Finally home!
Here is the post I wrote whilst at the airport that I have not had a chance to post until now:
Am sitting at the Denver airport with a layover until I fly back to California. For some reason my computer is not picking up the wireless here, so I am writing this on Notepad until I figure it out.
My visit was lovely. The top of C's head now hits my nose, so my prediction of her being taller than me around middle school is probably not far off the mark. she is sweet as ever, and her friends are so cute and polite! I walked C. to school a few times and she introduced me to them. I also got to meet her teachers at the parent teacher conference. I had never been to one where all of the teachers sat at different tables in the cafeteria and the parents & kids basically just jumped in when the teacher became available. Anyway, her teachers all said they enjoyed having her in class and would be sad to see her go. I liked all of them, for the most part. The English teacher reminded me of my fifth grade teacher in that he is passionate about his subject and has high standards for his students. Overall, I think C. has benefitted from a different school system. My only peeve with them is that she does not get out until 22nd December. M. has to be back on 3rd January, which is also bad.
Wisconsin certainly has very friendly people, although my perception was that their kindness was hidden behind a facade of stoicism. I could totally hear their accent, especially the lady from the traveler's aide desk at the Milwaukee airport. I wonder what they heard from this California girl?
It was FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!! I tease about freezing my personality, but it was positively Arctic by the river; I think the lowest low was ten, and one time there was a high of 29. Twenty-nine!! I could not recall being that cold in 16 years, when I lived in DeKalb (Portia can attest to the bone-chilling winds there). Forty three degrees felt balmy in Denver when we got onto the tarmac. M. has applied for a tenure-track position in Wisconsin, so we shall see if I end up back in the polar chill.
Upon Ginny's recommendation, we ate wonderful sandwiches and had great soup at Erbert & Gerbert's. We also hit the Red Robin and drank beer from the Fox River Brewery. I will also admit to having enjoyed the fried fish sandwiches at Dairy Queen, along with their ice cream. For Thanksgiving we ate turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes from my dad's recipe (for which you need an immediate bypass), Crescents and pizza (for M. who is a veg and for whom we could not find a Tofurkey). The cranberry went uneaten, as we were too full, but the chocolate cake was yummy (none of us like pumpkin pie all that much).
Not much else to say except that my time with my husband and daughter went by all too quickly, and I look forward to seeing them at Christmas. I missed them more than I allow myself to feel, especially M.
Am sitting at the Denver airport with a layover until I fly back to California. For some reason my computer is not picking up the wireless here, so I am writing this on Notepad until I figure it out.
My visit was lovely. The top of C's head now hits my nose, so my prediction of her being taller than me around middle school is probably not far off the mark. she is sweet as ever, and her friends are so cute and polite! I walked C. to school a few times and she introduced me to them. I also got to meet her teachers at the parent teacher conference. I had never been to one where all of the teachers sat at different tables in the cafeteria and the parents & kids basically just jumped in when the teacher became available. Anyway, her teachers all said they enjoyed having her in class and would be sad to see her go. I liked all of them, for the most part. The English teacher reminded me of my fifth grade teacher in that he is passionate about his subject and has high standards for his students. Overall, I think C. has benefitted from a different school system. My only peeve with them is that she does not get out until 22nd December. M. has to be back on 3rd January, which is also bad.
Wisconsin certainly has very friendly people, although my perception was that their kindness was hidden behind a facade of stoicism. I could totally hear their accent, especially the lady from the traveler's aide desk at the Milwaukee airport. I wonder what they heard from this California girl?
It was FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!! I tease about freezing my personality, but it was positively Arctic by the river; I think the lowest low was ten, and one time there was a high of 29. Twenty-nine!! I could not recall being that cold in 16 years, when I lived in DeKalb (Portia can attest to the bone-chilling winds there). Forty three degrees felt balmy in Denver when we got onto the tarmac. M. has applied for a tenure-track position in Wisconsin, so we shall see if I end up back in the polar chill.
Upon Ginny's recommendation, we ate wonderful sandwiches and had great soup at Erbert & Gerbert's. We also hit the Red Robin and drank beer from the Fox River Brewery. I will also admit to having enjoyed the fried fish sandwiches at Dairy Queen, along with their ice cream. For Thanksgiving we ate turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes from my dad's recipe (for which you need an immediate bypass), Crescents and pizza (for M. who is a veg and for whom we could not find a Tofurkey). The cranberry went uneaten, as we were too full, but the chocolate cake was yummy (none of us like pumpkin pie all that much).
Not much else to say except that my time with my husband and daughter went by all too quickly, and I look forward to seeing them at Christmas. I missed them more than I allow myself to feel, especially M.