Back to Real Life

Last week was my spring break and it was wonderful! I was really needing a break from school. Plus, it meant I got to be with Cade all week all day! Mon and Tues Cole was finishing up the last days of classes and so I just enjoyed myself! I went to breakfast with friends, hung out with Shan, watched Sense and Sensibility (love it!), scrapbooked, read, and of course played with Cade.

Then on Wed Cole and I flew to Kansas so we could look at housing. We found a couple of good apartment complexes and now are just in contact with them as we do paper work and watch vacancies. It was really nice to be able to visit the city where we will be living next. (Manhattan, KA-they call it the "Little Apple") I really liked it and the campus Cole is attending is beautiful. What helped make our visit so nice was the people we stayed with. My dad's cousin Valarie and her family live right in Manhattan. They were such a wonderful family and we had so much fun playing with their kids. They did an excellent job of holding Cade! Thank you so much to them-they really helped make our visit wonderful. We are sad that they will be moving over the summer.

I was worried about Cade on the flights but he did so good!! He either slept or would just sit on my lap and talk and coo and just be a happy little boy! Especially on Saturday-we got lost on the way to the airport and ended up missing our flight. So after a very long day at the airport, 2 stand-by flights, and some tender mercies we were able to get back to Salt Lake. Cade was a trooper through it all! It has been extra hard this week to leave him after being able to be with him so much. But I do feel very rejuvenated after the break and feel like I can make it till the end of the school year still going strong. (Although I do know how many days we have left but who's counting...) I guess because I was feeling so refreshed I guess I was acting different and one of my students noticed and she left this note on my desk. It said:

Dear Mrs. "Ratcliffe"
I think that you and your sister might have switched places.
PS. Let me know
Sincerely, Dorkus (name has been changed)

She is referring to Shanna who teaches in a school 4 minutes away. We have told them that maybe one day we would switch places on them. So I am not sure this was a good thing or a bad thing. Was I acting better or worse? Not really sure but I thought her conclusion as to why I was acting different was hilarious.

Other exciting news:
Cole is finishing up finals and graduates on Fri!!!
Kayla tried out for the 10th grade drill team back home and she made the top position of Captain!! Way to go Kayla!
The 3rd Fablehaven book came out yesterday and Cole bought it for me at the BYU bookstore. I am excited to read it with my class. I read aloud to them the first two and we are hooked. I recommend them. They are good fore adults and children: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (he is an LDS author)
And Cade won the most adorable baby ever award according to his parents!