Random things

As most of you know, we're in the process of moving to the KC, MO area. The kids and I will join Roy in July. Roy loves his job and that's great but I didn't have a job and was worried about that. I really HATE to substitute. I told Roy I would work at Walmart before I would sub. I had been scouring the Web for teaching positions in the area where we will be living. We bought 20 acres outside of Cameron, MO. Cameron is a nice little town of about 10,000. It has a Walmart (since Nebraska, the presence of a Walmart is the symbol of civilization for our family). The problem was our property is right on the border between Cameron and Lathrop schools. (We will actually have a Turney address but who understands the inner workings of local government boundaries and postal codes.) Anyway we are technically in the Lathrop school district. It's a smaller school with a very small band program and is actually farther away from our location. And to top it all off. . . their mascot is The Mules. I just knew moving my two youngest would be such a joy telling them they would soon by Jack-Asses! I made numerous phone calls about just taking my kids to Cameron schools. Basically I was told if part of our house was in one district but the kid's bedroom was in another one, we'd better take our child to that district. UNLESS I got a job with another district, THEN I could take my kids with me. SO I'm been stalking the Cameron web site for teaching positions. No luck UNTIL the week of prom. They posted an opening for 8th grade Language Arts. I quickly sent in all my required documents, blood, hair samples, first born etc. and then began praying. I got a call while I was in the middle of decorating for Prom. Then nothing for over a week. Finally I got an email setting up an interview for April 28. I interviewed with the entire 8th grade team (Algebra, Social Studies, Reading, Science and Special Ed teachers as well as the principal and asst principal). Yes I was overwhelmed and nervous. To say I hate job interviews would be a gross understatement. I would rather have a root canal, give birth and work at McDonald's than go on a job interview. I came out of the interview not feeling too confident. The principal was great and I could read him but some of the other teachers seemed really negative toward my answers--I can't explain it but I just felt uneasy about the whole process. The principal told me he would call me later that day. When I didn't hear from him that day, I, of course, continued to panic. Finally by the next afternoon my current principal told me he had received a call asking about me--whew! Then a little later I got the call saying I had the job. Yea! my kids get to go to a bigger school and be The Dragons. I guess I did better in the interview than I thought. 8th grade is not my favorite age to teach but it's not my least favorite either. I have my foot in the door and can move around in the district in the future. Here is a picture of the school.

Other randomness--picture of my cutie college daughter Laney and her BFF Jessica. They are having crazy good times in college. This is their cool chemistry inspired attire!
Final randomness: Here's a book I'm currently reading. I work with the author's sister-in-law. It's the conversion story of Eric Shuster and his wife from the Catholic church to the Mormon church. Then after the conversion story, the author outlines differences between the two churches. It's written very respectfully to the Catholic church and points out some interesting differences between the two. To me it exemplifies what Pres Hinckley said about keeping the good from other churches and letting our church add to that.