Fall Festival and Our Weekend

Last week at school we had a lot of fun activities to celebrate both fall and the last football game of the year.  On Thursday morning, each homeroom decorated a pumpkin to be displayed at school and then taken to a nursing home to be enjoyed.  My homeroom decorated a pumpkin with thumbtacks.  Isn’t it cute?

The back of the pumpkin featured a bat.  I spray painted clear thumbtacks black for the kids to use.

We made the witch with gold brads and black thumbtacks.  I found the star in a trash pile one morning on a pre-dawn run.  Chalkboard spray paint made it a neat display board for our pumpkin.  I’ll use it in my classroom after Halloween.

Our final pumpkin decoration is an owl.  The kids had an absolute ball making this and they were so happy with the end result.

After school, each department rushed to set up an activity for fall festival that coincided with the last football game of the season.  My department had microscopes, ooblick, and fossils for kids to explore.  Another teacher hosted the science booth, so I was able to help with the horses.  Yes, we had horses at school!

My friend Brittany teaches riding lessons after school and volunteered to bring four horses for pony rides.  She also dressed up as a trojan and led the football team onto the field for the last game. 

After Brittany left the field, I helped a child scoop up the poop so the football players wouldn’t end up rolling around in it.

We were busy with pony rides for over two hours.  Did you know that I grew up riding horses?  I haven’t ridden in 20 years and I really miss it.  It was fun to spend a few hours with four horses.

We had all sorts of activities going on at school but I couldn’t visit them because I was so busy with the horses.  My friend Mark went home after school and brought back two of his calves for the kids to pet.

Beth, my friend and fellow 7th grade science teacher, volunteered to help Mark with the calves.  It looks like she’s enjoying her job, doesn’t it?

By the end of the night, all of the teachers were worn out.  You can’t really tell, but I’m covered in dirt and sprinkled here and there with poop.  You can only imagine what Beth has on her coveralls after spending the evening with two calves.  Even though it was tiring, it was a fun night and the kids loved it!

After a long day at school and a long afternoon and evening of fall festival, Mr. SP and I got in the car and drove to Norfolk for my USTA singles district tennis competition scheduled for Friday and Saturday.  It was nearly midnight by the time we arrived, checked into our hotel, and got to bed.  Out of six women on the team, only three of us were able to go.  Julie, on the right, was our captain and did an outstanding job of leading our team.

We each played a match on Friday morning and then had the rest of the day free as our next two matches were scheduled for Saturday.  Mr. SP and I ate lunch at Freemason Abbey, a great restaurant in an old church in Norfolk. 

After lunch, Mr. SP and I toured the Wisconsin.  Mr. SP has wanted to do this for a long, long time. 

That night we met my aunt, uncle, and cousins for dinner.  Jimmy and Katie have an adorable baby girl that I couldn’t wait to see.

I couldn’t wait to hold Miss Charlotte.  She’s such a good and cute baby.

Here she is with Nana Nancy…

And with Grandpa Richard…

It was great to see my family!  We look alike, don’t we? 

The threat of Hurricane Sandy caused the tennis tournament to be shortened.  My second matched was changed to an 8 game, win by 2 format, and my last match was canceled.  It was a bummer to travel that far and not get to play as much as I’d hoped to play.  I didn’t win either of my matches, but I played well and had fun.

We had to go to the lake on Sunday because we realized that we accidentally left the boat cover there and we wanted it to be covered before Sandy rolls through town, drenching us with rain.  We didn’t have time to stay, but it was still nice to be on the dock, even if it was only for a few minutes.

Bedford County is a lovely area.  There’s still a bit of color but it is disappearing quickly.  Both pictures were taken very near our lot.

Fall is such a pretty time of year. 

Do you ever feel like you need a weekend to recover from your weekend?  That’s how I feel!  This week should be interesting with Hurricane Sandy rolling through the area.  I think my area is on the outside edge of it and I’m hoping we just get rain and not a lot of wind.  If she’s headed your way, I hope for the best for you!