Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Summer and heading into Fall

So much has happened in these past few months!  Andrew has graduated from high school and is now at Pennsylvania College of Technology ( Penn College- an affiliate of Pennsylvania State) studying Web Design and Interactive media.  He has been there for just over a week and so far so good from what I hear.  Of course this mom's complaint is that I haven't heard a ton from him- and I really am trying to give him his space- but it is hard- AND he has spent a lot more time talking to his DAD!!!  Now, I  understand that he talks to his dad about things like motorcycle brakes, hooking up gaming consoles and computer questions- things his mom can't help with- but still!!!

Whitney has started cross country again and although I can't really say that she seems to enjoy running 3 miles- doing it does make her feel good and she likes her teammates- both good things.  She has also started her first job that is not babysitting.  ( Yes- everyone just keeps growing up!)  She is working at a local bed and breakfast. I am thankful that she got the job basically after I was done or close to being done working 2 jobs ( more on that later)- and closer to when she may be getting her own drivers license. ( has an appt. to take her test in a few weeks!)  It just worked out well.  She does a variety of things from helping make salads to dishes to cleaning rooms and setting up for events.  It is nice because they are only open Weds- Sunday and they seem really willing to work around her schedule- and it is close. However there are stories that the place is "haunted"...
She starts school this week- I am hoping for a good year.  She is not excited to start- and it may be harder not having her big brother around. 

Jayna has been so excited to start Commonwealth Connections Academy!  That is the online charter school she will be attending this upcoming year. She is not happy that Whitney "gets" to start school a week earlier than she does!  We worked on her schedule the other day- she generally has about 4 classes a day and after a month can sign up for clubs and electives.  She has been a bit obsessive looking at all the info.  We also added some of our own things into the schedule- volunteering at the animal shelter 2 x's a month and our own gym class ( some kind of physical activity once a week)- although she does have a gym course.  I have to say that every time I have attended one of their sessions in person, I have felt good about the choice we have made to give this a try.  Here is to hoping it is a good year too!

So this summer I ended up working two jobs- in the morning at a preschool camp, and then in the afternoon at Easter Seals working as a COTA.  It was busy! Probably not many more hours than working full time- but was crazy trying to be done with one job at 12 then changing/eating/driving to the other job and sometimes having to start there by 12:30. I had accepted the camp job before the Easter Seals job had come available- and because I could- and knew they were having difficulty with staffing levels I felt like it was best to go ahead and try both. The Easter Seals job had started out as just to cover during maternity leave.

Well-this is now a few weeks old, and I still haven't put pictures in ( I can't find them, although my hubby says they are now on the computer), so I am going to go ahead and post this as is before it is even more outdated!

And so it goes....

Just Read: "The Confession"- by John Grisham  . I liked this book a lot.  Usually when I read Grisham I come out of it feeling like I have learned something- and this was true this time as well.