meanderings of my brain

So it's Wednesday. Hump day. Half-way done. Hallelujah!!!

Hallelujah we're moving!!! We are so beyond done with apartment life. We've been looking at houses every afternoon. Thanks to trusty ol' Craig's List and Google, we've found a few to check out. We've been peeking in windows, driving all over Vancouver. Today we actually toured one. It's amazing how a really nice spacious house in a super nice neighborhood with a well-manicured lawn can run for the exact same price as a teeny tiny house with a bumpy lawn in the what will this neighborhood be like in five years? kind of neighborhood. Since our lease on our apartment isn't up until the end of April, we can't really pick out the rental of our dreams just yet, but it is kind of fun exploring and snooping in windows. And I feel like we'll be making a smart decision when the time comes because we've done our homework.

Speaking of homework, that reminds me of a little school project I've got going on. My students are writing a pioneer journal. They had to pick out a pioneer name and location and they're writing as if they are traveling on the Oregon Trail. Super fun to listen to at the end of the day. One boy wrote that he bought his dad a gun at the general store with his $20. Another boy was picking up buffalo chips and we hadn't even left Independence, Missouri yet. And because I like to model good writing for them (and because they don't read my blog) I'm writing a journal too. I have time-warped myself into Vera Anderson. She has a hard-working husband named Edward who is a woodworker. They have two children, Eliza Jane and Thomas Dean. (Phil wanted to know where I got the names from. I said I thought Vera sounded pioneer-y.) Vera has hidden some money from her father in the wagon and even Edward doesn't know about it. We'll see how that comes into play when we get farther down the road. We just set out today. It's hysterical because they BEG me to read my journal first. Talk about super cheeze-mo. I'm all about the drama!!! I'm also about getting kids to write. And it's amazing how much they've written and we're only on the required day 3. They get so proud of themselves, counting the pages that are full. It's cute.

By the way, I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen to four year old little Eliza Jane. . . Don't you wish you could tune in every day? Maybe if you beg and plead and leave me some blog comment love, I'll keep you posted on the Anderson family from Cape May, New Jersey ;)

Cape May. . .ahh, I loved that place. So historic and full of character. I went a few times during my first teaching stint in Philly. It's the only place I've ever heard of where you had to pay to be on the beach. Yep, you had to buy a beach tag and keep it pinned to your clothes/swimming suit, or you could be fined. In Oregon, all beaches are required by law to have public access. No paying for sand in your shoes here at Ecola State Park.

We are headed to the beach for spring break. Not that I'm counting or anything, but it's only about 4 weeks away!!!