Summer vacation that is. My first summer break is in its last week and I am getting really excited about starting my new position as a 6th grade teacher at Parkway West Middle School. Yes, everything is almost official, I have filled out all the paperwork and I am just waiting for a few more "I"s to be dotted and "T"s crossed before I am officially official with a contract and everything. And so far everyone has been so welcoming and nice, I got three phone calls this week just welcoming to the team and the school and how happy they were to have me. I don't think I talked to anyone at Warrenton until the first week of school. I know Parkway is going to be a big change from Warrenton and I am very excited to be in a school district that has its' stuff together. I went and picked up some things I left in my classroom out in Warrenton yesterday and while I was sad to be leaving my friend Leslie and my new Promethean Board, I know that this change is definitely for the best, it means a closer commute, more money, and better resources.

Tomorrow I get to go out to school and see my classroom and run around the school a bit, hopefully I can move some of the crap that I took from Warrenton in so I don't have to cart it around in the back of my car.

Before I know it the first day of school will be here and those bright, shiny, 6th graders will be in my hands...oh goodness. I have a lot planned for this year and some changes that I would like to make in order to make my classroom run a lot smoother. For example, every kid is getting a number (that corresponds to alphabetical order) that they have to put on every piece of paper so I can put things in order in two seconds as opposed to ten minutes. That is just one minor thing but something to change nonetheless.

I can't wait to go school supply shopping! I can seriously spend hours in the teacher store looking at posters, stickers, markers, and pens...if only I had an unlimited budget for decorating...ahh, one can dream.

I have got to get some laundry done, we've been home from Flordia for a week and I still haven't gotten things all the way unpacked. Sometimes these arms just do not want to do chores. :)

Harry the Heron at our beautiful pool at the Gulf Tides Inn

We did a variety of things while we were there, we went to the beach, rode the awesome roller coasters at Busch Garden and felt like little kids playing on the all the water slides at Adventure Island. We also ate like kings! There was the best meat market really close to where we were staying and we got the most delicious filet mignon and twice baked potatoes. Not to mention all the great seafood we ate while on the beach. We couldn't believe how fast the time went, we felt like we had just unpacked when it was already time to come home again. I know the memories from this vacation will definitely get me through the upcoming months ahead...I don't even want to think about winter! Here are some pictures from the trip.

Chris and I at Adventure Island

Sunset on Upham Beach

If you want to see all the pictures, check out my Facebook album.

So last week I wrote about how it was going to be such a long week because I was waiting for an interview for a new job and let me tell you IT WAS! I was a complete nut, I practice interviewing myself in the car on the way to Chris's house and had my sister mock interview, I wanted this thing so badly I could taste it. I got all gussied up on Thursday and strutted my stuff on in to wow the pants off the interview panel. Now I feel that I am making myself sound VERY confident going in to this interview when the truth is I could have peed my pants once I actually got there. I just tried to remain calm and collected even after they dropped the M-bomb on me...MATH. I was interviewing for a geography slash MATH position. I am sure the look on my face said, "WTF?" because the principal replied with, "Does that change your mind?" I really didn't know what to respond with except for, "Nope, not a problem, love math!" I'm such a liar. Math is my worst f'ing subject and now you want me to teach it to 6th graders. And my all means I should be able to teach 6th grade math, it covers things like fractions, decimals, precentages, but math is just one of the subjects that if you don't know what you are doing you stay the hell away from trying to act like you know how to teach it! But I digress, I made it in to the interview where I met with a panel of 8 people, by far the biggest panel I have come across so far in my fledgeling teaching career. They all introduced themselves and we got down to business. Thankfully they focused on teaching questions instead of content knowledge unlike the unsuccessful Parkway South interview. But I made sure to show them that I was the best for this job... I mean geography is my life, I was made for this job. Afterwards the principal told me that I would hear from them by next Friday and to enjoy my weekend and that was that.

It's only Monday and I can feel that this is going to be a long week, long because I am waiting for Thursday and this weekend. I have an interview this Thursday that I am trying so hard not be pumped up for but I literally could have swung from the ceiling when I got the call setting up the appointment on Saturday. I really don't want to get my hopes up but I feel like this position was made for me, it's 6th grade World Geography at Parkway West Middle School - if I could ask for a dream job right now this would be it. Geography is my favorite subject in the realm of social studies and I love teaching that class already and a chance to do it an pretty great school district would be even better. I interviewed in the district at Parkway South back in April and that was less than great. They essentially gave me a history test, a test I obviously hadn't studied for. But I feel like I am that much more ready for this interview. It is only supposed to be a half hour so I hoping they focus on actual teaching practice and not content knowledge. It's also supposed to be about 95 degrees on Thursday and my interview is at 1:30 so I need to be calm, cool, and collected in order to not sweat through my suit, which is a definite possiblity (I'm a sweater.)

Also this weekend is the 4th Annual Lake Trip. I have been praying to the weather gods for sunny skies and hopefully they will listen. Right now the forecast is calling for rain on Friday but gorgeous weather on Saturday and Sunday. Chris has an alumni golf tournament this weekend for Sig Ep so he won't be attending which means I have to drive myself to the Lake which I have never done before, I'm not too stoked about it. I also have to lug my own cooler and all the other manly stuff that Chris usually takes care of. I always get really nervouse before big gatherings with my friends for some reason, like I always fear the worst for some reason. It usually always turns out to be a great time but I run through all the what ifs before I go, like "what if someone drinks too much?", "what if someone fights with their bf/gf?", I think I do that just so I can have realistic expectations for my weekend.

There has been a good amount of rain in the St. Louis area the past few days and I need some sunshine. The storms are getting increasingly dangerous which just freaks me out because you just never know when it's going to go from bad to worse. The rain makes me want to stay in bed all day and not be productive so it has been pretty mellow around my house lately.