Choir Girl

This girl has been going to choir each Wednesday morning in preparation for their Christmas performance at the Festival of the Trees.  

She did a GREAT job.  I love to watch her sing.  She is so animated and excited.  Festival of the Trees was a treat.  So many trees and so many colors!  I love this girl.

Sick Day & Sewing

This girl woke up sick(er) today.  I got a sub, she took a nap... and then, she found my machine.  

She has been wanting to help me sew, and has to push the pedal when I am sewing.  Today I got brave, and decided to just show her a few basics.  She picked right up on it and was sewing rag edges together for me.  She is my creative little bug... and determined girl.  She had put on EASY SEWING MACHINE on her Christmas list, but I think we can manage to share this one :)  Now I just need to find her some easy projects to sew.

Basketball time again

Once again, it's that time of year when students brag about their skills, and teachers just pray they don't embarrass themselves. I've learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut when it comes to talking smack before the game. Usually when i talk a lot is when I play the worst.

This year I had ten points, a couple steals and a nice jammed finger... Which has now taken on a nice purple shade.

The best part of the game... Knowing that the minute it was over - spring break began!

The Daily Drive

The drive to Emily's in the morning is either a great experience or a miserable one, depending on the mood of the 4 year old in the house.  When it is good, it is very good... Yes, and when it is bad it is horrid.
This past week we parted with these words from her.
"I won't disappoint you.  I'll make you proud.  I love you with all my heart."
The bad days can't hold a candle to this.

We interrupt this 30 day blog challenge for... PHOENIX!

I've had BLOG on the top of my "to do" list for the past week, however, I have had a workshop in Phoenix.  Throw in 7 hours of meetings with no internet in room, and it leads to NO blog posts while I was away.

But... I AM BACK!!!

So... back on track for tomorrow, but today I'll show you what I have been up to this past week.

I fell in love with Phoenix on this trip.  Perhaps because of the amazing hotel we stayed in (Sheraton downtown), or because of the great food (thanks to my YELP app on my phone/ipad), or because of the warm weather I was able to run in the second morning we were there (50 degrees :)  The Phoenix Suns arena and Chase Field (AZ Diamondbacks) were both within blocks of our hotel... it would be fun to go back and catch a game at both places sometime.

 My events/dining/etc for the 3 days:

Tuesday:
Cibo (dinner).  5 stars!
Sheraton check in.

Wednesday:
3.5 mile run (treadmill)
PLC conference (great keynote speakers)
My Big Fat Greek Restaurant (lunch).  Horrible wait, average food.
More conference.
Drive to Scottsdale.
Cantina Laredo (dinner) A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! 5 stars!
My H & M shopping fix (had to replace Aspen's shoes we lost on the ship)

Thursday:
3.4 mile run in downtown Phoenix.  Picked up a couple extra runners in the lobby.
More conference.
Thai Elephant (lunch).  4 stars.
More conference.
Hike up Camelback Mountain (this deserves a write up of it's own at the bottom)
Maggiano's (dinner) in Scottsdale.  4 stars.  Bread at Maggiano's... 5 stars.

Friday:
More conference.
Alice Cooper's-town (lunch). 5 stars!  Great fries, chili, and mashed potatoes.
Airport & home.

 CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN:
1.2 miles up the side of a mountain with boulders and terrain that required hand holds, and an incline of 1300 feet.  One teacher ended up stopping when we had to start climbing using the poles, and another kept trying to stop, but I kept persisting.  We made it to the top just before sunset.  What an amazing view.  The hike was not a trail hike, per say, but a climb over large boulders.  Even in broad daylight we got lost a few times because it is hard to tell where the trail even is.

SO... as we watched the sun set, I realized we were standing on top of a mountain with an "older" hiker to get down the trail... over boulders... without getting lost... IN THE DARK!!!
That was an interesting hike.  Fun day!

hiking up the "trail"

Downtown Phoenix in the distance

At the top: me, Jared, Michael & Audrey