Spring Break 2011

Last week was Becker's spring break, and what an interesting one it was.

Although I was off for the week, I actually took the time to put in some practicum hours at Talahi Elementary School in St. Cloud to try to get a little closer to completing the 200 hours required for the media teaching license. I logged in 40 hours reading books to kids, helping with MCA testing, and helping kids navigate educational websites. I wasn't sure if I would actually like working in an elementary setting considering that most of my career has been spent in a high school, but over the course of last week, I fell in love with the energy, optimism, and unconditional love of elementary kids. When I say to high schoolers, "Today we're going to read", most of them groan about the dread that is about to ensue. If I say the same exact phrase to a group of 1st graders, the smiles on their faces light up the room. It's easy for me to forget how passionate little kids are to learn and receive positive attention. I'm excited to know that elementary media might just be a possibility for me--it's a position that I think I would like.

Since I would be slaving away with little kids and we are without daycare, Jay took the week off to baby-sit. Jay and the kids spent two days together during the week, and they were busy running errands and getting ready for Jay and Eli's big trip to Colorado.

On Wednesday, Jay and Eli flew to Colorado to visit Uncle Kelly (Jay's brother), as well as Katjana, Dar, and Jen. This was Eli's first trip on an airplane, and according to Jay, Eli did really well. While in Denver, the boys spent a great deal of time outside in the warm Colorado sunshine and they took a trip to the Denver Zoo. The trip was pretty short, just Wednesday to Saturday, but it was a good time overall (minus the cancelled flight on Saturday making the trip home extra long). Once I get the pictures uploaded and organized, I will be sure to have a new post devoted to this trip. Stay tuned.

During the time of the Colorado trip, Ainsley stayed with my parents because I was still busy during the day. Ainsley had quite the adventure, too, going to have donuts at the senior center, going out to eat with Grandma Cheryl's girlfriends, and practicing her new-found walking skills.

With all of the family farmed out to other locations, I was left with three glorious evenings to myself. Although I missed having my hubby and kids around, I also enjoyed having some time to catch up on some things and having some quality me-time relaxing with a good book. During my hiatus, I painted the entryway/hallway to the house a beautiful yellow color (thanks to the help of my very good friend, Jo, and her handy trim pad tool which made trimming the ceilings a breeze), I read a few upper elementary books and I started Corelli's Mandolin which I'm positive will make it's way to my top-5 favorite books, I shopped around a bit, and I went to my favorite coffee shop, The Local Blend, to listen to my friend, Karl Van Beckum, and his jazz trio play.

If a break is meant to re-group and refresh, then my break was successful.