Sunday Morning Thoughts

It is early Sunday morning, well, about 8am, but it feels early. We were out last night with some friends in the city for some tapas. Pretty good stuff, although I could have eaten about 5 more plates of those tiny snack-size deals.

Kim's mom visited to watch Audrey while we were out. It felt good to just go and have a nice meal and conversation with some friends. I can't help but look forward to going to Alaska on Tuesday. It will be nice to get on a plane and just leave. While I am anxious about having Audrey on a 6 hour flight, it will be wonderful for all of my friends to meet her and also for her Zadie to get to see her again!

For me, this trip also has some underlying emotions, as well. There have been many tragedies in the past couple years for my group of friends. I don't want to go into detail on this particular point, but I can say with absolute certainty that this wedding will be a blessing in the sense that it is a positive event that is bringing us all together, rather than a sad one.

It is my goal to return to Alaska every year, but as I get older, it is becoming more and more difficult to plan time and finances to make the trip. With my Master's program starting in the Fall, free time will be little even during the summer! Also, everyone from my family, except my father, has moved to the lower 48! While I dearly love my friends, it will be a challenge to annually visit Alaska. So this trip feels almost like I am going to Alaska to show my friends my family and explain why I'm not going to return to Alaska. I almost feel like I am going to try and justify my "fading-out" from my group of friends. I don't feel like I am "In the Circle" anymore. I feel like I am standing outside of it and catching fragments of the on-goings of what everyone else is doing. Let me be clear: I do not have any regrets or wish differently for anything about my life. I love my wife and my daughter and my life. The choices I have made, however, have put great distances between my fiends and myself. So while I enjoy greatly my life, there are times I still find myself missing my old friends.

-a

Bunches of Picts.

Here are a bunch of pictures that have been stuck on my camera for a couple weeks. Not much new besides school nearing an end. Looking forward to going to Alaska next week for one of my best friend's wedding! Definately some more pictures from the Great North in a week or so!

Here are the pictures:


Audrey at Nicci's Wedding as one of the Flower Girls!


John and Jaime Hagerman carrying Audrey and their son, Jack down the stairs during the wedding ceremony.


Audrey being cute in her sun hat!


Super Cousin GAIL introduces Audrey to a new colt in Indian

Gail training her new Jedi Baby in the ways of the FORCE!
Or just looking at flowers on the farm!


Four Generations of Fleshers!: Audrey, Mom, Grandfather, and Great-Grandmother!


Daddy and Audrey look at horses. Great, now she wants a pony! :-)


Audrey in shock after experiencing her first close encounter of the Horse kind!


Kiddo being cute and enjoying her chew ring as her first two teeth are popping up!


This is Audrey with my good friend, Martha. Martha is one of my 5th Grade team teachers! She rocks!

Again, more photos from Alaska in the near future. Audrey will have been to Alaska, Virginia, Indiana, and Illinois before the the age of one! I hope everyone else is doing well! Feel free to post comments and I'll try to work you into the blog!

-a

Memorial Day

The sun is setting on this Memorial Day. Both of my grandfathers (as well as Kim's) have served in the military in some capacity. While I have many views and feelings towards the notion of War, I appreciate and respect the many sacrifices made and acts of courage shown.

The family spent a long weekend in South Bend, visiting the grave of Kim's grandfather, attending a wedding, and hanging out with Mark and Beth a little. Audrey was part of the wedding, a flower girl! Audrey got a chance to see all sorts of family over the weekend, including her Great Grandmother who has almost completely moved into the house next to Dixie.

Aside from the weather changing, not too much is new to report on the family front. I'm attempting to hang shelves, store stuff in the garage, and reorganize the house. I am also in the process of packing and moving out of my classroom and trying desperately to finish report cards early before we head to Alaska for my friend's wedding! Now that I look at all that, I guess there is a lot going on.

Audrey is moving and scooting around. She has the mechanics of the crawl down, but she doesn't seem to get enough traction. She rolls, picks-up anything within reach, and watches EVERYTHING! She especially enjoyed playing with Cousin Gail this afternoon, being zoomed towards and away from the hallway mirror. She love looking at herself in the mirror. She seems to take after her mother in that sense! :-)

I just finished folding laundry and will now sweep and maybe get some lesson plans done. I would post pictures, but our camera needs to be recharged before I can upload, so I'll hopefully use that as an excuse inbetween grading and packing this week. I hope this letter finds everyone well. I want to say hellow to all of the family and friends in Alaska and on the West Coast reading the blog!

-a

Weekend Update

Momma and Daughter

This weekend has been a quick one. I attended yet another technology class yesterday. Those classes seem to shorten my weekend by half! However, I get paid for attending and this was the final one of the year.


Uncle Bob and Audrey!

The rest of this weekend has been spent attempting to clean and organize. Kim is on the warpath as far as organization, so I assume we'll eventually pull everything off the shelves and either trash, donate, or store most of our possessions. I am pleading with her to wait until my summer break to begin Operation Organize so I can focus on finishing the school year without worrying about our house being a pit.


Cousin Gail and Audrey!

Other than that, not too much new. I saw Star Trek with my cousin, Gail. It was a fun summer flick and I really enjoyed the action and adventure! Fun film for anyone! Enough references and homage paid to the original series yet still stands on its own and introduces Star Trek to a whole new generation. Posted with this blog are a couple pictures Gail took over mothers day weekend! Enjoy!


Dad and Daughter!

-a

Rainy Evening

The raindrops are falling hard outside. Audrey is snoozing beside me as I peck away at this keyboard. The last hour or so has been dedicated to doing some odds and ends around the house and feeding this baby some mashed peaches...of which some I am convinced are eternally wedged in between her fingers.

Life is nice and quiet in the Orelove household. The dog enjoys giving the cats a little runaround from time-to-time and Kim has been making some marvelous dishes for dinner that fill the entire house with wonderful smells! Audrey is constantly moving in to crawl position, and has even started scooting a little now and then....no full crawl....but mobility cannot be far off now.

School is going ok. It is sad to imagine leaving and having to start over again in a new district. While I am grateful and very excited for the new opportunity, I am greatly saddened by the thought of leaving my wonderful 5th grade team. We have shared a lot this year and I keep picturing us together again next year, but then have to remind myself that is most likely not going to be a reality. I will know by Friday my fate. I have written the Superintendent of Human Resources for the school district asking for a firm answer on my status for next year. I am going to visit my new school and look over the contract on Friday. So, if I am asked to stay in the district, I will decline my new offer. However, if I am not asked back or do not hear back by Friday, then I will sign and secure employment for next year.

With Audrey and my wife now on my medical coverage, I cannot dilly-dally around in this economic climate waiting for an answer. My family is my priority. Again, I appreciate all the love and support everyone has been sending my way on this issue. Please know that, either way, I will be in an outstanding position to teach and help kids.

On another note, we've recently purchased a new digital camera for snapping pictures. While the DSL is wonderful, it is also nice to have a quick point-and-shoot around. I'm attaching a couple pictures and a new video of Audrey in her bouncy doing her "RiverDance!" with a cameo by Phoebe.

At the end of the day, with all these feelings and emotions and situations in my life, I look at my daughter and realize, "There's nothing else that really matters."

Cheers,
-a

Springifled Picts

OK Folks, here are the promised pictures from outside of Sprinfield. I must say, it fees strange posting so much on my blog today. However, still fun!


Outside the Lincoln Tomb


Me and Lincoln. His nose is shiny because so many people rub it for good luck.


Blossoms and the Lincoln Tomb.


A Wax Abe Lincoln outside the Whitehouse.


The other Abe and his daughter Audrey.

Saturday Update

Hello all. I am still in the technology class. It is very interesting and I am learning more about blogs and wikis today. I hope to use them with my classroom next year. Speaking of next year...

I am prepared to accept a new position as the 5th Grade Math and Science teacher at Hadley Middle School in Homer Glen. It is about 15 minutes closer on my commute, so that is wonderful. However, I am still not happy about leaving my current school district and the two years I have put in. I think it is a wonderful opportunity to focus on my two favorite subject areas, although I will miss many elements of reading and writing. I will do my best to work reading and writing into my curriculum. Mostly, I am saddened at the fact that I will be leaving so many colleagues whom I admire greatly, and we will have to find new child care. I cannot express how wonderful our current child care provider is. She is such an important part of Audrey's life and it is difficult to imagine bringing my child to anyone else.

Sigh...I guess this is all part of life. I keep trying to tell myself that all of these things happen for a reason and I tell myself that there is a greater plan when I am feeling frustrated.

The plan for the rest of the weekend includes cleaning, running with the dog, and playing with our new digital camcorder and camera and maybe uploading some new video so you all can see a sassy 7-month old in action! Here is a picture of Audrey and her two other friends at Child Care Lilly and Sarah (above). I promise to upload those Springfield trips this weekend, too! Have a nice relaxing time, wherever you all are!

-a

Quick Hello

Right now I am at a technology class about how to make and use blogs! Hi class! I'm sitting next to my bud from Westmore, Fran! She's awesome!