It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to get together, so today was great for catching up. Linda and Adrienne:
And thanks to certain blog followers who ask about friends not seen in the blog for a while. Although you’ve never met, there is still a friendship connection!
Author Archives: arletelouise
Sophia and Avery
More fun after work this week. I got to watch Sophia and Avery after school every day (except Tuesday) until Thais or Lenin got home. A couple of days, cousin Lauren was with us also! Sophia taught me how to fish.
I successfully caught a Sophiafish, but my pole broke when I tried to reel her in.
Some days, Carter doesn’t even hear me come in. Usually he’s sound asleep somewhere in the house.
Front flips on the couch – enough to make a grandmother’s heart flutter!
Avery is very interested in dinosaurs and watches dinosaur battles on the iPad a lot.
Yay! Mom and Carson are home.
Soccer practice happens two days/week.
Meanwhile, Sophia went over to a row of trees and picked up a t-shirt-full of “chalk rocks”. She said it was a “second grade thing.” She took all the rocks to a farther-away location, dropped them on the ground,
and covered them up with pine needles.
She is now the only second grader who knows where the secret stash is. Time for Sophia’s practice.
CELDT testing
This week, we were at Allison School
where I got to visit with Esther Sullivan who was the secretary at Sierra View when I taught there. She’s retired but fills in as a sub when needed. My team of testers is just me and Jeanne McClaren.
L-R: Jeanne, Esther
My testing space was just on the other side of a half wall from the “cafeteria.” No testing during this time for sure!
Quote of the week, overheard as a teacher was taking her class out for recess. “Children, remember you many not go in the bathroom stall, lock the door, and crawl underneath the door to get out.”
RLEHS Sunday Social
This month was the annual ice cream social.
The speaker was Stephanie Davis, a very successful 4-H participant. 
Allie falling in love with a pygmy goat:
The Throwdown key ingredient was tomatoes. Catherine Green was the winner with Tomato Bread.
Allie, Catherine, Arlete
Pigs, cows and walnuts
Very dirty pigs!
Justin now has two new cows to keep the grass down in the front field. The third cow is Jaime’s. 
Making sure they can’t get out.
In about a month, I will begin harvesting walnuts. 
The trees are loaded!
Thursday at Merrilyn’s
These get-togethers are always fun. In two hours, we can never quite cover every important topic. Another round of good food. I made a tomato tart to practice for the next Throwdown. Merrilyn made a terrific frittata and Phyl made a carrot cake for dessert. 
Sophia and Avery
School started and car-pooling schedules with after-school sports and various other activities have created a need for another driver – hurray! – that will be me! On Tuesday, Avery had soccer practice, his first team sport experience.
On Thursday, it was Back to School Night for Mom and Dad.
CELDT testing
Retired teachers have been hired again this year to help with the hour-long one-on-one California English Language Development Test for Transitional and Kindergarten students. Schools only have 30 days to complete the initial assessment for new students. This is a great job to have: the students are delightful and the day goes by quickly. This week I was at Madison and Castori Schools.
Special moments happen every day. One girl say a song about Jesus to me right in the middle of the test. When presented with this page and prompted to “Say this word,” 
responded with “Giraffe, lion, elephant.” Although I had to bubble in the mark for Incorrect, I told her “Good job.” All language domains are tested, reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
One of the best parts of this job is running into old friends, like Ethel Smart, who was my aide at Sierra View long long ago.
Zucchini Festival
Sponsored by the Rio Linda Grange #403.
Biggest zucchini contest:
Winners of the Zucchini Cook-off:
Susan Hanks:
Zucchini racers,
outside there were head-to-head matches.
In the garden, a couple of giant pumpkins hoping to win the September Country Faire “biggest” contest.
Carson’s Christening
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento.
There were about 20 children being baptized this morning. Not a single child cried!
Meanwhile …
Brunch afterwards at Cafeteria 15L.
Carson’s feeding team: Thais the holder, Sophia the spooner, Avery the in-between-bites entertainer.
arletelouise 