Kicking off the Summer!

I am OFFICIALLY in Summer Mode!

My last day of Internship was Wednesday. Thursday, I had to go back to HSU for my “Exit Interview” from the the Teachers College/Internship program. I was so nervous and I know I stumbled over my Impact on Student Learning defense presentation, but I made it through. Afterwards, I had lunch with my brother and B and Stephen. (Stephen was there for classes but we had to go separately because he had to attend a state sport event in a town not far from Arkadelphia after he left college.)
 
When I got back to town, I picked up Christopher from his daycare then we “went to Cruizzers to get a sip.” This is one of Christopher’s favorite things right now and he asks to do it almost every day when I pick him up. Cruizzers is a Sonic-type drive-in that we have here. (They’re way better than Sonic – we have one of those too, and I’m not sure how it gets enough business to stay open.)  Cruizzers half-price drink is from 3-5, which is perfect for getting out of school. We have been going maybe once a week since the weather has gotten warm! Christopher gets a small Sierra Mist and I get a Cherry Diet Pepsi. I have quit buying the canned CDP because I am trying to cut back on (NOT COMPLETELY CUT OUT) caffeine.

We came home that afternoon and I decided to cut back the bushes that are in this small flowerbed between our front porch and sidewalk. There are two different types of bushes that grow there – azaleas and something else. The other bush grows really quickly and crazy and had been needing a good trim for quite awhile. There were like 6-8 bushes total… way too many for the space available. I got out the electric trimmers but the battery gave out on me not long after I started trimming them, so I decided to go ahead and cut them way back with some loppers.

Um, yeah. I got a little carried away…

Friday morning, I had to go back to Arkadelphia again for the Internship Award presentation. It was a pain to have to make the trip again since I had just gone the day before for a 30-minute interview, but I did, as it was required.  I was glad I went, because I received an award! I was so shocked – I couldn’t believe it! I received the “Outstanding 7-12 Intern” award. SO EXCITING!!! There is one “Outstanding Intern” awarded to each group of interns based on the grades they are going to teach. (One for those who are K-12, such as art, music, & PE; one for P-4; 4-8; & 7-12) then one of the Interns who received the “Outstanding” award for their area is chosen as the Overall Outstanding Intern. I did not receive the overall Outstanding Intern award, but I am honored to have been in the top 4 of all 83 interns in the program this year!

The winners are chosen by a survey that goes out to faculty of the college and faculty in the public schools where we were doing our internship. There are certain qualifications that must be met in order to be able to be put on the nomination list, then professors, high school teachers, principals, etc, are able to choose from the nominees and place their votes. I’m not sure who all voted for me, but I was so surprised to be chosen! They named off several “honorable mentions” before calling out the winner of Outstanding 7-12 Intern and I honestly did not think it would be me!

Enough with that. =)  After I got back to town on Friday, Christopher and I had to try out a new sno cone stand in town. I’ve seen people at it every day after school for several weeks but never stopped for myself. I figured there was no better way to kick off summer break than with sno cones! Christopher got a grape one and I got wedding cake – my favorite. We enjoyed them on the back porch after we got home.

Before we got sno cones, we stopped at Atwoods to buy a few plants. (HAVE I MENTIONED I HAVE A PROBLEM?!?) I had been thinking about it all day and decided that I wanted to completely dig up the bushes that I had cut back in front of the house. I bought a few new, much smaller azaleas, a few dayliles, and some ground cover. I plan on stealing some variegated monkey grass (liriope) from my mom’s house.

I started digging up the bushes this morning. After the disaster I had a few years ago at our old house digging up century-old holly bushes (not really, but their root systems were a bitc you-know-what) I swore in the future, I would just leave well enough alone. Yeah, well… not so much. Stephen had a golf tournament this morning, so Christopher and I loaded up on water and tools and started digging. (Well, I did. Little man – not so much. He rode his motorcycle {tricycle} around and “helped” me a little.) I worked for several hours and dug up several root systems before giving in to the heat (I overheat easily and when I do – it’s not pretty.) and coming inside. I spent the rest of the day cleaning AT the house and doing laundry. (It’s a disaster area, really.) I am hoping to finish the new flower bed tomorrow or Monday and will post pictures then. =)

Stephen got home from his tournament around 5 and we headed back outside. He and Christopher swam (C’s first time in the pool this summer – he loved it!) and then Stephen mowed the yard while I did a little cleaning up in the back yard. Bliss!

 

(PS – I know the kiddo looks like a crazy hippie child. He keeps telling me he needs a haircut. We have one scheduled for Tuesday!)