Our May is BUSY!!!

2 more weeks of soccer practices
2 more weeks of soccer games
Neighborhood yard sale
Graduation lunch at church
Teacher Appreciation Week (Mrs.Poff/Hudson/Wiggert - THANKS!)
Monday & Tuesday night softball games
Family "Camp Out" at school
Mother's Day
Third Grade SOL testing
BUNCO!!
First Grade field trip to Mountain Lake
Preparing for Parent/Teacher Conferences
Six Parent/Teacher Conferences
Memorial Day weekend in Northern VA
Nationals Game with Grandaddy Tom
Field Day
Preschool Graduation
Abby & Colby's Birthday
Abby's HSM Sleepover
Colby's "Bug" Party
Last Day of School/Work - PHEW!

Celebrating Brady!!

Still Remembering

I have no recollection of my morning before I found out but I seem to remember every detail of my day after I found out...

It all started when my coworker from the classroom next to mine told me that there had been a shooting on campus. My first initial thought was "Oh, great!" Thinking that this would be yet another incident like our community experienced 8 months earlier when an escaped convict was on the loose. Then I thought of Jonathan. The only details that I knew was that there was a "shooting on campus." Jonathan works on campus. I decided to try calling Jonathan just to make sure. The first two attempts there was no answer. After the third attempt, he answered - phew! Since we were notified of a "shooting on campus" our administrators asked us to be on the "look-out" for safety precautions...lock our classroom doors, keep the children away from the windows, keep the blinds closed, etc! Then shortly after finding out about the shooting, the fire alarm went off - Seriously!? Surely our administrators would not have a fire drill under these particular circumstances. So, why was the fire alarm going off!!?? Well, my co-teachers and I did what we needed to do and took our class outside on the playground by the fence. It was windy and COLD!!! The fire alarm didn't immediately stop like a routine fire drill would have...it kept ringing and ringing and ringing while the entire center was outside freezing. As my class huddled together to keep warm, my thoughts were not only wondering why in the world was the fire alarm still ringing but what if the "shooter" is on the loose. Once we finally got the OK to go back inside it was decided that it would be best for our entire center to go on lock-down mode which meant that our entire center (10 classrooms) congregate to the basement. Before my co-teachers and I took our class downstairs I remember making the comment, "Do you know who is probably freaking out about this?...my Dad!" Sure enough my administrator buzzed over and told me that my Dad had called and to call him when I got a chance. So down we went to the basement to join the other 150ish children and 30ish staff members for an inside "picnic lunch." I remember it being so hard to put on a smile and pretending that everything was just fine when it was not. Parents were picking up their children slowly but surely throughout the morning. The majority of the parents work on campus and were in lock-down mode like the rest of the community but as soon as it was possible they were there with open arms to pick up their children. Every parent had the same look on their face...the look of shock, disbelief. I will never forget the look of one of my administrators when she told me that there were now at least 20 people confirmed dead. Could that really be possible!? I immediately tried calling Jonathan again just to make sure. This time I got through on the first attempt - phew! As soon as all my parents picked up their children, my co-teacher and I left to go get our children. I needed to see them. I needed to hug them. I needed to be with them. I remember walking into their school and telling the lady at the front desk that I was there to sign my children out and take them home. She made the comment that everything was now "under control." I didn't care...I needed to be with my children. My children seemed a bit confused to see me and wondered why I was picking them up early. When we got in the car they questioned me and wondered some more. I told them that I needed to talk to Daddy first before I revealed any information to them. I did reassure them that Jonathan did not get fired when Brady asked if that was the reason why I was picking them up early. Jonathan was "released" from lock-down mode first so he got home before the rest of us. As soon as I walked in the door I hugged Jonathan tight. I didn't want to let go. We decided to tell Brady what had happened. I remember telling him as we sat together at the top of the stairs. I remember him hugging me after I told him. I remember so many little details of that day. I remember that it was a Monday morning. I remember that we ate chicken nuggets for lunch. I remember turning on the TV and watching the news coverage for the first time. I remember talking to my Dad on the phone while I sat on my bed watching the news. I remember that my friend from college (who I hadn't talked to in years) called. I remember talking to my sister and my sister-in-laws on the phone. I remember feeling out of breath. I remember feeling numb.

I still remember. I'm still remembering. I will NEVER forget...

Busy Afternoon

This afternoon Abby threw a baseball up in the air (in the living room!!) and managed to get it in the light fixture of our ceiling fan. Then Colby comes running inside and claims that there is a "tarantula" in our backyard (aka a small hairy spider). Then Colby's hand got hit by a baseball bat when the boys decided it would be a grand idea to fight with baseball bats. OH MY!!

Speaking of Colby...he is still on the "kissing in French" kick. He now wants to go to France so he can see people "kissing in French." He also made the comment, "I wonder how people kiss in China?"

Kissing in French

Last night when I was tucking Colby in and kissing him goodnight, he said to me, "Let's kiss in French" as he opened his mouth wide. Excuse me!? Did I just hear that from my first grader!!?? Apparently a little boy in Colby's class told him that people in France kiss with their mouths wide open. OH MY!!

Easter Weekend

More Random Thoughts

On Friday night, Abby and I had a Girls Night while Jonathan, Brady, and Colby had a Boys Night. The boys went to Brady's basketball practice then to Five Guys for dinner. Abby and I ran some errands then went to Panera for dinner. YUM! I got garden veggie soup in a sourdough bread bowl. Abby got a blueberry bagel. We shared a mango smoothie!!

The trio all had their last basketball games on Saturday. I'm sad that basketball season is over. I like that it is indoors :) We have now moved on to soccer season. Not looking forward to the early morning games with freezing cold weather!!

4 out of 5 of us all took Saturday afternoon naps!! It was so nice. I love naps!

On Saturday night, we had a candlelight dinner. It was so fun and so nice. Abby commented, "Can we do this every Saturday night?" We actually decided to have one tonight, too.

Abby & Colby learned a new word today thanks to one of Brady's 3rd grade buddies. They learned the correct terminology for "bottom." Yes, they learned the word "buttocks!" OH MY! They had so much fun using that word today. I think it was just about in every sentence they used this afternoon.

After our family walk/bike ride tonight, the 5 of us played basketball together. It was so fun! And so enjoyable. Brady commented, "Our family is so fun!"