Martha's Vineyard

I'll write more later, but I wanted to post some pics from my fabulous week in (on? at? I never figured that one out) Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with my incredible cousins.

the house where we lived for a week... I shared a room with Cameron... it's the one with the open window

the view from the porch... I couldn't get enough of this view!

Can you beat a complete double rainbow??? I think not!

How about a gorgeous sunset from two different views on the same night?




Or, maybe a serene Japanese garden on Chappaquiddick Island is more your speed...

Anyone up for kayaking on the ocean? I got to do it twice... so much fun!

The theme for the week, written on a Boston Cream Pie, no less. Lobsta! Chowda! Beeya! We had plenty of each! :)

Weekly Update

How is it possible that I can actually be busier in the summer than in the school year? :)

Pippin had a good run this weekend. I was disappointed in our houses, but the show is not super well-known, so maybe that's why people stayed away. I had a showstopping moment on Saturday night when I knocked part of the set over... gotta love that. Ugh. How mortifying. But, other than that, I think the first FACT musical in the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center was a success.

I'm trying to get my classroom closed up this week and all my laundry done, so I can be ready to leave on my trip Saturday. I hope all the roads are open on the way to the Cedar Rapids airport. I will get back home on the 27th of June and will be here just a day or two (can't miss Emma's birthday party on the 28th!) before I head over to Council Bluffs. I'll be there until around July 8. It will be great spending time with Tracy and her family. Then I'm home for a couple weeks before I head over to Shenandoah for the Wabash Arts Camp from July 21-25. It's always fun, and it's great summer money too. The last bash of the summer will be 3 days at the State Fair with Tracy, wedged in between when I have to be back to school for meetings at the beginning of August. Looks like I'm not going to get my garage cleaned out AGAIN! That's always my summer goal, and it's yet to happen. Oh well. Maybe someday. ;)

Open Heart opens Friday at the Sondheim Center. I'm ushering for opening night, and then Jason, Suzanne, and I have our season tickets for the night of the 28th. It is written by and stars Robby Benson. He and his wife are here performing in it, along with another member of the New York cast. It's pretty exciting having another celebrity on our stage. I know all our summer interns are having fun being in it. The other two summer shows are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a new musical about the life of Iowa's own Meredith Wilson, Banjo Boy. It will be nice being in the audience for those in our beautiful new theatre!

Weekly Update

IT'S SUMMER!!!

yea yea yea yea yea yea yea

Ah, teachers love their summers, that's for sure!

Summer school started today. We have 13 kids, and they seem like a good group. It's only from 8-12 every morning, and we get to be in the air-conditioned library, so that's much more pleasant than the regular classroom. My friend Heather and I have taught it for several years, so we kind of have it down to a science. It's actually pretty fun, and it's a good summer job. I'll only be teaching the first two weeks instead of the full three, because the last week I'll be on (in? at? I so don't know the lingo) Martha's Vineyard with my McLeod cousins. I absolutely can't wait. I've never been there, and I'm just dying to see my cousins again.

Pippin opens tomorrow night. We're ready for an audience, but I'd say we still have some growing to do. I love the music in the show, but I have to get myself back in the mindset of community theatre. I just need to relax and have fun a little. I know it will be fine.

We're actually having a sunny day here in Fairfield. They have been rare lately. It poured in the middle of the night, and I think it is supposed to rain again tonight and tomorrow, but I'm going to enjoy today while it lasts. I rode my bike to school today, and I might extend that ride later. It's gorgeous!

Weekly Update

I can't believe there is only one day left of this school year. Where has it gone? I personally feel like I've been going 100 miles an hour and haven't even had a second to breathe. I know I create that atmosphere myself, and I'd rather be busy than sitting in front of the TV, but learning a new job this year has been tiring... fun, but tiring.

The past two weekends were full of graduation parties. I had former students' parties (Madeline, Margaret, Mallory, Kirsten, Jon) and my stepnephew Josh's party too. Josh was born during my senior year in high school, and he was a blonde, blue-eyed, 7-month-old hit at my graduation party. In fact, when he and my stepsister Renee came over to stay with us at my graduation, Josh pulled up for the very first time. It was so cute. For a special addition to his present, I dubbed a bit of the video from my graduation party where I'm carrying him around on my hip. I don't know that he cared at all, but it was fun to do. Most kids forget (or WANT to forget) middle school by their high school graduations, so it's always really special when I get invited to parties. It really means a lot to me.

We're rehearsing really heavily for Pippin. It's fun being at the Sondheim Center for a FACT show. I hope we can continue that every summer. I'm a little bummed that I can't be in any of the summer season at the Sondheim... they're starting rehearsals this week, and it's hard to not be in the midst of it all... but, I'm going to have such a fun summer, so I know it will be worth it. I can't believe Pippin opens a week from today. Eek! I like my part a lot though... it's fun, and my songs are a blast to sing.

The trips went well with the 6th and 7th grades. I adore the trip to Nauvoo. It's so well done. If you haven't been there, it's a great day trip, and everything is FREE! I've been there in the summer before, and there was more of a religious focus than when you take school groups, but if you don't mind that, you'd absolutely love going there. I also appreciate that when school groups come, they tone it down a little. My kids behaved well, and we all had a great time.

The 7th grade trip to Hannibal was on Monday. It went well too, but next year, I will structure the day a little differently. They had a little too much free time in town. They weren't misbehaving, but a little more scheduling would have helped. We went to the Mark Twain museum first, and then they had their free time, and we all climbed up to the lighthouse. This picture shows the last bit of steps... I think there were 244 in all, or something like that. Anyway, aside from sucking wind by the time I got to the top, it was fun. The view of Hannibal was amazing from there.

Next, we went on the Mark Twain riverboat cruise of the Mississippi. We had sack lunches on the boat, and it was relaxing and entertaining. Here is a view from the boat:Finally, we went to Mark Twain Cave. This was the highlight for me. Our tour lasted an hour (we had a great guide and the kids were pretty attentive), but I wanted more! It stays at about 52 degrees in the cave all year around, so it felt wonderful after a sticky day in town. Caves fascinate me anyway, but this was the first one I really remember. Matt and I came here with Dad when we were little. I took a ton of pics in the cave (way too many, but, oh well).It was a long day, but it was worth it. We were gone from about 7:30a.m. to about 6:30p.m. Then I went right to rehearsal. Now, finally, all the trips are done. I really need to spread them out next year... for my own sanity!