May 28th- Just another boring elementary school day...uh no!

May 28, 2014 Year 3 Day 28

FREE PRETZEL #28

Today was supposed to be one of those hectic elementary school days at Sharp school.  Field Day in the morning, with games and activities and water ice.  Followed by Teachers vs 5th grade students volleyball game and then lunch an hour of classwork and then a surprise assembly for our leader.  The weather did not cooperate for the morning portion, but nothing was going to stop the celebration we had planned for the afternoon. 

Bob said he loves Philly soft pretzels

Bob Homer has been the principal at Joseph D. Sharp Elementary School for the past 15 years.  I have only had the privilege of working for him for the past 3.  It has been an absolute pleasure and I have learned a lot about life, the Art and Science of Teaching, Marzano, Hattie and a few other specialists on education.  Seriously though, Mr. Homer is everything that I think an elementary school principal should be.  He knows every student in our school by name.  Greets them as they come in the door or out at the blacktop every morning and says goodbye to them as they get on the bus in the afternoon.  He has a friend, DJ Dog, spin tunes for the whole school during lunch hours on Fridays and special days.  He dresses up in great costumes for everything from Flag Day (Uncle Sam) to Groundhog Day (a groundhog) to Valentine's Day (cupid) and even a turkey on Thanksgiving.  He is a true professional in every sense of the word.  He just "gets it."  He treats his staff with respect and knows the true meaning of the words "community" and "family."

Students with bulldog signs surprising Mr. Homer

I joked with him this morning that I had not told him about the blog and had not given him a FREE PRETZEL on this journey because I did not want to make it seem like I was buttering up the boss.  But seeing as how he will be having fun in the sun in South Carolina in less than two months, I figured now was a good a time as any for a truly deserving recipient.  He even coined his own phrase when he said of what I had been doing "Pretzeling it Forward."  I of course immediately like it and thought about renaming the blog.  Darn it.  I didn't change it though.  Had to stick with the original. 

He will and has been getting plenty of "Thank you's" "Congratulations" and "We will miss you's," but it never hurts to add one more.  Thank you for all you have done for me over the past 3 years and good luck in South Carolina.  Go Gamecocks?!

 We threw a little surprise celebration/assembly in the afternoon.  Here are a few pictures:

Bob dancing with a third grader

Bob getting a framed picture from the PTA signed by all students and staff.

Giving one more speech of appreciation to all of us.

It was a fun afternoon and I am glad I could be part of such a nice community and wonderful family.

Shout out to Mr. Belinsky and Mr. Mann for putting the assembly together.  To all the teachers that helped out in any way they could and to everyone for keeping it a secret!

3 days left

Until tomorrow...

May 27th- Groove is in the ART. It's a pun, people!

May 27, 2014 Year 3 Day 27
 

FREE PRETZEL #27

The day after Memorial Day brought off and on sunshine and many different colors in the sky on a humid morning.  Perfect for an artist. Kerry Morlino has been the art teacher at Sharp school for the past two years.  She comes our way via Britain and is an amazing breath of fresh air for our school, our kids and just about anyone she meets.  She has a wonderful British vocabulary and to me, is extremely pleasant to listen to.  I just hope she knows I am in now way ever making fun of her.  I wish I had her accent.

Food art for an artist

Kerry splits time with another building, but when she is at our building she is usually one of the first to arrive and it is rare to not see her with a smile on her face, followed by a friendly greeting.  The artwork that she produces herself is awesome.  On several occasions I have watched her as she effortlessly completes a water color poster or an amazing pencil drawing of another colleague in the room.  And the artwork that the kids turn out is unmatched.  She is truly one of a kind.  It's easy to brag about her, but it is bittersweet to know that she will not be with our school anymore because of the loss of an art position in the district. Bollocks! It is very hard when something like this happens, and unfortunately a FREE PRETZEL cannot cure this heartache.  We all wish her the best of luck!

She was pleased to receive the FREE PRETZEL and even mentioned to someone later that day that she was honored to be a "special person."  I am glad that she felt that way.  She had mentioned to me that she had heard about what I was doing and was hoping that I might find my way to her room one day.  Well, I did and it was my pleasure.  I hope it was jolly good.  God Save the Queen!

4 days left.

Until tomorrow...

May 26th- Memorial Day. Staying with the Family

May 26, 2014 year 3 Day 26
 

FREE PRETZEL #26

The Pretzel Factory was open today.  Yay! I was able to get the FREE PRETZEL, but only after me and the kids had some fun at the Riverside Memorial Day parade.  It was long.  It was hot, but there was plenty of candy and ice pops!

"Where is the parade?"

Here are some more shots from the parade:

Army truck #1

Army truck #2

And of course we had to have a flag

Patrick saluting

And lastly, the Delran Fire Company bringing up the rear of the parade.

Hometown heroes!

It was a good time and as this is the 3rd year doing this, I guess we can call it a tradition now.

Today was Memorial Day and it is a day to honor all those who have served our country, but it can also be a time to think about all loved ones.  For those that don't know, I lost my grandmother this past February.  She lived a long 96 years and many would say it was probably time, but it always hurts when someone you love is just gone.  When I started this journey, I was told that she loved soft pretzels, just like most people that we know, but by honoring her once each year, it was a small way for me to connect with her.  My Aunt Kathy and my mom were two people who told me about my Mom-Mom's love of soft pretzels and so today, as I ventured over to my club to play golf again, I was able to surprise my aunt with her FREE PRETZEL.

Aunt Kathy with her after the round treat.

I gave her the FREE PRETZEL today, for not only following along with the blog and for being my aunt, but for always thinking of me and my family.  She has been very generous in offering up Phillies tickets when she has not been able to use them as well as passing along toys and items that my cousin Ali and her kids aren't using anymore.  My kids have been more then pleased to reap the benefits from that.  Thanks.  I got a text later from Aunt Kathy saying "I love Philly pretzels.  Thank you so much."  I am glad she enjoyed it with her lunch.

For Mom-Mom

I thought since my mom was there golfing today too, that the two of them could pose with the FREE PRETZEL in memory of their mom.  It is hard for me to think of my Mom-Mom without thinking about her love for pretzels and by doing this blog those memories can be etched her forever.  So today's Memorial Day was also a way to honor my Mom-Mom.  I hope she is having plenty of soft pretzels and ice cream where she is.

Until tomorrow...

May 25th- A brother and a friend

May 25, 2014, Year 3 Day 25

FREE PRETZEL(s) #25

Today was a gorgeous day to relax, mow the lawn and have fun at Caitlyn's graduation party.  Knowing I was going to this party allowed me to determine the recipients of the FREE PRETZELS today.  They just also happen to be there as well.

It almost didn't happen though.  As I pulled up to the Pretzel factory at 3:02, the doors were locked and CLOSED was the sign that appeared in the door.  Luckily I spotted Dillon and he opened up for me to grab the FREE PRETZELS.  He added two extra.

I made my way to the party and when there I presented the first one to my brother Bill.  Why?  Well because he asked nicely.  He's my brother.  He never got an official one.  And why not?  He deserves one just like anyone else. Bill has been supportive of the blog, commented and praised me for my efforts.  He works hard every day commuting from Delran to Elizabeth High School and on the weekend he should get a FREE PRETZEL.  So on this Memorial Day weekend he enjoyed his twisted treat.

The perfect compliment to any meal

Today was also the perfect opportunity to present a FREE PRETZEL to Ani McHugh.  Being a cousin-in-law to Caitlyn, I knew she would be at the party today and I wanted to take the opportunity to present her with a FREE PRETZEL as well.  Ani and I were students at Delran high, she a year behind me, but grew up right around the corner from where I lived.  She actually still lives right around the corner from my parents, now in a different house, and teaches English at Delran High School.  Not only does she work her rear end off as a teacher, but is fighting the good fight for all teachers against those that mean harm to teachers and public education in general.  She serves in a political capacity or sorts with her very own blog,

http://teacherbiz.wordpress.com/ 

A twisted snack

She does her best to show what our pathetic governor and others in Newark, Trenton and other parts of the state are doing to ruin public education and to a certain extent, teachers lives.  She also highlights the great things that teachers and public servants are doing in our state and it was great to talk to her for even a few minutes to catch up and also share rants.  She was more than excited to receive the FREE PRETZEL as she let out a tiny scream and then said, "You have something for me?  I get a pretzel?"  It was pretty cool.  I look forward to reading her blog in the future and staying informed.  Thanks for all you do.

All in all it was a great Sunday and even better since Monday was off.

Until tomorrow...

May 24th- My Birthday!

May 24, 2014 Year 3 Day 24

FREE PRETZEL #24, with mustard

My birthday celebration really started on Friday night when Katie and I attended the Phillies game, that rained and then stopped and then got cold and the Phillies stunk and lost 2-0.  Yuck.  I was so glad that my actually birthday was way better.  We did enjoy ourselves and I took full advantage of our outfield seats to score come crab fries and cheese steaks.

Mmmmm, Crabfries

My actually birthday will be a day in pictures, with a bit of narration.  I woke up and received some goodies.

T-shirt, belt (needed new one), shorts and belt and banana underwear. Perfect

Then it was off to the golf course.  I shot 76.  5 bogeys, 1 birdie. Eh.  Course was in good shape and I just need to start making some putts. 

The beautiful 9th green at the Moorestown Field Club

Then it was home and the boys and I had an adventure.  First we stopped off at Sonic for Happy Hour Slushees.  Half Price from 2-4. Patrick had green apple, Declan had orange and I had lemonberry.

Mmmm lemonberry

Then it was off to get the FREE PRETZEL.  I doused it in mustard and we were off again. We went to Del Buono to pick up rolls for burgers and we were of again to Produce Junction.

Great bakery and better prices

We made it home for burgers, cole slaw, corn and chips with Mom-mom, Pop-pop, Bill and Mary.
We enjoyed my traditional ice cream cake.

Love me some ice cream cake

And even saw a rainbow.

It's a rainbow.  Hard to see, but it's there

It was a fabulous day.  The Phillies did win today though. Thanks Katie, for making it happen.

Just in case you care, here are some famous people that I share my birthday with:
Musicicans: Bob Dylan (73), Patti Labelle (70), Heavy D (1967-2011), Roseanne Cash (59)
Queen Victoria (1819-1901
Actors: John C Reilly (49), Priscilla Presley (69), Tommy Chong (76) Alfred Molina (61), 
Jim Broadbent (65), Bryan Greenberg (36), Kristin Scott Thomas (54)
Athletes: Joe Dumars (Pistons Guard, 51), Eric Cantona (Soccer player 48) Tracy McGrady (35)

I hope a great day was had by all, especially Mrs. Skoviak my third grade Math teacher and Fred Wittenberg and Nick Brooks, childhood acquaintances and fellow Delran High School Alumni.

Until tomorrow...

May 23rd- A birthday and a future Domer!

May 23, 2014 Year 3 Day 23

FREE PRETZEL(s) #22

Jaynee Brosnan celebrated a birthday today and I knew she needed a FREE PRETZEL.  Why not right?  It was her birthday and even though I may have given here one on her birthday before and given her a birthday shout-out, this was better.  Jaynee is a special education teacher at Sharp and has been through two weeks of NJASK testing, so today is a good day for a treat.

A morning snack

Jaynee also does the thankless job of running the Sharp 5th grade safeties and that alone deserves a years worth of pretzels. She and I have worked closely over the past few years and she has worked with at least one of my students each year. I was glad to provide her with a morning snack. 

Smiling because he is going to the greatest University in the world!

Liam Mahoney is a former 5th grade student of mine from Stockton Class of 2007.  Come August he will be the first student that I have taught to ever enter the hallowed halls of Notre Dame as a student.  I am impressed, excited and proud as a peacock.  Liam and his mom happened to stop by my school today and they gave me THE SHIRT for this year's ND football season as an early birthday present.  So cool.  They were out at ND a few weeks ago for a parent reception/min-orientation and took on all that the glorious South Bend spring had to offer.

I wanted to give Liam the FREE PRETZEL today because I guess I am just excited to say that one of my former students will be going to Notre Dame.  I won't bug him too much for tickets, but hopefully he will look far and wide for me so that I can just leave on a whim and be there for a weekend.  Yeah right.

It was great to catch up with Liam and his mom and see what is going through the minds of a student, who 19 years later is in the same position as me.  Weird.  I did my best to impart wisdom on him, but I know he will be great and make his own path in this great world.  He was a tremendous student 7 years ago, kept it up, and obviously continued to be a great all-around kid and is hitting the big time.  Good thing he didn't ask me to write his recommendation!

Liam was a bit surprised by the FREE PRETZEL, but I think he liked it.  By the looks of him, the pretzel would not go to waste.  He's bigger than me!  Good luck in all your future endeavors and I have a feeling I will be seeing or at least talking with you soon.

Another day and another year older...sigh.  I always look forward to my birthday and what it may entail.  Golf?  Movies?  Ice Cream cake?  Presents?  It will all be great no matter what.

Until tomorrow...

May 22nd- An evening snack

May 22, 2014 Year 3 Day 22

With 9 days left and 9 or so FREE PRETZELS left, there was one couple that is anxiously awaiting their family to increase by one.  Bob and Beth Ann Lutz, live around the corner from us in Haddon Twp, just across Haddon Ave. I have known Beth Ann since high school and Bob was brought into our group of friends when he worked at Canon with my younger brother Mike and a group of my high school buddies for a few years.  A few years later he met Beth Ann and the rest is history. 

Beth Ann is expecting their first child any day and I could not think of two more deserving people for an evening snack.  I presented them with their FREE PRETZEL at about 8:20 tonight and both were awake and easily enjoyed their snack.  Bob said "Anytime is a good time for soft pretzels.  They're so good." Bob knew a little about the pretzel blog and said, "Your still doing that?  That's awesome."

I guess "red" is the Lutz household pajama color.

Beth Ann, being the great elementary school teacher that she is, commented that it was a really cool idea.  She is out of school until the baby comes, (doctors orders) and I could not be happier for the two of them.  My wife, Katie, is hoping Beth Ann makes it all the way and then the baby would share a birthday with her on June 4th.  I'm sure Beth Ann might want it a little earlier. 

Bob and I have had some fun times, AC, Philly St. Patty's, Flyers/Devils games and even shared a Phillies 6-pack of tickets one year as well as moving baby dressers into their house at 10 pm.
The two of them are two of the most positive upbeat people that I know and are going to make great parents. I am glad they enjoyed their snack.  I might even get to update the blog if the baby comes before May is out.  I will keep you posted!  No pressure Beth Ann.  Good Luck!


Birthday Shout outs: Notre Dame alum and current Chicagoan Melissa Tacey!  Hope you had a great birthday and someday you will get a real soft pretzel on your bday. 

Regular shout out: The Leone family for hosting this years end of the year party for the PVI Golf team.  I already mentioned, last week that this was the most successful season of my tenure.  We finished the season with a 13-3 record, 11-0 in the division. 

Okay Phillies, tomorrow is the night you need to show up.  Katie and I will be taking in the game for my birthday.  Hope it's a nice night.

Until tomorrow...

May 21st- A May Birthday I haven't celebrated?

May 21, 2014 Year 3 Day 21

FREE PRETZEL #21

Desiree' Caldwell is a 5th grade teacher at Bret Harte, but 11 years ago started as a second grade teacher at Stockton. We became friends and colleagues and have kept in touch despite our various moves.  Actually, speaking of moves, it was through my suggestions that Desiree' actually found apartments in my area on two separate occasions.  Some friend I am.

Desiree' and I share a birthday month, a zodiac sign, a love of sports, similar tastes in music (she is a DJ) and on a smaller scale a love for Star Wars (her DJ name is DJ P Leia).   When Desiree' started teaching I always marveled at how much time and effort she put in to getting her 2nd graders into gear.  She loved those little munchkins and they loved her.  She enjoyed teaching, but also making sure the kids had fun.  Sounds a little like someone else I know.  I was always impressed with her work ethic.

I have actually been trying for the past two years to present her with the FREE PRETZEL, but our timing never worked out.  Finally it did.  We met up for lunch at Panera Bread Co., where I presented with her twisted dough and she was very touched. She said it "made her feel very special."

Another satisfied FREE PRETZEL recipient and successful day.

Desiree' all smiles.

Desiree' confided in me recently that she would be ending her teaching this year to continue to pursue her DJing, which she really loves and will have more time for.  She also is now licensed to lead "Insanity" workout classes.  She will be starting them in Delran pretty soon, so anyone in the area that is interested, should look out for her class, coming to that shopping center across from Shop Rite in Delran.  She is extremely excited for her future and I wish her all the best.  I know she should enjoy herself and will do great.

On to another day.  There are 10 FREE PRETZELS left and hopefully 10 (or more) "new recipients"
Keep reading and spreading the news.

Until tomorrow...

May 20th- Teacher Appreciation (better late than never)

May 20, 2014 Year 3 Day 20

FREE PRETZEL #20 and 220 pretzel sticks for the Sharp Green Team

The Boys are on pace to complete their two year run at The Blessed Edmund Center on June 16th. There is an evening program, that will culminate with their "graduating" from pre-school.  I am sure it will be very emotional and I will wonder how the hell they are 5 and where did the years go.  What I will not wonder, and that I already know, is that all the teachers and staff associated with their school have been amazing.

This year the boys have had the pleasure of attending school for 5 days a week under the tutelage of Mrs. Schaal with help from Sister Agnes.  They have been awesome.  Mrs. Schaal has an incredibly calming demeanor that is perfect for our boys and even though they have had their ups and downs, she has realized how different both boys are and tells us how much she loves and values them in class.

Sister Agnes and her "Angels"

Sister Agnes as well as some of the other nuns, call Declan the professor because of how into a book he can get when he is "reading."  She is extremely loving with the children and often refers to them as her angels.  I wish they showed "angel like" behavior all the time.  

Both of these ladies were deserving of  FREE PRETZEL today and I hope they enjoyed them,  Sister Agnes even said she enjoys pretzels very much.  I hope that it made their day.

Birthday Shout outs: Jodi Levine.  Hope it was a great one!

Regular shout out:  Sharp School Green Team.  We had our end of the year lunch time celebration and I was able to bring a pretzel treat with me to the outdoor celebration. Here is what was left of 2 trays of 220 pretzel sticks.

Leftovers

Crazy right? To be fair, we do have 60 students on the Green Team. 

I see a lot of birthdays in the future.  Look out if you are one of those people.

Until tomorrow...

May 18- Selfies with Carolyn

May 18, 2014 Year 3 Day 18

FREE PRETZEL #18

I was again just not feeling all that well and I suggested to Katie that since she was enjoying a day at the Barnes Art Gallery with her mom that she should do something about it.  She wanted to keep it short and sweet.  This is what she came up with.

Close-up selfie

Sunshine selfie

 She taught her mom how to take Selfie's!

Eyes closed FREE PRETZEL SELFIE

That's better

They had a wonderful time and I am glad that it made her and her mom happy.  

Until tomorrow...

May 19th- Hail to the Chief!

May 19, 2014 Year 3 Day 19

Before you start wondering what is up, yes this is the right day.  A certain someone did not fulfill their obligation to substitute in my stead for Day 18.  It will be coming soon.

FREE PRETZEL #19, (why does this keep happening?)

Today was a day to celebrate a leader.  Martin Sharofsky is the CHEA (Cherry Hill Education Association) president and has held that post for almost as long as I have been a teacher in the district.  Before then he was a 5th grade teacher, just like me, for many years at Kingston School.  Martin has been involved in education for 40 years and has served his post honorably. 

While at Stockton, I served as CHEA Representative for 3 years and got to know the ins and outs of the union, a lot of the time right from Martin.  He can be a man of many or few words depending on the situation and I have learned a lot from his unique perspectives on many subjects.  He has been a kind of mentor definitely while I was at Stockton and less so since I have been at Sharp.  That's a good thing though. 

Martin was known for a long time for his extremely colorful ties.  I was always interested what I woulds see next.  I bet his students loved it.  I was a bit shocked when he did not have one on today. 

I told Martin about the blog and why I have been doing this.  I asked him if he liked soft pretzels and he replied "I love soft pretzels"  That made me happy.  I presented him with his delicious FREE PRETZEL and knew that he would enjoy it later in the day. 

Martin serves the entire union membership of CHEA which encompasses about 1400 teachers, one of the largest districts in the state.  That is a lot of different opinions and a lot of different ideas that he has to balance.  I think he does a really nice job.  I personally do not know anyone else who would want that job and he does it really well.  I know he will not do it forever and if he ever decides to step away he will be missed.  Thanks for all you have done for me and for the countless teachers, students and others that you have helped along the way. 

Birthday shout out to Delran High school Alum Maria Gentiletti

Also congratulations are in order for Stockton Kindergarten teacher Jackie Mulligan for being appointed the new head girls basketball coach at Haddonfield High School.  I saw the news in The Retrospect paper and had to share it here.  Welcome back to the coaching ranks. Good luck!

Until tomorrow...

May 17th- Too Sick

May 17, 2014 Year 3 Day 17

FREE PRETZEL #17 (even the picture wouldn't cooperate today)

I will just say it...today sucked.  It started at about 2 am with me hugging the toilet trash can as I barely made it to the bathroom.  Apparently I did not stay far enough away from Katie the past two days and everything catches up with you sometime. Good thing it didn't happen during NJASK! (sarcasm)

Anyway, I spent most of the day in my bed trying to sleep as the kids took over the house.  I lay in bed until almost 3 o'clock realizing that I needed to get up and get the FREE PRETZEL.  Yes that is what I was thinking.  I need to get the Pretzel.  The scary thing is that on the weekends, even though it says they are open until 5, my local Pretzel Factory will sometimes close early.  To my pleasure, after taking a shower and forcing myself into my car and up the street, they were still open around 3:45.  The two guys, Dylan and another that I don't know his name, were hard at work.  I shared with them that I was not feeling well and they also said that they had no been feeling well.  This did not make me feel better as they have been preparing pretzels all day.  So I grabbed my FREE PRETZEL and headed home. 

I did not have the time or energy to present it to a specific recipient today, so Katie and the kids shared it as they played outside and I plopped myself on the couch, watching golf and the Preakness pre-race telecast.  Note to self, when you fall asleep on the couch and leave your phone unguarded, your young children will grab it and will try and play games on it.  Good thing it was locked. They did somehow manage to take a few pictures.  Here is one beauty that they took.

Then when I woke I could not find my phone and after questioning them told me they had taken it to their room, trying to break the code so they could play Angry Bird Star Wars.  Amazing.

So hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and I will have the energy to continue this adventure.

Until tomorrow...

May 16th- Take that NJASK!

May 16, 2014 Year 3 Day 16

FREE PRETZEL #16

A Friday of any week is a cause for celebration. A Friday anytime in May is usually awesome, less so if it's raining.  But THE Friday after NJASK is complete, may have them all beat, especially for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teachers. The third grade teachers at Sharp School received a little snack this morning during their PLC (teacher talk for meeting) and it was cool to catch them a little off guard.

From left to right Lisa F, Lisa G, Kristi  and Rosaline

Two of these ladies are no stranger to receiving a FREE PRETZEL and were happy to get one today.  Lisa F and Kristi were each recipients. Lisa last year and Kristi on her birthday in year 1.

Lisa G knew about the blog from Facebook and was thankful to receive a nice snack to end her week.  She should be getting happier.  She has been teaching in the Cherry Hill District for 7 years and been bounced around to just as many schools and very soon will be graced with tenure. 
Maybe then we will celebrate with more pretzels!

Rosaline is a Kentucky girl and the biggest University of Kentucky fan I know.  We can talk basketball until the cows come home and I just hope that her Kentucky product Nerlens Noel can start paying dividends next year for the Sixers!.  She was extremely touched to receive her FREE PRETZEL and even asked me if she could give me a hug.  I obliged saying that it wasn't the first time someone has given me a hug after getting a FREE PRETZEL.

These ladies have the very tough job of preparing the young third graders for their very first standardized test. The kids can be nervous and moody and sometimes scared.  Its crazy really, but when it is all over, they all breathe a sigh of relief.  Teachers and students.  Even though they looked pretty relaxed, given that their testing ended on Thursday, I hoped to make there day a bit happier.  They deserve it for all the hard work they put in every day. Thanks for letting me crash your meeting ladies.

Friday is pizza day in a Casale household.  Rainy Fridays may start a new tradition.  Pizza and a movie day!  I am happy to report that yours truly handmade these beauties:

Thin crust cheese pizzas on a rain Friday.

And then we all watched the animated movie The Nut Job.

The weather looks beautiful for the weekend.  Get out there and do something nice and have some fun.  I'll see you on the internet later.

Until tomorrow...

May 15th- What a week she is having!

May 15, 2014 Year 3 Day 15

FREE PRETZEL # 15

Caitlyn McHugh is having a good week.  On Sunday, she graduated from the second best University in the world, University of North Carolina. Go Heels!  Today was her birthday and she was kind enough to watch our children while Katie and I took a step further in our parenting and attended Kindergarten orientation for the town of Collingswood.  Isn't she amazing!

Caitlyn with Tibby and her surprise treat.

So not only do I get to present her with a FREE PRETZEL on her birthday, but the reasons for giving her an amazing Pretzel Factory creation are numerous!  I think Caitlyn thought she might not get a FREE PRETZEL because I have already given her one.  Well that idea has gone out the window and it seems like we tend to rely on a lot of the same people for help in our lives.  It also does not hurt that it was her birthday, because as you know I am extremely partial to those.


Caitlyn will be around this summer, more times to help us again, but come August she will be headed back down To Chapel Hill working for UNC in their intramurals program.  I guess there is something in the water down there that keeps them coming back.  Pretty cool.  She is always so happy and loves life.  Katie and I cannot be more appreciative of how often she is able to help out with our family and our kids love her.  She even said we could have just paid her with the FREE PRETZEL.  Awesome. (we still did pay her)

Congrats on the graduation!  Hope you had a happy birthday! And thank you so much for helping us out tonight.

Shout outs:

-All the Sharp students and teachers for completing the NJASK.  Rough two weeks for everyone and it is over after tomorrow!

-The nuns and teachers at Blessed Edmund for helping out Declan after her threw up in school yesterday

- To Katie, GET WELL SOON. I hope you start feeling a lot better. Being sick sucks!

Until tomorrow...