Planes, Trains,and Automobiles

I realized today that I haven't given a synopsis of my trip these last few weeks.

The First Week: Cedar City
My workshop was not all that great, but I had to go to it. There were a few good moments when we had guest speakers, but there were more moments where we tried to keep ourselves entertained. Some highlights of the week included catching golf balls in nets, observing prairie dogs, and hanging out with my co-workers. I got to know my fellow teachers a little bit better during the week and now they know me a little better as well. I think this will be a good school year when it comes to being more social with my co-workers which will make it easier to bounce ideas off of each other.

The Second Week: San Diego
My parents picked me up in Cedar City and we drove to southern California from there. We got as far as my aunt's house in Barstow the first night and then continued on to San Diego the next morning. Before San Diego, we stopped in Desert Hot Springs to visit my grandma and great aunt (I don't remember when I saw her last before that visit). We got to the condo we had for the week just in time to start walking down the street to meet my sister and her family who were walking up the street with all of their luggage as they got off the bus from the train station a few blocks early. My nieces and nephew did not waste any time in getting to the beach and getting wet even though they were supposed to stay dry. We went to Balboa Park one day and spent the other days just sitting around and playing on the beach. I had fun building castles and "swimming pools" in the sand with my niece and nephew. At least they were old enough this year to get their own water from the ocean, I was the designated water runner last year so they wouldn't be swept out to sea. I was planning on getting some schoolwork done as I sat on the beach by reading a series of books we plan on having our 6th graders read this year, but I couldn't do that very well because my family got hooked on the books and read them the whole time.
My brother-in-law had to go home a few days before my sister and the kids so I agreed to return to Modesto on the train with them. We had to take two trips with the car to get us all to the train station only we were running behind and the 2nd load didn't quite make it in time. My youngest niece ended up driving back with her grandparents and my sister and I only had to keep an eye on two kids.

The Third Week (really only a few days): Modesto
We got back to my parents' house early Friday evening. It was good to be back at home. Sleeping arrangements were interesting as a majority of the beds were already taken so I opted to sleep on the living room couch. I normally sleep on the top bunk when I go home so I was not used to my nieces and nephew being able to reach me. I woke up pretty much everyday to one child or another poking me in the face or asking me to turn the TV on. I got a babysit quite a bit and ran up to my grandma and grandpa's house to collect some fruit.
I flew back to Utah on Tuesday. My niece and nephew keep asking my sister where I am and when Christmas is coming because I told them I would see them at Christmas.

Since all that excitement, I've been working in my classroom and at home on school stuff to get ready for school to start. My meetings started yesterday and I will have students on Wednesday. I don't know if I'm ready for a new year to start just yet, but it's coming whether I'm ready or not.