Work, work, work...

In addition to getting settled in the house, I have been working 3-4 days a week at my new job. Here is my new office...

I've been busy already pushin' paperwork. :) I have screened and hired three paraeducators and a secretary so far. I'm getting the hiring processes down already which is GREAT experience. I have also been working on revising our procedural manual for our department. I have administrative trainings this week and a conference next week, so my calendar is filling up pretty quickly and it's not even August yet. After the 15th of August hits, everything will really start picking up speed and then school starts on August 27th. Jamie's first day of official work is August 20th, so unfortunately he has less than a month left of vacation. Although, maybe him working will get us back into some sort of routine.

Yard work...it's the neverending story of our lives...

Well, we just couldn't do it. We said that when we moved in we wouldn't worry about the backyard improvements except to make it puppy proof. That didn't happen. Less than a month in now and Jamie and I decided to rip out the grass and put in a gravel walkway on the side of the house because it was just too hard to maintain by mowing (odd angles to mow and cramped).

In addition to the "not worrying about the backyard improvements," I said I wasn't going to plant anything this year because I just wanted to get the inside done and settled away. YEAH RIGHT! Anybody who knows me, go ahead, LOL! So, in the process of making this pathway, Jamie says, "why don't you plant a few things along the house here so it doesn't look so bare?" To which I reply, "are you sure?" Jamie: "Yeah. Go ahead and plant a few little things along this side." Hehehehehehehehe.....

I went a bit buck wild on the plants. For those of you who don't know or can't tell from the picture, here's what I planted: Black Midnight Butterfly Bush (left back), Yellow Trumpet Vine (middle back), Pink/White Peony (right back), Jeruselum Sage (middle row), Summer Blooming Heather (front row). Then of course with some flowers in my back yard I couldn't ignore my front yard.

This sun is keeping me busy with all the beautiful flowers I can plant over here! WOW!

Something new...

Well, we finally did it! We have been talking about moving to Eastern Washington for years. The right time and opportunity just hasn't come along. Finally, I bit the bullet and started applying for Assistant Director positions for Special Education instead of Assistant Principal positions. That must have been the ticket 'cause I started getting interviews right away. I was offered and took a position with the Pasco School District. Jamie got a job not long after with Pasco also as a 6th grade math/science teacher at Stevens Middle School. Since then it has been a whirlwind of activity. Between getting my things together and finalized in Bethel, looking for a house in Richland, deciding what we were going to do with our house in Spanaway, and trying to make Jaiden's world as consistent and stress free as possible for the move, I haven't had much time to think about informing everybody about the move itself. I'm guilty, I admit it. So, in hindsight, I've decided to try this Blog thing. My friend Heather does it pretty regularly to keep everybody up-to-date on the family. Although I don't think I'll be as regular as her, I will try to do my best.

The picture is of our new house in Richland. Jamie and I both love it. It's big enough for the three of us and the four dachshunds. The house is 2250 sq ft with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Jaiden has his own room and a play room for his toys, which is great so we don't have the battle of toys in his bedroom at bedtime. We have a spare room for guests. I have a formal dining room and office, which I love. It has a great backyard for the dogs and Jaiden to play in. The kitchen and living room are nice and roomy and open to each other so I can be in the kitchen and still be part of what is going on in the living room. When we get the house a bit more put together I will post more pictures. We also have a website that we store all of our pictures on, http://community.webshots.com/user/stippjt. Check it out!

Jaiden started daycare this week. I got a great tip from my colleague the week before last about a daycare based out of the Catholic Church just four blocks from my work. Jamie and I visited it and fell in love. Caring teachers, great classrooms, and a schedule that fit ours. In addition, he is guaranteed a spot in the Montessori Preschool once he is ready to move up (and it's included in the daycare tuition). So far he LOVEs it. On the way to daycare every morning our conversation goes something like this:

Jaiden: Where goin' momma?

Me: Where do you think we are going?

Jaiden: Friends....see friends.

He talks about having new friends and a new teacher. He is happy in the morning to go and does not want to leave when I come to pick him up. He is of course going through the difficult transition from our move and now starting a new daycare because he is still a bear to deal with when he gets home sometimes. With a few weeks of this schedule, he will get back to normal and make the adjustment though.

The teachers are already remarking that he is a "smart little guy" to which I remark, "of course." :) They all laughed when he saw me with the camera and said, "Cheese!" without prompting from me. This of course is his cheese grin for the camera. (Kinda fits with his shirt, don'tcha think?)