It's been a while. . .

What a busy school year! Finley successfully completed 3rd grade and Eddie successfully completed kindergarten! Finley had a wonderful teacher that encouraged them to explore many options to help enhance their learning! He participated in Battle of the Books again this year and his team placed 2nd in the state of AK. He also participated in the Jr. Duck Stamp art competition and won an honorable mention for his swan oil pastel picture! Eddie had an awesome teacher!! I refer to her as a Jill of trades!! She is not only a terrific educator but also an artist! She shared her wonderful talent with the students and created a little artist in our Eddie. He has created some amazing pieces of art!!! She also helped him advance VERY far in his reading abilities!!! I completed my first year teaching in Alaska equipped with having to take tests about things I haven't learned or tried in oh, lets say 15 years!! I successfully passed and look forward to year 2 of teaching in Alaska in the fall!! I will be in the same capacity as a part time gym teacher!! I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching gym!! Our school has even won a national award from the Healthier Generation school alliance program!! This only a baby step in the process and we have a LONG way to go to get where we need to be, but it helps to have supportive staff and PTA on board!!! I was also fortunate enough to go to a PE training class for 2 days in Anchorage this week! IT was so helpful and I can't wait to work with my kiddos in the fall with all my FUN new ideas!!! : )

NOW on to what everyone really wants to know about. . .

Eddie will be having major surgery (I know some of my former NC students are checking this) on June 7. The surgery is for a birth defect that was discovered on his brain. He started waking with headaches in Sept. We had an MRI done in Oct. b/c they the docs thought is was related to the Pituitary gland WHICH can effect growth. That was not what the problem. It ends up this birth defect was causing the headaches because the fluid that is supposed to travel down the brain and spread over top of the brain and down the cerebellum doesn't do so in the manner that is should. This in turn could cause major problems that we DON'T want-big one being a loss of 4+ minutes of oxygen to the brain while sleeping. Headaches can be the precursor to the bad stuff happening. No way to ever know for sure--you just want to make sure you take care of the problem before that happens!

We will leave on June 3 for Seattle and hopefully return to Kodiak on June 11. We have to see how it goes. My parents are meeting us in Seattle for the surgery to help take care of Finley. They are also going to take him home with them to AL! That way all temptation for Eddie is gone!! He is going to have be calm and still for a while in the beginning and that is kind of hard to do with an older brother running around playing outside with friends, etc. Finley is very excited to go to AL by himself!! He is going to camp this summer and can't wait!! Eddie of course wants to go to camp, too!! I have told him we will have to see. Maybe we can go down for crafts and chapel everyday once we get to AL!!!???

So, June 11 Eddie, Scott, & I travel back to Kodiak for Eddie's first 2 weeks of recovery! Eddie & I plan to travel to AL on June 25. We are spending the night in Seattle then completing our trip down south on June 26. I plan to update the blog during surgery, after, etc. to keep everyone posted. It's so much easier than calling everyone!! : )