Wow......August flew by and now it's September!

I'm not really sure where to start. It's been a while since I've posted anything. August was Great, ok, and ugly! Started out with a lot of time with the kids, moved to me heading back to work and a wonderful 40th birthday celebration with my dear friends, and then one child with pneumonia, another with an ear infection, and me in the hospital.

To start the month, the kids and I busily enjoyed the hot summer days here. No plan, no time frame, just us sleeping and in then heading wherever our hearts desired. Good times with each of them!

Started back to work. In a way, it was really good. I've always been part-time (well at least for the past 8 years) and never really felt connected with many of my colleagues. When you are full-time, there are many opportunities to get to know the people you work with. I had several opportunities to enjoy lunch out, planning meetings, and the like with several of my "principal" friends and I enjoyed it. Of course, it was easy at the start of August because I had a much more flexible schedule. As the month progressed, so did my to do list and flexible time. Thankfully, I had started off well with my peers and I took each of them up on their offer to help me get ready for the year. I have some really wonderful people that I work with.....thank goodness!

August 16th, the day before my birthday was a mixed day. I was busily getting A LOT done around the house, feeling organized and worrying about Annalyse because she didn't feel well. I finally got her to relax enough to fall asleep and the next thing I knew, Joe was waking her up in order to head over to the Hollingbery's who he told me were going to watch the kids while we went out to dinner. I didn't have any warning about dinner and honestly, was pretty ticked that Joe woke up Anna! Never wake up a sleeping child, especially one who is NOT feeling well.... Anyhow, within minutes Joe had all the kids in the car and I thought he had left to take them over to our friends' but about 10 minutes later, Jackson was in the house asking why I was taking so long and telling me to hurry because "dad" was waiting in the car. Hmmmm... So, I threw on a shirt, as clean of jeans as I could find and pulled my hair back. Out to the car I went. Together, we all headed over to the Hollingbery's. Not thinking anything of it, we all got out of the car and went in........SURPRISE.........friends and family were waiting for a party for me. Fun! I do NOT like to be the center of attention and at first was really worried that there would be too many people but thanks to my dear friends and family, it was just the right amount of people for celebrating. Of course, my mom, my sister and my gram were there. Yeah! In addition, my girlfriends Debra, Jamie, Barb, and Hilary and their families were all there as well. I couldn't have asked for a better guest list. Close friends and family enjoying a great evening together. Just perfect for me!

The following week was very busy. A full week for sure at work. One week of professional development with the new superintendent. A lot of planning for the year and a lot of work done. Then, Friday night came and Julianne woke up screaming and crying and telling us her ear hurt. I took her to the dr. in the morning and her ears were fine but after breathing for the doctor and a trip to get some x-rays, we learned that our little Jules had walking pneumonia! No symptoms, no fever, no cough.......weird! She started on antibiotics and is now pneumonia free. :) Having twins, two days later, Annalyse woke up screaming and crying and telling us her ear hurt. Thankfully, her symptoms were in line with her diagnosis, an ear infection. Another on antibiotics and now fine.

Joe and I helped host my sister and Brad's wedding shower at their new house on Saturday (same day Jules went to dr. for pneumonia) and we were VERY busy. We had invited 50 plus people and it was a full house. Many of Brad's co-workers from the Seattle School District came and several of their friends made it as well. It was a fun evening and their house looked so beautiful and put together. They truly looked like they enjoyed the evening together. Joe and I on the other hand were exhausted and didn't get to bed until around 1 a.m. A wake up call around 9 a.m. got us up and going in time for Boeing day at Joe's work. With a few extra kids in tow, we spent the day touring the big campus of Boeing. It was a fun day and we were all extra tired at the end of it.

Off to work on Monday feeling very, very exhausted. Worried about falling asleep while driving. Stopped off in Bellevue to get a latte and fresh air. Felt a little better and made it through the day at work. Driving home, the same wave of exhaustion waved over me. I came home and went directly to bed not waking up until 10:30 the next morning with a 104 degree temp. Not good. My says I wasn't that coherent and called Joe to take me to the doc. Being the loving husband that he is, he came home and took me straight in. At the dr., Joe got out on one side of the car and I got out on the other. Only with my high temp, I blacked out and Joe caught me falling to the ground. The dr. sent us to the hospital and we ended up spending the day there trying to get me rehydrated and the fever down........sent home with antibiotics prescribed for a "kidney" infection (though I didn't have any symptoms). Went directly to bed and woke up Thursday, not recalling the day between the hospital visit and the time I woke up. A whole day lost. TERRIBLE timing because it was one of the two mandatory days for me to provide professional development for my staff. Not a good start with them for the year. Still a 104 degree temp and back to the hospital per my doc and Joe talking. Another day getting rehydrated and then back home..........sleep and fever go on until Sunday night when FINALLY my fever moved down to 100 degrees. Monday feeling better and Monday night feeling really good again. Tuesday all better and back to work for the second day of my school's school year. The rest of the week was very busy but felt great.......two ice cream socials, lots of smiling kids, and a handful of parents not happy about their child's class placements.

Now, the start of Labor Day weekend. Time for family, time for catch up, and time to do whatever I want!!! Feeling good is such a GREAT thing!!!