Highlights from Hildreth Hall: I Can't Believe I Haven't Blogged!!

Wow, it's been two weeks?? Life stays hectic sometimes. Since I blogged, we were SURE we were getting snow. All the schools in Columbia were cancelled and all around us -- we were supposed to get 3-5 inches and -----NOTHING!! At our school we smiled, because the teachers in Columbia now have to make up the day, and we enjoyed a day with very small classes!!

Bruce and I have been enjoying weekends together. We had a lot of rain the weekend of Feb. 27th, so didn't do much.

Last weekend we went to Charleston for the day. I attended a recruitment fair to interview with the Dorchester Two School District. We're planning on retiring there, and I hope I can land a job there. Went pretty well! Bruce enjoyed his membership at the shooting range while I did my job interview.

Then we went to Travis's. They worked on the porch railing and columns while I chilled a little. We went to O'Charley's for lunch (I love that place!) and then I really just wanted to walk on such a pretty day (unfortunately with all the stress of an interview, I forgot my camera!!)

We went to Caw Caw, which is a park in Charleston County. I will be going back, because I need to rewalk it. The park is really two old plantations, Laurel Hill and Stanyarne. One was a rice plantation, the other a tea plantation. There is a 4 mile walk you can go on that takes you through the swamp on a boardwalk (black water that reflects the trees and beautiful palms), and another that circles the old rice fields. Well, anything having to do with the 1700 and 1800's just pulls at my heart. I love that era!! After the walk, I found out that I did actually pinpoint the location of Laurel Hill. Stanyarne is harder to find. The rice fields are just beautiful!! We saw at least 10 alligators (two were about 10 feet from us and we didn't see them until we were up on them--I gasped and they jumped in the water!!) The last one we saw from a distance (thank goodness) on a dike in the middle of the rice field was about 13 feet long!! The old tea plants are still there in the woods on the trail. Of course the minute we are on a boardwalk over the rice field canal, what do I see, but a snake on the algae of the water. Travis couldn't believe I saw it, but I'm "tuned in" to snakes!! Ugh, I hate them!!

Here is a slideshow I got from some pics from the Internet. I love the black and white one!!

Sunday was church and we stopped at Dingle's Mill battleground, a skirmish that happened on the last day of the Civil War and one I referred to on February 22nd. Bruce has a better knowledge of all that happened. I just read that over a thousand Union troops were fighting 158 Confederates!

Monday was extremely LONG!!!! I taught school, had a district Social Studies Committee meeting, went back to school for my graduate class, and had PTO Science Night. Got home at 7:30.

Tuesday was the writing portion of the State test. No planning period and walked around the classroom for over an hour. Then had another grad class after school.

Today was another part of the test. Same routine, only this time one of my boys threw up twice all over the floor DURING the test!!! AHHHHH!!!!! I was grateful for no faculty meeting.

Last night, though was pretty exciting! Nathan called me around 10:30, expecting me to be burning the midnight oil. I wasn't asleep yet, so I was glad to hear from him. He and Ashley are expecting!!!!!! Yeah!!! I'm so happy for them. I know he has wanted to be a dad for awhile and of course his mom burst into tears. This will be my first time experiencing this with a son. Pretty special, just as the others have been. (Yes, I love my kids a whole bunch!!!) So in his honor, I'm posting this photo. My little baby boy on December 23, 1976.