memorial day weekend with the boys

After such an emotional week last week, I really needed a great weekend and that's exactly what I got! Ben and Dad were here and we had a blast!

Saturday, we walked around Harvard (which is NOTHING compared to JMU , might I add) and went to a Red Sox game.  The game might have been one of the most exciting regular season games I've ever seen.  The Red Sox were losing 2-1 in the ninth and Game 7 of the Celtics game was on TV,  so a lot of people were hoping to catch the last five minutes of that game.  The massive guy sitting next to Dad said something along the lines of "three easy outs and we can catch the last five minutes of the Celtics game" essentially hoping for the quickest way to end the game, even if that meant the Sox losing. Dad turned to him and said "the quickest way would be if there was a man on base and someone hit a walk off homerun."  The guy agreed and went back to eating his second hot dog and his ice cream. The Sox got a man on second with one out and then Youkilis got out, so there were two outs with the tying run on second.  All of a sudden, they announced that Jarrod "Salty" Saltallamachia would be pinch hitting.  I admit I had my doubts that someone who hadn't played the entire game would be able to, essentially win the game for us.  Boy, was I wrong.  He got up there and hit a walk off homerun all the way back into the seats behind center field. The crowd went crazy!  Ben, Dad and I were jumping up and down high fiving each other.  The drunk guy behind us was screaming obscenities.   It was great!  I loved Salty before this (probably because of his curly hair!), but this just quadrupled  his popularity ratings in Boston! 

Sunday, we went to  breakfast and church in Brookline before setting out on the Freedom Trail.  We started at Bunker Hill and ended up in the Public Gardens. We stopped to get sandwiches along the way and to re-energize.  Ben Tebowed in Old North Church.  Street performers caught our attention at Fanneuil Hall. We literally walked the entire city.  It was such a nice day that nobody seemed to really mind walking, although I think we were all exhausted at the end.  We finished the day with dinner and cannolis in the North End.  It was a great end to the weekend. 

Reading a church hymnal in Old North Church

Who knew the first mayor of Boston was named John Philips?! 

Tebowing in William Patton's church pew

When we were all done, we came back to my apartment and printed off their boarding passes. My dad also had me pick out books to give my first graders and he ordered enough for each of them to have one book.  We decided to buy seven copies of "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig,"  seven copies of "Dog Breath," three copies of "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day" in English, and four copies of "Alexander...Bad Day" in Spanish. I wanted to give them each something, but this was beyond what I could have imagined.  They're all so excited to read, but most of them don't have access to books at home and don't really have anyone to read to them.  I'm so excited to give them their gift.  My dad is an incredible person with a huge heart. I wish that he could be there to see their faces.when they get their books. Thanks, Dad!

I've spent today sleeping, grocery shopping and mentally preparing for the last couple of weeks in school.  My goal is to write all of my goodbye notes this week so that I don't have to do them next week when I'm an emotional basket case.  I'm really not ready for this.....

Also, if you have suggestions for books I can give my Course Coaching kids.  Right now, I am giving the second book in the Hatchet series to MO (he loved the first one).  JA is getting the Hunger Games.  I think I'm going to give JR The Face on the Milk Carton, but I'm not sure. I also still need one for CJ-L, so if you have suggestions, I'm more than open to them!  They're a little below 7th grade reading level, so nothing too challenging, but something engaging and exciting.  Thanks!

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” 
― Jane Goodall