Back to Teaching, Ronny's Birthday, and a Locally-Sourced Weekend.

It has been a busy week. My two teaching days this week almost couldn't have been more different. Term one kindergarten at the very strict school with a high immigrant population on Tuesday, and a very advanced 6th grade class on Wednesday at a more relaxed school in a wealthier suburb. They actually were teaching STEM in a very cool way; they were teaching the kids about real world problems and having the students come up with their own solutions. For example, they had come up with products/plans that would address colony collapse disorder in bees. It was very inspiring in terms of the teaching, and in terms of what how this younger generation is capable of. 

Penelope has been adjusting to daycare quite well, but I'm happy it's still only two days a week. She is getting to know her new carer and tolerates the train commute. We receive a few photos at the end of each week.

My birthday was on Wednesday. It was a quiet celebration - a family ramen dinner, and then trivia. I actually started to feel kind of ill in the evening, with a headache, so it wasn't the most fun celebration. Luckily, Thursday was still my birthday in the US, and that was a better day, so I decided to count that one as my birthday instead this year. Next will be Penelope's first birthday party!

Michael has been away for the weekend at the regional frisbee tournament in Dubbo. It seems like a joke because Dubbo is so far away, it should hardly count as the same region. And yet, it's still in the same state of New South Wales. The drive is about four hours, but it just seems to stretch on forever and forever.  

While Michael has been away, Penelope and I have just been enjoying the local haunts and errands. We picked up some delicious watermelon at the farmer's market, and we have both been wolfing it down. It's been on-and-off rainy this weekend, so we haven't felt the need to venture far. Despite the wet weather, I am glad that the weather is getting cooler in general. Summer might actually be my least favorite season in Sydney; the rest of the year is just even more pleasant.