Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day Picnic

Here are some pictures from our Memorial Day picnic and Laura Walker State Park. After eating their lunch, the kids had a great time playing on the playground equipment and watching the skiiers and jetskiiers in the lake. We even got to see some wildlife (note the picture of the big snake that I nearly stepped on). We stayed at the park for about two hours, and even then, the kids did not want to leave. Everyone had a great time, and it was a fun way to kick-off summer.

















Saturday, May 15, 2010

Gators

I went to Wild Adventures with the Junior class on Thrusday. I haven't been there in about two years. There were quite a few changes. When you enter the park now, there are animals at the front gate to greet you. Look what little cutie I made friends with. I think I'm going to frame this picture and put it in the classroom of my new school next year (their mascot is a gator).

If you haven't heard by now, my beloved school- Ware Magnet- is closing. I feel so fortunate to have taught there for nine and a half years. Although I am sad about my school shutting down, I am happy that I was able to be placed at another school in the system and that I still have a job. Teaching at a large high school will probably be a lot different than my small, K-12 school, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

May Flowers

The flowers are in bloom at the field down the road from the house. I was so happy with the way last year's flower pictures turned out, that I took more this year. Here are some of my favorites.





Sunday, May 2, 2010

Grad Bash 2010

I was able to chaperone the Senior trip to Grad Bash at Universal Studios again this year. I love going on this trip because there are a lot of perks. First of all, I get to visit both parks (Universal and Islands of Adventure) for free. As a chaperone, I get to use the express entrance for all rides, so I don't have to wait in line for anything. The park also provides chaperones with a free hot breakfast, snacks, and unlimited coke products all night. I wanted to take a lot of pictures this year since it is probably my last year going (the fate of my school is still unknown), but I found out once I got inside the park that my camera is on its last leg (I dropped it last week). Since my camera kept messing up, I was only able to get a few pictures. Even though I don't have the pictures to prove it, I really had a great time. My co-workers and I were able to ride everything that we wanted- including the new Rip Ride Rocket rollercoaster (behind us in the picture). I loved this coaster because there are speakers on each car, and individual riders gets to pick what song they listen to while they ride the coaster. I picked "You Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer. Being able to listen to music while riding added a whole new dimension to the coaster-riding experience. I think that I want every new coaster to have this feature. Riding rides wasn't the only thing I did, though. I also got to hear Sean Kingston sing (he's a reggae singer). The new Harry Potter World is opening this summer, and I climbed on top of some type of structure and peaked over the fence at it. It looked awesome! Hogwarts castle is HUGE, and the town is cute. I really wish that it would have been open for Grad Bash. I guess Universal felt bad that Harry Potter wasn't open becasue they are giving everyone who went to Grad Bash a free ticket to come back before December so that they can see it. I plan to use my ticket, so you all may be seeing a "Sanders Family goes to Universal" post sometime in September.