They're Here!

I spent this afternoon at the hospital with Dan, Heidi, Anna, and Evelyn! I have an open day in my schedule (until I get a middle school secured), so I was able to get some quality time with the girls. Gretchen and the girls, along with Marissa, stopped in as well. Be sure to check Gretchen's and Marissa's blogs later for pictures too!

Here are some pictures from the day: 1. Dan feeding Anna with a dropper; 2. Evelyn sleeping; 3. Me and Anna; 4. Daddy and Anna; 5. Evelyn and Me; 6. Heidi and Anna (I think); 7. The Sisters; 8. Heidi, Anna, and Marissa; 9. Isabelle, Marissa, Tori, and Evelyn; 10. Evelyn and Tori; 11. Anna and Gretchen; 12. Me and Anna (good picture Isabelle!):

Stillwater

After enjoying a slow morning of sleeping in late and coffee with peppermint mocha creamer, I decided to head to Stillwater. I got myself ready, and hopped into the car and sped off.

My first stop in Stillwater was, of course, Starbuck's! After getting my Caramel Macchiato, I then went and did some antique shopping. After wandering the aisles for awhile, I was getting hungry. So, I decided to grab some lunch at Shane's on Main, my friend Lisa's discovery. After lunch, I did a little shopping at a bookstore, and bought the classic novel of Willa Cather called "My Antonia." It will be added to the pile of books waiting for me to read! I then went next door to the bookstore, and bought a bottle of white wine (Oktoberfest) from the Northern Vineyards, a co-op of vineyards in central Minnesota. It will go well with a fire and the baseball playoffs tonight!

Last, but certainly not least, I grabbed my cigar and lighter, and found a great spot by the St. Croix river and the lift bridge, to enjoy a fine smoke (a Gispert). Here are a few photos from my last stop in Stillwater.

Fall

October is my favorite month.
Sunday morning breakfast, and a walk around the lake.
Green, yellow, gold, orange, and red leaves.
Framed against a blue gray sky.
Autumn.
Summer winding down for a long Winter nap.

Elementary School Rocks!

Today was the 2nd day for me at my elementary school site, Gatewood, in Hopkins. Just like last Thursday, at the end of the day, my brain hurts! There is so much activity and energy within those walls, that it's fun to be a part of it. Surprisingly, there are a lot of "disciplinary" problems to deal with, but at that age it's mostly teaching kids to make the right decisions, and to see the consequences of their wrong choices.

I even got to work briefly with one student by myself today! His name is Paul, and he is struggling at home and a bit at school, and his teacher was glad for my involvement. We went outside during lunch and threw the football around. I got the chance to introduce him to a few other students on the playground, and I think that helped him somewhat. I'm going to be meeting with Paul each Thursday that I am there, getting to know him better and giving him someone else to talk with and open up to.

I was also able to observe some classroom guidance today, with it being 4th grade Class Representative voting day. The kids were excited to give a short speech to their classmates, and they were really excited when we tabulated their votes and announced their reps. It was really cute hearing some of their speeches as to why they should be elected (maybe Obama and McCain should have been there taking notes)!

I really enjoyed my day today!