Car for Sale!

FOR SALE

• 2003 Toyota Camry XLE
• <40,000 miles
• 4-door
• Lunar Mist Metallic
• 4-cylinder
• Front Wheel Drive
• Moonroof (tilt and slide)
• 6-CD Changer
• 23 MPG – City
• 32 MPG – Highway
• Very Good Condition (will need new tires soon)
• Kelley Blue Book Value -$12,821
• Accepting offers!

TP Disaster

Have you noticed that there are an excessive number of blog posts for the month of July? Well, I still have several more to share. July is turning out to be a very busy month for us. We have a lot of things going on, including an upcoming trip to North Carolina to visit family. In my rush to do laundry before leaving, I unknowingly knocked an entire roll of toilet paper into the washing machine. I was trying to get the last little dribble out of the laundry soap bottle, so I turned it upside down and propped it up on the shelf above the washer and dryer as I loaded the basin. (By the way, we store our extra paper towels, tissues, and toilet paper in our laundry room.) When I stepped out to grab a few more items, I heard the bottle fall. I didn't realize it had bumped a TP roll directly into the sudsy water. When the wash cycle ended, I was completely perplexed. It took me almost 3 minutes to figure out what had happened and many, many hours to clean it all by hand in the tub. Unless you have experienced this yourself, you have no idea!

Party Planner

I put together a Handy Manny party for Emma to celebrate her birthday at Dee's house with all of her friends. There were mini cupcakes, fruit snacks, center pieces with balloons, games, songs, stickers and favor bags for the kids to take home . . . and it was ALL Handy Manny! Dee had a few presents for Emma. I got a picture of her wearing the fairy costume when she got home that afternoon.

Foley Family at Two

It has become a tradition for me to make a collage of Emma with a picture of her mommy and daddy at that age each year. Who do you think she looks more like at two?

The Grand Tour

I took a few photos of the house before it became overwrought with boxes on moving day. We have everything unpacked now, but are still tweaking things. A few rooms are without wall decor, and we are searching for "den" furniture.

Home Sweet Home

Watch our house become a home in this slideshow! We began the process in mid-February and closed in late June. I've been saving the photos to share as a collection. I'll try to add another with the new grass soon.

www.kristenfoley.com

SMART Board™ technology is a new trend in today's classrooms. Unfortunately, many teachers are unaware of the full capabilities of this educational tool. I have been using a SMART Board™ for three years now and began professional development for District 87 and the Regional Office of Education on interactive whiteboards over a year ago. It's been my honor to help my fellow teachers tame this new frontier. I recently became a certified SMART Board™ trainer and launched a new website to promote my SMART Board™ consulting services. Visit http://www.kristenfoley.com/ to learn more about my presentation experience and what previous participants have said about my workshops. Feel free to pass along my name and site to any potential SMART Board™ users. I intend to blog a few times a month on the topics of using a SMART Board™ in the classroom, special features of SMART Notebook™ software, and great websites to use with a SMART Board™. Any feedback you have would be appreciated as I embark on this adventure.

SMART Workshops

If you are a regular visitor to Fun with the Foleys, then you noticed my lack of posting in early June. I've since caught up and back-dated some posts to cover my tracks! The school year ended on June 4, and I went straight into preparing for and presenting four days of SMART Board workshops for the Regional Office of Education. Scott and Emma were extremely patient and understanding during that time! Here's a link to the webpage I created for the workshops, if you're interested!

The Great Eight of 2008

The Write Stuff

Scott continues to write during his free time. His short stories appear monthly in News and Views for the Young at Heart. This year Scott made appearances at Illinois State University’s Milner Library, Peoria Civic Center, and Bloomington Junior High School to talk about his experiences as an author. His fourth book will be released in the spring. Visit his website at http://www.scottwilliamfoley.com/ to keep up on all of his writings.

Kristen's Consulting

After leading numerous technology workshops for her school and district, Kristen began sharing her knowledge with other local educators. As a professional development consultant, she has led several SMART Technology workshops for local teachers K-12 through the Regional Office of Education. In addition, this past spring she designed and presented a workshop on guided reading for intermediate level teachers in the area. You can check out Kristen’s classroom website at www.district87.org/staff/foleyk.

Mr. Mom

As you know, Scott took a year leave of absence from teaching to be a stay-at-home dad. He enjoys his time with Emma immensely and calls it the best job in the world. Together they take walks to the park, explore fun toys, exercise, read books, and much more. Emma is quickly becoming a little daddy’s girl!

Brothers and Others

Scott’s brother, Larry, his wife, Missy, and their daughter, Sydney, continue to do well in Gastonia, North Carolina. Sydney turned four this summer and is excited about the arrival of her new cousin, Emma. Kristen’s brother, Chad, lives in downtown Chicago and works for Deutsche Bank. He continues to train for and race in triathlons and tackled the Chicago Marathon again this year. His girlfriend, Stephanie, is a gem!

Amendment - Chad and Stephanie are engaged!

The Grandparents

Connie and Ross have been dabbling in many hobbies during their retirement. Connie recently became a licensed real estate agent. She also keeps busy with quilting and shopping. Ross can’t say no to a school bus assignment or transporting cars for the local dealership. He loves traveling to car shows and working on his own classics. Mike is still enjoying retirement and has most of the home improvements completed. He also spends a lot of time volunteering for Jill at Dennis School. Jill is counting the days until retirement in 2010 when she and Mike can spend more time with their first grandbaby. All four grandparents are thrilled about the arrival of darling Emma and love her to pieces.

Fun with the Foleys

In January, Kristen began documenting our journey to parenthood through a blog. It is a wonderful way for us to share updates with friends and family. Perhaps you found out that we were having a girl, saw Kristen’s tummy grow, or watched a video of our precious babe on this website. Check out all of the fun at http://www.funwiththefoleys.blogspot.com/.

Beautiful Baptism

Emma was baptized on Sunday, November 30, amidst the love of family and six inches of fresh snow. We were so happy that her godparents, Chad, Larry, and Missy, were able to be a part of this special occasion. While it may have been the first big snowfall of the season, it will go down in history as the day our angel was given a new life in Jesus Christ.

Emma's Arrival

The birth of Emma Claire ranks far above all of the other tops for 2008. She was born on July 9 at 12:01 P.M. by C-section. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 20 inches. Emmy’s cheerful disposition brings us so many smiles. We feel blessed and honored to be the parents of a beautiful, healthy, and inquisitive baby girl.

Working Mom

I went back to work for half days during the first few weeks of the school year, but have now returned to full time. While it’s difficult to leave Emma and Scott each morning, I know that they are having a swell time together. They sure are great motivation to pack up and head home after the bell!

SMART Board Trainer

I have had a SMART Board in my third grade classroom for 1 and ½ years and feel it has revolutionized the way I teach and the way students learn. Last week I planned and executed a 2 and ½ day SMART Board workshop through our Regional Office of Education (ROE). Twenty-five teachers from the tri-county area came to learn more about this teaching tool. It was a great opportunity for me to gain some experience as a professional development trainer. I am teaching a few more of these SMART Board workshops this summer, and hope to continue sharing with others.