Paper folding

Not much to report on tonight-- today was the first day of a 3-day course for Practice Educators. It's a pre-requisite to being a supervisor, and since I'm scheduled to have a student for September and October, it's a good thing I got a place on the course. However, today I was very much wishing I was at work instead. It was pretty much worthless, and they basically just touched on stuff that I already did at Tufts, when I was learning about this situation from the other side: being the student on placement. The highlight was the practical small group session where we were supposed to teach each other a skill, and figure out how the person teaching was imparting their knowledge (i.e. giving verbal directions, demonstrating, using visual aids, getting their group members to learn by doing, etc). In our small group, someone taught paper airplanes, someone else taught fortune tellers (remember those?! you wrote numbers and colors and stuff on the outside), and then we moved on to tackle an origami bird. Yup, that was the best part. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Quick update

Sorry, I lost the plot there for a little while as far as Blogger goes! And it won't be a very comprehensive entry tonight either, I'm pretty tired. I've been on a high all day energy-wise, I think because a friend and I did our first pool workout this morning before work. We swam laps steadily for half an hour, and although I was cursing myself out at 6:30am when the alarm went off, I was feeling really good about it by the time I got to the pool. We've agreed to swim together for two mornings a week, plus we've both now signed up for kickboxing classes after work on Tuesday evenings. Between that, yoga, and the gym, I think I've got the weekly workouts covered and am keeping it interesting with the mix of activities ;)

This past weekend we had some sunshine on Sunday, praise the Lord, and luckily enough it happened to be the day I was at the Lovebox music festival. We saw some fantastic sets from Hot Chip, The Rapture, B-52s, and Groove Armada...it was the first time I'd seen Groove Armada live, and I do love the group, but seeing them live just blew me away!! And I had no idea Andy Cato plays trombone, very cool! (I know, oblivious, but I guess I'd never paid too much attention before, I just knew I loved their music.) So on Monday, I went about my workday with "I See You Baby(Shakin'That Ass)" in my head all day long.

For the rest of the week, I'm on a course learning how to be a good supervisor (wheee), and will have my first student in the beginning of September. I'm actually wishing I didn't have to do the course though, because I've heard it's not very good, but unfortunately it's a requirement before I can be a supervisor.

Then this weekend there's a birthday night out for my friend Jo on Saturday, and a Ben and Jerry's festival on Sunday (will get to see The Proclaimers among other bands, and you get free ice cream all day with the price of admission, 12 pounds- bargain!- and it is appropriately called the Sundae in the Park festival)...I'm meeting up with my friend Tracey and my other friend Jo for that festival! It will be the first time seeing Jo and James actually, since we were together in Vermont a few weeks ago. Can't wait!

Double-Skiiers (bit bumpy at the end, sorry!)

Good times, good times

I am back in the UK, yes, and have put off blogging the past few days due to some major jet-lag. OK, ok, probably more in the minor-ish category, given I have yet to deal with coming back from someplace half way around the world. Still, it knocked me for a loop, and for my half day at work on Monday and yesterday, I was pretty much a zombie. Today I was half human and actually got some real work done ;)

Some of my favourite things from last week at Wissahickon...driving the new boat, woohoo! Sam took a skeptical look at my VT boat license, but made a leap of faith and let me take over the wheel, even encouraging me to open it up to high speeds (which I happily complied with)...and I have now been designated as the old fogey driver, and can claim 4 skiers and 2 tubers to my driving record. And you can plug your Ipod into the boat stereo, as well as bring on your drinks (there are a ton of cupholders plus intergrated cooler). Other boat related things-- I tried and successfully pulled off a dock start when waterskiing behind the new powerful boat, video to follow, and double-skiied with Chris, another first for Wissahickon. We talked about double slalom-skiing, but I still need to work on my slalom take-off before we try that one. We went to the 4th of July parade in Poultney, which I had not seen before, and the rodeo in Castleton, which we hadn't been to in years, all the kids went tubing with various adults, including Owen who is not yet 4 for his first tube ride ever with his mom, and we introduced ice cream cake to Jo and James for Jo's birthday. Oh yes, and the water balloon launcher made a re-appearance, and who was able to hit the neighbour who was taunting us on his jetski? Me, that's who!!

Anyway, here are some pics...I was given strict instructions to only choose flattering ones.

Flattering pic of Emma...

6 months old, awwww.

"Take me home country roads..."

WISSAHICKON

Jo's first ice cream cake

Happy Birthday!!

"Double your pleasure, double your fun!"

Me and Chris behind the boat, with Don H as driver and Dale as rope tender :)

James and the Giant Fish

Me, Jo and the Burk kids...

Owen (3.5), Sammy (6), and Lexi (8). We were at the Poultney 4th of July parade.

James and the Water-Balloon Launcher

With the right angle and tension, you can really make those babies fly long distances!