Summer Fun

This summer has happily become known as the "Bum Life" among my friends and I. No one really planned it, but somehow about 75% of us are all without a job or any regular and ongoing commitments to keep our time occupied. It's a good thing that we are all professionals in the filling-unscheduled-time department. So, then, the question begs, what have we done with our time? Lots.

At first I saw this summer as overwhelming without anything going on. I'm very much a person who likes routine and is productive when I have stuff going on regularly. However, slowly but surely, one person at a time, the Bum Life grew.

The Bum Life essentials are: friends with no jobs/time consuming commitments, a minimal budget to be used sparingly on adventures and day trips, a lot of sunscreen, and no agenda for the day.

Here are some picture highlights of this fun summer:

Spent many a beautiful day at the pool soaking up some of God's good rays! (with sunscreen of course!) 

Even tho Dad isn't in it.... celebrated Father's Day with some minor league baseball  and pizza! 

Scootered around Davis to get some french fries from our robot friends at Carl's Jr. 

Played many a game of Phase 10 with some awesome junior highers! Hayley, we miss you!!

Mama Tits came to town so we enjoyed our traditional pepperoni pizza from Cafe Italia! 

The pic is blurry (obviously) but we had fun waiting 14 innings to see the Giant's win! 

And now we make it to the beach house.... 11 friends, 1 bathroom and a ton of good memories! 

This little treasure of a beach was fantastic! Thanks Northern California! 

Best part of vacationing with friends...sharing beds! 

Las Chicas during our last little bit at the beach! 

Went to the drive in! We brought couches and enjoyed ourselves some Cars 2! 

We helped out at the week long day camp at Church! These 2 were fun to lead with! 

And fun to make fun faces with! 

I'm gonna miss this Ice Princess when she leaves for Chicago! 

We had a character night. This pic reminds me that my friends and weird! 

All these fun adventures have reminded me how it isn't necessarily about what you do with those around you (although, I have had some fun, clearly!) but it is about who you get to spend time with. I'm amazed at how God has strengthened this group of friends to the point where it feels like we are all on dysfunctional family and the only thing that makes us function is the love we have for each other. I'm appreciative of all the memories that I've gotten to make this summer during the Bum Life and with all the people that have shared in it with me. To all those that take the time read all the way through, I hope you've been reminded of the good one's in your life during the summer moments! That warm fuzzy feeling great friends give you is really priceless!

Special Delivery!

Lately I've been feeling a little "middle of the road" with all the transitions that are taking place. I say middle of the road, because I really don't do that well with change but I am excited to be settled into a new environment and working with new students at a new school. I like to think of myself as someone who welcomes adventures, and new, and unpredictable, but really I'm a creature of habit and I like when I know what to expect.  As I'm getting ready for a new adventure, I'm a little wary of the whole "start." I know that once I settle into everything it will be great, and I'll be constantly reminded why I wanted to pursue my teaching credential, but right now I'm feeling pretty up-in-the-air about it all! 

I'm also gearing up for the whole "friends-that-are-leaving" part of the next adventure. It seems that that is a normal marker, and one that will be a part of the next few years. While I'm excited for all the new adventures life is bringing us all, not being able to sit down at the same table and laugh and cry about all the ups-and-downs of each and every day definitely take me some getting used to. I'm not usually this emotional about that stuff, but I've found myself on the brink of tears whenever I think about those "see ya laters"(because I KNOW they will NOT be goodbyes). I don't think they are completely tears of sadness, but just tears of "damn, we've had some good times." I know that there will be new friends in the picture and that they will be just as fabulous, but never will replace these friendships! 

But, the real reason I'm posting today is because I got something so fantastic and special in the mail today! There was one student in particular that I got extremely close to last year and I was heartbroken to leave at the end of the year. He definitely stole a huge chunk of my heart. Anyway, I wanted to keep in touch with him however I could. I know that once school starts, my co-workers will do what they can to keep us in touch, but until then.... 

ANYWAY! I wrote him a letter a couple weeks ago just telling him about my summer and asking him some questions. His social worker told me not to expect anything in return which made me a little sad, but i sent the letter anyway. I included a self-addressed envelope and a "checklist" like the ones that we used day-in and day-out at school with some ideas for what he can write me back with. I checked the mail this morning, with my "middle-of-the-road" attitude in full swing. And i peaked inside our dinky mail box and i saw my self-addressed envelope sitting under some crappy ads! I WAS SO ELATED AND EXCITED!!!!!!!!

He used our checklist to write me back, including things about his summer, how his swim lessons are going, what book he is reading, and even drew me a little picture! It was absolutely precious and reminded me that I can be a little more on the high side of the road as I approach all this transition! It's things like that that just make me love working with kids! 

Mary Poppins brings all of us to our best

With Every job when it's complete

There is a sense of bitter-sweet

That moment when you know the task is done

Though in your heart you'd like to stay

To help things on their way

You've always known they must do it alone

One of the things I love about seeing the Broadway version of one of my favorite movies is that the different themes tend to smack you across your face when it comes at you from the magical stage of Broadway instead of your 12 inch TV screen. This past weekend I went to see Mary Poppins in Sacramento with my family and Dash and I had one of these "thematic slaps" at the very end of the play. To really get it though, you need some background....

This is the last week of school before summer break. After summer (aka in early August) I start my teaching credential program at Sac State and will have a new school and a new bunch of kiddos to get to know. It seems to be the way that life just reminds you just how good you've got it right before it is time to give it up and move on. I've just had several occasions in the past week or two reminding me of just how cool these kids are that I've gotten to work with this year. Whether it be in the form of a gold mining field trip with 4th graders, helping out in a kindergarten class, making books out of scrap paper with a group of hard working 2nd graders, or listening to the funny jokes of a 4th grade boy, it has just been so enjoyable! 

However, there is one little 4th grader who has made such a difference in my year! I can't imagine how this year would have been without him there. I'd be lying if I said I didn't grow attached to him. As school is winding down, I've thought a lot about how I'm going to maintain contact with him. I just wanna know how he's doing, how school is going, let him know I still care about him! Ahhh!!!! so much "I wants"....

Anyway, back to my thematic slap this weekend. At intermission I was talking to my mom about feeling anxious about leaving a life that I've grown to really enjoy, to start a new one with quadruple the amount of stress. She reminded me that the things I love the most about my job will always be present as a teacher.... Being the typical stubborn daughter I am, I tried to tell her that I just do what I do so well and I don't want to leave the kids and I just don't wanna.....

Well it wasn't until the last song (the 6th reprise of Spoonfull of Sugar) came on that Mary Poppins herself gave me some advice that will probably stick with me so long as I grow close to kids in the classroom.... She reminded me that even though your heart wants nothing more than to stay put and constantly be around, the real success and gratitude lies in stepping back and watching kids do it on their own. I hope that my year spent with these kids, my one little friend in particular, impacts them in a positive way. 

After all, Mary Poppins says it all when she says "they must do it alone" ......