a busy week

Hi all. It was great seeing the brothers the weekend before last. We can't wait to see you all in 5 weeks, or so.
The conference in Crete went great. I had about 22 people attend my session, so that was cool. I presented on ways to not entertain but engage your students in a foreign language classroom.
Kylie's birthday party at the Mahoney State Park Activity Center was a success. I got to drive Kylie and 4 friends in our van. Jen and Pam took Davin and Claire in the other vehicle. The other 4 friends Kylie had invited came out with their parents. It was a fun place (and quite affordable) for a party.
Jen returned to work yesterday. Kylie now goes to Kids Network before and after school at a building across the street from her school. An adult walks her and the other students to and from the school each day.
We have parent-teacher conferences tonight and tomorrow night and the family music class on Thursday at church. Jim and Pam are babysitting tonight and tomorrow.
We went to Kylie's conference last night with her kindergarten teacher. That was fun. Kylie is doing great.
Although Friday is a comp. day for two nights of conferences, Jen works in the morning and I work in the afternoon. All teachers have to pick when they are working their 194th day on our contract. There are a variety of options of what sessions you can attend or on what you and a team of teachers can work on, so Friday was one of about 10 option days that we could work to fulfill that 194h day. We will both work 4 hours that day; then we each have another 4 days another day.
On Saturday, Kylie has dance. We switched her dance class from Mondays to Saturdays. I tried to practice helping her get her tights on for dance. I almost had that down. But I also had to learn how to do her hair. For dance class, you have to have your hair pulled back (ponytail, pigtail, or whatever). That was way too tough for me. So we decided instead of having crazy mondays with me getting her to dance class looking ridiculous, we switched her to an 11-12 dance class. (She also starts Daisies soon - the step before Brownies)
Kylie also has a birthday party to attend at some hair place on Saturday where all the kids get their hair and nails done and perform a talent show — or something like that.
We also may attend Touch-A-Truck — a free event that we attended last year that lets Kylie and Davin climb inside just about every type of vehicle you can imagine.
I knew it was a busy week, but now that I have typed it all. Holy cow — it's a busy week.
I'm trying to pull off a mini-surprise for Jen's birthday. After family music class, I take the kids home and go to bed. This Thursday the kids and I will try to pick up a cake, and have a little surprise birthday party in their room when Jen gets home. I bought her a new comforter for our bed — that was very similar to one she mentioned in a catalogue — I was actually paying attention. When she gets home, I hope to have the kids yell 'surpirse' and surprise her with a comforter and one of those goofy powerpoint albums I've made for others.
It was my turn to wake up with Claire to feed her last night, but she slept through the night!!