May 25th: Another loyal blog reader

May 25, 2017 Year 6 Day 25

FREE PRETZEL #25

I got deputized again today and the choice was obvious.  I made it out of the house, got the pretzel, and made my way to work.  I headed to the 3rd grade hallway to find my person.  I got a little sidetracked looking for her and then I caught her...right by the copier.

Here she is with her lovely smile!

Happy Dorothy with her FREE PRETZEL

Dorothy Thornton teaches 3rd grade at my school.  We have worked together since 2004 and I am very grateful to call her my friend.  She is one of the most genuinely kind people I know.  She is a wonderful teacher, a fellow twin mom (2 boys plus 1 as well!) and she is an all around great person.  Dorothy is so easy to be around.  She is just one of those people who does not judge, listens completely, and will let you vent if you need to.  She is so lovely and so is her family.  I have been lucky to be at birthday parties for her kids and it is just one big room full of love.  Looking at the picture of her I hope you can tell that there is a lucky class of 3rd graders who get to have her as their teacher!  I hope you enjoyed your pretzel!

Thanks Katie.  Great choice.  Dorothy is a loyal blog reader who consistently likes my posts on Facebook, so it is always nice to treat someone who supports what we are doing here at The Daily Twist.  I also love reading all of her posts about her boys and family.  This is one treat I hope she didn't share. 

Until tomorrow...

May 24th: MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

May 24, 2017 Year 6 Day 24

FREE PRETZEL # 24

Well its my birthday...again.  Today was pretty much planned out and I guess I had to go to work right?  The plan was to join my parents and sister Mary for dinner at Iron Hill Brewery in Maple Shade for a birthday dinner, but also supporting my mom's Questers group.  A win, win scenario.  Well as luck would have it, Jim Grugan, brother of my college friend Kevin Grugan, posted on Facebook that he had obtained a crapload of FREE PHILLIES TICKETS for tonight's game. As luck would have it, I asked him if he had 5.  He said yes and therefore became an instant FREE PRETZEL recipient.

Jim was very excited to get his FREE PRETZEL

I provided Jim and his family of 6, each with a pretzel to enjoy at the game.  His wife Sarah and kids Jimmy, Abby, Josie and Danny all looked to be having a great time munching on the pretzels when we arrived.  Jim and his family just recently moved to Cinnaminson.  He is now an New Jerseyan for the first time in his life. Welcome to the club.  It is usually a nice place.

Casale clan on the way to Citizens Bank Park

Josie and her brother enjoying their pretzels

Family selfie just outside the stadium

Jim has been very generous to my family.  In fact the last time he had tickets like this to give away, we also took him up on his offer and it was the boys first Phillies game.  Jim teaches fifth grade at Hopkinson Elementary School and in the summer he works at Camp Mayfair.  The camp is who Jim got the tickets from and as a birthday treat to me.  Jim is also a somewhat recent Notre Dame convert.  Although his brother is a double domer, Jim was never a big fan, until he attended a football game a few years back.  It happens to just about everyone.  He fell in love and has been a fan ever since.  He has also found out how frustrating that can be.  But of course we welcome all to the club no matter what.  Better late than never to join us, right Jim?  Thanks for the tickets and the nice evening and welcome to New Jersey.

Tabitha received a certificate for her first game. 

The game itself was kind of a snore as the Rockies exploded in the 4th inning for 7 runs and actually were no hitting the Phillies until the 5th.  The Casale Clan toured the stadium including the Phanatic fun zone and getting a "First Game Certificate" for her attendance.  We watched until the Phillies finally got a hit and then it was time to go.  We would miss a 2 run homer in the 8th by the Phillies, but we still had fun anyway.   Thanks Jim. 

This year's birthday haul!

It was still my birthday and a day to celebrate.  It was a nice day and a pretty enjoyable time all around.  The burger at dinner was especially good and I even got a nice ice cream surprise at the end.   Thank you Katie for making it a special day again.  It's always great when you can make your birthday special.  It should be, because it is your day.  

Until tomorrow...

May 23rd- Anyone need golf lessons?

May 23, 2017 Year 6 Day 23

FREE PRETZEL #23

Today was one of those days that I never knew if it was going to work out for me and the FREE PRETZEL recipient.  I have been doing this long enough to know that sometimes it just doesn't work out.  But I persevered in ninja-like stealth and I was able to surprise today's nominee...I think.  He had a few hints during the day.

Camden County Golf Academy (aka driving range on the water)

When I first met Andrew Pierson he was a wide-eyed sophomore dedicated to being a consistent starter on the Paul VI golf team.  Andrew played 3 years for me before graduating in 2008.  He averaged 43 for nine holes his senior year and led the team to a 10-8 record, my first over .500 as coach.  He also earned Olympic Conference National Division First Team.  He took this award and began his college golf career at Rutgers-Camden.  He started the rise of that program that has now won multiple division titles since he was a player and after he graduated has served as an assistant coach for the program for the past 5 years.

He is currently the pro at the Camden County Golf Academy in Pennsauken and has been working there for the past 8 years.  When I met him there today, he was wearing wading boots and had been using a boat to collect the driving range golf balls.  He mentioned that there was no wind and therefore the golf balls did not float back towards the range and therefore was a lot more work for him and his staff.  He seemed pleased to receive the FREE PRETZEL after I described to him why I was there.  At least it was a small break from collecting balls.

A nice break from work

Andrew was always one of my hardest working golfers I have ever had and he continues that hard work every day. He has been doing a pretty awesome job transforming the once run down facility into a usually crowded driving range and teaching facility.  It has a nice short game area and if you can look past the gaggles of geese that often gather nearby, it really is a nice place to practice and very reasonable priced.

Last summer, I started up a Paul VI golf camp for one week and the Golf Academy allowed me to use their facilities along with joining forces with Andrew.  His work with youngsters is unmatched as he has already been running camps from the facility for years.  After a slow sign up period, we were able to get 13-15 kids out and I considered it a success.  We are hoping to have even more kids this year for year two.  The camp will run from Monday July 17 to Thursday July 20th from 9 am-12 pm.

Here is sign up information: https://bbk12e1-cdn.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/611/misc/misc_140590.pdf

Andrew was also recently recognized by the Camden County Board of Freeholders for starting this:

http://southjerseyobserver.com/real-golf-lessons-at-camden-county-golf-academy/

Taking a snippet from the article, here is what Andrew started:

"The Camden County Recovery Encouragement Athletic Leagues (REAL) is offering a series of free golf lessons Tuesday nights beginning at 7:00 p.m. through May 9. No experience? No clubs? No problem.

The golf lessons are being given by a certified golf professional and are sponsored by the Camden County Freeholder Board’s Addiction Awareness Task Force. Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli said: “Golf is a great sport to learn to challenge your body and mind while in recovery. We know that no one is immune to the addiction of opiates and we must focus on prevention and treatment.”

Pretty awesome work Andrew.  I am extremely proud of Andrew and his accomplishments and it is nice to see so much good being done from a former player.  Congrats on all your have accomplished so far and good luck in the future, Andrew!

Until tomorrow...

May 22nd- The FREE PRETZEL rains down beautiful music

May 21, 2017 Year 6 Day 22

FREE PRETZEL #22

May 22nd, 2017 will be known as the day the rains came.  Today was a day that is supposedly kicking off four straight days of possible clouds and rain.  Not too much fun, except that when you have to perform a concert in a sweltering elementary school gym, the cool and rain provide a little bit of relief from a possible hot spring day.

Alexis Henderson and Bill Russell (no not that Bill Russell) are the choral music directors and music teachers here at Johnson.  Alexis has been teaching in the district for at least as long as I have and maybe longer.  She has been at Johnson two of my three years.  She is awesome with the kids and really shows how much she enjoys working with them, getting them up and moving around and getting into the songs.  Alexis and her family of 5 recently moved into a new house and although moving is always a chore, she was so happy with new move and has been downright giddy getting everything set up in the new place and really calling it home.

The gang keeping Jake fed

Jake Weber basically just bummed a pretzel off me today because I had an extra.  It didn't matter that he too is a May birthday, that he is an awesome band and orchestra teacher, or that he is a huge Star Wars fan.  Nah.  Sometimes people just get another FREE PRETZEL.  Jake was a recipient last year as well. He continues to lead the Johnson instrumentalists with class and grace.

The chorus directors at work

Bill Russell is the epitome' of a exemplary teacher.  He has only been the district for 3 years, but his rapport with the students and staff is second to none.  He is young and energetic and passionate and I don't know how he does it all day, but the kids love it.  Like Alexis, you can really tell how much Bill loves what he is doing and cares about the kids.  He likes seeing them smile and getting them to learn about music, even though they probably think they are just having fun. 

These three amazing teachers put on a great show during the morning in-school concert and although I was not in attendance I heard the that evening concert was great as well.  Congrats on a job well done too all of you. I do not know what Johnson would do without you.  These three bust their butts and they should be commended often.  You guys are pretty awesome. I hope you liked your pretzels. 

Until tomorrow...

May 21- A day for getting stuff done

May 21, 2017 Year 6 Day 21

With so much to do today, I forgot to get a picture of FREE PRETZEL #22.  I would like to tell you that I got the pretzel on the way to the boys soccer game vs Winslow.  In the morning, Katie and I and the kids enjoyed our time cleaning our house.  I reorganized my drawers, putting away winter clothes into storage and bringing out my summer clothes.  Katie and the kids cleaned a good amount of the house, as well as the front porch and I mowed the entire lawn.  We broke for a hearty lunch and then took a quick nap before heading on the road to Winslow.

The family decided to share the pretzels as reward for our hard work.

The boys then went on to score a goal each and then Patrick did a nice job volunteering for and then playing goalie in the second half and we held on for a 5-2 victory to remain undefeated.  The boys have one more game, a makeup game vs Runnemede, in two weeks as the finale of the spring season. The whole team has done a really nice job this season and I am already looking forward to the fall.

Until tomorrow...

May 20th- The FREE PRETZEL celebrates babies!

May 20, 2017 Year 6 Day 20

FREE PRETZEL #20

Today it finally cooled down, and unfortunately the rains came in the morning on the front nine of my golf round.  I trudged through and ended up having a better back nine, but I was glad it was cooler than the last few days.  

Today's recipients was the brainchild of my sister Lauren.  My sisters, Lauren and Mary, are both due with their first child, this July.  Their duel shower was being held at my parents house this afternoon.  There were three other lovely pregnant ladies that would be in attendance and she thought, and I agreed that they should all get the FREE PRETZEL.  

Pregnant ladies with pretzels!

From left to right in the picture is Kristen Hipolit, my cousin James' wife.  She is due with the couple's first child on August 19th.  Next to her is Patty, my sister Lauren's friend.  Lauren got into the crossfit scene a little over 3 years back and while she was bouncing around from gym to gym she met Patty.  They remained friends and she even joined Patty's kickball team last spring.  Patty is due on September 3rd.  Lauren is in the middle.  Lauren is the youngest of the Casale clan and she is due July 4th.  Maybe a patriotic baby. Mary is next to Lauren and she is also due with her first child a mere 10 days after Lauren on July 14th.  Wouldn't it be crazy if they had them on the same day?  

On the far right is the most pregnant of all the ladies and definitely enjoyed the pretzel most, at least I think she did.  Megan Noll Eissler, as I like to refer to her facebook name, is Lauren's friend going on about 7 years.  Lauren met Megan while working at Nordstroms and they have remained best friends ever since. They even worked at Covered Bridge Capital together after the Nordstroms gig. She also got into the crossfit game with Lauren and is also friends with Patty.  Megan is also a loyal blog reader, so it was nice to present her with a FREE PRETZEL today.  I like to look out for my followers. I'm slightly excited because Megan is due on May 25th and I'm hoping maybe the baby comes a day early so I have another human to share my special day with.  Maybe?

All the ladies seemed excited to get their treat and I hope a nice day was had by all despite the yucky and cooler weather.

Patrick would rather read a book

After I finished my round, I went to the house to pick up the boys so we could then turn right around and go back to the golf course for another 9 holes.  The boys, seem to be enjoying it.  They will again compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt contest this June 3rd at Hidden Creek Country Club.  Patrick plays the first 4 holes and then says, "This is where I stop, right daddy? " He went right to his book and then eventually exploring the pond on the 5th hole. Declan paused for a bit and then did play holes 6, 7 and 8 with me.  We ended the day with a little practice putting and finally with about 15 uninterrupted minutes to explore the pond again.  It is fun to watch them explore.

Declan lining up his 7 iron shot

Until tomorrow...

May 19th- Just a chill day

May 19, 2017 Year 6 Day 19

FREE PRETZEL(s) #19

Today Katie joined the boys on their field trip to the Adventure Aquarium and Camden Children's Garden. It was her second trip in a row as she also went with Tabitha to the zoo yesterday.  She surely is a trooper.  She actually enjoyed this trip with a lot of the dads from the class.  She said all the kids were great and despite it being another steamy day, she said that everyone had fun and that the boys did an excellent job.  Since I really had not planned on a special pretzel recipient, I decided that as a treat for their good behavior the boys could each have a FREE PRETZEL today.

The boys were happy to be part of the blog again

It was a chill evening.  We ordered pizza and cheesesteaks and the kids watched a Scooby Doo movie before bed.  Sometimes the most chill evenings are best. 

Until tomorrow...

May 18th- The Pretzel gets Fancy!

Fancy Pretzels

May 18, 2017 Year 6 Day 18

Johnson Elementary School started an Alphabet countdown last year for the final 26 days of school in which the whole school counts down the last 26 days using the alphabet.  We start with 26 days to go and the Letter A and end on the last day of school with the letter Z and "Zoom out of school."  Today happened to be letter F day for "Fancy" so I decided to get everyone of my students a pretzel and then I asked them to dress it up.  The students were asked to dress up the real pretzel they were given or to trace it and draw a dressed up pretzel.  There are two pictures out of four within the blog today.  For some reason I ran into trouble downloading the other two and since I deleted the pictures I was not able to include the others.  It was a shame because there were some really good ones.  The kids had fun with them too.  I liked the one with the yarn hat.

Some "Fancy" examples

FREE PRETZEL #18

More "Fancy" examples

I did also want to recognize an extremely important lady to Johnson School on this day.  Michelle Jiminez is our principal's secretary and the lady that handles a lot of the ins and outs at Johnson.  Today was also her birthday.  There are a lot of events and trips and paperwork that Michelle handles at our school that help the teachers, students and especially Mr. Peltzman.  On days when she is absent it seems like things don't run quite right.  Like I said she is that piece that makes our school run like clockwork.  She was happy to get her FREE PRETZEL for her birthday and I guess, for me, it's a little "thank you" for all the candy that I take out of her dish almost once a day.  Thanks Michelle.

Michelle couldn't wait to take a bite

Students and staff were asked to dress in our fanciest outfits as well.  Unfortunately the weather was in the 90s and therefore called for adjustments to "fancy."  At Katie's suggestion, she thought I could pull off an "Olympian style" with jacket and fun shorts.  I decided to accessorize with owl socks and sandals.  I forgot my hat which would have completed the outfit, but it was fun seeing all the variations on the theme this year.
Working in an elementary school can be quirky, but it can also be a lot of fun if you let yourself enjoy it.

Fancy, Olympian style.  It was 90 degrees.  Too hot for a full suit

Pretzels dressed to the "nines"

Until tomorrow...

Day 15- Kick up your feet and dance...Irish style!

May 15, 2017 Year 6 Day 15

FREE PRETZEL #15

Today was another beautiful, windy day.  I had the privilege of attending Tabitha's Irish dance practice at Camden Catholic high school.  It was already a good trip because she did not whine about me having to take her.  Yay!

On Mondays, for an hour, Tabitha has been taking Irish dance as part of the Coyle School of Irish Dance. The School serves a wide variety of the area including South Jersey, Bridgeport, and Central PA, and Southeastern PA.  The School has been in existence since 1981 and is an award winning Irish Dance School, most recently winning the Walter Garvin Award for Outstanding Children's Irish Dance Group in the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day parade, both in 2016 and 2015.  

http://www.coyleschool.com/

Tabitha started dancing with the school last year and has been enjoying herself.  Her teacher for all of these Mondays, Ms. Patsy Wrabley Swope, best describes Tabitha as full of energy.  A butterfly, as Katie and I tend to refer to her.  Tabitha really enjoys her time on Mondays and during the parades, both in Conshohocken and Philadelphia.  Although this years weather was pretty brutal.  

A little snack for her long night ahead. 

Ms. Patsy, teaches classes at Camden Catholic every Monday night from September to June from 4:30-9:30.  Teaching everything from beginners all the way up to Preliminary & Open Championship Dancers. 
She has been Irish dancing herself since she was 5 years old, for over 40 years and comes to us by way of King of Prussia.  Maybe she needs FREE PRETZEL for braving the Schuylkill every week?  She's been teaching since 1994 and says she still enjoys it because the kids are so full of energy. Working all night I thought she might need a snack and a hopefully a soft pretzel hit the spot.

To take on our Tibby is a chore within itself for an hour each week, so to possibly deal with multiple Tibby's or even just the number of children she works with each week is pretty awesome.  I have been pretty impressed when I have attended the parades, practices and last years recital at how amazing all the kids are. We still need to get Tibby to practice a little more, but she has shown improvement and she is only 5 (almost 6). She's got time.

The FREE PRETZEL was just a small token to say "thank you" and to tell Ms. Patsy how much she means to our family.  Its pretty neat to see Tabitha up there dancing when she is focused.  I may be a little bit of a "dance dad" but I am proud of it and know that it suits me well.  Right Katie?

Until tomorrow...

May 17th- A day off from work...you get a FREE PRETZEL!

May 17, 2017 Year 6 Day 17

FREE PRETZEL #17

Today was another perfect day to recognize a person who was nominated by a previous recipient.  Molly Horn has been one of two young college students who watch our little ones in the morning and then walk them to school.  She is also a sometime babysiter for us and a very busy college student at Rowan.  When we decided to ask people for submissions, she had a perfect one and so today was that day.  

Here is what she wrote:

My Dad, Michael Irwin, is the kindest person you will ever meet.  He would give the shirt off his back 

to anyone he sees even if he has no idea who they are.  He is always giving whatever he can to others 

and never expects anything in return.  This past January his Mother passed away unexpectedly and 

it was very hard for him.  To make matters worse 2 weeks later his Father passed away. 

My Dad was very close with his parents, especially his Father.  From February to now he has dealt with 

cleaning out his childhood home and getting it ready to sell.  He has had such a hard year but he didn't let 

that change his character at all.  Through all of the hardships he has faced within the past year he still did 

whatever he could for others to make them as happy as possible. Anyone who knows my Dad knows how 

deserving he is and that is why I feel he deserves to be apart of Tim's Free Pretzel Blog. 

Michael is so giving he wanted me in his picture too!

Our family has known the Irwins for a only a few years now, but everything that Molly says about Michael is very true.  He just gives of himself and that's awesome.  Michael grew up in Pennsauken and as we were talking we discovered that he knows a lot of the same golf coaches in the Olympic Conference that also went to Pennsauken.  Small world.  Michael happened to have the day off today from his job as a supervisor at Cooper Hospital, so it all worked out perfectly.  

It's always great to share this blog and the FREE PRETZEL with friends and just good people.  Michael even got to enjoy his pretzel on his trip to Target.  I hope it was good.  Thanks again Molly.

Until tomorrow...

Day 16- Katie's partner in crime

May 16, 2017 Year 6 Day 16

FREE PRETZEL #16

Today was a perfect day to give the FREE PRETZEL to a very loyal blog reader.  I do not want to waste time talking about the recipient because Katie will do it for me.  And...

Today I was deputized to get the pretzel.  After a typical (aka hectic) morning at our house, I was successful and here is the evidence to prove it.

I was lucky because almost as soon as I walked in the building I ran into my special person.  Her response was perfect!  She said SHUT UP!!! and posed for a great picture!  Look at her smile J

One of the best reactions to the FREE PRETZEL

Megan Celli is the reading specialist at my school, Cranberry Pines  She is my partner in literacy/research/causing trouble crimes.  Her job is awesome and she is really great at it.  She spends her days helping kids who struggle with reading and she is so kind, sweet, and supportive to readers who need extra TLC.  Think about it…kids who need help get to go with Mrs. Celli and she will patiently encourage and support them to set them on the path to success.  She makes a difference and that is awesome.

She is also sassy, hilarious, a great mom, a funny friend, and makes delicious food like Cowboy Dip.  She says Texas things like "bless her heart" and "ding-dong dillyhopper".  I am so happy we are friends.

Have a great day Megan!

Back to you Tim…

Megan's two daughters are the cutest and I should have included some pictures of them, but then the attention would be on them instead of Megan.  Her reaction makes me happy.  I was glad to do this today and this one happened to be my idea, which does not happen that often.  Thanks Katie

Until tomorrow...

Day 14- Mother's Day

May 14, 2017 Year 6 Day 14

FREE PRETZEL #14

Mother's Day.  A day to recognize all mothers. A day to say, thanks for all your do to mom's all over the world. Here at the Daily Twist it is even more important because my wife and the mother of my children is the reason this blog exists.  Most of the ideas for random days have come from her and I cannot thank her enough, just for that. There is so much more that I constantly praise Katir for and have done in previous blog posts, that I would again fill another blog and instead you can go back and read the previous editions.

It was a gorgeous day in the neighborhood, so while Katie hit the gym, Elizabeth and I took our 5 children and headed off to McMillan's Bakery, apparently with the rest of South Jersey. We waited patiently outside with our number before a good samaritan gave us an even better number.  The kids enjoyed the nice weather and the walk, while riding their scooters.  Fun was had by all, but Elizabeth and I wonder how many people thought we were a family of seven, just by some of the looks we got.

Never a bad idea when pastries are involved. 

At 1 pm the kids and I headed to Audubon to play a U9 soccer game.  I was coaching solo today as Dan was away for the weekend.  Katie again suggested giving the FREE PRETZEL to their coach.  The best part was their coach was a woman and since it was Mother's Day it worked out perfectly.  SueAnn Fayer is the coach of the Audubon U9 soccer team as well as a teacher at Gateway Regional High School.  She has boy/girl twins that are the same age as the boys and her son plays on the team.  Sue was very gracious to receive, after my lengthy explanation.  SueAnn was working hard, having to line the field and get the goals set up before today's game, She also told me that she had not eaten lunch or breakfast before the game so that this was perfect.  I bought a few other pretzels for her assistants to enjoy after the game too. It was pretty cool to give to a fellow teacher, coach and in this case a stranger.  

The FREE PRETZEL replaced her breakfast and lunch

The game was pretty awesome.  They had a very large field, which our team was not used to and it took a lot out of our kids, being that it was a little warm, but we pressed on.  Three different shots of ours hit the post or the cross bar.  I was beginning to think luck was not on our side. After being down 1-0 at half, we started the second half off in a deeper hole after they scored again making it 2-0.  With about 13 minutes left in the game a hand ball in the box by their defense forced a penalty kick, which Declan scored into the top right corner and the energy was back in our boys.  We continued to keep the ball down their end and with less than 3 minutes left a throw in to one of our defensive players resulted in a nice cross and redirection into the back of the net to tie the score at 2-2, where it ended.  Hard fought by both teams an a pretty tough game all around.  

The team and their moms!

At the suggestion of Katie, I picked up some roses at Produce Junction earlier in the day for the boys to give to their moms.  Unbeknownst to us, another mom, who was providing the snack today, did the same thing.

So after the game the boys ran across the field to present their mom with a red and pink rose.  It was cute to see and a nice ending to the day that I bet the moms found very cool. 

Later that evening we headed over to my sister Mary's house, where her and her husband Kenny provided a dinner for our immediate family.  Despite more rain, much fun was had by all and I was able to give my mom a hanging plant and a card she found quite humorous.  It was a good day. 

Happy Mother's Day to all moms.  I hope you enjoyed your day

Until tomorrow...

Day 13: Ummmm, rain anyone?

May 13, 2017 Year 6 Day 13

FREE PRETZEL #13

The rains came today and lasted pretty much the entire day turning from a steady downpour to a steady mist with some wonderful wind and cold to go with it.  Today we had some visitors to Casa de Casale in the form of Aunt Elizabeth, Theodore and baby Oona. They too are coming to us from Brooklyn, just like our visitors last weekend.  Their new apartment was being painted and they needed to not be there for the weekend, so they joined us for a visit.  It was great to see them.  Theo was running around and playing with his cousins and all their amazing toys and Oona, was being Oona.  

Play time with Oona and Uncle Tim

Cousins and the FREE PRETZEL

It was a really nice time for them to come hang out.  Given that it was raining, we had to stay inside, but we played and rested and enjoyed each other's company.  It was a nice lazy kind of day.  Nothing wrong with that, right?  Elizabeth will be on her way to Iceland on Monday for a work retreat, nice gig, so it was good to get family time in with her and the kids.

Oona enjoying her treat with Mommy

Oona did actually do a good job of sucking on the FREE PRETZEL and Elizabeth mentioned she couldn't get her to stop!  A future lover of Philly Soft Pretzels!  Thanks for the visit and I hope to return the favor soon.

Until tomorrow...

May 12- Anyone need a handyman? Because I got the best!

May 12, 2017 Year 6 Day 12

FREE PRETZEL #12

Fridays are always good days and despite the cruddy forecast early in the week, the rain held off today and it was just cloudy for most of the day.  This was good, because we needed to have some repairs done to our house caused by some poor work on our roof.  Dean Bryfogle has been a godsend for the Casale family, fixing up big and little jobs in both our old house in Haddon Twp and our current house in Collingswood.  I met Dean when his daughter, Kim, now our part time babysitter in the mornings, was playing volleyball at Paul VI. She is now a sophomore at Rutgers Camden so that means I have known Dean for almost 7 years.

Kim had this to say about her dad, "My dad is a very wise man who likes sarcasm way too much.  But he is and always has been a great father who I know I can always count on."

Funny because I know I can always count on Dean as well and so can you.  If you need him you can just call the number below⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊⇊

If you need some work on your home just call!

Like I said, Dean has been awesome for us.  From fixing roofs, to putting in closets in the old house and putting shelving in closets in the new house.  He also fixed our deck in the old house as well as front porch work.  Dean has put sheet rock in our basement and even repaired doors, cut a cat door in our basement door in the new house, amongst many other home repair jobs.  He is a jack of all trades. Across the street he built an entire deck and then screened it in too! I know it's his job, but he is pretty darn good at it and I obviously highly recommend him  to all of you.

Dean loves pretzels and immediately began devouring his free one

Dean doesn't know a small job.  It's a good thing too because we seem to have plenty every several months or so. A FREE PRETZEL doesn't begin to Thank him for all the work he has done.  He always has a way to make us feel calm and not get too worked up about any issues.  It always works out and it always get's taken care of.  Thanks Dean for everything and I'm sure we will see you soon, but hopefully not too soon. 

Until tomorrow...

May 11th- Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?

May 10th- A look towards the future

May 10, 2017 Year 6 Day 10

FREE PRETZEL #10 (on its side)

Today is another day to celebrate a Johnson teacher who seems to do it all.  Sharon Schreiber has been working in the Cherry Hill School District teaching either 1st or 2nd grades all at Johnson school.  Another Johnson lifer.  There's a lot of them around here.  Sharon is a pretty awesome teacher.  I have been in her classroom and see how patient she is with her little ones.

Sharon is also one of those intricate cogs that makes the Johnson School machine run so well.  She is one of the leaders of our SCIP team, which plans professional development for our school and keeps our school improved in all things we need improving.  (that was purposely a silly sentence).  This year she has been overseeing a new activity that we have been doing each month, called Family Day.  I have enjoyed Family day as all of the Johnson students and teachers have been organized into 19 different families.  Two or three teachers lead the session, with each family having about 18-24 students with 3-4 students of each grade level.  It is pretty cool to see the students partake in character ed activities and to see kids of all grade levels work together on fun lessons.  I for one hope to see it continue.  Sharon has set the teachers up for success, providing lessons and different activities for us to use each time we meet.

Sharon, showing off her walking feet for her good cause coming up.

Sharon is also now leading our Relay for Life Team Johnson this year.  Sharon is a cancer survivor, who after battling this terrible disease all of last year, and now going strong, will be leading the Relay for Life Camden County on June 10th at Veteran's Memorial Park in Clementon, NJ on Chews Landing Road. 

Here is the information for the event if you would like to attend or support team Johnson:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=79142

and the team page:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY17EA?team_id=2207856&pg=team&fr_id=79142

Let's just say Sharon is pretty awesome.  We had a nice time earlier this year at The Melting Pot when the Johnson teachers got together for a night out.  It was fun sharing a pot with her and chatting about life beyond teaching.  She is extremely excited to celebrate her son's graduation this June from the Merchant Marine Academy.  It's then off to a Destroyer where he will be an Ensign in the Navy.  

It's pretty cool that in my life I get to meet some pretty awesome people, with awesome lives of their own. It's also fun to be able to take a few moments and share some of their stories here in this blog.  That's what makes it all worth it.  Thanks for all your do Sharon. 

Until tomorrow...

May 9th- Shhhhhhh.....

May 9, 2017 Year 6 Day 9

FREE PRETZEL #9

Today started a string of what looks to be a bunch of gorgeous days in a row.  It's a little on the chilly side for May, but as long as it isn't raining, I am usually in a good mood.  Today I was in a good mood, but I forgot to pick up the pretzel in the AM and had to go out at lunch.  Luckily it was hot and fresh when I presented it to the Johnson School Librarian, Jill Jeffers.

Jill just completed her first year as our librarian.  She has been teaching for 11 years, 5 of those as a third grade teacher and the last 6 as a librarian.  She has taught in Virginia, Delaware and now in Cherry Hill.  She grew up in Hamilton Twp and attended high school there before attending Mary Washington for her undergrad and then University of Kentucky for Library School. Mrs Jeffers has also been coaching the Haddon Heights swim team for the past 3 years, making it to the state tournament this past year.   I always have a soft spot for fellow coaches.

Mrs Jeffers and her FREE PRETZEL ready for the show. 

Two weeks ago I invaded Jill's library as my students took the PARCC test, because my class shares a moveable wall with another classroom and the noise would just be too much! (tongue in cheek)

I was keen to not make a mess during my stay, but it has not been the easiest of situations being forced out of her space.  To make matters worse, I think she might say this, she has to be one of the testing coordinators for all four weeks of testing, regardless if they are using her library or not.  She rolls with it well though.  

This past summer she had high school kids come in and paint a mural on the back wall and this year she introduced at Lego wall.  Both have brightened up the Johnson Library space.  Jill is always helpful to reschedule library times with all of the teachers, after being absent or not available during a school day and it shows how much she loves her job.

Jill was excited when I presented her with her FREE PRETZEL and told me she had just started following the blog and enjoyed reading the stories.  She has always loved soft pretzels going back to when she was younger.  Her dad used to bring big bag fulls home from the Pennsauken Mart, Mart Pretzels, and they had so many that her mom would freeze them to have at another time.  She was happy that this one was warm and fresh.

Thanks Jill for all you do for Johnson and especially for my class who loves Day 5 because of our library time.

Until tomorrow...

May 8th- A few random thoughts

May 8, 2017 Year 6 Day 8

I completely forgot to get a picture of the FREE PRETZEL today.  Second time it has happened this year. This just goes to show how unfocused I have been this year.

Today was just a day to celebrate my better half and the amazing job that she did this past weekend with all the hubbub that was going on at our house. She is my rock and did such an amazing job as host and keeping everything together.  The boys were prepared and did such a good job because she made sure they knew what they were doing at all times. It really was a cool day.  She is a great host, who puts so much time and effort into making things special for our guests and although I am sure they tell her, sometimes I don't tell her enough. So Katie, you are awesome and Thank you for all you do for our family.

As a special present I got Katie some of the sweetness that the Philly Pretzel Factory sells a cinnamon and sugar pretzel, her favorite.

After a long Monday, I took the kids to the Pop Shop to celebrate Super Hero week so that she could have a nice quiet dinner with her parents.

Tibby coloring her menu

The kids got fidget spinners.  Yay!

We had some fun and the kids were really well behaved.  It was actually pretty enjoyable.  A laid back night after a busy weekend.  It's gonna be a long week...I can feel it.

Until tomorrow...