Many thanks....

I just wanted to write a quick note about how blessed I feel to have such wonderful family and friends. Today I turned 28 and was flooded will calls, emails and cards and it was such a great feeling to know that Sam and I are not forgotten even though we're not in Fresno. So thanks so much....you made my day!

Earliest phone call.....Alf at 6:39am
Birthday singers.......Mom, Pat, and my friend Amy Chambers' 3 year old neice, Katy

Love to all!

Kyle

The Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us...whether we like it or not. Sam and I had a fabulous time in Fresno this past week (he only got to go for a few days) and are looking forward to heading back in a few short weeks. We loved seeing everyone and are excited to see those that we missed. Here are some pictures of our trip:

Some of my favorite ladies from Reyburn.

Dinner at Cabo Wabo with Lacey and Sara.

Thanksgiving with the fam.

Hanging out with the fam.

Our ADORABLE nephews.

I think the pictures say it all....it was a great time.

Life other wise is going well for us. Sam is still at AT & T plugging along. This is always the hardest time of year to sell so it can be trying. I am now in week 2 at my new job and so far so good. It's very non-traditional, however, I am really enjoying having high school students.

Tomorrow night we are headed to Pacific Beach for shrimp tacos. We typically go on Wednesday nights and have lobster tacos but we thought we'd try something new and we are taking some friends. They're only a dollar so you can't go wrong. This weekend I think we're going to Sea World because they are having some special holiday stuff going on. Pretty fun. :)

Here we go...again....

Well, once again, it's official. I'm hired. You're probably a bit confused at this point because I haven't said anything to anyone. Here's the scoop. I applied quite a while ago for a school called Charter School of San Diego. I really just applied for the fun of it and lo and behold, they called. I interviewed two Thursday's ago and really hit it off with my interviewer named Tiffany. They called that afternoon and invited me back for round two. Here's the funny part. I went back the next day to be interviewed by a panel of three "administrators." By about three minutes into it, I was confident--confident that they would not be offering me a job. In my opinion, I felt like it was the worst interview of my life. They told me I would hear either way in a week but I knew it was a no. So they did call one week later (last Thursday) and offered me a job. I had to try my best not to laugh because I absolutely could not believe it. I accepted the offer today and I find out more specifics on Wednesday.

Here's what I can tell you about the school: It is a charter; however, don't be fooled; it's nothing like where I was before. They operate out of store fronts around the town and the kids are in grades 7-12. It is a free, public school and kids can go there because they are out of town a lot, need to make up credits, etc. I will have a case load of 40 kids that I schedule to come in 2-3 times per week but I never have more than 20 kids at a time. When they come in, I don't just collect their work but I do lessons (all subjects) as well. Apparently there is a lot of paperwork though so that the school is in line with regulations. What else? Oh, this is the not too fab part. My schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, 11-7pm. The good part is that I technically don't have to schedule any kids on Saturday so I could just get my paperwork done instead. I still get Thanksgiving break, Christmas and Easter but the summer vacation part is gone. In a sense, it might be good. First, I usually get bored during summer and second, I get paid more since I'm working. Oh, another good thing is that the location where I was placed is just 10 minutes from where we are.

So, that's the big news for now. I didn't say anything to anyone because I really didn't think I was going to get it but surprise..jokes on me. :) I'll write more when I know more.

Snails

So last night Sam and I walked up the street to our polling place and as we were going up some stairs to cut over to the grocery store, we saw some snails. The thing was, these snails had sea shells for their homes! Neither one of us had ever seen this before so we were pretty amazed.

Nothing much new here. Sam's working his tail off trying to get the hang of things at AT & T and I'm still subbing. I added another district today. It's called Poway and according to my previous principal, Clovis aspires to be like Poway. It'll be interesting to get into some of their classrooms and see what it's all about.

Yesterday I was at a really neat school and I had 5th graders. The highlight of the day was teaching the kids about the excretory system (the one that allows you to go to the bathroom...). We had a lot of fun talking about "number one and number two" and I got to listen to multiple stories about animals at the zoo doing one or both of those. Good times!

Ooh, forgot to mention....we sold the Honda! Some guy bought it for his daughter who lives in Reno but we just care that it's sold! Yea!

What a day!

Today has been a pretty amazing day. Sam made his first (and second sale) for AT & T totaling over $9,000, I went on a job interview and was asked back for round two and we sold the Honda! Wow! How awesome is that! To top it off, we had dinner with a girl who I met while subbing and her husband. They moved here from Maryland about 3 years ago and seem to be a really nice couple.

Last week Sam and I were really busy because my mom and Al were here on vacation. They rented a condo in between Pacific and Mission Beach so we spent a lot of time with them. I got to take them to the zoo and La Jolla and Sam went boogie boarding with Al. We think the water temp was about 65 degrees....no thanks! We had to take them to our favorite Wednesday night dinner place...World Famous. They have super yummy lobster tacos for $1.50...actually, that's where we were tonight too! My mom didn't think they were going to be very good but she was in for a surprise (she loved them)! We were sad to see them go but we'll be back in Fresno really soon so that helped with the good-byes.

Lovin' It

Sam's officially been home for one week and he's really liking AT & T. He said that he got a really warm welcome and he even met a few guys that were really helpful to him and will likely continue to be. Last week he mainly spent time getting accounts prepped and learning the ropes at the office. This week he'll start heading out and making some sales. It is so nice to have him come home and actually be happy...completely opposite what we experienced before.

I'm still subbing and have had a great couple of weeks. Lately I've been in the north county (think Del Mar, Solana Beach, etc.) and had been at some beautiful schools. You can even see the ocean from some of them. One of the schools I really loved; the campus was awesome, the area is amazing, the people were nice...I could go on. Anyway, the principal took note of me and talked to me about doing one or more long term sub jobs for him this year. We'll see how it plays out but I would do it in a heartbeat!

Two quick funny stories: At one school, I was in a 6th grade class and I told them my name was Mrs. H. They kept asking me what it stood for and I said that my name was really long and they would never remember it. Then, one boy raised his hand and said, "Can we call you Mrs. Happy?" I said sure and for the rest of the time they all called me Mrs. Happy and were totally serious about it. The other day I worked with SDC kids and this one little boy had a hearing problem and his speech was affected. He asked my name and I said Mrs. Hickey. At first he called me Mrs. Hickey, then it went to Mr. Hickey, then Mr. H and finally Mr. S. Not sure where the 's' came from.....

We've had a really good week for a number of reasons and it just makes us love it here even more. First, on Tuesday, we decided to go for a walk on the beach in La Jolla. The sun just happened to set while we there so that was pretty cool. Then, the next night we headed to PB for $1.50 lobster tacos at a restaurant on the beach. We ate with a couple that we met a week or so ago that moved here from Reno. We hung out with the same couple Friday night and watched a movie. Last night we had dinner with another couple and their kids. It's actually my friend Amy's brother and sister-in-law. Amy got us in touch with each other and I'm so thankful because they are awesome! So tonight we're headed to their house to watch the Charger game. So finally we're making some friends....and it's nice.

Hope everyone is having a good month so far. We're counting the weeks until we get to see you!

Go Dogs!

A win for the Dogs and we got to see it! Chris and Ryan drove down to Riverside for the FSU/UCLA game at the Rose Bowl this past weekend. The four of us drove to the game where Shandon and Laura met us. Sam got to hang out with the boys and I got to hang out with the girls...what more can you ask for?! Besides being ridiculously hot (as you can tell by Sam's attire), it was a great game and it was fun to be a part of it.

Well, this is Sam's final week of training, can you believe it? I can't. It seems like yesterday that I watched him drive away and all I could think was, "Seven weeks of this..." He is more than ready to be done and the clock is definitely ticking. Next week he'll do a week of supervised selling in San Diego and then he's on his own. We'll keep you up to date on how that goes for him.

I'm continuing to sub and all is well. Today I did a 2nd grade classroom; I though I'd change it up a bit. I ended up really enjoying the kids, especially since there were only 13 of them! At one point I was sitting at one of the kid's desk while we were reading a story and as I swung my legs out from underneath and went to get up I noticed something on my leg. A booger. Who would've guessed. :) Oh, I also had a kid tell me that another student said the "P" word. Does anyone know what that is?

Happy almost October! We are looking forward to seeing all of you at Thanksgiving. Lots of love from us to you!

Redeemed

I finally feel like I've been redeemed. Friday I subbed at a junior high in an area called Lemon Grove. The kids sort of reminded me of the one I left but they were much better behaved. During one of the periods I was working with a small group and the kids started telling me that I was a good teacher and better than Mrs. So & So, etc. They went on and on and I have to say, I loved it. Leaving the other school has caused me to question myself a little bit so this was a nice boost for my self-esteem. :) Saturday morning Sam and I went outside to go take his car somewhere to be sold and as I got into my car, I had a big surprise. Apparently someone had thrown a huge rock at my front windshield because the entire thing was cracked. There was a high school football game in the neighborhood the night before so we're wondering if it was just some kids. The neighbor told us that he noticed cars up and down the street were egged too; I guess we were the chosen ones. We had the windshield fixed by eleven but it still stunk to shell out the money to do it. After that ordeal, we met a friend of Sam's downtown for lunch. He was in town for a conference so that worked out well. We wanted to get some exercise after that so we walked around the zoo for two hours. We were looking forward to seeing the baby tigers but they didn't have them out yesterday. We did get to see a baby giraffe that was born the early part of August. Today we went to church (www.therocksandieog.com) and now we are watching football. Actually, I think Sam's sleeping. :) By the way, he only has two more weeks of training in Riverside. Both of us can't wait for it to be over! Next weekend we'll be in LA for the Fresno State game. We're looking forward to watching the Dogs get win!

What's been going on

Sam and I had a fun time last weekend. We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Hillcrest Friday night and had some great food. The area is really cute too. It's older but trendy at the same time. I also discovered a PinkBerry in Hillcrest; I'd only seen the one in La Jolla so now there are two locations that I can go to. For those of you who don't know, PinkBerry is like a frozen yogurt shop. One of the credit cards featured them in their tv commercials several months ago. Saturday we spent several hours tearing down (Sam) and painting (Kyle) granny's patio. It is still in process as new problems keep being discovered (termites, etc.). Saturday night we went to the Padres/Giants game with a friend that I met at the school and her boyfriend. It was good to actually have people to do something with! :) The rest of the weekend we just relaxed and then Sam had to head back to Riverside. At this point, he only has two and a half more weeks left of training. He's still really enjoying it except for two people in his class that drive him nuts. I keep reminding him to just be nice. :) Yesterday I subbed for the first time in Solana Beach. I filled in for a special ed aid--talk about intense. Out of the six or seven kids in the class, only one of them talked--she had down's syndrome and was a doll. The best part was when her mom came to pick her up and said, "Hi there beautiful, how was your day? I love you!" Overall, it was a really good experience; however, it's not my cup of tea. I spent the whole time just feeling so badly for the kids because they are just not functional at all-majority can't even walk. Times like those definitely remind me to count my blessings and to not get caught up on silly things. We hope everything is going well for you and hope to hear from you soon!

Change of plans....

Well, if you've talked to me within the past three weeks I've probably shared my "concerns" about my new school. As I attended my trainings and got to know the school culture better, more and more red flags came up. I considered resigning several times before school even started but thought that I should at least give it a try. Needless to say, I gave it a try and did not like it one bit. I ended up resigning and we are very comfortable with that decision. So now we're on to plan b which is subbing---I was going to do this if I didn't get hired anyway. This week I'm getting all the paperwork filled out and sent off so that I can start (hopefully) next week. Kinda crazy.....

Because I'm on sabbatical :), I decided to come to Riverside to be with Sam last Thursday. He usually gets out of class around noon on Fridays so we made a very last minute decision to go to Fresno for the weekend. It was really hectic but it was great to see some family and friends. We'll be coming again for Thanksgiving and we'll have more time so we're looking forward to seeing everyone!

PS--We're going to the FSU/UCLA game later this month. If you're going, let us know and we'll meet up!

Busy Weekend

Labor Day weekend turned out to be pretty busy for us. Friday night we went to a concert that was on the embarcadero. It was awesome to see the bay and the downtown skyline at night. Saturday we worked on my classroom (I start tomorrow) and climbed half of Mount Cowles. Sam was ready to go to the top but yours truly was not physically able to do it. :) From the point where we were, the people at the top looked like ants! No thanks! Sunday went went to the Padres game and watched them beat the Rockies 2-1. Then we walked around downtown and then.......Sam bought a car. His work gives him a car allowance and they give you more money for a newer car. He got an '07 Toyota Camry. Typically I wouldn't love that kind of car for us but it's really nice. It has leather, navigation system, bluetooth, moon roof and a ton of other stuff. It took over 5 hours to actually buy the car but Sam worked his magic and got it for a really good price!

We hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!

The Greatest Love

So tonight I got to stand on stage in front of a crowded auditorium and sing our school song, "The Greatest Love." Don't worry, I wasn't by myself. The entire staff had to do it. Did I mention that there is no air conditioning? The funniest part is that I was near another staff member who was not gifted in the vocal department but either a) thinks he was or b) doesn't care. Either way, I appreciated the entertainment.

School officially starts on Tuesday, September 2nd and I'm working on being ready. My classroom is coming along but it has been a huge undertaking. I'll be thankful when it's done and I'm actually in the groove with kids.

Sam's had a good week at training. They had to recite this five paragraph mission statement that was quite lengthy and his trainer said he did the best--no surprise here. If you've never seen Sam in action, he's good. He gets to come home tomorrow and we have a few things planned for the weekend (one of which is going to a bonfire at La Jolla Shores).

We hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day!

"Firsts"

This was a week of "firsts" for us. Sam started his first (of seven) weeks in Riverside and I started my first week of professional development at my new school.

Sam really enjoyed his first week saying that it "exceeded his expectations" and that it was "fantastic." The apartment that they put him up in is really nice and it even has two flat screens! The complex has a pool, which he likes to use after training, and he joined a gym that is nearby. He also met a guy named Eric that he really likes a lot and has been hanging out with. Tomorrow, however, he gets to come home and I can't wait!

My week has been spent in trainings and prepping my classroom. It's a little bit of culture shock but I'm slowly adjusting. The staff is really friendly and I met another new teacher, Veena, who is in a similar boat. She moved here two weeks ago and is living with her sister. Neither of us know anyone down here so we have something in common. :)

Head of the Class

Today was the end of week 1 (of training) for Sam. He and his classmates have been studying all week for this comprehensive exam that they had to take today. It was sixty-five questions and should have taken about 1.5 hours. Well Sam, the smarty-pants that he is, finished in 20 minutes AND got the highest percent in the class...a 94! To reward him for his efforts, he got to come home at 11:30am while everyone else had to stay until 5.

What did we do with our time? Well, we went to Fry's (like a Costco for electronics) and Sam bought me a new laptop, which I am currently typing on. We had a yummy, greasy lunch at Taco Bell and then we went to the beach. Sam also learned how to surf today. We were hanging out with some family friends and he just grabbed a board and was off. He did really well and actually caught a few waves. Not bad for a first-timer!

I received my school schedule for the next two weeks....intense is all I have to say. It's all professional development but every minute is accounted for and it's good stuff. I have a feeling that I am going to be pushed this year but if it makes me a better teacher, I'm down.

Well, Sam and I feel as if we are at a bittersweet point in our lives. Monday he's off to Riverside to train and Tuesday I start stuff for school. Back to the real world. We can't, however, complain, because we have had an 8-week vacation together in San Diego. What more can you ask for?

Love to everyone!

Celebrate!!!

I am officially employed!! I did my demo lesson and they loved it and offered me a job on the spot! I will be teaching 7th grade English and history--the exact same setup as Reyburn. This school is definitely going to push me; the director expects a lot, but I'm up for the challenge. I report for professional development next Tuesday and school actually starts on September 2nd.

Sam had his first day of work yesterday and he loved it!! Life is good! He said that their training is very intense but that it will give him all the tools he needs to be successful. Given the size of the binder they gave him, I hope so! So this week he trains in SD but next week he's off to Riverside. He'll train there during the week and then be home on the weekends. That training is either 7 or 8 weeks long, we're not sure yet.

We've seen a couple more friends since the last post. Amy Chambers was here (she helped me with my lesson for today...thanks Amy!) and Darlene Hanson was as well. Today we are having a beach picnic with a friend that we met in Italy (Feliche's friend Dominico).

We continue to be in awe at how wonderfully things have worked out for us and we are very thankful. We miss everyone of you and hope to hear from you soon!

**PS...I have no idea how to make the pictures smaller on here. Can anyone help me??? :)

Interview Season--Part Two

Well, I got asked back to both of the interviews that I went to last week! I did round two for a school called Mueller yesterday....talk about a daunting process. I had to be there at 8am and didn't leave until 2:30. I met with parents, talked with the IT/Financial person, did a panel interview, gave a presentation, met with the school psychologist and school counselor and finally, taught a 90 minute lesson to second graders. I didn't feel like it was the best I've ever done but one really great thing came out of it....I know I am not a second grade teacher (the position is for a 4/5 combo though). If they like me, there's still another round.

The other school that I got called back for a 7th grade language arts/history position. I do that demo lesson next Tuesday (with 7th graders).

Let's see...we've had more visitors since I last wrote. Sarah and Dave came to see us for a couple days and Jeff Eben was in town as well. We all got to hang out and I got to see my (former) student Sean again too (Jeff's nephew).

Sam's getting ready to start his first week of training in San Diego on the 11th so then it's back to the real world for him. He's definitely ready to get going with this job but he's loved having summer vacation with me!

Interview Season

Well, last week I interviewed at a charter school. The first day I did a panel interview and then they brought me back to do a 60-minute demo lesson. I found out a couple days later they hired someone else. Today, I went to another charter school and loved it, however, there are 70 people applying for 2 jobs. I should find out in a day or so if I made it to round two. The odds are definitely not in my favor but I'm still glad I went. Tomorrow I am off to another interview...at another charter school. I've been interested in this school since February so I'm excited to have an opportunity to see what they're all about. The search continues.....

The past month.....

We have been really lucky to see so many people this past month....here are some of our visitors:

Pat

Ken & Tori

Eric, Stacey, Spencer, Quinn and Claire

Karl and Lacey

Suzi and Sean

We've had so much fun with all of them and have been able to do so many fun things!!

Sam's job saga has finally come to an end. About two weeks ago he got an official job offer with AT & T. He will be in outside sales, a position that people typically cannot even be eligible for until they have worked for the company for 2 years. His training begins August 11th and is 8 weeks long. He'll spend the first week in San Diego and then the next 7 are in Riverside. We're really excited (especially Sam) and know that he'll be very successful.

Sam has taken up snorkeling and that's his new favorite thing. That and swimming with tiger sharks in La Jolla. I even did it with him once and saw one shark and some fish (one was very big).

Lastly, I went on a job interview last Thursday and they asked me to come back the next day to do a demo lesson for 20 summer school kids. Everything went well so now I wait. I also have job fair this Thursday at a charter school that looks very interesting. I'll keep you posted!

Whew! I think that's it for now. I promise to post every couple of days to keep you updated so please check back often and leave us a comment. Hugs to everyone! We miss you!

Welcome to blogging!

Well, needless to say we haven't been good about sending emails to let you all know what's going on in San Diego and then we discovered this "blogging" from a couple we met down here. We're going to give it a go and hopefully it will work out well. You can access the webpage anytime to see what we have been up to and check out some pictures. Let us know what you think!