Kirst Afloat

3 More Days

until I start back at HKIS.  Can't believe that my summer is almost over...and it's not even August yet!  Next summer will be longer (no new teacher orientation) and, hopefully, our plans won't keep changing. 

I'm excited but nervous. 

We fly out early Saturday morning.  Of course there are TONS of things to do here.  I am going to begin packing in earnest today.  I bought some more clothes for work yesterday (and Claire found quite a few things at Justice, many of which were on sale).  These will all need to be washed before I pack.  Much easier and quicker to wash here with our big American washing machine than back in HK.  The two-in-one (washer/dryer) on the boat is very small. 

Claire really liked camp although she did not care for her roommate.  Baking, hip hop, Acting 1, podcasting, creative writing and photo journalism were all hits.  Tennis was not.  (They ran A LOT of laps---every time you missed a ball, you ran.)  Acting 2 also was not a fave although Claire was excellent in their final performance.  (She didn't care for the instructor.)  It appears that Claire would like to go back to camp next year.  The camp is moving to a different part of Maine---they will now be using the Unity College campus instead of Gould Academy.

I have lots more to write about but am short on time.  (I also need to add links and photos.  Photos will most likely have to wait until we're back in HK.)  I want to shower, get to the gym when it opens at 7 and then I need to be at the dentist in Cleveland (which means driving back over Blood Mountain again today---James was car sick yesterday after going over the mountain) at 9 for the second appointment for my (two) crowns and a filling.  Ick.  Must remember to bring my iPod today.

Not Much Longer!

James and I are at the "Haunted Inn", as he calls it. He had a rough night---his nose is very stuffy which always bothers him greatly. He is definitely allergic to pet dander and cats appear to bother him more than dogs.

Less than two hours before we see Claire from
afar. (The campers will be performing in the theatre.). Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. I wonder how she's changed. Can't wait to hear all about everything and everyone. I miss my sweet Claire.

Letter from Camp (4)

Dear Mom,

I realy realy miss you please send me lots of letters (and emails) every day. I only get the leters and emails the day after it arives which I think is sad and 3 times I have to write leters to get in to diner

Please remember to put more stuf for leters more envelopes adresed to you and stamps and letter beacas I can only write 2 more to you.

From,
Claire

Letter from Camp (3)

Dear Mom,
I miss you so much. I realy like the classes but I wish we diden't have rest period it jest makes me miss you beacas I'm bored. If we did'nt have it I'd be bissy and be thinking about sothing ells its jest sad and your Not supost to talk. there's only one other thing thats anoying is wen the mail comes becase if its a email after 12:00 it dose not count and you get it the next day. I'm so sad I got nothing today. I just wish I could get sothing.

I miss you SSSOOO much.

Claire

P.S. When you send the pacage send more.....stamps + leters + envelops

I'm Ready

It's been a great visit to Framingham but I'm ready to head back soon. We'll spend about five days in Blairsville before flying back to HK. I'm ready.

I'm also ready to see Claire. I miss her! And I miss all of her Claire-isms. James doesn't appear to miss her that much but I believe it's because we're away from home. He's had a great time with his Uncle Bg and his cousin, Syd. He also thinks my cousin Brad is hysterical. (James doesn't believe that Brad is also his cousin as well.)

We had a great cook out at Brad's mother's house on Sunday. Judy is great. She taught us all a very amusing card game yesterday, "Steal the Other Man's Pack". A bit wordy but very funny. We also made lobster rolls yesterday from lobsters Brad caught while diving off Boston on Saturday. I'm so glad he came out from CA as I haven't seen him in years.

I received two letters from Claire yesterday. I will post them after I return from the gym.

Claire's Letter from Camp (2)

TO: Mom

I really miss you still but I didn't cry yet today (wich is grate!) I'm starting to get better with stuf like that althoe I still miss you soooo much!

And I realy realy, realy wish you were here. I hope you got my other letters. Oh and Please send me stuf a day ealy (they only give you stuff from the day before) that's the same with email. So please right or email me every day

I MISS YOU SO MUCH.

Love Claire

P.S. please give me more pre addrested (to you) stamped envolods.

Claire's Letter from Camp (1)

Dear Mom (+ James),

Hellow today is the 2nd day of camp. Last night it took me a long time to get to sleep. I really mised you so much. I wish you were here now. I fell of the bed last night and now my backs sore. I hope it will go away befor Hip hop: (which is my first thing) But luckly there's clean up and brechfast befor then.

I realy realy realy Miss you.

Claire

Blogging on an iTouch is no fun at all

Sorry for the silence but I haven't been near a computer.

All is well. Claire is at camp and I've haven't heard from her yet. (Dropping your child off at camp is surreal.)

James and I are at my brother's in Framingham. We're having an excellent time.

Need to put James to bed NOW!

Getting Ready for Camp

Claire's off to camp for the first time.  This Sunday we'll be dropping her off at the Bethel Camp for the Arts in Maine.  She is SO excited and not at all nervous.  (Go figure---she's freaking out about changing schools but two weeks at camp is not a problem.)

The fact that the camp is non-competitive is a huge selling point for Claire.  She's going to be doing a ton of activities including acting, hip-hop dancing, tennis, podcasting, writing and baking. 

We've been trying to pack everything that she'll need which has been a big job.  We have a list of items to buy in Massachusetts (like a fan and toiletries) and we still need to go pick up a pair of jeans from a thrift store today.  (Claire will be making something new out of them in her vintage fashion design class.) 

I need to mail a card to her ASAP so that it gets there close to the start of camp.  (We can also email her and she'll receive a printed copy that next day.)

Flying up to Boston tomorrow.  We're in pretty good shape although I need to pack my stuff.  (Trying not to take too much as I'll be buying a lot of clothes for work.  Framingham is a shopping mecca but a zoning nightmare.)

Ch-Ch-Changes

I should have known (and did suspect) that we would be changing our tickets a third time this summer. 

The first was changing our flights back to Hong Kong so that the kids would be able to attend new student orientation (and the first day of classes) once they were accepted at HKIS.

The second time was to move our flight to the US up so that we could leave earlier because all primary schools were suspended due to H1N1.

The third time was to change all of our flights (again) back to Hong Kong so that I could report to work on August 3rd!  (One option was for me to fly back alone and to have to kids stay in the US with Tom.  However, the kids decided that they wanted us to all go back to HK as a family.)

I have yet to receive my contract (should be here today? maybe?) but the Head of School has approved my hire.  It will be a bit of a homecoming of sorts, teaching Language Arts and Social Studies back at the Middle School.  It will also be very different as what we teach, how we teach it and the assessment of student learning has all changed.  Change is good, though. 

As you may imagine, with all of the changes in the air, emotions have been running high in our household.  The latest was Claire crying until after midnight, stressing (not over camp which she arrives at in Maine on Sunday) about changing schools.  She's nervous about everything.  The physical lay-out of the building, how a non-Montessori school is organized, the kids in her class, finding her way around, etc.  We went through a lot of Kleenex.  She wants to know who her teacher will be, whether she'll be in a straight grade 4 class or a grade 3/4 combination.  She just wants school to beginso that she's not worried about it.  Claire can't understand this nervousness as she says that she's never been nervous about school before.  Not even when we received news the day we were flying back to HK that her campus had moved (and we had no idea where to).  (Talk about a fun drive the morning after we arrived back---jet lagged and following a friend's texted directions...but we made it.)

Strange fascination, fascinating me
Changes are taking the pace
I'm going through

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you're gonna get
a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

(David Bowie, Changes)

Oh, and did I mention that not only are the kids changing schools and I'm going back to work, but we're also moving (hopefully soon) to the Stanley area (or at least somewhere near the Southside).  I wonder how many points that puts us at on the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale?