban restaurant)

So I took Friday off because mom and grandma drove down Thursday to see us!!!!  I haven't seen them in nearly 4 months!  I was more worried about them leaving than them actually visiting!  It was nice though.  We had gone to Surf City the weekend before and Gus loved it because there were jellyfish!  Trent was told that it's their season...so we went back there with mom and gma on Friday.  There are a few pics on Facebook...my mom is HOOKED on Facebook! So she insisted that I send her pics for her to post right away.  So the beach was perfect-for sitting on the beach.  Gus however wanted in the water and it was cold!  Mom got her feet in a bit, but I thought they were nuts!  I like seeing how you've found a favorite beach.  Is it still really warm there???

So the my mom's highlight was walking downtown Chapel Hill and passing a Gigi's Cupcake store.  We didn't get any right away.  Instead I forgot that mom wanted to go there and after dinner she asked if they were still open.  Trent drove her back downtown where she ended up buying a dozen cupcakes for like $40 bucks!  She was nuts about them (they are rather tasty) .  So I looked up Gigi and she has this sappy story on her website--and she happens to have 4 locations in Indiana.  So mom was pumped that Keystone had one and she planned on going once she returned!  They did end up leaving early this morning and made it back in record time.  I think we're going back for Thanksgiving but we've been back and forth about it.

So Hank Heffernan is getting so big!  He is loving building and stacking and sorting. He's so inquisitive about how things work.  We got a membership to a hands-on children's science museum in Durham and he can't get enough!  it's really interesting how different those two kids are!

Gus has been a mess...Since switching schools he's growing leaps and bounds! His teacher is phenomenal!  He was reading a Rigby level M tonight for his nightly reading.  Where his teacher at the other school said he was at a level C.  So that's super positive!!!  Here they do the written comprehension so that I believe hinders his overall instructional level on mClass.  Oh well, we're getting there and I'm super impressed!!!!  The "mess" part of him is that he's failed 2 hearing tests in his left ear; One at school and one at the dr's office for his 8 yr check-up.  That's right, he'll be 8 on the first!  So we were referred to an ENT and went last week.  Because there was clear fluid behind his ear drum, they could assess his hearing so he goes back next Wednesday and hopefully they'll figure this all out.

I am still liking my gig pretty well-  I miss Goodman and how we would work together to tackle situations and paperwork :)  but I have a good team that I like.  I have my first "announced" observation on Friday.  I'm a little stressed about it but I received 2 complements from teachers today on the work that i've done their kiddos--Can you guess how I teach my small groups???  Fluency, Voracious Reading and independent conferences :)  My kiddos are loving the songs and poems.  We are now beginning to track and make goals.  I'm feeling pretty good about how that's going-THANKS TO YOU!!!!

Did I tell you that Trent has agreed to travel????  This means that he could be sent anywhere for a period of time.  I told him that if he leaves the state, I'm moving in Hank's sitter!  It's really been a transition for me to put my job as secondary.  I can't go back to school at night and work or even go in regularly on the weekends because teachers don't have access to the building.  It's just been hard to figure out a balance, but I'm maintaining for now :)

I keep telling Trent I need a vacation and I really would LOVE to come see you...I'll look into it, if you're up for a visitor!

How are your kiddos??? Is your house still in one piece?

Oh I miss you!