Sabbatication: Everything's Falling Into Place

What a nice feeling that is! Brian's research is continuing on (you can read all bout it in his Facebook "Note" section), I'm driving people where they need to be, volunteering a bit, and playing way too many Facebook games (hey, I have a bit of time on my hands!) I know, I know...I'm supposed to be using my camera and getting beyond lesson 3 in my Photoshop tutorial. I will, I will....

Katie, though, has made the most progress and I am so proud of her! The friend situations have settled; she has made some nice friends and is starting to do things with them outside of school (Girl Scouts and birthday parties so far). She's doing EXTREMELY well in her classes, and is more organized and on top of things than she ever has been. She's paying attention to deadlines and is completing homework ahead of time.

If you read my last notes, you might remember that it was only a couple weeks ago that we learned she was placed in the wrong math class. We *thought* she was in the higher group, only to learn that she was basically repeating last year's material. Sadly, it was 6 weeks into the school year that this was discovered.

She's finishing her third week in the new class (Algebra 1). We've (OK...Brian, mostly) been working with her to catch up and understand material that took the others 6 weeks to learn. She's been working tirelessly on her math, both before and after school. She's gone in for tutoring. Today she had her first test and got an A on it. In fact she "came in third place," as she put it...doing better than most of the class. 'Atta girl!! She was so proud. Proud enough to declare that worthy of an Eegee! Mom and Dad were VERY proud of her as well.

Weather-wise (because it's ALL about the weather in Tucson's fall/winter) it's been FABULOUS. Mid-70s-80's, blue skies, fabulous clouds (I think Tucson has the BEST clouds!), breezy winds. OK, there is absolutely no fall or winter here, and I do miss the crimson maple leaves that are starting to peak in McMinnville right about now. The rains, which are about to start (there, not here) I can do without! All in all, the weather's wonderful. Our only regret is that we can't leave the windows open at night. The neighborhood's too sketchy and the alarm system won't set unless they're all closed. We have been opening them in the afternoons when Brian's home, and it's refreshing to let the air in the house.

Cooking...with my limited supply of pantry ingredients I've been relying on simple dishes, though I'm on the look out for new recipes that use these same ingredients. I made two new recipes this week from Cooking Light that were true winners.

Friends...That's such an awesome part of being back in Tucson! In the past week or so I've had the pleasure of lunching, brunching, and visiting with Stacy McAlpine (met in 7th grade), Tami (Holman) Dillon (met in 6th grade), Suzy (Garra) Carver (met in 7th grade), Felipe Garcia (met in 7th grade), and will soon be getting together with Fong (Tom) Smith (met in 6th grade) and the most wonderful (retired) high school teacher of all, Cindy Schiesel.

Activities...we've been attending the UA's volleyball games and are becoming avid fans. We also attended the Greek Festival, but only stayed a short bit as it was blistering hot! This weekend we look forward to more volleyball, Tucson Meet Yourself Festival, and going to Sabino Canyon with one of Brian's former students.

Oh, and we'll probably treat Katie to that Eegee because she deserves it!

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

In my quest to find recipes that only use ingredients from my limited supply of pantry staples, I came upon this little gem in the December 2008 issue of Cooking Light: Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo. The prep was simple, other than the fact that I overlooked the part about marinating the chicken for 2-8 hours....which is why we didn't have these for dinner last night!

Now, I am not a mayo fan...never have been. Still, I wanted something flavorful with my chicken. So I made a bit of a lime juice, garlic, and cilantro mixture to spread on mine. That's what you see in the little glass on the right.

Since this recipe (and most of those from Cooking Light) are available on MyRecipes.com, there are lots of ratings and comments. You can read yourself silly with all the comments, especially since many cooks change the recipes in subtle (and not so subtle ways). After reading a few of them, you start to wonder exactly what recipe they rated, and which altered recipe is actually better than the others. I appreciate what they've done, but I usually decide to prepare the original recipe, and then compare my thoughts with the comments. In this case, though, I did make one little tiny change....I used 4 TB hot sauce instead of 3. I like things spicy, and some reviewers didn't find this recipe spicy enough...even recommending 6 TB of hot sauce.

OK...I'm coming clean...I probably made as many substitutions/changes as the average reviewer. You can see mine below, along with my thoughts about them. In the end though, the sandwich can be summed up best by my husband who said, "That was delicious!" at the end of the meal. Most definitely a keeper!

And, another great thing about this recipe is that it will freeze well. I cooked up two of the chicken pieces for tonight, and flash froze the other two for later. Next time I'll make more!

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
(Cooking Light)

Chicken cutlets are encrusted with tortilla chip crumbs, which yield a satisfying crunch. You can also use spicy chips for more heat.

4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

• Mayo:
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• Chicken:
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 3* tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco**)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano***
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  Remaining ingredients:
• 4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
• 12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
• 4 lettuce leaves

1. To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.
2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.
4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf****, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls.
*I used 4 TB, which I thought was just right. It might be too spicy for the Pace Picante crowd or kiddos, but if you want a bit of heat (not a lot) try 4 TB.
**I used Tapatio
***OK...I changed the recipe more than I admitted...I didn't have oregano so I used Italian seasoning! Tasted great to me!
****OOPS! I had the lettuce all ready to go, and forgot to put it on the sandwiches! DOH!

Calories: 419 (28% from fat) Fat: 13.2g (sat 1.7g,mono 6.1g,poly 3.4g) Protein: 28.1g Carbohydrate: 46.8g Fiber: 2.6g Cholesterol: 49mg Iron: 3.2mg Sodium: 759mg Calcium: 101mg

To make these ahead for the freezer, prepare steps 2-4.  Freeze the raw, coated chicken in a single layer.   I usually make a dozen or so of these, so I just have to cook them up and make the sauce (which won't freeze well).  But having steps 2-4 done ahead, really is a time saver!

Prosciutto and Fontina-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

One of the greatest culinary challenges I'm facing on Sabbatication, is that my food staples are quite limited. I don't have endless types of vinegar, spices, seasonings, etc. I have (literally):

• salt
• pepper
• Italian seasoning
• cajun seasoning
• crushed red pepper
• seasoned salt
  
• extra-virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• sesame oil
• white wine vinegar
• chardonnay
• dijon mustard
• soy sauce
• hot sauce
• garlic
  

I don't want to go out and buy a bunch of ingredients; I'd like to keep it simple. For those of you who know me well, keeping things simple is a challenge. When cooking, I use a lot of ingredients. I make my own sauces, and nearly everything is from scratch. So, I've been going through my tried and true recipes looking for foods that use what I have. I've checked out cookbooks and cooking magazines from the library (Yes, I know it's all on-line...I just love to flip through a bound publication.) perusing them for recipes that use these ingredients. The challenge I have is that I don't want it to all taste the same. I want variation!

Last week, I found a few recipes from Cooking Light, and made the first one last night. It's from the December 2008 issue (a GREAT issue by the way...found several recipes to add to my "To Try" file), Prosciutto and Fontina-Stuffed Chicken Breasts , p. 177.

I tripled the recipe, planning on making some to freeze for later, because I knew we'd like this one. The first thing I noticed was that the filling looked a little skimpy. I wasn't sure how I would have enough to stuff 12 chicken breasts with 2 TB of filling each. In the end, I added a bit more fontina (1 cup instead of 3/4 cup for a tripled batch), but I could have used a bit more.

The chicken breasts were HUGE, so I chopped each one in half (OK...that means they were really quartered, because they're already halved), and made a pocket in each piece. I only had enough filling for 10 of them. So, if I were to make this again (which I will) I'll make a bit more filling.

We had them for dinner last night and, OMG, they were delicious!! This will be the next entree I make for our meal exchange. I liked the simplicity and the fact that they'll freeze well. I love to have food like this ready-to-go in the freezer.

Right after I made them I learned that a friend's husband broke (really crushed!) his ankle yesterday and the whole family had been in the hospital all day. He came home today and I brought some chicken over for their family to eat. I LOVE having food on hand when someone's sick or in the hospital. I was especially glad that even in our little temporary digs, I was still able to help a friend!

Prosciutto and Fontina-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• Cooking spray
• 1 ounce chopped prosciutto
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 42 saltine crackers (about 1 sleeve)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add prosciutto to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Add rosemary and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Spoon prosciutto mixture into a bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in fontina cheese; set aside.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons prosciutto mixture into each pocket; press lightly to flatten. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper.

3. Place crackers in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until finely ground. Place cracker crumbs in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Combine egg whites and mustard in another shallow dish, stirring mixture with a whisk.

4. Working with one chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip chicken into egg white mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely with cracker crumbs. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour, egg white mixture, and cracker crumbs.

5. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add oil* to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; reduce heat to medium**, and cook 10 minutes on each side or until browned and done.

Calories: 381 (33% from fat) Fat: 14g (sat 3g,mono 6.4g,poly 2.9g) Protein: 46.6g Carbohydrate: 14.1g Fiber: 0.6g Cholesterol: 113mg Iron: 2.4mg Sodium: 591mg Calcium: 74mg

*I also added a smidge of butter. I think foods brown better with a bit of butter.
**Medium might be a bit high. If the outside is browning too quickly (which happened to me at first) make sure you turn down the heat a bit. You want a nice golden brown

Ready to flash freeze ----------->

Sabbatication: Highs & Lows

The High

A "high" so far has been our visit to Sedona. Brian's aunt and uncle live right in the heart of the red rocks. I woke up early to take pictures, driving all around to the scenic spots, only to realize some of the best views were right out their front door and just down their street. I've been there many, many times over the past 20 years, but the beauty of Sedona still amazes me. The view from the front door is just stunning. We truly felt we were at a resort!

While in Sedona, we took time to drive up to Flagstaff and have dinner with Brian's old friends, Bill and Melanie (known since they were toddlers, I think). We had a wonderful dinner with Bill, Melanie, and their daughters Katie and Amelie. Their daughters (late teens) were delightful, and their parents should be quite proud of how they're turning out!

We also spent a morning in Oak Creek Canyon to go to Slide Rock. Katie went to Slide Rock two years ago with her cousins, and was eager to get back. I think it was #1 on her list of things to do in Arizona. The weather was warm, but the water was FREEZING!! I went down a few times with her, but then had to warm my bones.

Because it was a holiday weekend, we stayed in the southern part of Sedona (more where the red rocks are, as opposed to the touristy shops) where Brian's aunt's home is located. The traffic to the shops was horrendous, and we decided to skip all that on this visit! Looked into Pink Jeep tours as well...but their starting price per person was $45, and that didn't include off-roading. We decided to skip the jeep, and instead took the "Silver Honda" tour, at a bargain price of $3.99 (approximate cost of gas used).

After that it was back to the Tucson routines...a little exploring, a little school, research, etc. All was going well, until...

The Low

One of her teachers had emergency surgery and had a week long sub. The class was out of control...disrespectful, yelling obscenities, and making rude gestures behind the sub's back. Katie was extremely uncomfortable with the situation and talked to us about it. We went with her last week to talk to the school about the situation. The school was very responsive and helpful. In the end, though, Katie didn't make it through the week...came home "not feeling well" because she was so anxious about going to class with these kids.

The school has two groups of 7th graders. We *thought* Katie had been placed in the advanced group, but just learned on Friday she wasn't (a little irritated about that...but moving on, because in the end she will catch up). In science and math, she's repeating what she learned last year. While we can't change the science part (all 7th graders learn biology, which she's already had)....she really needed to be in the advanced math class.

The school wanted to move her into the advanced classes. The classes are a better fit for her, the kids WANT to learn, the class size is much smaller (12...now 13), and the behavior is completely different. Even knowing all that, she didn't want to change after finally getting some good friends. She didn't want to start all over making friends in class.

So...we were just heartbroken. Emotionally we didn't want to force a move. But then again, she was uncomfortable with the first class. She was BEGGING to be home schooled.

We went to the school today, meeting with the VP and counselor. Katie did not want to try the new classes. It took a couple hours to work through a solution where we (whole family!) "observed" the other classes. The counselor asked her to make a list of pros and cons about each class.

We first went to music, and her pro list was lengthy...with just one con. She gave us a smile and a thumbs up. Afterward, she said her old classmates would have been talking over the teacher, and she was pleased that these kids actually paid attention.

At lunch, she waited for her friends from the other class. They greeted her with hugs and smiles, and all went off to lunch where she caught them up on what was happening.

After a couple more classes, a boy asked her if she were going to be in that class. She said, "Yes." YIPPEE!!!! She did a cartwheel in P.E., and smiled at us. We asked if we could slip out, and she agreed, going on with the new class.

So now we just sit back with a little less anxiety and a lot more hope.

Sabbatication: Memories From My First Three Weeks

Tonight marks our third full week in Tucson. Wow! The time is flying by! So many memories come back to me at the oddest moments. I'll be driving by a road, intersection, restaurant, school, etc. and have flashbacks to specific events that I haven't thought of in years. I can look at buildings, parks, intersections, and vividly remember all that used to be there...all the different names and changes through the years. I still know my way around...which isn't saying much, as the city's layout is a simple square mile grid!

Here are the things I've been reminded of in the past three weeks:

1. eegees (on more than one occasion...)
2. desert rains (not enough...they're calling this the "Non-soon" season)
3. El Charro Mexican restaurant
4. alleys behind homes (where you put your trash cans)
5. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
6. cicadas
7. lizards
8. Palo Verde High School
9. Kellond Elementary
10. Arizona/Sonora dormitory (freshman year)
11. Graham/Greenlee dormitory (sophomore year)
12. The UA football practice field (where I met Brian)
13. The benches outside the practice field where we studied for quizzes.
14. oleanders
15. Palo Verdes
16. pumping gas (have to do it yourself here!)
17. ocotillo and prickly pear fencing
18. bougainvillea
19. Red Bird-of-Paradise flowers
20. wrought iron bars over windows
21. warm tap water
22. oxidized car hoods
23. burrs
24. Casa Molina Mexican restaurant
25. low riders
26. Randolf/Reid Park
27. Golf 'n Stuff (wasn't it Golf 'n Things??)
28. Tucson Mall
29. Park Mall/Place (my first non-dormitory job, where I worked with Suzy)
30. soda can't be stored in a hot garage
31. Suzy, Dana, Jennifer (so far)
32. Rancho Montana/Campbell Ranch apartments (my first one with Korin)
33. KLPX (classic rock)
34. left turns after the lights
35. rooftops (homes and school buses) painted white
36. parking in the shady spots
37. Mama's pizza
38. Cool desert nights after a storm
39. white lights on La Paloma's saguaros
40. view of city lights as you head down Swan from Sunrise
41. Dash Mats
42. Lucky Strike Bowling
43. Gentle Ben's (in a new location)
44. The Loft
45. Bonnie Brae house
46. crackled desert dirt
47. bats
48. spray misters
49. Bookman's (used bookstore)
50. Mesquite trees
51. cactus (saguaros, prickly pear, chollas, ocotillos, barrel,
52. aloe vera
53. agave
54. yucca
55. Palo Verde trees

There's still so much I want to do and see. A lot of what I want to see are touristy things...for Katie. She hasn't been to southern Arizona since she was two, and well, you don't remember things from age two!

Still to do:

1. Slide Rock*
2. Sedona*
3. Flagstaff*
4. Colossal Caves
5. Saguaro National Monument
6. Old Tucson
7. Desert Museum
8. Gaslight Theater
9. Magpies Pizza
10. Blue Willow for breakfast
11. Kartchner Caverns
12. Gavi Italian Restaurant
13. Buy fresh tortillas
14. Tucson Meet Yourself
15. Fourth Avenue Street Fair
16. Caruso's Italian (where Brian took me for our first date)
17. Mama Louisa's Italian (a childhood favorite)
18. Mi Nidito Mexican restaurant (a long-time favorite of mine)
19. Mt. Lemmon
20. Sabino Canyon
21. Botanical Gardens
22. Winterhaven lights at Christmastime
23. Biosphere 2 (OK....this was all starting up when we lived here, and hokey as it is, we finally feel compelled to go see it!!)
24. San Xavier mission
25. Gates Pass for a sunset
26. Kitt Peak observatory

* I'm looking forward to crossing these off our "To-Do" list, as these are our Labor Day weekend plans. We'll spend time with Brian's family and some of his old childhood friends.

Sabbatication: Back to School

It's been two weeks since Katie started school, and nearly three weeks since we arrived in Tucson. The time has flown by!

It was so hard dropping her off for her first day of school. Hard on all of us. Brian and I were nervous throughout the day, hoping it was going well, hoping she wasn't sitting by herself, hoping she'd have the courage to talk to someone! Isn't that every parent's fear when their child is in a new situation?? And, I know it was Katie's fear too.

That first day ended well. I knew all was good when Brian & I picked her up with a smile on her face. Whew~!! She made two or three friends that first day, and continues to lunch and chat with these girls. They've even exchanged phone numbers and have called each other regarding assignments. What a relief.

She's settling into school, learning to understand the Turkish accents of her teachers. She seems to like (most of) her teachers and SSA-DM is a comfortable place for her. That's well worth the 20-25 minute drive to the school!! The homework load has been light so far, which has surprised us. The school has a reputation for a heavy load, so I think they're all in a honeymoon period right now.

As Katie went back to school, so did Brian...sort of. He goes in to the UA each day, working with Jeanne Pemberton, who was one of his undergraduate professors. He does some research and some writing, and then comes home. This semester there's no teaching, student advising, faculty meetings, or even work to bring home! YEA!!! It's nice having him with the family every night and weekend.

While the two of them are at school, I'm supposed to be studying. I brought photography and Photoshop tutorial books along with the goal of improvement in both areas. So far I've dabbled a bit, but haven't really done as much as I should!!

I'm also *studying* for an elementary education basic skills test. Yes, I took one of these things 20 years ago. Yes, I had licenses in several states. And while I was a stay-at-home mom they all expired. Oh, well! Because it was all so long ago, I need to take a test again (and pass it by next summer) to just keep the subbing license. To get my regular teaching license up to date, I have to pass that same test and take a few classes in anything related to education. Still not sure if I want to do that. I seriously like subbing...especially as a mom! (*Studying* is hardly the word for it...mostly I'm going through the prep book, making sure I remember what I'm supposed to remember.)

So, what have I actually been doing during the day, rather than studying?

-Driving around, taking detours when I want to re-visit old memories.
-Lunching with friends.
-Facebooking a bit too much.
-Taking Tahoe to the dog park.
-Shopping.
-Photographing all my memories, as I come across them. Sadly I usually only have my phone camera with me!
-Driving Katie to and fro school (this takes up 2 hours of my day!!).
-Reading.
-Going to the library.
-Cooking & tidying up. (Can't really call it cleaning, as we don't have much stuff here!!)

I'm looking forward to cooler weather (below 100 would be great!) so I can be outdoors for longer periods of time!

Sabbatication: How to Get on Base

Now that Katie was enrolled in a good school, we called the school to get a copy of the dress code and school supply list. We were doing our big shopping trip, and wanted to ensure we bought appropriate supplies/clothing. Katie was BEYOND thrilled to learn that for the first year, this school would not be wearing the Sonoran Science Academy uniform (a polo shirt with their logo and then navy/tan pants, long shorts, or long skirts). The school told us to come in any time...they'd be there.

We arrived shortly after our phone call, only to find out we weren't on "The List". We called *W*, our contact at the school only to find she was shopping at Staples. So we arranged to meet her at a certain gate an hour later. No problem! We weren't in a hurry and had plenty of time.

Approaching the gate...wondering if we'll get on base...

When we came back we had a bit of trouble finding her, as we weren't familiar with the area and parking lots. Once we made contact with her, we got our car in a line, opened up all the compartments and went into an ID tent. The tent was semi-permanent, hot and stuffy, with just one fan blowing on the guy working there. Not the job I'd want! We submitted our driver's licenses, car insurance and registration and signed waivers allowing them to search us at any time. I'm sure this is all standard stuff, but it's a lot more security than I'm used to when trying to enter my child's school!

Once we were cleared, we watched as they finished our car check...complete with big mirrors underneath. We drove through to another checkpoint where we showed our licenses (again) and a temporary pass. Then we followed *W* to the school for the first time. This was on Wednesday.

Thursday evening was an open house orientation where you got your schedules, paid your fees, and met your teachers. We were assured we'd be on "The List" for this event. Still, we made sure to come early just in case. Which was a good thing. Once again, we were turned away. Thankfully we had *W* on speed dial. 10 minutes later she met us at the gate...a different gate where we went into an air conditioned permanent ID Badge building. Showed our licenses, insurance, and registration. Followed *W* to the school....hoping this wouldn't be our daily routine!

The orientation went smoothly. Friendly teachers. Still not sure on the principal...very reserved Turkish gentleman who was quite formal. Got schedule, PE uniform, paid money. Paid more money. Went home.

We made an appointment to come back on Friday so Katie could take her math placement test. Again we were assured we'd be on "The List" and would easily get through security. And, I'm sure you know by now that we weren't on "The List". Back to the first ID/Badge station....the one with the auto search, ID check, and escort to the school.

Katie takes the test, gets into the advanced math (thankfully they're picking up right where she left off in Oregon) and life is good. We physically watch *W* email us our application for a "Contractor's Badge". When we got home, we promptly filled them out, emailed them back, and held our breaths.

Sunday we receive an email confirming that we will be on "The List" for Monday, and should be receiving our Semi-Permanent ID badges on Monday.

Ahhh...sweet success!! We left a bit early Monday morning (just in case...). When we got to the ID check gate, WE WERE ON THE LIST!!!!! We showed our licenses, insurance, and registration and drove through by ourselves. YEA!! The girl made it to school on time.

Monday morning I received an email stating that *I* was cleared for my badge. Brian wasn't! They ran his information and couldn't find anything. He called and learned they were one number off on his license...that one number off has been an issue lately! When we went to pick up Katie from school in the afternoon, we came early so I could get my badge. Thankfully Brian was with me, as his was ready too!!! The guy we spoke to told us we were pretty boring as far as background checks go. I'm sure he says this to everyone, but for once it was great to be boring!!

Now we both have clearance to go on base (ONLY to/from her school...no dilly-dallying.) from 06:30-18:30 M-F.

Hopefully there are no evening programs later than 6:30, or anything on the weekends. If there are, I fear we are back to square one with the car searches and escorts...

(On a side note...we learned that this is the first charter school on a military base. The newspaper said it was the first on an Air Force Base, while Katie reported that her school said it was the first on a military base in the world. Either way, there were photographers there for the first day of school recording the "historic moment". Also...we are 1 of 8 families (out of 110 students) not living on base. And, we are only 1 of 2 families without a connection to the base!!)