August 27, 2006

August 27, 2006
* Marisa, Kayla and Tyler all started school this week. Overall, I think all went well.

*Kayla, Alayna, and Tyler all started gymnastics this week and loved their classes. Kayla loves pre-team and I really think she will improve quickly. She was very sad to learn the day that it started that her friend across the street chose at the last minute to go to a different gymnastics place with a different friend and they didn’t tell Kayla. That was frustrating. But I am confident she will make new friends.

*Marisa started on the school volleyball team this week. There are 70 girls and they will be divided into 4 teams. She will get to play every game. They practice every day after school for 2 hours!! They start by running around the school twice. She has been so sore that she can barely walk down the stairs. Her forearms are bruised pretty bad too. But she is absolutely loving it and I am thrilled.

*Tyler also started flag football this week. He has practices two days a week. We finally made his mouth piece. I am not sure what he thinks about football yet, other than his face is bright red after all that running. It’s good for him.

*Kayla started band practices this week which are on Thursday mornings. She seems to really like playing the clarinet. Yesterday, she and Marisa were playing a duet and they sounded pretty great!

*We had Alayna’s school open house this week. We met her new teacher Mrs. Elizabeth. She seems very nice and Alayna is ready to start. She actually starts classes tomorrow and will now be taking 3 days a week.

*We had Marisa’s open house this week as well. For hers, I went with her and we attended each of her classes in the order she does during the school day. So, I got to meet all her teachers and see where her classrooms and locker are. She LOVES school so far. She also has some amazing teachers. In social studies this year, they will do a renaissance fair. She is even taking family and consumer sciences where she will have to take care of a computerized baby doll for a week or so. She is pumped and ready to go!

*I decided to get my middle school endorsement and shoot for teaching middle school. So, I will be doing 10 credits in the next 5 months. I just started one class and will start two more in October. It will be a tremendous amount of work, but I think this is the right direction. My background check finally cleared for subbing so I am now officially cleared to sub. I also already started the volunteer work at Wilkins and will be doing so again this week.

*Today, the stake RS (which is only two fo us right now) traveled to Mt. Vernon to visit today. They are a small branch and it must be a huge challenge. Afterwards, the Schofields invited us over for dinner. It is wonderful and thank heavens the kids were on their best behavior! Marisa just went to her first fireside (now called Sunday evening discussions) where the stake President and his wife are speaking.
As you can see, we are busy busy busy! Have a great week!