It's been a while...

Hi Ladies! Don't know if you will see this, it's been so long I'm surprised I even found it again!! Hope this finds you all doing well! So life after UNE...still chugging along! Haven't found a permanent teaching position (and I am NOT holding my breath) but I am definitely making it work!! I I am employed through the local Teacher Registry so I am getting a LOT of subbing jobs...a lot of them right at my daughter's school, which is wonderful! I also fill in with overnight relief for a local agency that runs individual residences for adults with developmental disabilities and I take a super cute little 5-year-old boy also with developmental disabilities and in foster care for weekend respite. BUSY, BUSY!! The little shining star in my life is now in SECOND grade!!! Seriously! Where has the time gone?? Are little blended fam is still going strong and we couldn't be happier! Still no ring, but hey, a girl will never stop dreaming! lol XOXOXO

Charlie Brown

I know I introduced my father, Charlie Brown in a previous BLOG, but did I mention what a character he is? He is too funny for words sometimes and always has something "spicy" to add to any occasion and he always totally gets away with it! Well his most recent was at my sister's wedding...mind you this was a Christian ceremony...and as the Pastor asked who giveth this woman to this man...Good 'ol Charlie Brown stood up proudly and said "Her mother and I do...and Mark...Git 'r Done!" Well he had the whole church laughing and even the Pastor chuckled and said "Charlie Brown, you never dissappoint!" LOL No he doesn't! I love my Daddy so much! So I'm pretty sure that Mark took his new Father-in-Law's advice and the following picture is Mark's attempt at "Gitin 'R Done"!!

More of the perfect day...

Hi girls...you know me and pictures...wanted to share more as they slowly come in! <3 Love you all!

Here's to MRS. Baker

Well, phew...I made it! Not that I was the bride or anything, but jeez, that was a lot of work and stress for me! I couldn't be happier for my BIG sister! She found an AMAZING man, the weather was perfect, and it was a gorgeous fall day to spend with family and friends, celebrating the marriage of two people who couldn't be more perfect for each other!! From the Shower, Rehearsal Dinner and the Wedding...everything was just perfect and meant to be! Oh...and did I mention that I caught the bouquet (legitimatly) and Ron caught the garter? Lets cross our fingers that Ron decides NOT to break a centuries old tradition...love you girls!! <3

Not without Tears...

Well...it's official, Ayva is now a Kindergartner! I can't believe it. It's very bittersweet. She has always consumed so much of my time and effort that it's really hard to let go and just send her through the doors of school! Even as a teacher who has been on the other side...it's one of the toughest things I've ever done! Ron was there to go with us to school, before he rushed off to catch his own son getting on the bus for his first day of Kindergarten! And my pare ts were there to tell me to be a big girl as I whimpered and cried when she walked away into the school with her teacher! My parents even treated me to breakfast afterward and were very supportive and understanding as they told me that I clearly ordered blueberry pancakes...when I meant to order chocolate chip. I told the waitress that my pancakes had blueberries not chocolate chips...but I guess that's not what I said...lol...my Dad politely explained to the waitress that I had just sent my daughter off to Kindergarten and it all became clear to her! The blueberry pancakes were delicious by the way!! Ayva had a wonderful day and Cam as well. I'm so proud of her...she's a strong, smart little social butterfly and I know she is going to do great at everything she does!! It's just going to take a little getting used to! Thanks girls for the supportive shoulders to lean on!

Did I mention...

Ayva's First concert ROCKED!!!!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

~{The wonderful and amazingly talented} Robert Frost

Well, this is my absolute favorite poem ever...and i found it appropriate for the way I've been feeling lately. I guess I've been bumming and freaking out a little with the approach of Fall, Ayva's departure to Kindergarten and my impending joblessness...(is that even a word?!) Anyway...to add to that, I was class president in all my years of jr/sr high school except one...so naturally I inherited the task of planning our ten year class reunion...which no one wantd to offer any help or input with! So...it went down like this...I planned a Happy Hour get-together with appetizers at a bar in Granville, where we graduated and then a more formal get-together at a BEAUTIFUL place on Glen Lake, (very close to Lake George). We had a buffet set up and it cost $35 per/person for the buffet, drink ticket, and icluded tax an tip. I was using class funds to pay for every classmates ticket and only holding them responsible for guest ticket..pretty reasonable I think, right? Anyway, I got 11 RSVPS to the buffet gathering, which I was most worried about getting a solid number...and YES, I harrassed a little to make sure I could get an accurate count. So I took 11 responses, times two for guests...and gave the place a number of about 20-25 expected guests. Friday night Happy Hour went pretty well, we had about 12 classmates show, some with significant others...which got me pretty pumped for Saturday...Guess how many showed? 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been so disappointed, irritated and embarassed in my life. Did I mention that beuatiful location on Glen Lake also happens to be one of Ron's accounts?? Ha! I felt like such an ass and am soooo dissappointed in my classmates! So, no sweat off my back I guess, but our class fund ATE IT big time for the 25 tickets that I paid for! Oh well. We were never a very close group to begin with, and I guess I'm not surprised in the end. It was really nice to see a few of the people that did care enough to show up!!

On the other end...I have not yet found a job, still looking, and worrying about insurance for Ayva. I have applied for unemploymnet and will have an appointment Wednesday to get insurance rolling for her. Her first day of Kindergarten is RAPIDLY approaching, and I know I'm going to have a super hard time letting go...but I guess everything really does happen for a reason, because now I will be able to be there to drop her off and pick her up in her first day, instead of being in my own classroom! And poor Ron...my below-average attitude has not been good for him lately. But we had a really nice heart-to-heart last night, and he told me exactly where I stand with him, no matter what. He's always very good at talking some sense into me whe I get all melodramatic! Well...here's looking to FALL...the beautiful changing of the leaves, the Adirondack Balloon Festival, the County Fair , my sister's wedding, Ayva starting an important chapter in her life...the starting back up of dance classes, open houses, parent teacher conferences, plays, concerts etc...except now I get to be on the parent side of it!! Wishing all of you a wonderful school year!!!