So...here is the scoop on me and mine!
1987-1989- college
at Western (Music Major) in Bellingham ...never finished, but it was sure fun!!
:-)
1989 - moved back to the area (Ballard) and started working for
the Shoreline School district.
I have now been there for 16 years.
I
started as a classroom assistant in Special Education.
1992-
After a couple of years of that, I applied for a different position; Vocational
Technician.
As a Voc Tech, I helped special needs students train for
jobs~
This was also the year I met my husband, Dan! We actually met at a bar
(Goofy's in Ballard) on St. Patrick's Day! I was VERY MUCH A SNOB, about
meeting someone in a bar...but here we are 16 years and 2 kids later!...that
will teach me to keep an "open mind"!
Dan is simply a great guy! He
graduated in 1981 from Shorewood (coincidentally, I work at Shorewood).
He
has been in the Marine Corps Reserves since graduation, and is going to retire
sometime this year after 25 years of service!
We are always very proud of
him, but especially during his deployment in 2003!
Thankfully, he came home
to us "safe and sound", but we are always mindful of the many service men and
women who will never return to their families.
1996- New Job in the School District
My title
is Transition
Specialist (part time)
This is a fancy way of saying that I am the school
resource contact/coordinator for special needs students who are getting ready to
leave school.
I work with State and Local agencies to coordinate "post high
school" arrangements such as: training, housing, medical care etc... It is kind
of like being a "social worker"~
Also in 1996, I was hired to teach a 5
credit class at Shoreline Community College.
That was an interesting
assignment, since I didn't have a degree, and was granted an exception to teach,
based on my special ed experience.
Most of the faculty were very receptive of
this..but some were "not so receptive"! ;-)
I had to really "fight my way in"
for part of the time, and convince many "nay sayers".
Eventually, the faculty
decided they could "live with me" and I went on to teach there for 3 years! The
students were wonderful, and it was an experience I will never
forget.
1999- I cut back to just working at Shorewood since we
were expecting our first child.
Matthew was born!
What an amazing thing
to become a mom!
Matthew is now in Kindergarten! He is a GIANT of a
kid...and looks more like a 2nd grader.
He is "all boy" and would love
nothing more than to spend his days running around pretending to be any "Star
Wars" character who uses a light saber!
School is a challenge for him, but
he is loving it...and trying to learn how to "be a student"!
We'll see how
he does, right now he promises every day to "be good"..and everyday we go over
what he could have done better during the day! (he gets in a tad-bit of
trouble!)
2002 - Our next son, Andrew, was born.
Andrew is a
feisty 3 year old with a head full of RED HAIR! This was a HUGE blessing to me,
as it reminds me of my mom who, as you may remember, passed away our Junior
year~
I don't know if ANDREW will always love to hear he reminds of us his
GRANDMA Barb, but I sure love it!
Andrew his a "silent-but-deadly"
temper!
He is a spirited and intelligent child, who has the rest of the world
convinced that he is adorable, while revealing at home his devious plan to rule
the world!!!
Anyway...we live in Shoreline, in the house that my husband
grew up in! We bought it after my Father in Law passed away, and are very
thankful to finally have a basement for the boys to play in and some storage
room for the millions of toys!
It is very strange to me to be getting so
close to our 20 year reunion!
I couldn't have imagined that the time would go
so quickly!
It is nice to hear about everyone and see all of the
pictures!
I want to again Kym, for getting this ball rolling...and James
for putting together a site that is so fun..and will be so helpful as the
planning for the 20 year continues!
That's all for now Whiners...if you
read this far, thanks...and I will see you in about 1 year and a
half!