~ my black eyed-b ~

Wow! What a couple of weeks! School's getting ready to start, which means my life is extra busy 1. trying to get ready for school and 2. trying to fit some fun stuff in before it starts!!!


Quick recap:

• Monday (Aug. 1st) drove B. and my mom to Des Moines to visit my nephew and his two kids E and L.
• Tuesday back in Des Moines for a conference.
• Wednesday @work with other coaches planning facilitation for New Teacher Induction next week.
• Thursday @ work doing lots of stuff including meeting with the teacher that I am mentoring.
• Friday @ work coaching/developing consensus maps with teachers k-12.
• Monday (Aug. 8) New teachers first day of school -- called induction week. My role on this day was mostly a mentor.
• Tuesday -- continuation of New Teacher Induction -- today was literacy day, so heavy facilitation by me, and then more time with my mentee.
  

No daycare this week because the daycare provider's father died suddenly. I feel so sad for her and hope she is doing well. I can't imagine losing a parent so young. This resulted in a week that was full of scrambling to get B. hooked up with Grandma H. or Grandma B. She loved it though.


B. was extra tired from getting up so early for the Des Moines trip, and having her schedule all whack-a-do!

My favorite non-kid photo of the week was probably this one, taken the last weekend in July at the in-laws. Larry had just watered his garden, the sun was headed downward, and there were drops of water on the dill...


Did I mention that B. also had a way-too-close-encounter with the swing? Bob Dylan (well, Jimmie Rodgers) has his blue-eyed Jane, I have a black-eyed B.

My Zoot Daze continues to be a wonderful partner, I am very lucky to have him in my life. A simple, recent, example was on Aug. 2nd. He could be annoyed with my 365 project. It takes time and I get obsessed, etc. However, knowing I was tired from the travel and extra stress in our lives, he went out of his way to call me outside and say -- "I think I have your picture for today". And he did, indeed.
This subject also allowed me to practice my recent photography obsession -- "freelensing". For my use, it involves detaching the lens from the camera to be able to take a poor man's "macro" shot, but it can also be used to create a tilt-shift effect (which I haven't become obsessed with, yet). More information on freelensing, here.

I WON!!! Cristy over at the blog TheArthurz was giving away the new sketchbook, Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 8, and I won it! It arrived in the mail on Friday. I've taken a look, but there's no time for creativity this week -- or maybe for a bit -- I need to pour all that energy into work right now. Another week and I'll get a bit of a breather!

Until then, I'll keep my orange colored glasses on...