Training opportunities!

Most of you know...I am the Assistant Director of a Preschool, and have been so for 6 years. My job is in a transitional mode. Up until this point, I have been in the classroom for the majority of the day and have spent several hours in the office in the afternoons. The Director would like a full time assistant, so I will eventually be moving out of my classroom. This move alone will provide some great chances for training. Last week, I came across an ad for a Director Training Series that is being offered. The ad stated that the application would be due the next day by noon and that applicants would need two letters of recommendation for the program. 20 applicants would be selected (3 or 4 from several counties throughout the area) and the tuition for this program would be 1600$. It also stated that a portion of the tuition would be covered through a grant but that the applicants that were accepted would be responsible for the remaining 900$. So...I rushed to get my application completed and begged my Director and one of my good friends/co-teachers to write me letters of reference. I got my application in about an hour before the deadline. WHEW. I got a letter today saying that I had been accepted for the program!!! The letter also said that the remaining 900$ of my tuition would be covered by my local children's commission!!!! WOW! I am so excited for this opportunity! Classes will start in November and will go through June. They will be one weekend a month (Fridays from 1:00-8:30 and all day Saturdays). The program will cover many of the aspects of management that I have not had experience with. YEAH!!!

Destruction...

When we thought about getting a dog (almost 4 years ago now) I was absolutely in love with the idea. I will admit, I had some doubts...not knowing what all being a dog owner would involve. But we jumped into it wholeheartedly. I was completely unprepared for the destruction that Dexter...our 10 pound dachshund...would cause. It started the day we moved into our first home. Dexter decided that the wall in the kitchen tasted really good. While Norman and I were at work, we had Dexter gated in the kitchen (to prevent him from destroying anything...yeah, that was a good idea). Dexter found a spot on the wall to lick...and lick, and lick...seemingly for 8 hours straight! When Norman and I got home...this spot on the wall was so wet and soggy that it had caved in...creating a big hole in our wall. I then noticed that Dexter had also chewed on the edge of the door frame! That was the first time I can remember getting really mad at our dog and questioning whether we were cut out to be dog owners. I learned how to Spackle and fixed the hole in the wall...along with several others that he soon created. Thankfully, Dex's "drywall eating" phase soon ended and he found a new item to destroy. Anything stuffed. Since then, Dexter has managed to destroy MANY dog beds...too many to count. I have sewed many pillowcases out of triple hemmed heavy duty canvas to try and slow his path of destruction. And Creed (our younger dog), has discovered how to dig through a supposedly "indestructible" dog cot! After nearly breaking my ankle trying to hurdle the dog gate in our kitchen one night, I was finally fed up with having this huge contraption in my new kitchen and hauled the whole thing downstairs to the garage where the dogs now stay during the day while we are gone. I have given up on the cushy dog beds and cots (they of course have a heater...I'm not inhumane after all)! The picture is evidence of ONE of Dexter's kills.

Beginnings...

Well, here we are! I have finally decided to take the plunge and create an actual blog. We have a happy life here in Oregon...with our family of 6 (us, and the 4 fur-babies, 2 Dachshunds and 2 cats...who you are bound to hear a lot about). We love living in the Northwest...lots of wet weather, but the payout in the spring is worth it! Our days are busy...I am the Assistant Director of a preschool, and Norman is working for the VA and is also in the National Guard. He has been to Afghanistan once already, and his unit is being deployed to Iraq in April/May '09. In our "free time", you will usually find us doing some kind of dog related activity (meet-ups, nail appointments, vet, walks etc.) or just curled up on the couch relaxing and preparing for another week.