Our Visit to Hodge Road Elementary and La Rancharita :D

Like I've mentioned before, I taught first grade for 6 years at Hodge Road Elementary in Knightdale, NC (right outside of Raleigh).  When you teach in one place in the same grade level for that many years the people you work with become like family.  When I moved up here to Virginia I had a VERY hard time leaving my school, best friends (Kimberlee and Jenni who also taught first grade with me), and co-workers.  There were MANY times I'm surprised Michael didn't ship me back with all of the crying going on!  Hodge Road was like a second home and Kimberlee and Jenni WERE my family.  We lived together AND worked together and surprisingly always got along considering all of the time we spent together.  There are times now when I STILL have a hard time not living in Raleigh anymore.

Since I've moved here, which will be 3 years in June, I've made frequent trips to Raleigh to go out downtown (pre Kellan), for birthdays, to meet for dinner, lots of hair appointments (not giving up Jill at Hairdos!), concerts, the Super Bowl, and other get togethers.  Kimberlee and Jenni have been here lots of times too and saw Kellan not long after he was born.  All of my other visits down there Kellan has stayed here with Michael or Connie so that I could spend time with my friends.  Now that Kellan is a little older and getting easier to travel with, I decided to take him for a visit to see all of my old teacher friends at Hodge Road and to have dinner with Kimberlee, Jenni, Clay, and Melissa. 

First stop Hodge Road Elementary!  I was so glad that I was able to see just about everybody that is still there from when I taught there!  I wish I had taken more pictures but I was caught up with visiting and I didn't take hardly any!  I was kind of worried about how Kellan would react to so many people talking to him and looking at him...well that was completely unnecessary...he LOVED it!  He was smiling at everybody and trying to come up out of his seat to look at all of the kids!

Here he is with Tiawanna!  She has worked on the Kindergarten/First Grade Hall with me all 6 years I was there!  I miss seeing her everyday :(

Of course all of the kids wanted to see him and one even sniffed his hair!!  Kellan loved all of the attention! 

After we visited everyone at school Kimberlee, Kellan, and I went to Jenni and Clay's house until it was time for dinner.  Jenni and Kellan attempted to play with their cats but they were afraid of Kellan!  He loved them and kept squealing at them.  Lucky for Cheeto and Chester Kellan can't crawl yet so they were safe...for now!

Jenni instructing Kellan on how to use the cat toy and trying to get the kitty to play!

Apparently we've been shopping for toys on the wrong aisle because HE wanted to play with the cat toy!

Next, Kimberlee had some play time and he was a happy boy!

Next we headed to dinner at La Rancharita.  I LOVE Mexican food and could eat it several times a week!  I have yet to find a Mexican restaurant here in Virginia that compares to the ones that we have in Raleigh...PLUS Michael doesn't like it at all so we rarely go.  Whenever I make a trip for dinner with the girls Mexican food is always my request! 

Its not the best picture because I had left my camera in the car and had to take this with my phone...but you get the idea!  Kimberlee and Melissa and Clay, Jenni, me and Kellan

This is how Kellan felt about the whole Mexican experience.

Until he woke up and noticed the TV behind mommy's head.

We had such a great visit and can't wait for our next trip back!  This is what Michael was up to while Kellan and I were gone.  He played in the 9th Annual Family YMCA of Emporia/Greensville 2012 Spring Charity Golf Classic.  His team won first place AND Michael won Longest Drive!  We're so proud of him and Kellan can't wait until Daddy can teach him to play one day!