Another Good Week Has Gone By...

Can’t believe I have been here so long! The girls ask me everyday how long I plan on staying and the young ones ask if I’m going to sign a 10-year contract and I said well it goes year to year so we shall see. I have actually been thinking about how much I’m going to miss the girls and miss it here but it would just be even harder to leave for good if I stayed for another year after this.

I cannot wait for visitors and Italy! I am soooo excited and then it’s my birthday month when I get back from Italy and then first Thanksgiving ever in the dining hall and then it's my birthday! Can’t believe I’ll be 23-that’s pretty crazy. It is just so weird to think that I have been alive for 23 years-that is so long! I learned a new joke last night but I don’t remember it because I didn’t get it soo I can’t tell you but I’ll try to remember or ask to hear it again and then share it but I don’t think it was funny even if you understand it so we’ll see. I told all my jokes last night and now people said they are going to come with jokes next weekend so I need to step up my game and keep them comin!

Today we traveled over 2 hours to Sherborne which is a very pretty town (all the towns here are pretty though). The school was beautiful and they had really nice athletic facilities and a sports hall because it is shared with the community, not just the school. The Monmouth Boys School here is the same way with their facilities and such so they are nice because they are used by the community also. Our fields and Astro-turf are the only thing that other people use of ours really. We took 4 teams today-both senior teams, U15, and U14. They all won except for the U15. This is the year 10 group which is the team I have been struggling with because they are at that age where they would rather be doing anything else at the time than what they are supposed to be playing so it is hard to teach them anything lacrosse-related.I have had a couple talks with them this past week and they informed me today that they are sorry to disappoint me and they are ready to get better and really start trying and working hard to do better in matches. It was nice to hear and I am proud of them for wanting to do this but it is another thing to actually do it :) So we shall see.

I have acquired many different nicknames already since I’ve been here. I have America, Miss America, Miss P…and my two favorite Dan and Dani. (siiigh). I try not to answer to Dani but it just hasn’t gone away and seems to be spreading so there is no way around that one. I don’t mind Dan because my family calls me that so I am used to it and it reminds me of you guys :) America is the most common one and I am actually starting to respond to it which makes me laugh because it just sounds normal now.

Isn't it funny how i actually think ill have nothing to write about? ha-ha It was another pretty day today and I got some sun on my face again! I love having color on my face and the sun just makes me a happier person in general as you can imagine.

Lisa and Christine are going to buy me this thing online called SlingMedia or something like that and it is going to be amazingggg. What happens is you hook it up to a TV (Lisa’s) and I can access all the channels she gets live or ones she records for me or something. So this way I can still watch all my shows! It is my Bday/Christmas present from them which is a great idea and so creative:) so thanks guys! I want to encourage all of you who read my blog to become a “follower”. I know it sounds like I am forming a cult or something but it can show me who is reading it and it’s like a little blog club! It sounds fun! But there is no club with no followers so get on it! Hmm what else…

Next Friday one of the gaps had a birthday in July and we are celebrating it October 3rd. Starting at Spoons, which is the pub we always go to on Friday nights and then leaving around 10:45 to go to a park nearby to play flashlight tag. They call flashlights torches which took me awhile to catch onto. I was like we are chasing each other with torches? Why does this not sound safe to me and why are none of you worried…?They were like yeah you have to get someone with your torch and I was like get them as in like hit them with it? Haha I was confused but yeah it’s a flashlight! So that should be fun! I can’t believe Wednesday is October! Mom, you and MMJ come so soon!! I actually have a countdown on my wall of the number of days until half term break and each post-it has a number on it up to 20. They get here in 17 and Lisa gets here in 21. Time flies:) so anyways this is long and really has just pointless information in it, I’m sorry. I feel like there was something I needed to put in here and now I can’t remember so I have been rambling and just typing away trying to wait for myself to remember but nothing’s coming to mind.

Oh! Ceri is going to the doctor Wednesday and says she will probably be able to start working again on Thursday but that is doing stuff within the school, probably not going out to lessons and such right away but that is exciting to have her back! She said people have been telling her how great I handled this situation and have been doing a really good job with the teams and such. Made me happy:-) I like to think I’m a good coach! Ha. Hopefully they will learn things from me and continue to use it even after I leave-makes me sad to think about leaving them but it’s only September. Well I think that’s about it right now. I miss you all and will write again soon!

Love love love love,
DP (America, Dani, Dan)
xoxo