It Was a Good One

Santa was good to all of us.

And just a few more shots from Monterey...

Monterey

We just enjoyed a night away in Monterey. Here we all are in the very spot we exchanged our vows. We talked about our wedding and Haley said, "I don't remember it because I was in your tummy."

We enjoyed the aquarium in two parts. Went for a bit, went and got lunch and then went back for more. This is an example of when it's nice that Ryan doesn't nap anymore. Nothing was rushed.
The jellyfish have always been my favorite but I must say that the seahorse exhibit gives it a run for the money.
We have been enjoying our days off together after a rocky first day of break) let's just say that Ry was relentless). It was great to get away right off the bat and be so relaxed in the midst of the holiday madness. We are spending time playing and catching up with friends. Got to see some cousins I haven't seen in close to 25 years last night and got to catch up with the Kobels tonight.

We look forward to more relaxation and togetherness. Love the holidays.

December...so far

We've been baking.
Here are the boys cooking matza ball soup for Hanukkah.
We got to see Shrek the Musical- FABULOUS show!

The Challenge of Laughing

Ryan cracks us up. Us, meaning ALL of us. He is at the age when he is full of questions and "why?" follows every answer you give. He is JUST like Josh in that he always goes for the laugh. Once you give it to him you can be sure he will do or say whatever it was over and over again.

The other night we were in his bed reading books. He had one of those weird hiccups at the same time as the swallow things. The noise that came from his throat made both of us laugh hard. "Mama! Dat funny!" He was repeatedly able to create a similar sound in his throat and needless to say, we were in stitches. Haley got out of her bed to come in and see what the ruckus was about. Then Ry called Josh in too. Yesterday I got stern with him and he responded with a "Mama, watch this, watch this...(throaty sound here)." I knew I couldn't laugh because I wanted to stay firm with the situation at hand, but seriously? That is funny! He fully tried to avoid being disciplined by pulling one out of his hat!

Sometimes the expectations from parents are crazy. I have always loved to laugh and am always the one to provoke the behavior that gets me cracking up. Laughter is the best thing. Then, all of the sudden I am an adult and can't laugh at inappropriate things in front of anyone I want? This was realized my first year teaching and then again when I became a mom. Sometimes I can't help it and have to pay the price for laughing when I shouldn't. But, really, it's like one of those contests when someone says, "I bet I can make you laugh" and you try everything to keep a straight face while they do anything to break you. I am a sucker. I last only seconds. This is just another example of the challenges of being a parent. You're the, um, adult. sigh...
Cheers to laughing (at the appropriate times, of course)!

Our Turkeys Trotted

I wish I had our good camera there, but I didn't. We took the lightrail downtown Thanksgiving Day morning. Ryan felt the train begin to move, covered his mouth and yelled, "All aboard!" The kids ran in the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. Haley loved it...

...Ryan did not. Poor guy was completely overwhelmed by the crowds and the chaos. Running with Daddy did not help him feel better.
After the race we came home and got cleaned up for turkey dinner at my parents' house. It was perfection as it always is. This morning we woke up and got right up in the attic to get down all of the holiday stuff. We decorated to the sounds of John Denver and the Muppets singing our favorite carols. Then we got dressed for a new adventure.
ICE SKATING! The outdoor rink opened up last weekend. We met up with some friends last minute and enjoyed slipping and sliding on our ice skates. Josh took Ryan to look at Christmas in the park and ride the cars. Haley was so excited to learn this new skill. She took two hard falls but it did not stop her. By the end of the 90 minutes of skating she was letting go of the wall and even moving around some people. It was a success. She told me that when she turns 6 she'll be able to go into the middle by herself where all the fast skaters go.5 days of vacation=aaahhhhhhhh.

Thanks, Dad

My dad has taught me many things. We tease him at times about the funny things we remember. We would be coming home from a trip and at a certain point he would make us tell him directions to get there. He would do what we said, even if it was wrong and we would eventually navigate us to our destination. And (before navigation systems) we would need to give directions to our friends on how to get to our house from any direction.

If he heard us on the phone and not use proper phone etiquette he would take out a play phone and make us practice. Instead of, "Hi, is Suzi there?" we were taught to say, "Hi Mrs Smith. This is Jennifer Russell. How are you? May I please speak to Suzi?"

At restaurants we were taught to order for ourselves instead of them ordering for us.

Today, I was on my prep and I saw two coworkers kind of frantic in the office. One had a dead battery and they were waiting for our principal to get out of a meeting to help. I heard and offered to help. Because my dad taught me how to use jumper cables, they did not have to track down our boss. I could help!

Thanks, Dad! I promise my kids will be able to navigate us home, give directions, use proper phone etiquette, order food out and jump start a car.

The Comments

Our every days are filled with quotable comments from our kids. We laugh at least once a day from the things that come out of their mouths.

Today...

Josh: (in context) Haley, what has been the best day of your life?

Haley: Yesterday when you let me get hot lunch.

A Day at the Park

Had an awesome day off with the kids. Beautiful, clear, perfect.

Education on the Mind

This year has been a pinnacle time in my professional life. This year just feels different. I have always felt upbeat about what I do. When I have had those times when I have felt beat down I have simply stood back up, brushed off, and kept moving full steam ahead. This is still who I am as an educator, but feel like I am on the verge of a burst through, break out, I don't know what to call it. Things are happening this year and I know it's for a reason. I am supporting two teachers who are complete opposites and I am learning and seeing and understanding so much. I have already posted twice about "Waiting for Superman" and realize that anyone who asks me about it can get me talking for as long as they can handle it.

My true belief is that we need to start with a system change. We are in crisis. Yes, you have read this all before, I know. All of that is still there, but in the last few weeks I cannot help but look at other factors. I am one to look at an issue and only see my part in it. What can I do better? What can I do or say so that others are doing better? After all, in all of this I am the only one I can control.

The talk is that education is flawed, but why? The stakes have never been higher and we are clinging on to dear life to make our goals. But what are our goals, really? We look at test scores. That's all the public knows. In the last couple of weeks I have really looked at our kids. These kids are different from when I started teaching only 12 years ago. I sound like an old biddy, but really. They are, in general and with exception, waiting for things to be spoon fed. Every single test I give is open note/open book. I base all of my assessments on what we have done in class, I lift exact wording from our class work. When I first started teaching I NEVER would have done this. I didn't like when students were failing so I have slowly changed the policies to ensure student success. Every student can re take a test if they got lower than a B for a new grade of nothing higher than a B. Most kids who get the low grades do not choose to re take. My question is, how can we change our model to fit the need of the new generation of students without completely lowering our expectations? Lately I have been frustrated with the piece we cannot control, the home piece. Many of my students have support and have families that are on top of it. Many of them do not and it kills me that I am expecting one thing and the expectation at home is quite different. It's hard trying to help a student when they have no interest in helping his/herself.

The spotlight is on test scores, test scores, test scores. We are forgetting that these are CHILDREN who come to school needing something other than a math lesson sometimes. They need a hug or some food or just to know that they are loved and safe.

What's my point? I think this week I wished a movie would be made about another aspect of the problem. I am still recommending the movie to everyone. Everyone needs to know that these things are happening. People would also be outraged at a movie that spotlighted families with certain attitudes or parents that bully teachers and coddle children. We all need to understand that the issues are many fold.

Last week, after a constructive meeting about picking our target students and what we are going to do for them, I sat at my desk and started to laugh. I said, "My job is insane" out loud to the nothingness in my room as I continued to laugh. It is insane and I love it.

I guess that's all I have to say. I wish I could be better at really narrowing down what it is I want the message to be, but I really do have so much swirling around in my brain. That's why this year is different. I am more passionate about it all than I have been.

Back to work tomorrow. Consider this post my "brush off" after feeling just a bit beat down by the kids this week.

Loving my New Camera

I really don't know a fraction of what my camera can do and feel like I am learning a new language since I KNOW NOTHING about photography. I am having so much fun playing with it and will be taking a class. Here are just a few shots that I enjoy.

A Peacock, A Cheeseburger and 2 Ladybugs

We spent this Halloween with the family and it was so cute. Trick or treated in my old stomping grounds around my parents' house.

My Thoughts are Many

It's been a week since I saw "Waiting for Superman" and I just have so much to say. I will try to compartmentalize my thoughts and narrow my focus in this entry.

First and foremost- I recommend this movie to EVERYONE.

I went into the theater with a bit of fear. I had heard some things about it already and was afraid it would just show all these extreme cases that do not represent the real issues but glorify those rare instances. It was not the case. Everything I saw, I knew with the exception of some of the national stats (we kind of hone in on California statistics). The movie did not cover everything to cover- it couldn't. What it did show is a chunk of an area of the flaws in our system. Every argument I have heard is something the movie did not include..."what about this?" and "what about that?" The fact that so many respected educators and non educators are asking these questions shows that there are many issues and that really, no one knows where to begin.

I woman in DC began by coming in and cleaning house- firing principals and closing down schools and proposing other ways to deal with tenure. She was shot down by the union and was actually just fired last week by the new mayor. She had the guts to make change and was not popular for it and didn't have the backing she needed to move forward.

Our students are not performing as they should and we need to fix that. No, the movie did not address the troubles our kids have today (family life, gang life, abuse, etc.) but we have to start somewhere. A kid may start a year behind grade level, but that teacher should be able to move that student forward in some way- and not all ways are testable by the state. We cannot control what a student's personal life entails, but we should be able to control who educates our kids. I have worked on 3 campuses now. At each place I could list a handful of teachers who simply should not be there. This is NOT ok. That is too many. People have argued that there are bad jobs being done in all professions. That is not a good argument! Those people shouldn't be there either! If we could get rid of the percentage of ineffective teachers, I believe a huge shift would happen.

Everything in the movie is true. The only itch I have is that charters are the only way to go. Only 20% of charters are more successful than public schools. We need to examine ONLY those successful schools and not just the idea of "charters" in general.

This film is designed to show us the flaws in the system. Educators are just as fed up with these issues as everyone else. It needs to change. I can say this to anyone who sees the film and has questions about public schools:

1. There are schools and districts that are successful. When I walk around my own campus I am among colleagues who share a passion and work ethic for these kids. In the film one man says, "There are so many good teachers out there. This is not who we are talking about. Walking into a room and seeing a good teacher is like seeing a pro athlete. It's magical." Most educators that I have worked with are effective in the classroom, especially my teaching partner who could teach all of us a thing or two about how to move kids forward. Those who are not, can be detrimental.

2. We all want change. Our kids deserve the best that there is.

3. So many good things are happening but these issues in the film are failing some kids. "Some kids" are too many.

4. Teachers affect lives in so many ways. Think of your favorite teacher. Was s/he your favorite because you got your highest state testing scores in his/her class? No. It was something else. We need to find other ways to evaluate student progress. State test scores are only one piece of evidence.

5. Visit the public schools you are considering for your own children. Do not just read the paper and see how they compare. Walk on the campus, meet with the pricipal, get a feel for the culture there.

I could really discuss this for hours and I already have. I love the debate and questions and thoughts. I am so glad this movie came out. People need to know what's happening so that change can be made.

Cheers to all the amazing educators out there!!!

"Packing Patch"

Yesterday we hit the "packing patch" as Ry calls it. We had a great time in the rain and mud.

The Girls

I love our nieces. I love to brag about them and share stories about them and laugh at everything they do. I love being an auntie.

Anxious For Superman

On Tuesday I am going to see a special screening of "Waiting for Superman," a movie about public education. This has created quite the buzz since featured on "Oprah." I do understand that the movie shows only the flaws with public education. I am prepared for that and it was made clear by everyone involved in the film that "there are so many GOOD teachers out there. This is not about them." I wonder what emotions and reactions I will have. I do know that I am excited at the idea that education will be the hot topic. When people are fired up, action happens.

I have always been proud of what I do. I am hoping that this starts a movement to fix the flaws in our system, especially the part about getting rid of ineffective teachers. But, with any movie of this sort, it doesn't show all that is right. The human beings who would do anything and go above and beyond their contract to have influence on children. It doesn't show the lives changed and the life lessons learned by going to school. I know that movies have huge influence and fear that viewers will place these exceptional cases under the umbrella of "all public education." Every education system has flaws (public, private, charter), big or small, and it is critical that we change them to ensure success.

I am anxious to see the film and will be writing about it after I do.

Santa Barbara, Slots, Surgery, Soccer and Snapshots (Say that 5 times fast)

It has been very eventful in the Russell household and we had quite a month!
We had a wonderful time in Santa Barbara for my mom's birthday weekend. It was so fun watching the kids play together. We walked up and down State Street, went down to the pier, rodes surrey bikes and hung out.
Amy and I went to Vegas and had a BLAST! This was just the beginning of our 6 hour pool time. We were in the water the whole day and the pool filled up with people that provided the most entertainment of the weekend. The Mr. Olympia competition was in Vegas that weekend as well so you can imagine the people watching. We thought we'd only stay at the pool for a bit and ended up making a day of it. We also saw "O" which was unreal. We had a giggle fest all weekend. Last year we decided that we are going to try and get together once a year. I already can't wait until next year!

When I got back into town I learned my dad had been in the hospital. Last Wednesday he had an angioplasty and had three stints put in the old ticker. It's been 16 years since his bypass and we are so glad he didn't have to do that again. He is resting and healing and all went well. THANK GOODNESS!
Haley has been having a fun soccer season and Josh is a great coach. It is quite the show every Saturday as these 4 and 5 year olds play up and down the field. We won our first game this weekend by scoring the first goal of the season! Haley really has no idea that there is a winning and losing team, but the parents went wild when we scored the goal and we all loved the fact that we finally won a game. Victory is sweet...even when the players don't know the difference.
My big purchase- I have been wanting this camera for a few years and finally I own it. I decided to take on some extra work this year that I wasn't originally going to do. I know that I will learn a lot and grow from this, but I really didn't want to take it on. My reward is my new Nikon D5000. I was going to wait until the extra money came in November, but it was at Costco for the first time I know and it was a few hundred dollars less than my research so I got it. I love it and can't wait to really learn all about it. This last picture is from it. Josh took it in my parents' yard.

Ok...you're caught up!

Paid It Forward

This weekend, in Santa Barbara, we bought a homeless man lunch. We wouldn't have done this if I hadn't seen the woman at Target buy that man some food. She didn't know she had some impact. I know people saw us buy that guy a burger and fries. Maybe those people will pay it forward too. Thanks random good deed lady we saw last week! You made a difference!

Far More Good

I was with the kids and we had some things to get at Target. As we approached the entrance there was a man who was disheveled going through the garbage can. He started walking away from the store when I heard a woman from across the parking lot yell, "sir? sir?" She came over to him and asked if she could take him inside and buy him something to eat from the Target snack bar area. As she walked him in she asked how he was doing and chatted about the day. I pointed them out to the kids and talked about what she was doing. They have given people money before or donated in a box outside a store, but this was different. This man was talked to and asked how he was doing and treated like any other human being.

My theory proves right over and over again. No matter what we see in the media, FAR more good is happening in small, sincere moments all of the time. People are good. I loved that my kids got to see that.

Quite the Weekend

In chronological order:

Friday night- last minute met some friends at Santana Row for dinner. Kids ran around and enjoyed the live music. So fun. :)

Saturday- I worked at a training all morning. Such great energy from a group of 1st year teachers. I love working with new teachers. I constantly am around that fresh energy and they are so excited, exhausted, etc. While I was there Josh took the kids to Vasona to a picnic organized by some friends. From there we met at the soccer field for pictures and our game. Haley got some good kicks! From there we walked downtown for lemonade and chocolate milk. Then it was date night! Josh had a date with Haley and I had a date with Ryan. Chevrolet had contacted Josh through his Oakland A's blog and gave him 2 tix to the game and a Chevy Equinox to drive around for 4 days. Pretty fun! So they left for the game while Ry and I stayed back. My time with him was priceless. I was all his and he made the calls. Books, outside, doctor, puzzles, dinner, wrestling and train table. "Come on Mama! Let's go (fill in the blank)" and it was done. Followed by bath and bedtime not shared with anyone. It was fabulous. Josh had an equally great time. Haley LOVED the game. The last time she was at a ballgame she was 3 and they were in a box where she and Jack just played around. Josh sent me many texts throughout the game with quotes from Haley:
" I don't want to get any food. I don't want to miss the A's game."
" The Red Sox are out! They're mad!"
"Why is he number 2? I mean, 1 then 2. He should really have a better number."
Rolling her eyes after a player was announced, "Bill Hall...he's mean. He's on the Red Sox."
And on and on. She would rather have stayed the whole game but they left at the bottom of the 7th due to lateness.

Sunday- grocery store, book store then home. Then something amazing happened Sunday. I had had an eventful week with work and being a mom and life in general. It was a week of questioning myself in what I do both at work and at home. It was a time of just needing any sign that I am doing things right. And then I got it. I know that God and my angels work in mysterious ways but the message was loud and clear and I got the validation I needed. AMAZING!
Then Haley had her first visit to the ER. She's ok, I'll start with that. She was at Happy Hollow and ran on the carousel to get to the dragon she wanted to ride on. She tripped and fell and hit her head right on the beak of the eagle. Her eyebrow was hit and she was bleeding. A head wound bleeds so much and you can never tell the severity of it. The ranger came and cleaned her up and said she should be checked out. Her spirits were great. She bounced and hopped around the waiting room while she waited her turn. NO STITCHES! Just some glue to put it back together. I am glad our first trip was such a minor one.

An eventful weekend for sure!

Comedian

Although the Terrible Two's have been known to possess Ryan at times, the majority of his time is spent cracking us up. He is JUST LIKE JOSH in that once he gets a laugh, it's over with.

He has been entertaining the whole family (and strangers in public) by his random songs, outbursts of dancing and his versions of "funny stories" (anything he says, he just adds "poop" to the end and thinks it's hilarious). Of course we made the mistake of laughing out of surprise the first time, so now he thinks he can get the laugh every time. He does get it from Haley, which is all he needs. She is his biggest fan.
He has been busy. We thought he was fully in his big bed. We have always had a guest bed in his room and he asked to sleep in it. If it were up to me he would have stayed in his crib much longer. Well, now he knows if he gets out he has to get in his crib. It takes only minutes after we leave his room until you hear his little footsteps and hear him CRACK UP when you see him and put him in his crib. Oh brother...
He loves to wrestle and play trains on his train table. He still loves books and instruments and has started to play on the scooter and tricycle. The kid is a ball of energy. He has his moments, being two and all, but boy, this stage is really fun...for all of us!

The BIG Day

I did have to wake Haley up at 7:00 but it wasn't hard. Right when she heard my voice she shot straight up and started clapping her hands. I only cried twice. Once while I was doing her hair and telling her what a big day this is and how proud I am of her, and the other was when I left the campus.
We got to school and there was quite the buzz. I asked her to stand in front of this sign and she replied, "Mom, I don't want to be late for school!"
She walked in her room and found her name tag on the desk. Ry tried to sit next to her but she said, "Sorry little Buddy. This seat is for" (read the nametag), "Diego." This is her teacher for the year! Haley already asked to see her picture again because she forgot what she looked like. She gave a wonderful impression and it is clear she loves what she does. She was so patient, especially with the parents.
She and Taylor saw each other bright and early and were both excited to start! Thank goodness Trish, Tay's mom, is picking Haley up every day. Such a blessing!

She has been giving us bits and pieces of the day...what they read, a dance they did and songs they sang, how they line up, the new friends she made and how her teacher is so nice and taught her how to say "I love you" with her hands (sign language). She already explained that she will have school every day except the weekend and when it's Monday again it's school again (said with enthusiasm). She talked about how she was able to visit the treasure box and was a good listener.

We have a child in school. Let the new adventure begin!

I Missed It

I can't believe it, but I missed the first day of school. I have NEVER missed the first day of school, neither as a student or a teacher. I have taught while sick many times, but this one took me by storm and there was no escaping. My staff is awesome and so many people stepped in to help and get everything covered. I felt horrible all day, both physically and emotionally. I just know how nervous and anxious and excited these kids are as they make the transition to middle school. I missed being there and greeting them and meeting the parents and all that comes with the first day. Still can't believe it. Hope that was a first and a last.

He Knows the Rules...

Whether he follows them or not, he knows them. This morning when I went into his room Ry started the day off by simply listing some rules.

Me: Good morning Ryan!

Ryan: Moanin' (morning) Mama! Only throw balls, out bed one time then crib, no no wake up Sissy, share, no no poop bath.

Good list my boy!

A Sweet, Sweet Summer

This has been such an incredible summer break. The only other summer to compare it to was our wedding summer. The kids and I had so much fun together while Josh was working and we had so much fun as a family when he was home. We packed in camping, swim class (H), gym class (R), swimming,Tahoe, concerts in the park, bike rides, trips to Great America, Children's Discovery Museum, Happy Hollow, parks, painting, playing, a family reunion and some being lazy in there. I think about it and know that my absolute favorite parts have been tucking the kids in after their bath and reading books next to their sweet smelling, bathed skin. In those times we reflected on our day and the friends we got to play with.

It is now coming to a close as I am back to work on Wednesday and the students come the following Monday. I am getting ready to shift gears as we get back to reality (which will be a new reality with Haley starting kinder!). I have loved the summer and feel incredibly blessed to have the job that I do. It allows me to love my work and have time with my family.
Dreading starting back, but cherishing the summer we had!

Getting Up To Speed

I realize it has been a bit since I have updated. I have included pictures from our trip to Lake Tahoe but we have been doing SO MANY fun things. Our 5 days in Tahoe were heavenly (pardon the pun since we stayed in Heavenly Village). The 4 of us had a great time swimming and beaching and playing together. It was fabulous.

Ryan would have been happy to never get out of this boat. He rowed us all over the place! Haley took her turn and wanted to return to her "friends" at the beach. The girl made friends wherever we were!
For Mother's Day I got 4 tickets for a cruise on the Tahoe Queen. We were a bit nervous that we would be out on a boat for 3 hours with the kids. I hoped they wouldn't grow tired of it all since there was no turning back. Our experience was quite the opposite. We saw parts of the lake we haven't seen before and learned some really cool history. It helped that there were lots of kids on board to run around and play with. Plus they got to meet the captain and steer the boat.
We were at the pool at least once a day. This trip Josh and I really began to notice how Haley and I are alike and he and Ryan are alike. The girls went straight for the pool while the boys preferred the hot tub most of the time. We had fun naming all of the similarities among us.
I can't believe it, but I go back to work in 2 and 1/2 weeks. We are changing our school calendar so this is the summer that gets cut short. Ugh...

We have been keeping a busy calendar filled with fun summer activities. Trips to Great America (awesome kids and water sections), Happy Hollow, picnics at the park, mostly with friends. Haley has continued her swim lessons and Ry has been taking a My Gym class. He has died and gone to ball pit and trampoline heaven. He has started taking a turn telling stories in the car. His versions of Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk are priceless.

Josh and I are looking forward to Saturday night when we will celebrate our 8th anniversary. We rolled our change and sold some things on Craiglist and are going to live it up with massages, dinner, drinks and a movie. It will be AWESOME.

It's funny because people have asked me what is harder? Staying at home or working? The answer for me is, being a mom is exhausting. Once you're a mom, you're working all day whether you get a paycheck or not. You're spent at the end of each day and wake up in the morning ready to do it all over again. I don't think you can say "parent" and "easy" in the same sentence. I cherish this time so much. Each summer gets better and better. Cheers!

How Quickly We Forget

This past Wednesday I experienced my worst parenting day to date. We are learning that the 2s can be pretty terrible at times. On Wednesday it was full fledged and it was ALL DAY and Josh got home late from work due to a work event. By the time he got home I could barely speak. I had a lump in my throat. I also felt bad for Haley since she had to endure the same day. It all felt like a new low in my mere 5 years of being a mom. There were moments when I thought, "I'd really like to not be a mom right now"- and that's putting it nicely. Hard days come with the territory, but this one was relentless and it felt horrible.
But, kids are funny and so is our love for them. In between the defiance and the freak outs and the testing and retesting, there was my happy little guy. The low parts were low but the good parts were bright. It's like in a blink of an eye I was able to completely forget about the torturous moments previous. It was a day of waves like that.
The day ended (with me meeting a friend for wine which was already planned- THANK HEAVENS) and we all woke up the next day with amnesia. No feelings were remnant from the day before. Isn't that how it works with kids? Once the situation is over, it's over. No grudges. No hard feelings.
The Terrible 2s possessed my child that day. At this moment he is walking around and chatting and laughing. aaahhhh, yes. I know we just entered this phase and will have other moments to come. We've had moments since Wednesday. I just pray that those moments are a bit more spread out throughout a day or days. Wednesday was pretty jam packed and it didn't feel good for anyone.

Pinecrest 2010

Yes, I love camping and this trip was no exception. The kids were in heaven (most of the time) and the company was perfect! The lake was FREEZING but it didn't stop us from swimming. We got home yesterday and all took the best showers/baths of our lives!
Until next year... :)