Relaxing Weekend
Posted By Jill on September 6, 2009
We’ve really been able to relax this weekend, and it’s been a refreshing change from previous years. Fall is busy in our household with school starting, volleyball, and Jeremy’s schedule getting so busy. This year, however, because we started school a week before Labor Day, we were off Friday and have a nice 4-day weekend. So instead of scrambling to finish last-minute items to be ready for students – that was last weekend – we get to enjoy the time off! Mac and I enjoyed a day together on Friday while Jeremy was working, and yesterday we had some fun together all three of us! Today we’re looking forward to taking the boat out for what might be one of the last times we get it out this year, and tomorrow we might do the same. Mac gets his first ride on our boat – watch for pictures!
And to get caught up on all the other goings on…
We left off in my last post with our cabin trip and the allergy news. We spoke to the pediatrician again for some more information about the dog/hive reaction, and he did confirm it could have been the saliva – either a stronger reaction would be expected from saliva versus dander, or something the dogs ate contained another allergen. Either one could cause the hives, and we (in the end, not counting the panicking part) acted appropriately. 
The weekend was really nice and relaxing and a great opportunity to get to know Jeremy’s friends better. The boys spents some time playing their games while the girls got to know each other and played some of our own, and we also all played some games as a big group – 10 in all, not counting the three kids. Although it was a tough weekend to be gone, just before workshop week, I have to admit it was a welcome required rest once we got settled! Mac seemed to also enjoy his time playing in the lake, on the beach, in the sand, and with the other kids. He sure slept good!
And after that, the stress began… workshop week! It started with a day-long training on our new standardized testing system. This will be an incredibly good tool for our teachers and looks to accurately report on students’ progress and abilities. It was a long day, and we hosted it at Blessed Trinity – no big deal except it is a computerized test! So I had to make sure everything was working as we hosted 40 individuals from about seven different schools. It went great! Jeremy worked that day too, and Mac got to spend the day with Grandma!
Tuesday our teachers attended another day-long workshop on scaffolding instruction, but I did not have to attend since I’m not a classroom teacher. I had a great day with Mac, working during his naptime, and then took him to a 6-month follow-up in the neurobehavioral development study at the U. It was fun to see how he reacted to different toys and activities. He certainly is concrete-sequential. He likes things he can put in and take out, and things that seem to have a logical base. His favorites seemed to be anything like a ball and a board with holes into which he got to put pegs/dowels.
Wednesday was a full workshop day and the first day all our staff was together. We got through numerous business activities, celebrated Mass with the staff members of all three parishes, and enjoyed lunch together before our afternoon portion of the meeting. Jeremy worked again, and Mac went to daycare – all his friends from last year and summer were there! I worked until about 4:30 finishing up some student computers at our Penn campus.
Lucky for us, we worked so hard on Wednesday, that we didn’t have a faculty meeting on Thursday! 
I worked at home in the morning and during Mac’s nap, then Mac and 
I joined Roxi, Robin and Paige (Jeremy’s cousin & her daughter) at the fair! After a few hours there, we joined Jeremy and Robin’s husband Dirk at Big Ten for dinner where Mathew works. It was a busy fun day!
Friday I didn’t have to go in to work either, but I worked at home again. Mac was such a good boy! He played nicely on his own, and then I’d take breaks to play with him once in a while. He let me get almost all my work done, and after his nap we joined the relatives again at Roxi’s for dinner.
Saturday we got together with the relatives for a round of golf (9 holes – and yes, we took Mac with us!) and a BBQ.
Sunday the three of us went to the fair, where Jeremy would argue Mac’s favorite is the Moo Booth (or whatever they call that all-you-can-drink milk stand).
Video Length = 1:11 (unedited)
And then began the first week of school! Mac went to daycare on his “regular” schedule again, and Jeremy worked as well. It was tough for all of us to get up early, all week, but we made it. I started volleyball practices on Monday also, so I wasn’t home until about 4:30. My friend Lisa is again helping out by picking up Mac on her way in, so he got to play during my practices Monday and Wednesday and has done pretty well so far. Tuesday after school I had a meeting to introduce the Penn teachers to the new testing system, with the help of two teacher who also attended the training the week before. The whole week was filled with lots of student data issues and processes, as per usual for the first week of school. There are lots of places I need to get data and lists set up, and with people still registering the first week it makes finalizing lists a bit tricky. But we made it! Usually by about the third week things settle down and I can start concentrating on more instructional issues. Volleyball is off to a great start with almost the same exact team I coached last year. They are a terrific group of girls who work well together and most importantly like to have fun!
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