Hip Hip Hooray!

Whew, what a week this has been! School is finally over!! The graduation/promotion program was Thursday night. This was a program of musical selections plus awards, diplomas, and recitation of certain bits of knowledge learned. I felt pretty confident that the kids had their songs down cold, but I was a little more uptight about everything happening when it was supposed to and my doing and saying the right thing at the right time. All went well, though, generally speaking, with only one "issue."

I was sitting in the front pew next to the first graders. I was about to go up to present music awards, so I had them (the awards) in my lap and was "braced." Just then the little boy next to me told me he didn't feel so good. Understand this is the boy who always seems to find the opportune time to say he has to go to the bathroom really bad. So half the time, I don't really believe him, and I just believed he was probably a little excited or nervous. All I remember is encouraging him to relax, when suddenly his eyes widened, his cheeks ballooned, and then the contents of his stomach came spewing out all over the dark green carpet! Aaaagh!! Did I mention I was right next to him? I moved my legs quickly, so only a little bit got on my dark skirt. What I didn't hear was that one of the teachers had just called me forward to present the music awards. I was sort of sidetracked and the other teachers later said my eyes were quite large. I turned around and frantically beckoned the boy's mother up. At first she didn't know what I wanted because she hadn't seen anything happen. But comprehension dawned when she finally came up. I gathered my wits and my awards and staggered up to the pulpit, trying to ignore the noises and horrible stench just a few feet away, while I attempted to gracefully present awards. They soon got him out of there, and I learned later that it was the flu. Lovely. Amazingly, half the crowd didn't seem to know what had happened.

On Friday most of the staff went out to lunch in Seattle at a great seafood restaurant. This place has the best smoked salmon soup and chocolate volcano cake. Mmmmm....This cake is shaped like a cylander, the outer part being firm like a brownie, while the inside is creamy, warm, dark, rich chocolate. This heavenly concoction is further embellished with whipped cream and drizzled caramel. I was so stuffed when I was done!

Today was my student recital, which was fairly brief because about half my students couldn't be there due to sickness or other circumstances. Bad time of year. But everybody did pretty well and the audience seemed to enjoy it.

So there are two big hurdles out of the way! I still have to go to school a couple times to wrap up loose ends, but then I don't come back till September. People keep asking me what I'm doing this summer. Frankly, I haven't had much time to think about it! I'm not going to NH in July like I had hoped, but hopefully the Lord will provide so I can visit Jill in August or thereabouts. With a trip to Israel, braces, and a greatly depleted teaching load for the summer, my bank account is kind of skinny. But I do hope to get up to Victoria, B.C. for my birthday in August, if not sooner. I'll also be studying to earn 12-15 college credits. Hmmm...what else? Oh! Weddings! I'll be singing or playing in several. I plan to hike with some friends, have a few bbq's, bike a lot, swim a little, practice some, maybe strip and refinish my dresser, read, and save gas by not driving much!

My parents are in California for the weekend visiting some friends, so it's just the two of us knocking around the house (when I'm here, that is). My diet has been sort of bachelorish and I've got a nice stack of movies to keep us company. :-) I need to figure out my offertory for church tomorrow before I completely relax tonight.

Toodleloo!