Chess Game

This is called the Chess Game. It's in a park in downtown Washington. Thought I'd show you.

Sometimes when you are between lanes of traffic and waiting for a light, you just have to take a picture.

Leaving Daycare

One of our sweet little daycare students is leaving us for good due to a switch in mom's job. Jeff and I really loved her big personality. She was always the last student to leave daycare each day too. So, we will miss her alot. We each just had to take one last picture with her. :)

Trunk or Treat

This year at Trunk or Treat, Jeff decided he would be a nerd and his mom and I would be his books. I wanted to be pirates, but oh well. Next time. It was so cold that night, that we actually packed up much earlier than expected and spent the rest of the time indoors. One woman had her car represent Jonah and the whale. Can you see it?

Jeff, the Nerd, and Josh is what we liked to call "the Unabomber or Americanized Taliban". Nice book that Jeff picked. We were close to Reformation afterall.

Red Ribbon Week

For Red Ribbon Week we helped an organization called A-SPAN, which stands for Arlington Street People's Assistance Network. We did all types of things for them that week, including collecting new socks, coloring brown paper bags for the nightly meals they give out, and also walking to bring more awareness to the organization. Here are some pictures from our walk. We even received nice shirts, which I have since used to help dust my furniture at home. :)

It was a nice experience for the kids.

Smithsonian Teacher's Night

By the time I arrived in D.C. off the metro, the sunset was almost gone. It was a wonderful night at the American History Museum. I received so many nice visual aids and free teacher lesson plans for free. It was great. The nice food and drinks weren't too bad either. It was a first for me to be strolling out of a museum in Washington D.C. drinking white wine. I can't wait to go again next year. This picture was taken while moving, but you can see how many people are there, and that was only in one area. Think about three floors of that.

I got a chance to take some pictures of some good displays without anyone crowding me. Here is one from the Olympics.

Of course, you have to get a picture of him.

And then the famous dresses of the First Ladies. This first one is my favorite. It is so beautiful. The back is even better.

Can you guess who wore the rest of the dresses?

Hey You! Yeah, I'm talking to You!

Don't forget to head over to my ER-Unshackled.blogspot.com. I'm in need of some help, so check it out.

Changing Times

See what Concordia did behind the chapel at Ann Arbor. Shocker! I had fun exploring in that jungle of growth back there and now it's gone.

Visiting Allison and Leah

I just love baby yawns.

Luray Caverns

Rebecca and I went to Luray Caverns today, southwest about two hours from Arlington, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was amazing. Certainly a must see in Virginia if you have never been there. The tour is over a mile long and takes about an hour, but it is well worth it. I think we both took hundreds of pictures. Here are a few of the best. Make sure to click on each picture so you can see it even better. This was one of our favorite spots. It looks like there are pieces coming from the ceiling and the floor, but that is not the truth. In reality, a few inches of water lay on the surface of the ground and reflect the ceiling. It is a very cool trick of the eye.

The colors in the cavern were breathtaking.

I can't wait to go again.

National Geographic

Some of my students did a wonderful job on their National Geographic cover and magazine. Some of them almost looked like the real deal.

Letters, Letters, Letters

For the past few weeks I have been receiving tons of mail from Michigan. My nieces Emma, Claire, and Hannah and their mommy have been sending me a letter almost every day. Each envelope I opened had a letter in it that had been colored so beautifully. I was just told to keep them in a safe place and I'd find out why later. Well, a day ago they told me to unscramble all the letters and there would be a message. Look at all those letters....wow! This could be the message...I'm trying to think what it could be.

I got it! Wait...I don't have a pet...maybe that can't be it.

Alright! I love parties in the tub. I can splash around and play with my toys. But I still have letters left over. That must not be the message.

Turn the bed? No, that can't be it.

HEY!! That's not nice. There must be a better message than that.

Well, I guess I was happy at birth. My parents were happier I expect. I still have letters though. Hey...happy...birth...I GOT IT!!!

I LOVE IT! Thank you so much girls. What a surprise for me! I can't wait to look at it over and over again. What a special gift and I can see all the hard work you put into it. Kiss, Kiss, Kiss, Kiss to all four of you. And kiss daddy too!

School Birthday

My students made sure to let me know that they didn't forget my birthday. Right down to a brownie with around 10 candles coming out of it.