Home again home again...

Hi all,

Well I know it's been a while since I last posted, but to be honest, I was busy! The end of the school year went pretty well, but it sure was a busy time, between report cards, finishing up all our final projects (including my students' personal written version of Alexander and Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day, which finished on the second to last day!), and getting ready for a trip home. It was a strange thing to say good bye to students I'd been working with all year. We'd built up quite a little family, and now they are alll split apart and sent on to middle school. I wished them well, and had joy that my first year of teaching went as well as it did. While there are several things I'd like to do differently next year, I do think overall I did a good job, and I don't think there was anyone in my class who was sorry to be there versus any of the other 5th grade teachers. We did a lot of learning, and at the end of the year, I could see that all of us had improved.

The next stage in our journey was to go back to the U.S. Due to the fact that our families are in such different locations (mine particularly), we decided to split up this time, and Todd went to California for quality time with his family and friends, and I'm on a country-hopping trip, and I journey to Seattle, Canada, Cincinnti, with perhaps a few road trips thrown in as well. Right now I'm finishing up my visit to Franny on Whidbey Island outside of Seattle. You can see the picture from that visit above. The highlight was certainly hanging out with my little niece, who I hadn't seen in two years. Let's just say she's changed a bit, and she really enjoys photo booth, much as most of my other friends seem to. Next I'm off to Canada, for time with Dad, Lisa and Esme, who just finished 5th grade herself. We'll have lots of notes to compare I imagine.

Todd is in California, and in addition to going to a wedding, and quality times with children (including a birthday party with around 30 kids!), did a hiking trip in Yosemite with his dad (see photo above). They backpacked in and enjoyed some splendid wilderness in relative solitude (unusual for Yosemite). That is one beautiful place!

I hope all of you are well,
love, Meghan