Visiting George

Did you know George Washington found General Howe's dog after a battle and returned it to him?

Or that he spent tons of money on his teeth and had at least 8 sets of dentures during his lifetime?

Or that he started a spy ring during the Revolutionary War that became a model for the CIA?

Just a few facts we've learned this week in our "summer school" study of the nation's first president. Our field trip to a traveling exhibit from Mount Vernon was fascinating! Three life-size models of George...a replica of his family church pew...and even his last set of dentures. We got to see them all. I love history!!

More Mexico

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To Mexico and Back

Day 1 - Full day of traveling from Tulsa to Dallas to Cancun to Barcelo Maya. We've never traveled internationally with kids. QUITE an experience with passport, document, and luggage checks at every stop. After a scary landing and an hour long van ride in the pouring rain, we finally arrived at the resort about 10 p.m. Exhausted, hungry, and wandering in the dark, trying to find the building that housed our room.

Day 2 - Our first breakfast buffet. Delicious! A huge spread of everything you could ever want for your morning meal. I tried to stay within a reasonable calorie limit...not sure I succeeded. Carter ended our meal early by crying and declaring that his throat was "shaky." That's Carter-speak for "I'm going to throw up." We spent the next 30 minutes in the lobby bathroom waiting for him to throw up...or not. He never did lose his breakfast, but he stayed in bed for most of the morning. Jas stayed with him, and I took Mason to the beach. Carter recovered by lunch, and we had a fun afternoon at the beach and pool together. We rode the pedal boats and kayaks, and Mason found out the hard way that kayaks tip over if they're parallel to a wave.

Day 3 - A full day of swimming, kayaking, and playing in the waves. Carter joined the kids' club group for a water balloon fight and watched Good Luck Charlie in Spanish. He didn't want to go back to the kids' club again, though, because he couldn't understand what anyone was saying.

Day 4 - Morning excursion to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins. Not the best idea in sweltering heat/humidity, but hindsight is 20/20. I loved seeing the ruins and learning about the Mayans. As a bonus, I lost ten pounds in one day from walking a million miles and sweating rivers of sweat. I got separated from Jas for the walk back, so I had to drag both boys back down the trail to the van by myself...yeah. But we ended the day with more beach fun at the resort.

Day 5 - After packing all of our wet clothes - nothing dries in 98% humidity - we hung out at the pool and kids' water park one last time. Then off to the airport for another day of international air travel. We pulled into our garage at the stroke of midnight...and all agreed there's no place like home.

Job Drama

I've been interviewing for teaching jobs for next year - not an easy process, to say the least. We've had lots of "pros and cons" discussions and prayers about which offer to accept. At one  point, there was a chance that Mason and Carter would have to transfer to a new district - the district where I would be teaching. I asked for their opinions, and they were generally in favor of going to a new school. But then they really thought about it, and Carter decided he wanted to stay at Glenpool because they have high school "friends" helping in the classrooms. I reminded Mason that he wouldn't get to be in class with any of the new friends he's made this year. He said he didn't care....until I mentioned a little girl whose name has come up a lot lately. Once I pointed out that he wouldn't see her anymore, he said, "Never mind. I'll stay at Glenpool." Looks like I'll be teaching in Glenpool.