long time no see

I've been a stranger around here.  I know.  School is great.  Sports are great.  The kids are great.  Summer vacation is in five days, so everything is pretty rosy.   Here's what you've missed in the past few months. 

You missed sports.  So many sports.  Hours of baseball.  I love me a good baseball game, but good grief- 4 innings is the max of my attention span.  The season is almost over. 

Both kids played soccer for our school.  I don't think I ended up with any pictures of poor Lou at soccer this season.  This was Bee's second year to play soccer.  Here she is with green hair for the tournament.   Her team had two photographer moms, which is the only reason I have pictures of her.  I used to be so good.  Now, I'm lucky to show up with the right kid and the right field with the right colored jersey.  

We have two weeks of baseball and then we get to start summer sports camps!

Hubby has big news!   This picture was taken two weeks ago.  It was a happy first day of school picture!  Hubby got a job at our school.  He's serving now as the Director of Administration.  Two weeks in and he's loving it!  Seriously a burden has been lifted off of him.  

He had been with his old job for 12 years and it was a good job for us for a long time.  It allowed us to live in Florida for a few years and then move back to the midwest when we were ready.  It allowed me to stay home with the kiddos when they were little.  He gained a lot of great managerial experience and experience working with customers.  He's been ready to move on for at least the last three years.  The goal in me coming back to work full time was to allow him to have some freedom in his job hunt.  We let a few things pass, knowing that the right thing would come along.  It has!  His birthday card from my mom said, "this is your year."  I think it just might be.  

I have news too-    My grade level team leader has accepted another great job and I was asked to take her spot as third grade team leader.  It's a bit more work (gulp) and lots of detail organizing stuff.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to mess up but praying I'm given lots of grace.  

Also, I was super surprised, like stupid surprised last week.  At the evening awards ceremony I was awarded the Innovative Teacher of the Year award.  Hubby knew for several days but I was dumbfounded.  He had to nudge me and tell me to go onstage.  I sat in the farthest spot from the stage and wore the floppiest shoes I own.    You know when people say, it was an honor just to be nominated... well, I didn't know I was even a candidate. But, it is an honor to be this year's recipient.  

Well, you're updated for now. Five days of school left.  That's what's important at our house this week. 

new shoe thing

Our shoes have a new home thanks to my dad.  He built us this really great shoe shelf after a phone conversation where I described what we needed.   We were having a shoe crisis because we have no real landing spot in our front room. Shoes were everywhere. We have an older home and apparently in the 60s you just walked right in and wore your shoes in the house.

   
I love how it looks in the entry way/living room. Most of our rooms are combo like that. 

We totally love it.  It fits in great with the living room and makes for a nice shelf for catching items as we enter the house.   It holds a million pairs of shoes.  

I just noticed you can see my 'new' cabinet.  It's new to the blog, but I've had it since November.  An antique style shop in the next town over closed down and was selling display pieces.  I snatched this guy up.  Hubby was less than pleased with my purchase.  I think it's grown on him.  

It had doors on the top with it but they didn't fit well.  We ended up using one of them to make a photo holder.  Our poor kitchen table is now smooshed in there, but I insisted on putting the new cabinet in the dining room/kitchen.  

There are 10 days left of school.  10 days!  I only have to make it 10 more days!