Party of Five

Test scores arrived today.  I wasn't dreading them, in fact you might say I was anxiously awaiting them.  I wanted to once and for all, put my daughter's testing experience to bed.  Last spring, she sat for her first experience with New York state's assessments.  If I have anything to say about it, I would like to say that last spring my daughter also sat for her LAST experience with New York state's assesments. I don't write because I'm upset with her scores.  I honestly don't care about them.  I won't tell her about them, she doesn't even know they arrived in the mail.  I am upset because these scores will not be useful for her education.  They will be used to score the teachers at her school in their Annual Professional Performance Review.   Yep...my 8 year old was used.    I'm told that the scores will be used to help "guide instruction."  I'm not sure how.  We're 3 weeks into the school year, the teachers know ...

Not the 1st day of school.  Not even the 1st day of a new job. Today was my 1st day at my 1st genealogy conference!!! It was also day #2 of our "Griswold Family Vacation" and day #2 that I had to wake up early enough to be on the road by 6:30 am.  Although not normally a bright and cheery morning person, I was awake, showered, dressed, and wondering if we REALLY had to stop and eat breakfast first, but apparently, feeding children is one of my responsibilities as "mom"...so just as soon as bellies were full, we were on the road from Sandusky to Ft. Wayne!  Not everyone shared my excitement of what today held in store... "Clark" (Griswold) pulled up in front of the Grand Wayne Convention Center, and I was off and running for my 1st experience surrounded by fellow genealogists!  I was prepared with my backpack and pre-registered, so I checked-in...and was handed a complimentary bag.  Hmmm...backpack AND bag?  Not a problem, I can carry both, fold ...

In case you've been living under a rock or hidden away in a cave, you may have missed the news that I'm attending my first genealogy conference. Although I registered for it weeks ago, it's still not too late to pre-register for yourself and in the process take advantage of some of the fantastic benefits that are being offered: Access the conference syllabus online prior to the conference. Guarantee a spot in the "extra" conference events (on-site tickets may be available to events if they have not sold out): 10 luncheons over the 4 conference days.  5 workshops over 3 days. There is still room in the Researching African Americans in University Libraries workshop. We have also added extra spaces and still have a few seats left Researching Midwestern American Indians and Using Griffith’s Valuation to Identify Your Ancestors' Origins. The other workshops are sold out.  FGS Opening Social on Wednesday, August 21  Friday Night at ACPL on August 23 with...

Have I mentioned that I'm going to a genealogy conference? I'm going to a genealogy conference! It's just a few weeks away...15 days actually, and I'm starting to scurry as I think on all of the things I need to get prepared for.  Okay..."panic" may be a better word.  And it may take many...MANY late nights, and A LOT of chocolate and Mt. Dew that I will pay dearly for with evil trainer Sean at the gym...but I feel confident that when we do finally head out of here in 2 weeks, I'll be ready to take on The Genealogy Center in Ft. Wayne. In the mean-time...they've released the conference syllabus. It's a mere 614 pages long. Good thing I have couple of Hershey bars to get me through tonight's reading material. ;) C.

What does one bring to a genealogical conference anyway?   I had this thought almost immediately after registering for this year's FGS Conference in Ft. Wayne.  I was too excited just knowing that I was actually going, but now I had to discern what to bring?  I mean, OTHER than my toothbrush and footie-pajamas?  This is my first conference and I have to admit, I'm feeling a little green with regards to conference protocol.  I'm the noob.  I may have been doing this genealogy gig for years, but to actually network with real, LIVE human beings and not just the dead ones from my family?  I'm feeling very...uncertain. The "problem" being that this trip to Indiana is at the tail-end of our family vacation time.  The last leg in our journey through Gettysburg, Washington D.C., a brief stop in Ohio for a day at Cedar Point to keep the monkey children from rebelling, and THEN I will finally be there. Yep...hubby and monkey children will be accompany...

While I was scrolling through my Twitter feed this morning, I read a tweet from the National Archives that shared a pic of two love-birds on the Archives steps after Mr. Lovebird had proposed to Miss Lovebird. My initial reaction lasted a short moment where I thought I might vomit at the saccharine sweetness of the event. Then I went to click on the picture to see these lovebirds...and I hesitated for a brief moment.  Did I really want to see what two history nerds in love look like??  Because let's face it, if you propose to your girlfriend on the steps of the National Archives in Washington D.C. on July 4th...you're a history nerd. Turns out, Tommy and Abigail are actually a ridiculously cute couple, and to top it off...I'm going to go so far as to say "Abigail - Lovin' the sandals that you were sporting on this festive occasion! I can't even see all of them, but I love the patriotic blue!" http://ow.ly/i/2wI2m - @USNatArchives The more I though...

Two days ago, I registered for FGS 2013.  (Overwhelming excitement!) Yesterday, I began booking hotels...One for the 3 days we'll be in Ft. Wayne for FGS, and then another one for on the way home when we'll be stopping in Sandusky at Cedar Point for the day.  (More overwhelming excitement!) Today as I sat at the orthodontist's office waiting for D-man to get his adjustment, I was slightly giddy thinking over the plans that had been made thus far... A few days at Gettysburg...a few days in DC...home for a few days to do laundry and make it to a Board Meeting...Ft. Wayne for 3 days...Cedar Point on the way home... And that's when the "oops" slapped me in the face. The plan as scheduled was going to force us to drive from our home here in NY state to Ft. Wayne, Indiana in time for my first session at 11:00am on Thursday morning.  That means we would have to get up and head out at maybe 3am!! That is NOT a vacation. Hubs claimed he tried to tell m...