Do you hear that?  At almost 2am, I do.  I can’t sleep.  I was only laying in bed, wide awake, trying to go to sleep.  I know I have been absent from blogging for a while so this is a great opportunity to get back onto the computer and make my entry.  So many things have gone on.  Last I mentioned, I was “busy as a bee” and that included totally transforming the home office with furniture from Ikea.  After a few consecutive days of putting together furniture with miniature tools I had enough.  Luckily there was nothing left to put together by the time I got to that point.  I believe that feeling was shared and it did not help that this redesign was parallel to a major heatwave that was rolling through our region.  Now I sit in what is now an awesome work space with plenty of storage and display shelves for books and the ever talked about spoon collection we want to start from cities all over the world.  Just kidding, no spoons…just collectible plates. 

T started working at DCPS this week as a Senior Associate.  He started out in contracts and acquisitions but is now working in a number of capacities, including the Chancellor’s office.  He surely moves up fast!  I should learn a lesson or two.  Taking the metro each day, he is about done with week one, and ten more will follow.  Given the ambitious endeavors of the new leadership, it will be a very busy summer for T.  I wish him the best of luck!!

This week also marked the official bottling of our wine and we will be making the drive this Saturday to pick up our ten cases of wine…yes, that is 120 bottles of wine.  60 bottles are of our own making under our own label and the other 60 are another blend so we can mix and match bottles as we host parties or sip a glass or two together in the evening.

To add to the changes going on in our home, the contractor starts work on our house Monday.  Yes!  The bathroom on the second floor is going to be totally redone now that we have finally chosen the tiles (secret!) and, in addition to the bathroom, he is going to be rebuilding our deck to almost triple it’s size!  This will give us an opportunity to actually entertain outside on the desk and furnish the space with seating and eating areas for a nice sized party.  Look for the invite soon!  When that is all done (by the end of next week!!) the basement will be demolished and reworked into a brand new bathroom/laundry area.  Those tile selections have been a slow coming!  Luckily that is last on the list before we go shopping for a washer and dryer to replace the existing units.  Yay, more shopping.

Oh, and I got a new job.

Yup, you read that right.  I didn’t mean for this to happen but I’m glad I did.  That is why I am still awake at what is now 6 minutes after 2 in the morning.  I can’t sleep just thinking about what I am going say to my current employers.  Um, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse?  The pay increase is ridiculously substantial?

I interviewed on Wednesday and got a call Thursday evening with an offer for the position.  I took it without hesitation.  Not because of the money but because of the opportunities it will present.  I will be the founding principal at a new public charter school in downtown Washintgon, DC, near the convention center (and a number of Starbucks!!).  It is housed in a totally renovated building that will host almsot 300 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.  Yup, I’m going back to the grade levels I worked in as a teacher and look forward to it!

As you know, the motivating factor that brought me to my current position was a desire to return to the field of school administration and it seemed to be the best route back, having been away for several years.  One thing led to another and I was offered the position.  It is going to be a daunting task because it is actually a conversion from a Catholic school over to a public charter school which is a significant change that will be part of a larger movement with six other schools.  This consortium will enroll over 1,200 students between the seven schools and I will have one of the largest schools in the grouping.  There are so many positives that go along with this transition that I should be excited, and I am.  I am also nervous about tomorrow…errr….today, when I have to give my notice.  I start with the new position as soon as possible which should be within the next two weeks.

So, other than that, nothing has been going on!