All Work and No More Play!

8.22.10     Sad....my long, stress-free summer is coming to an end! I'm a little sad that I won't be teaching full-time and setting up my own classroom this year.....ok not that sad...but I feel a little lost.   I'm sure some of you can relate, when you're used to doing something and have a routine and then suddenly it changes and you're like, ok now what do I do? There are a lot of unknowns at the moment, but that's all part of starting something new. I haven't officially received word on when I am to report to work for orientation, but I know teachers go back this Thursday and then the kids next Monday, which is when I officially start! I'm anxious to meet new people and make new friends, hanging out with the boys is getting a little old. Lord knows I need a gal pal to shop and gossip with! haha! I did meet a girl last weekend who is from Wales and is a second grade teacher in Brandon. She invited me (ok, more like I invited myself) to her classroom for a day or two to see how they operate in the British schools. I requested to come in during one of her Victorian themed lessons when they dress up. How fun!  I'm obsessed with British history! I can't wait to start season 2 of The Tudors, but I'm afraid I won't have much time for it. 

Side note, no more being a couch potato for me. Time to start waking up early, pushing play on P90X and eating clean! So far I have done very well and I'm on day 20 of 90. Fingers crossed I am still blogging about sticking with it in a month and will have pictures posted of my new "guns"!!  Time to really Bring It! and work hard!

Speaking of which, who knew golf was so tiring!? Darren and I both were sore after this day. 

RAF Lakenheath Country Club

I'm A Working Girl Again!

I interviewed for a kinder aide position on base yesterday. The interview itself lasted for oh, 5 minutes. As soon as I told her I had been teaching for nearly 9 years, her eyes lit up and I knew I had it. (confidence is good, right?) So, needless to say Darren is happy I got a job and I'm happy because I'm not going to bounce around from classroom to classroom as a substitute. I get to pull kids to do mini lessons and testing as well as recess and lunch duty, yuck. But my foot is officially in the door and I hope this will lead to a full time teaching position. This is a school with over 700 students, just in K-3. The biggest elementary school I have ever worked in! At least one of the 60 teachers is bound to leave. :)

Congrats to my student teacher, Stephanie who got the
Academic Intervention Aide position at Hunter. I'm so proud!


Thinking of all my Alaskan teacher friends and how much
I will miss working with everyone this year.
Yes, even these two!


Have a great first week back and a successful year, everyone!!

There's A mini Stonehenge in Thetford?!

What a great find! Ruins from an old priory in our city center.


This has been a very busy summer of site seeing. Especially in and around England. Darren's parents visited for two weeks in July and I think Jack has gotten me into cathedrals now. I am just in awe of the history and architecture. I was most fascinated with Ely Cathedral and probably took 100 pictures, although they're nothing like seeing it up close. Here is a link to some of the pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=211785&id=503826551&l=39778d4838

We also toured the well-known West Minster Abbey in London.


Norwich Cathedral, 30 miles from our house


We took a day trip to Cambridge, where Darren and I
argued about who was better at punting...



I think I won that bet!


Another weekend we finally found a beach in Great Yarmouth.



We had a lot of fun....as you can see.


The best part was having family around.
This was the only picture I managed to get of the four
of us and Roxanne was too busy drinking her pint! haha!


Our favorite place in Thetford, The Riverside.
Inside there are license plates from the states.
The owner didn't have Alaska up yet, so Darren
gave him his old one off the vette. Pretty cool.