Hilton Head Island

welp, vacation is over.  ryan and i went to hilton head island, south carolina, with his family for the past week. the week started with me driving down to georgia with ryan's dad, brother, and nieces.  we stayed with his aunt and uncle for the night.  it was great seeing them! definitely need to go down again to spend some time with them.

after two days of driving, we finally were in hilton head.  i was happy to be there, but i missed ryan and emmy so much.  i couldn't wait for ryan to get there. after we ate supper, we took the kiddos to the beach for a late night stroll in the dark.  lukey had his first experience with the ocean.

we spent most of our time at the beach and the pool. the kiddos liked the beach, but it did not compare to the pool.  i think they could have spent every waking moment at the pool. i was pretty content on the beach with a book, but oh well.  (speaking of books, i finished the best book Bright Young Things by anna godbersen.  i loved her first series The Luxe, and Bright Young Things really compared.  very different, but still very gossip girlish.) 

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ryan finally joined us monday night.  his flight kept getting pushed back farther and farther.  he ended up getting into savanah, georgia, around 1:30 a.m.  goodness was i tired, but ecstatic to see him! 

when we went to the beach tuesday, there was a guy fishing who caught a sting ray.  it wasn't a little sting ray either.  this sting ray was probably four feet long and two feet wide. it seemed like everyone on the beach gathered around to see. 

ryan and i decided we had to do something out of the ordinary during the week, and we agreed to go parasailing.  this was an adventure.  i am terrified of heights, but i couldn't pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity.  let me just say, it was cool, but never again.  there were twelve of us on the boat.  the one girl on the boat was a spunky preteen who was scared to go up as well.  our "first mate" was very entertaining.  he kept everything light and tried to ease everyone's nerves. 

 ryan and i went up second to last.  it felt like you just floated off the boat.  it was absolutely serene when we first went up.  i was actually enjoying myself and not scared.  then the driver decided to jerk us.  i will not repeat what i yelled at that point, but it wasn't appropriate for all ears.  i had no choice but to tough it out.  it was an amazing experience, even if i was freaked out the majority of the time.  

that night we went to harbor town (which is the same place we parasailed).  this was our favorite place by far!  the area had a lighthouse that you could see from any part of the harbor.  the area was very laid back and the weather was probably the best it had been all week.  there were red rocking chairs up and down the harbor.  we spent a good amount of the evening in the rocking chairs.  i had blake sleeping on my chest while i rocked, which was just so comforting.  i love the feel of a sleeping baby on my chest.  it was a great evening.

i am so happy to be home! i'm loving having emmy snuggling up next to me again.  i leave for chicago tomorrow while ryan goes back to work on monday.  i'm heading up for a conference. i wish i had a little time between the two trips, but i'll be glad when they are over.   until later.

~laura

happy fourth

the past couple days have been great.  ryan took off the two days after the fourth so that we could have some family time.  with us going on vacation with the entire family soon, we thought it would be nice to spend the time just us.  for the fourth we went to st. charles riverfront to watch the fireworks. i <3 fireworks.

on thursday we went to the science center to beat the heat.  it was uber crowded!  we didn't spend a lot of time there, but i was really fascinated with some of the dinosaur bones they have on display.  i have never been super interested in dinosaurs,,, but for some reason i found it so cool that paleontologist make cast for dinosaur bones before they move them from the site.  and they use aluminum foil to protect the bone from the plaster.  who would have thunk it?

friday, we spent some great family time with lucas.  jen had a doctor's appointment, so we went out to babysit little man.  she took joel with her since he is still breast feeding, and we really wouldn't have been able to give l some great one on one time if joel would have been there. ryan loves hanging out with the boys, and they really love him too.  and if ryan isn't there and i am, all i hear is, "where's uncle ryan?"  i love it!!!  we swam with lucas for a couple hours and then went out to dinner with the whole fam.  

(yes, ryan is showing off one of lucas's toys.)

today i am working on some school stuff.  can you believe that i feel like my summer is pretty much over? we leave for south carolina soon, and when i come back, i have school stuff until school starts.  i am really looking forward to south carolina and to my trip to chicago for the differentiated learning conference, but i don't want my summer over yet.  

i do have to say, though, that when i went to wal-mart i was super excited that school supplies were out. and i bought some.  i mean a ton.  oh well.

i am working on a new idea for my classroom- reading response journals.  i had no idea how i was going to make AR (accelerated reading) more valuable in my class, and i think i found the solution.  every friday the kids will spend ten minutes writing in their journals.  they will give a brief summary of what they read, answer three response questions, and define three unfamiliar words in the text.  i am being extra cognoscente of the core standards that each and every activity we do in class covers, and this activity stands up well with the core standards.

and of course, while i worked, emmy tried preventing me from getting anything done. gotta love the furbaby.

i'm taking  a break from A Wrinkle in Time today, but i will get back at it next week.  i have the final projects figured out, which i think is what i am most excited about.  i also am having the kids create tessellations.  i don't know how that will go over, but i think it will be really cool.  i am spending my time reading each chapter and writing notes about the chapter.  what's great is that i am really seeing the book from a different perceptive than when i read it the first time, and i love it.  

well more later.

~laura

Summer so far...

ryan and i have had a pretty mild summer so far.  we've had lots of family time, and that has been fabulous! i have worked on some lesson plans (which i will share later)- so excited for the lesson i have been working on for A Wrinkle in Time.  it's a favorite for me, and i really hope the kiddos will like it too. we haven't gone anywhere yet this summer, but ryan had a first...he drove a tractor!  dad's birthday was a couple weekends ago, and dad spent the day working on his tractors.  he told ryan he wanted him to drive...and who can argue with the birthday boy.

i also took a sewing class this summer at the sewing corner here in st. charles.  stephanie, the instructor, was fabulous.  i would highly recommend her for a class or alterations.  she posts on a blog totally stitchin'  for baby lock.  i made a pillow case and an apron.  

in addition to starting to sew, i refinished a dresser.  my parent's neighbor (and a good friend of mine) was getting rid of her daughter's dresser.  i wasn't in love with the color, but i knew that it was in great shape and had tons of potential.  i painted it an awesome blue color.  i am still looking for baskets to put in the center instead of drawers and new hardware.  i love how it has turned out so far.  i can't wait to put it all together.

well, that's pretty much our summer so far.  the next couple days ryan is taking off so we can have a little family vacation in the area.  really looking forward to some time just to us.  i've spent a lot of time with family and friends, but not so much with ryan.  well, until later.  

~laura