January 2013

January brought us back to real life. We loved our break, but back to work and school we must go. Izabel learned all about birds at school and can now identify birds I've never even heard of. She also finished her 4th reader and started on her 5th. As soon as she gets to number 6 she gets her advanced phonics book so she is working hard to get to this goal. I love that she pushes herself! I wonder where she gets her ambition?!?! Tanner learned a ton of nursery rhymes and we enjoy singing them at bath time and in the car. His speech is coming along and he still has therapy twice a week. He is loving his gymnastics class. He goes at the same time as Izzy but they are in different classes. He just goes to have fun and is so much stronger than we realized. He can already pull himself up on the bar and flip over all by himself. Izabel is seriously working on getting her splits and cartwheels.

I had to go to Richmond for the Virginia Association of Career and Technical Educators Legislative Conference towards the end of the month. Since I have ambitions to become a CTE administrator this was an important networking and learning opportunity for me. I was a little hesitant and out of my league but I loved it. We met with state delegates and senators and discussed all kinds of issues. I met with CTE administrators from around the state and administrators from the department of education. I took my state officer as well and she did a great job representing DECA. I'm so glad I went and I am looking forward to more opportunities to become involved with this organization. 

General Assembly Voting Session

Brian, our VA DECA President, and Lexy, my State Officer, at the General Assembly

CTE State Officers from different organizations around the state

Lexy and I with State Senator Carrico

We had to leave early Friday because the forecast was calling for snow. I know a lot of you that read this blog think an inch or two of snow is a normal day, but around here we don't know how to drive in it and we don't have the equipment to deal with it so it causes havoc. Getting from Richmond to Hampton was no problem but getting from Hampton to Virginia Beach (27 miles) took over an hour because it started snowing so hard and so fast. On Saturday Noah had to work so I took the kids outside to play. Tanner has never gotten the chance to play in the snow since he was so little and sick the last time we got any accumulation. They had a great time followed up by some yummy cocoa which is quite the treat in our house!