Cassidy News

Um... Success

2011-06-05T03:22:00.001-07:00

Funny that a party-book party would make it so necessary to write a blog...

It's 3:23am and our Chick-Fil-A party just officially ended. As an amazing collective, we killed 1000 chicken nuggets. Yeah we did. The service staff even ended up in the pool... fully clothed. We also came very close to taking a helicopter to Vegas, but all the pilots we called were sleeping. I won't mention your name "Cassidy Dad", but it's the thought that counts. Just another Cassidy party, right?

Fun night. Fun people. Thanks so much for coming. Crystal and I had a blast.

Pirate Typing

2011-05-08T02:19:00.001-07:00

So, it's 2:19am. A very tired part of me wants to crawl into bed, letting the braised rib mashed potatoes fill my dreams with pink lighting and children's artwork. Another part of me... the one typing with one eye closed at this very moment... wants to battle through jumping sheep long enough to get through this.

Tonight was... well, amazing. I think Crys and I always knew that as a business, we would be successful. What we never counted on (or could have ever imagined) is the community that you all have built around Cassidy. It's really unbelievable to just sit back and watch. Aside from the fact that someone had the vision for our tastes enough to order fried chicken and waffles as an appetizer, the friendships that we've created with our families literally leaves me speechless. Honestly, I've been trying to write this paragraph for nearly 15 minutes. Listen, I'm not going to lie, it might because I'm currently on the brink of a food coma and my right arm is tingling... and my other eye is starting to shut. With that said, thanks to everyone who could make it tonight. I'm not sure how much we raised, but I'm sure it was a success. I'll post numbers as soon as a few of the parents recover. Again, I can't say this enough, I'm so honored to be a part of this community. It's so much bigger than Crys and me, and we couldn't be more lucky to be involved.

On a sad note, we had to leave the Giving Tree on Pico. It was so beautiful that it wouldn't fit into any of the transport cars we had. I was offered $20 to put it in the turning lane. Luckily the dad who offered wasn't the designated driver. I almost did it, too. Hey, $20 would buy us fruit for a day... not that that particular $20 would have made into the fruit pot.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. I know a few. Other eye shutting completely. Not even sure what I'm typing anymore. This is where my freshman typing class pays off. Goodnight.

Saturday Stuff

2011-05-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, if you haven't figured it out yet, there's a little shindig (not the spazmatronic dance type that's in the urban dictionary) going on this Saturday night. It's our annual fundraiser being held at the Mark for Events. If you can't make it, think about sponsoring a teacher. Tickets are being sold every morning by really cool moms... and Helen (who's still a really cool mom). If you can make it... great, see you there.

There are some great raffle items as well. Students projects and canvases will also be displayed on Saturday with the backdrop of amazing music and dancing and food and adult beverages. Who doesn't like kid's art with alcohol? Not me.

Thanks to everyone who's already donated to the giving tree and/or bought tickets to the event.

On a very cool note, we now have a Weezer signed guitar to display at Cassidy forever and ever and ever. Forever ever, ever ever? Yes, forever ever. We'll also be finally framing the blueprints that I had intended on framing about November of 2009. With that said, if any of you first-yearers (2009-2010 families) are still around and haven't signed that thing, do tell... and then sign it... please... only if you want...

Have a great rest of your week. Hope to see you Saturday.

Off the Top of My Head

2011-04-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

At some point, it just becomes comical right? January 3rd... I mean, really? I feel like we've graduated 4 or 5 classes since then. We've possibly even opened another school in Malibu, branched out into Brazil, had our 10 year reunion, and finally got on Oprah's network since then (we haven't... just sayin'). Part embarrassment, part guilt, and a dash of persuasion has me smack in the middle of Cassidy's latest blog entry. I'm back... for now. No promises... just really really really good intentions.

Off the top of my head (in recap mode catching up the past few months in no particular order), we had a great Messy Art party. I think nearly everyone was covered in paint. For those of you who weren't, first of all shame on you. Secondly, don't wear your new outfit to the next Messy Art Party. We've had several amazing Party Book Parties... one of which just happens to not only be right up my alley, but also a close favorite... The Cigars and Tapas party. Betsy Brown Braun came to talk at our school. Lots of parents showed up... a hundred or so... and hopefully took some ideas away. I saw 127 Hours... super gross. Zac Levi came to our Tangled Party... the kids loved it. We got an iPad app through a rough testing phase finally. Fire extinguishers were inspected. Crystal did a ton to the outside playground. It's actually kinda beautiful. More trees, learning centers, another sandbox, plants, etc. Really proud of that vision. All my idea... not really. I went to the dentist... Mom, I know you're reading this. We just bought a pretty smokin' guitar for Rivers to sign and forever adorn our walls. And I started working with two of our parents on different projects... actually three now. Busy few months.

If you get some time, come check out the yard. No kidding. It's really amazing.

The kids are starting their class projects and class canvases for our benefit on May 7th. Tickets went on sale today. There will probably be a parent here everyday to sell admission tickets and raffle tickets. You can also sponsor a teacher if you want.

I think that's about it for now. Have a great week.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

Heeeeey, Happy New Year. Hope everyone had a good break this year... and last year. Crys and I had quite the adventure. Now, I don't mean to brag, but somehow with thousands of people getting stranded in airports, we ended up with 1st Class seats drinking wine and eating lasagna and chicken with rice... and it was the seats that lay down... alllll the way. Something's looking out for us... and it pays to be nice amongst a barrage of anger. But then we got snowed-in in New Mexico for and extra day. Against probably the better judgment of my mother (who might have had ulterior motives to see me for a few more days), I left in the middle of the frozen night with icy roads and lots of black ice. Even saw a few slippery accidents... luckily not us. A little homage to last year below... although not quite as cold.

This weekend is another last minute Party Book Party. We're having a private showing of Tangled in Culver City. Zachary Levi, the voice of Flynn Ryder, will be attending. Tickets are $25 for you and your child and $65 for any moms coming alone... yes, Zac is apparently very cute. This is closed to the public, so Cassidy families only. You can buy tickets in the office all this week. You must have a ticket to attend... no sneaking and crashing... there will be heavy security with tasers and stuff.

Glad to be back home. Glad to see your faces again soon. More photos to come soon, too.

The Humpty Dance Is Your Chance

2010-11-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

So, I found a full level of our fountain full of sand today... a full level... the second one... crazy. It's like they're out to get me. Maybe give me a cold because there's not nearly as much sand during the warm days. Smart kids we're bringing up. As a matter of fact, I had a Raspberry ask me today what I was doing in his school. The nerve. Then he said, "This is my preschool, not yours." After showing him our business plan and explaining the dynamics of the investor's relationship to our ownership, he still wasn't convinced. He chased me from his room. I'll let him have it... for now.

If you haven't noticed, there are new photos in the hallways. We printed about 100, so your kid may not be in the first run. Rest assured they'll make it before the year is out. Some reeeeeally cute kids this year, too. Have a gander.

The small fountain is located near the outdoor art center now. I would have just set it all up myself, but flat squatting 300 pounds at an awkward Humpty Dance lean using my feet to push just about sent me to back rehab. So worth it to just walk away and let Crys handle it... and she gets a husband who can still stand upright.

Quick note: If you haven't listened (and/or created) the Otis Redding Pandora station, uh, please do so. It's amazing.

Not really liking these short days of sunlight... but I never have. I guess maybe I might when the kids come along. I would imagine the first few weeks they're just tricked into sleeping early. I can see how that might be nice, but in my kidlessness, the days are precious. With that said, there will be some outdoor lights installed soon. Not that you need to be playing at Cassidy in the middle of the night, but just in case you're leaving late some day... or you really need that midnight snack picnic in a sandbox one night.

If anyone wants those tree stumps in the parking lot, let me know. Free for the taking. As a matter of fact, if you have a third world country who would like an outdoor kitchen that has seen the wrath of Cassidy kids, rain, fountain water, and sand... also free for the taking. It lasted about a week... and again... only really suitable for children with no governmental health regulations in place.

Pretty Sweet Saturday Night

2010-11-06T18:59:00.001-07:00

Headed out for some grilled cheese and beer... courtesy of the Cassidy Party Book. Thanks Cassidy Party Book.

Chickens, Lizard Boa, Grilled Cheese, and Diapers

2010-11-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know, I was a chicken this year for Halloween. Pretty funny to watch kids stop in their tracks seeing a big yellow person standing inside the school. Yeah, there was a chicken hat and everything (see below). One of the moms even got a pic of me hard at work, on the phone, and nestled in my computer business. I think her caption on that email was "Cassidy Preschool: We don't cluck around." Nice. Reeeeal nice. Go ahead, make fun of the chicken.

All in all, a very fun day. A friend surprised us... um, dressed like a cat even... and handed out silly bracelets for the kids. Only the big kids... before you get fussy. We did a little costume parade, too. As one-half of the Grand Marshalling, I got carried away dancing and strutting my chicken stuff only to look back and see we had left everyone behind. You'd think these little ones would have some respect for the chicken and walk a little faster down those steps. You'd also think they were just learning steps, but I've got their number.

Yesterday was the Lizard Party... and by lizards, I mean snakes... and by snakes, I mean one huuuuuge Boa. I was invited by the host, and while a truly appreciate the gesture, there will no way in double hockey sticks I go hold a snake. As a matter of fact, my mind is so bent on them that I would swear they're crawling around my feet right now. Yeah, it's that bad. I wouldn't call it a hatred so much as a very passionate physical disturbance. It's just not in my make-up to be friends with anything that can run faster than me with no legs. Both my mom and Crys had one in college... go figure on that one. One of the parents was nice enough to email me this photo with a word of "encouragement" as the subject line. Absolutely not.

Grilled Cheese and Beer Party this weekend. I was informed that for a select few of us, it will be a Grilled Cheese and Beer and Cigar Party. Now that's my kind of party. Although tater-tots would absolutely round it off... comfort food. And I would have to say, if at this moment you're snubbing your nose up to tater-tots, you might be in the wrong school. No, really, pack your bags... no, not really... no, really.

The Food Drive started today. Please start bringing non-perishable items to donate to the food bank. Bins are set up in the hallways right now. We're all pretty lucky, so it's nice to help others in need. The more food we can collect, the better for some family over Thanksgiving. Anything helps. If you're reading this and you don't attend Cassidy, you now know of a place to donate. Just run across the street and pick up a few cans of veggies. I really think we can fill up all 5 bins (although one is just for diapers and stuff)... but the other 4 with food for sure.

If you kept up with my life over the past few months, you might have heard about the car show I did for the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley. Today we did our check presentation for the kids. We raised $3500 for their club. Pretty cool for our first year trying. Just thought I'd share... proud moment.

Happy November.

Back in the Saddle

2010-10-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you know us at all, you know Crystal and I have been pretty busy lately with a certain project. And when I say "Crystal and I", I'm being very generous... pretty much me with tiny slivers of Crystal dolloped here and there. She's been really busy here, so it evens out. I get to be manly and handy and she gets to be... hmmm... Cassidy. Anyway, I'm in the homestretch, so this blog should start getting back to normal again.

A few things to catch up on:

The Raspberries are getting new lights. The Strawberries already got new lights. The Newberries are getting a fountain moved around. The Blueberries are as cute as ever... but they're not getting anything new to my knowledge (they're young, so they probably won't notice). And the Blackberries helped me clean out the little fountain this morning. They learning siphoning. Speaking of, the large fountain was long overdue... like 30-110 pounds worth of sand overdue. That took some doing. Oddly enough, I don't remember much about doing it, but I remember not remembering anything else in life while I did it. That was nice. Very Zen. So, now the fountains are my rock garden. Moving on...

Being back around these little guys has been amazing. A few have latched onto me and most are warming up to the new guy hanging around (me again... don't get scared). I've even joined a few story times and goodbye songs with little ones hanging all over me. This is my job... nuts.

Be back soon.

Zucchini and Such

2010-10-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

I do realize that once a month on here should be grounds for my termination... good thing I know the boss-lady so well. I have a plethora of excuses... ahem, reasons. Most of which revolve around new digs, painting, staining, sanding, hanging, cleaning, priming, etc., etc.

With all of that said, I was able to make it to Cassidy yesterday. Really great to see all of the old faces and some of the new ones. Crys says it's been a really smooth start so far. I settled back into my tickle-monster status within seconds. Even the new kids ran over, all smiles, for some chasing. Really nice to take a break and play for a bit. I love that in a world of grown-up stresses, Cassidy takes it away. Without sounding too mushy, it's nice to have a reset button there. Seeing the smiles and laughter remind me what's really important.

We're getting the small fountain relocated for the toddlers in the small yard soon. I've also been gracefully appointed my old job of cleaning (and by cleaning, I mean taking the sand out) the big fountain again. Given my schedule as of late, the kids are probably just playing in another sandbox that looks a lot like a fountain. We've got some more sand coming soon, too. I really think some of the kids have been taking bags of it home in their pockets.

Crys pulled these out of the garden this week.

Not sure of their fate, but I can vouch for their deliciousness... I had some this summer with a little olive oil and salt.

Happy October.

Safe Than Sorry... Late Than Never

2010-08-27T15:30:00.001-07:00

First off, I've never been able to figure out which is correct in my title. Is it "than" or "then". There are schools-of-thought that go both ways... unless of course the wrong school-of-thought is something I've made up... which isn't beyond belief.

Secondly, something I never addressed at the end of last year. I really can't express how much you all mean to Crystal and me. This past year was so amazing that I'm left speechless when people ask us how it went. It blew our expectations away. There's so much to be grateful for having Cassidy, but even more so having the kind of families we found with you all. Cassidy is so much more than anything Crystal and I could ever own. It has become a feeling to me. It's like my safe haven and I can't thank you all enough for making our first year unbelievable. If this were a handwritten note that I was writing just underneath my eyeball, it would have a few tear-soaked words... just like in 7th grade... or the fake tear-soaked words in 9th grade when you realized in the 7th grade that girls thought it was endearing. Can you say "tangent"?

Crys and I have been probably more busy in the last month than we were throughout the year. We bought a storage barn for the playground and had it installed. They didn't offer the color we wanted, so we painted it ourselves. I guess as long as we're being honest with each other, I painted most of it. We even went so far as to take one of our preschool brushes and paint the spill-over from taking the tape off... super duper attention to detail. It felt weird as we were painting the spill-over focusing on an inch at a time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm pretty sure Crys feels the same way and wasn't doing it because she felt bad for taping it wrong. Nah, it was my taping. She actually fired me.

We also have been doing a little construction inside. The open area above the Raspberry and Blackberry rooms is now closed up. Same with the hallway. Most of the cost of construction was donated by Helen because we all know she's really loud and the kids started complaining about not being able to read their Algebra books when she was giving tours. So, thanks Helen.

A long over due airplane that was sitting in the basement (yes, we have a basement) is now built and ready to adorn the Raspberry rafters. It's a P-51 Mustang just in case some dads are reading this. Speaking of dads, I still want to start the Cassidy Cigar Club on the roof. I can't believe there wasn't one cigar had while over looking the beautiful Cassidy air conditioners. Such a shame. A shame that will be corrected this year.

We're getting shades in the playground next week. They installed the posts... huge, and 6 of them. You have to hand it to the visualizations Crystal gets. Never thought that fence would work... now it's awesome. Didn't like the idea of shades... now I love it. As a matter of fact, I thought we should open Cassidy in the old Sizzler in Burbank... clearly not a great choice. I do still get to run around saying "I told you so" about the ceiling walls we just installed, so I guess we're even. She doesn't read the blog that much, so I've got a good week until her mom tells her to take a look. Relishiiiiiiiiing... now.

Well, the painters just left the building. I guess I should, too... but Crys is sleeping... maybe later then. Glad to be back on here. Looking forward to a great second year.

And Jordan, we're working on a sign... promise.

UPDATE:
Still sitting at Cassidy... coming up on 8pm. Just had turkey meatloaf, greenbeans, and a twice baked potato under the blanket of Gavin Degraw's Pandora station from one of our fold-up tables... bottle of wine intact. Presently going over our new home wish list. Gotta get back to the conversation... just thought I'd share. I'm out (said, hands flailing from Napa cabernet).

Piano Benches and Cameras... and a Cool Photo

2010-06-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed by now, we're doing some pretty cool stuff in the yard. Part of the fundraiser money is going towards new toys, storage, some fencing, outdoor classroom centers, and shades for the playground.

We also just bought new cameras for the classrooms. Apart from not taking the best pics on the Westside, they strangely didn't work after being dropped and dunked in water. I know, right? Anyway, these new guys should do the trick. Blogs, here we come.

For all of you teachers who read this, and I know there are a few, I need to take your photo for the yearbook. You'd think I might just send an email or get up and go tell you, but laziness knows no bounds... plus, I'm already writing this... plus, you SHOULD be reading this, so if you DON'T know about the photos, then...

It is a little strange around here with fewer kids. I think I've probably mentioned that, but it's overly quiet sometimes.

I had to do some surgery on our piano bench. The kind of surgery that attracts the little eyes and prompts those cute "What doing?" questions. Same thing with our brand new toilet tank lid... "What doing?" "Why?" Yes, this is my job.

And check out this gem I found on one of my memory cards... crazy, right? This is standing in the Raspberry room looking into the Blackberry room.

Graduation to the Grown-Up Belt

2010-06-21T11:03:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while it dawns on me that I might need my own blog. I feel like I have so many really really important things to talk about, much of which has nothing to do with Cassidy and thus gets forgotten and/or written about, reviewed, and then erased forever. For instance, the fact that I REALLY need to buy a grown-up belt. I am breaching my mid-thirties and I still have the cloth, 2 ring guy. I think it's time for a buckle and pin. I know, I know... what a shame this wasn't addressed sooner. I only have myself to blame for thinking a few of you might not be interested in my belt. For that, I apologize.

This past Saturday was our very first graduation ceremony. We even had fancy linens and white chairs, Queche and cream-puffs. The kids couldn't have been more cute with their self-made graduation hats. It was really neat to see all of the video and still cameras out... just like mom used to do. Next year, I'm thinking we maybe need Zach Galifianakis for our commencement speech. Maybe Bon Jovi, too. Think big, right?

Afterwards, we headed to a Cassidy grandparents house for what will HAVE to be tradition of pool, pizza, and ice-cream. Not knowing it was a pool party, we didn't come clothingly prepared... so Crys and I did what any self-respecting preschool owners would do. We jumped in with our clothes on. Miss Robyn even joined us... very possibly not on her own terms.

It was a great celebration and a nice way to say goodbye to our little ones. I really can't wait 'til they come back, when they're grown up, to say hey.

Thanks so much to the graduating families for being a part of our first year. Our families really do rock... and I'm not even being all that biased.

Dissertations on The A-Team

2010-06-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

So much to say...

One of our last Party Book Parties is coming up this weekend. Check out the Party Book site for details. Should be a fun party. Some soccer, some wurst, some reisling, some beer.

Our Ice Cream Social is now a FREE event, so those of you who've paid already will be "sponsoring" the event. No, I'm kidding, we'll refund your tickets... if you're nice about it. It'll be our last big blowout party of the year. Kids, bring your parents. It's sometime in July, but we're finalizing the date... no matter what the website says. That website only got through 3rd grade, so it can't be trusted.

Big congrats to our very own Larry Kagan for his new pediatric center. I just went over to check it out... pretty amazing. I'm always a big fan of fellow entrepreneurs, so Larry holds a soft spot.

Our very own Miss Ashlie presented two dissertations regarding the appropriate measures to be taken while watering Tomatoes and whether Watermelon was a fruit or veggie. Very interesting to say the least. Either can be seen in the kitchen. She's also being published in the local edition of Wilshire Science News... granted that's our own paper.

It hit me pretty hard today of what the secondary consequences are to owning a preschool. It's the saying goodbye thing we're going to have to do every year. Today was the last day for a couple of our little berries... and it was very sad to see them go. I guess I'm going to have to get used to it... sad day. They should just stay. Am I being selfish?

Miss Randi got new cabinets today... I hear she's very excited. She's also getting a pretty swank couch on Monday, so you Beginner Berries will be sitting pretty... yup, literally.

Double date night with the A-Team tonight. Have a great weekend.

Four Buggies Worth

2010-06-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of toy shopping as a kid. I have no memories of toy shopping like I did this weekend... 4 heaping buggies full. Crys and I went shopping for the playground and came home with an entire FJ full of stuff. Did you know Tonka is making retro toys like we grew up with? Pretty great.

I'm not sure how it happened, but most of our toys are things that I not only would have played with as a kid, but are even things I would play with now... again, the Tonka trucks, basketball, Tinkertoys, and an arrangement of dinosaurs. So, if you catch me in the sandbox having built a full dirt bike track with a Tonka-Dozer, pay me no mind.

Still have a few auction items at the school. If you haven't gotten yours yet, please do.

Here's my Holler Out to Holloran. We just went to go see Baby Group for the first time. I'm not sure if you can just pop in and go see it, but it's adorable. Donna really is amazing and I'm not just saying that because she like the Colts... maybe a little.

A Day In the Life of a Preschool Owner: Episode 352 - The Bus and the Onion

2010-05-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Mr. Ryan told me today about his classroom sink. It was full of yellow water and backed up nearly to the top. I promptly forgot about it (not on purpose) and kept trying to figure out how in the world we were going to do the class shots. Lucky for me, a parent had a really good lens for my camera, so I climbed up on our really really tall ladder and, after a few minutes of berry wrangling, we got off a few shots. Though much to the dismay of several teachers and Crystal, one Raspberry laid face down for every one of the 53 shots I got... we tried... he was having none of it. Maybe it'll be funny to show his girlfriend when he's 17 and super duper dramatic about his curfew.

So, the day ended and teachers went home. Crys had to remind me about the sink. Oh yeah, I completely forgot. The water was still yellow and still right around the rim... the perfect job for our resident handy-guy. But, let's all be honest... I like fixing things. That's the "man" talking. Anyway, after giving it my plumber's best, still nothing. I got it apart enough to see something was lodged down there. The last time something was lodged, it was a tube of lipstick in a printer... I really couldn't wait to see what treat I was in for. After forking and knifing it for 5 minutes, I saw 2 little lights come on. What? Could it be? Yes, yes it was. The Big Blue Bus... oh, and an onion. Little lessons of life: Don't let kids wash their hands... ever.

Fire Sale

2010-05-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's official... no matter what came out of my hands on here yesterday, the photos were actually hung today. We even have lots to replace the ones you parents take home. If you're a carpool parent, take a day and walk inside.

We're also "fire selling" a lot of the auction items that are still in Helen's office. One mom even overpaid us today because her deal was too good and she felt bad... thanks. Honestly, I don't get the reference. If things were burned in the fire, would you really want them? Am I missing something? I'm just saying it because that's what everyone is calling it. I have no use for a charred coffee table with 3 legs in my house. Is it because it's too hot of a deal? Anyway, feel free to come shopping... Helen's going crazy... well, more crazy.

I'm pretty sure it was that same mom who got us a sponsor for our ice cream social coming up. More info on that as we get closer.

The class photos are tomorrow, so make sure you're here... well, if you want.

On a nice little family note, we're hiring Randi's daughter to help out in the toddler room. Perfect fit.

We're off to the Determined to Succeed panel.

Lost & Found & Outgrown

2010-05-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

Aside from the fact that one of our afternoon Blueberries grew 6 inches in about 4 days, I really haven't been able to tell how much our kids have grown. I was reminded today when I saw a parent shuffling through the Lost and Found. She saw a few things that were her kid's, but said they didn't fit anymore. I nearly didn't believe it and thought she must have been mistaken. I went back and started looking through old photographs of when they first came... uh, she was right. Our little ones have changed so much already. Of course I look at them as my own, so it was a slightly emotional stroll down memory lane. I think my tears damaged the "rrrrrr" key.

I got a chance to sit outside today and was actually commended by Miss Breck for sitting down and not throwing the kids all over the place. These days, the kids call me their "gross motor structure"... I'm paraphrasing. Anyway, I made a few cakes, some flowers, a strawberry muffin, and cookies... all from red play-doh.

REMEMBER - Class Photos are on Wednesday this week. It will be a group shot for the yearbook. Individual shots are just taken all the time and will probably show up in some form of something to let your family purchase... if that's not vague enough for you, just let me know. I have far less words to use.

Hope you had a great weekend. Oh yeah, the photos are starting to go up on the wall already. The donation box is right outside Helen's office. See what happens when you make goals and to-do lists?

Breaking In the Office

2010-05-18T16:47:00.001-07:00

With the good intentions of letting this blog NOT become the next unofficial Weezer page, I plan on an honest attempt at refraining... right after this...

Saw that our dogs were hard at work today fluffing the sandbox for tomorrow. Never knew how it happened... do now. If they could read, I would thank them here. Maybe some extra kibble will do.

Helen's office is still full of online auction stuff, so either you need to go bid on it, or come steal it at night. I can give you my alarm code if you want.

I think we're going to start hanging photos in the hallways from now on, so you all can see (and have) them. That's probably a week away with a combination of planning, being busy, and a smidge of laziness. I would tell you that I'll tell you when they're up, but you'll most likely see them before I remember to blog.

We had lots of stuff (and by stuff I mean alcohol) left over from Saturday. I gave most of it away to teachers, parents, and a few kids that it's just hard to say no to... sweet little faces. I had also given away 48 Diet Cokes while simultaneously explaining how my Dad had horrible arthritis until he stopped drinking Diet Coke. Needless to say, I'm not the best salesman, thus proven by my current ownership of 48 Diet Cokes. I hear they're horrible for you and the gateway drink to Diet Mescaline... anyone interested?

About to have a fundraiser debriefing over a few bottles of wine.

Thanks again to everyone involved who helped make it happen... those of you who made it and those of you who didn't. I really can't explain how amazing this Cassidy family feels.

Thanks

2010-05-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Night: "I'm Rivers from Weezer... and Cassidy."

What a night. What a success. You all really made our first fundraiser a blast. Thanks to the Benefit Committee for organizing everything. Thanks to Leslye and Cindy for bringing it all together... it wouldn't have been half the night without you two. For the first time in a long time, I'm practically speechless. Luckily, I got a chance to stand back from it all and see what's been created... and it looked amazing. Watching you moms dance at the end of the night was fun, too.

The Online Auction is still going on through Friday, so go bidding. Just go to our website and click on Online Auction. There's still lots needing your attention.

A friend of mine sent me a video link yesterday and it made me think of you parents... well, those of you not rocking the SUV's, but the Minivans.

I can't thank you all enough for helping make Saturday night so much fun. Sooooo much pressure for next year. Aside from bringing Jimi Hendricks back from the grave, I'm not really sure how to top it. Start thinking now. And Rivers, if you're reading this, you're still first in line if you want it... thanks again.

Aaaaaaand, we've been playing Weezer all day.

Footballs and Fundraising

2010-05-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the day running around getting booze for you parents today. We must have at least 3 or 4 bottles of wine, so drink up tomorrow night.

Crys and I stayed at the house for most of the day decorating and hanging photos of your little ones. I must say, I love how all of this has turned out. The house is amazing, the donations for our auction are amazing, and the parents helping put it together are amazing. Aside from it being our very first fundraiser, I really think this will be night we'll never forget.

If you've RSVP'd and haven't gotten your tickets yet, they will be at Will Call at the house.

If you're wondering why everyone is talking about the online auction (or maybe you've been playing underneath rocks and haven't heard), it's because it's begun. Go to our website at Cassidy and click on the "Online Auction" button... register... and start shopping. Every little bit helps and the auction is over next week. And for those of you who are bidding on the football, just know that Crystal has taken out a loan against her retirement plan to bid.

See you all tomorrow night.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T12:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you moms (mine included) for helping us grow, learn, and become the people we are today. I guess technically it takes two to make a mommy a mommy, but you ladies for sure had the more difficult task in the end... and we probably love you all even more for it. Happy Mother's Day.

Florida is Pregnant

2010-05-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, did I mention Weezer is playing our benefit? Nuts.

Went to the house today to check out our power needs. Turns out we need lots. Surely enough to annoy the neighbors... unless of course they're front and center at the show. Generator it is.

We also had the idea to get a photographer so none of the parents have to think about it. If any of you all have connections to people who might want to come take photos (and have their own equipment), please let me know.

Our online auction is going live on Monday and will be up a few days after the event. Be sure to go on and check it all out. There's lots of stuff to see... maybe you'll just want something... or a few things.

I had a little boy tell me he loved me today. Yep, melted my heart within seconds. He also went in for a slobbery lip-to-lip kiss... it's the thought that counts, right?

Crys and I just got back in town from a trip to Florida to see friends... all of which are pregnant or have had babies within the year. I don't know if it was Florida or my daddy-brain... I might finally be ready. This is sure to stir up some anxious phone calls from our moms. We'll see... although my mom always said that when she meant no.

May 15th is Sneaking Up

2010-05-05T15:02:00.001-07:00

Our offices are piling up. Our basement storage rooms are getting full. Every day we're getting more and more items for our online auction. Thanks to everyone for going out and getting donations. If you're not aware, Crystal is already talking about breaking the bank bidding on the Troy Polamalu football. Mandana, I might be calling when our phone bill is due next month. I've been doing a little quality control on the electric scooter by riding it up and down the halls. It's fine.

If you haven't gotten your tickets to the Spring Benefit yet... why not? Some of our families are asking about bringing friends... yes, you can. We have lots of space, lots of food, and lots of drinky drinks. The more, the merrier. And if you haven't heard, Weezer is playing our benefit. I'm still in awe. You can buy tickets in the hallway during drop-off or pick-up. Helen also has a few ready to go if you can't find anyone. If you can't make it, some of the parents have made it waaaaay too easy to donate instead.

Thanks again for your support. This has been a great first year so far.

From Mexico Part 2 (technically from the air)

2010-04-09T22:51:00.001-07:00

They say the key to a good tan is to have had a good base to start. I don't know who "they" are, but given the fact that Crystal is 7 different shades of boiled-lobster red, I'm starting to realize the wisdom within it. We spent the 3rd day recovering, screaming at the itchy burn at times, and napping at others. Given our skin’s response to sunlight, it was a great day to go into town.

Even though the hotel concierge told us that she thought we’d be “pretty safe… I guess,” we decided to take the bus. I’m a sucker for the local culture. I’m glad we did. No seemingly homeless man in ratty clothes with a portable boombox would have jumped in our cab and serenaded us. Honestly, Crys and I are still singing the song. That made the bus-trek worth however much change I had in my pocket… for sure.

I’ve always been kind of a business thinker of sorts. I can remember being young telling my mom ideas that I had made up, prefacing them with “I just read somewhere that…” to give them merit. I’ll even go so far as to say I’ve had a few pretty good ideas work out. My business-model-radar had gone off the charts when I saw a 1970’s VW Bug with a windshield sticker that read “The Happy Ant: Tacos and Car Audio.” I mean why not? Mom, I read somewhere…

I noticed that not only is there no helmet law where we were, but there’s not much of any street law at all. I think I saw 2 traffic lights and about 283 kids riding in the back of pickup trucks on a wooden seat. You’d think they’d at least tie down the bench with rope and tape or something… oh wait, I did see that.

We went back into town last night for dinner and haggling. There were really neat street food vendors set-up selling everything from roasted corn to fresh ceviche, shrimp on a stick to fresh crepes. Having had an alien baby trying to crawl through my sunburned belly the first night, I looked, but didn’t eat… and if you know me, you might say that was quite a feat. Great night for walking. Great night for holding hands. Great night for Machine Gun Poker… not really, we only saw four.

Getting away from everything is great. Seeing other cultures and how different we are is what’s most interesting for me, though. It hit me on this trip that, for me, vacation itself is a little overrated. I think I’ve got it pretty good without taking time off. By my measurements of hard work, I’m not even on the scale yet. My brain is good for sitting by a pool for only so long. And honestly, it’s tough to be more relaxed when you live in Southern California. We’re already on vacation… all of the time.

Added bonus to the trip: We got to see one of our families at the airport in Mexico. They're actually on the same plane with us. Glad to be headed back home. See you Monday.

Oh yeah, I need help to find a reason why Cassidy neeeeeeeds an iPad. Any thoughts?

From Mexico Part 1 (maybe)

2010-04-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

Writing a blog does a few things to your personal life... I'm nearly sure this may vary between blog addicts (of which I'm not prepared to admit that I am one just yet). One, I've started talking to myself in blog-speak. I'll even go so far as to edit the arrangement of my words to make them more presentable, before finishing that sentence only I can hear. Two, I've become much more aware of what's interesting (and not) in my life... so much so that me telling you all is sometimes the reason for those experiences. And, let's be honest... that's a little weird. Admittedly, writing the Cassidy blog on my Spring Break isn't the model actions of a business owner who needed a break... but just in case a few of you aren't spread across a beach somewhere warmer than Santa Monica with no computer in sight, you have this.

Crys and I traveled to Mexico yesterday. It was the day after booking this trip that all hell broke loose with the problems in Mexico. If we're both adventurous and young enough to easily throw caution to the wind in hopes that it would have the delicate flying properties of a cannonball, the cab ride from the airport to the hotel was absolutely the Wright Brothers. Having bypassed the time-share cabs and the safety of Federal Property, we landed at the "other" cabs waiting across the bridge... I said we were adventurous. Within seconds of driving, he was on his phone. This is when I had wished to have paid much more attention to Ms. Harris in 6th grade Spanish. We then took a left turn away from the main road and headed up a mountain road. I noticed the cabs going in our direction had Americans, and the ones coming back had no one. Being the consummate filmmaker, I was mentally writing the story of a young American couple vacationing in Mexico, who were robbed of everything by their cab driver and his cohorts. Lucky for us, that didn't happen.

After about 40 minutes of passing hotels with high-voltage fencing and various guard-dog breeds, we arrived at what has got to be one of the nicest places I've seen. We settled in, swam a bit, and then headed into town for some snacks. We're finding that Mexico isn't the most vegetarian-friendly spot on Earth... not even at the grocery.

Crys did a good job finding our Spring Break destination. I specifically razzed her about bring the computer, but I'm glad she did. I do miss being at the school and seeing everyone. And as I mentioned before, I missed this.

Sunsets watched while being 95% submerged in water: 2

Back to vacation.

Papas, PJs, and Pancakes

2010-03-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, today was Papas, PJs, and Pancakes Day. A few dads showed up early, but by the end of the flipping, the kitchen was completely full and coming down the hallway. Thanks for all of your help to make this happen. If I'm being honest, I think the hats made it all worth while... and the PJs. As you might notice, some of the dads must sleep in their work clothes... that has to get itchy.

After about an hour of a syrupy sugar high inside, nearly the whole school (dads included) were playing on the yard. While I did disrupt Randi's group discussion upstairs, getting on the roof to get a shot of our Cassidy family on the playground was too good to pass up.

In '09 Spring Break, Crys and I were looking forward to '10 Spring Break. It meant we'd have the building complete, Cassidy up and running, and have made it through 6ish months of school. Needless to say, we've far exceeded just being open. You all are an amazing group of parents and what we've all created together leaves me speechless. Take a second to think about it. You all were at ground zero with us when Crys just had an idea... crazy.

Thanks again for everything. Have a great Spring Break. See you soon.

Smidgens of Smiles

2010-03-25T22:46:00.000-07:00

Part of my job in the morning, aside from choosing our musical selection of the day (which often times gets overridden by the boss), is to unlock the front gate. I guess my steps were out of order this morning because I was unlocking the gate without the music. I could feel the quiet chatter outside. It seemed as though we were K-Mart on Black Friday and I was about to be run over by people flooding the entrance. It was a mix between that and Willy Wonka unlocking the doors to the factory for the first time in years. All that excitement... and no one was there yet. It was only 8:20. I guess the point is that I felt like Willy Wonka this morning... less the cane... and the cool purple hat.

I keep noticing that our hallway monkeys keep falling out of their tree swing. It wouldn't be so bad, but they're hugging each other so when one falls it looks like the other is pushing them from the swing. I'm not sure that's the best message to be sending the kids, but I'll look into it and get back to you.

Cassius was especially whiney today in the office when he got his tennis ball stuck behind a tree. Now, I'm not the type of dad to just get it for him because I want him to build self-esteem when he figures out how to get it himself. I like to let him be challenged, although I'm not so sure he appreciates it on the same level as I want him to. It's tough when he's got the language of an infant.

I do have a smidgen of social commentary today... bear with me. It's so easy to be nice, so let's all rally together to make more people nicer. I saw WAY too many people walking around with their headsets and lattes, not even paying attention to each other. I must have let about 15 cars into my lane without one single wave "thank you"... no smiles, no nods, no nothing. I stopped for another 3 people crossing the road to let them by... again, nothing. I just don't get it. We're all of the same "people" and I think we should make an effort to warm up a little bit. Lighten up. Make eye contact. Smile. I promise you that you'll feel better, too. Okay, I'm done... with that.

Save the date: May 15th is our annual benefit. More to come later. Go put it in your calendar right now. If when you get to your calendar and there's something else on May 15th, please delete that event and write in the Cassidy Benefit.

If I don't get to this tomorrow, have a great Spring Break. See you in a couple of weeks.

The Cassius Dam

2010-03-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

About halfway through the day today, I decided to go run the dogs in the parking lot. The Strawberries were out and a few climbed up the net to see "the races" between Cassius and Kipi. Cassius won most of the time... mainly because Kipi lost interest real quick... and by default, because of his addiction to tennis balls, Cassius outlasted her and didn't stop. The kids made up cheers for when Cassius got the ball... I guess they don't fancy Kipi too much... sad really.

After the run we headed inside to get some water and call it a day. The Strawberries had been making a pretty wonderful river in the sandbox. It was intricate with turns and dips and carefully placed river banks. A few were pouring water at the start while the rest watched it trickle down to the end. I'm pretty sure Cassius was oblivious to the concentration and passion that was going on because he plopped down right in the middle of it... and even started drinking their river. What have I raised?

1/560th Corn Syrup

2010-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I've ever seen my wife itching to dig in the dirt. I guess I should clarify that there was a request to go buy gardening gloves first, but whatever. Crys stayed outside digging with the PM Blueberries landscaping our stage flowers... well, our stage weeds. Go wifey, go.

There's also been something in the air about superloads of sugar in the kitchen. Maaaaaybe I started it with the donuts we bring in every once in a while, but lately I feel like we broke the sugar bank. Miss Carol was talking about the bread she baked for today. I think she modified the recipe a bit to make the sugar intake a little more love-handle friendly. I personally think the gods of temptation are working overtime on me. I gave up sweets for 4 months just to see if I could do it. Since January 1st... nothing... well, I had an honest slip this past Sunday at the car painting... but pretty good other than that. Anyway, with all of the donuts, cakes, cookies, treats, and bowls of high-fructose corn syrup mixed with peanut butter, wheat, and red dye, I've definitely been tested. What I am learning is that I never really liked sweets too much anyway... although I could bathe in coffee ice cream as an exception.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. The kids in green were very cute... nice job parents. For those of you parents who forgot to dress your kid in green, you might notice a few tiny bruises all over their arms in the days to come... just a heads up... don't worry about it, though... honestly, it's no big deal... plus, when they started to tear up, we knew the grown-ups were pinching too hard, so it worked out. I never knew so many things could be green. Makes me proud to be 1/560th Irish.

PS-Two little purple hand prints remain on our trash bin outside. Fess up little one, fess up.

A Blank Integra

2010-03-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

At our Messy Art Party today, what started off as this...

Became this.

I'm still in awe of how good this idea was. Thanks so much to Deena and Leslye for putting it together. You guys rock.

Some painted the parents... and me.

Some even painted themselves.

Some worked with mind boggling intention...

And a few stayed late to help clean.

This really couldn't have been a more perfect day, with great kids and a nice community of friends. Thank you all so much for coming.

Conversational Subtext

2010-03-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Tough tough day at work today. There was a game of golf that really really needed to be played. I told her no at first, but she kept insisting, so I obliged. I must have been swinging pretty well at the range, because the local golf pro chatted me up and gave me a free lesson. PGA Tour or bust.

The fountain is rearing its ugly head again. I've since pawned off my scrubbing and siphoning responsibilities to the teachers... let's just say it's a work in progress. I've given 3 lessons to scrunchy noses and suspicious eyes so far. The conversational subtext coming back at me is in ALL CAPS with exclamation points... and a little bit dumbfounded.

We're opening our benefit book to include family pages. If you're interested, contact me at jesse@cassidypreschool.com.

Think we're gonna go hit up our old stomping grounds in Encino for dinner tonight. Have a great weekend.

Tussin

2010-03-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay... so, after being hounded by one of our teachers for being a tad complacent in my writing, I've been essentially bullied into returning to my blog. She's a shark.

Cassidy News, huh? Crystal and I made spaghetti for the staff on Monday. I was so tired from the cooking that I had to take Tuesday off. Cooking Note: Bay Leaves make spaghetti sauce taste just like Nana's. I even let it simmer for about 3 hours... felt like Lagasse.

Randi and I are creating a charity group to help kids and families in need. She's so full of great ideas. More to come. Name ideas?

I've gone into full-blast-mode lately with my car show in September. We'll be benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley. If you know of anyone with an old Chevy, send 'em my way.

Helen just wrote a really cute entry on the parent blog about our first 100 days. Go check it out.

I'll be honest with you... there's been some talk of babies around our house lately. I never thought that 170-something kids would get that ball rolling. My mom keeps sending Crystal medical info about women who wait much longer than their 30's to give birth. Crystal's mom just buys us baby Steelers clothes. Either way, we're at least talking about it and I'm not covering my ears and singing anymore.

The Messy Art Party is this Sunday in the Cassidy parking lot. If you haven't bought tickets yet (shame on you), visit the Cassidy Party Book site and sign up. Should be a blast. All of our families for next year are invited, too.

Big thanks to our Benefit Committee for the work they've done so far. I know this is going to be a huge success. Thanks for your passion, your time, and your ideas. Leslye got to thinking so much about it that she pulled her back out... nothing a little Robitussin can't fix. Leslye, if that doesn't work, try WD-40.

Nothing A Little Santa Barbara Can't Fix

2010-02-28T22:50:00.001-08:00

Not that there's anything broken, but the rejuvenation of a coastal drive on Sunday is pretty priceless. Also, I've always kinda thought the journey IS the destination and today we set off with no plans. We drove slow, took in the ocean air with the windows down, and listened to whatever the broken iPod thingy felt like playing. If you haven't tried Summerland Cafe, you really should. It's almost to SB on the PCH. I think I might have sung it's praises during construction when we were up there, but we had another great lunch outside in absolutely perfect weather. There's also a really neat antique shop about a block down. Hmmm... to avoid turning this into some kind of cheesy travel tip guide blog, I'll stop. I'm even starting to hear the steel drums.

Here's to a good week.

The Wilshire Tackle

2010-02-27T01:07:00.000-08:00

Writer's block is a funny thing. It's also something I never thought about until there was that ever-present "block" to be had. I was even losing myself in the theory of finding the light at the end of the tunnel, so much so that I thought writing ABOUT writer's block would present a valid subject to discuss. We'll see how that goes.

As you might have noticed, we put a gate on our front door. Don't worry, it's for the sanitary betterment of our wrap-around front porch. Plus, it gives us about 3 more seconds to tackle the little ones who like to skip across Wilshire during lunch break.

I feel like a lot of families haven't signed our preschool plans. I'm fully willing to admit that some of those families walking around are only in my head, but I still feel like we should have a few more.

If you didn't know, Crystal is speaking on a panel at the Luxe this Thursday night. You can get tickets and more info here. You can find out about Australian Camels here.

Tonight was the Raspberry fundraiser dinner. The food was amazing. Thanks so much to the Leyrer Family for hosting. Super-shamelessly, I really really wanted to take a few doggy bags home... the shrimp pasta was my fave... aside from the chicken and homemade margaritas. Plus, I'm writing this at 2am if that's any indication of the fun that was had.

We have a new member of the family. Her name is Mackenzie. She's a car.

Sorry it took so long, Jordan.

The Heavy Force

2010-02-19T23:21:00.001-08:00

Unless you have this page bookmarked on your browser (which would be kinda neat if you did), you probably clicked on a button that said "Cassidy News". Sadly, and with a pretty substantial amount of dismay, I'm sorry to say I don't really have any. "Why write then?", you ask. Honestly, there's a pretty heavy force on my shoulders begging to be blogged (random or not)... like some sort of motherly obligation to those of you who turn to me to escape your world... if only for a moment... nah, I just feel bad when I don't. And that's probably my own problem.

I do know that our Blueberries painted with their feet today and made a beautiful mess. Given the history of her baking extravaganzas lately, I would assume Miss Breck made some kind of amazing bread, but again, I wasn't there. We did create a new Pandora station... Colin Hay... seems to be okay so far. Apparently, Mr. Ryan's fav. So much so, I was inclined to make him a "mix tape" from my library of Colin Hay-ish artists.

Going to see Shutter Island tomorrow night. Have a great weekend.

The Green Paint Vaccine

2010-02-18T16:11:00.000-08:00

I noticed a strange green foamy layer of water in the fountain yesterday. Given the bright hue (enough to rule out a fun day with algae), I ran through the possibilities in my head, dusted for fingerprints, deduced it harmless, and went about my way. If anything, it was just going to add to whatever vaccine you've given your child, right? Today the fog was lifted... only paint. Don't worry, it's the same paint they eat and stick up their noses.

As you might have noticed, the front "meeting room/library/rainy-day excursion" has been slightly modified to a kennel of sorts... kiddie gate and all. We even have chew marks on the door thanks to Kipi's boredom. She's also been able to rearrange the filing system for the books in her spare time. Thanks Kipi (as if she can read this anymore).

Some of our Party Book parties have been moved around a bit, so be sure to check them out. Keep up with your class blogs, too.

Three's Company On High

2010-02-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Chinese New Year. Time to paint stripes on your back and roar like a Tiger.

I think I've finally decided where to put my office. After being kicked out of every other place for whatever reason, I want to build a "tree house" office in the rafters over the hallway. Just enough for a chair and foot rest... maybe a lamp and big screen plasma... maybe a fireplace... but, nothing special. I'd be completely out of the way. Might have some doing to talk the boss into it, but I think it's genius... admittedly I'm a little biased. So, if you come in one day and I'm perched above the Raspberries watching football (or Three's Company reruns), just wave.

Crys and I had a nice V-Day. We bought new bikes and rode down to Marina Del Rey. Kinda neat seeing things you always miss in the car. Perfect companion, perfect weather, perfect day. I'm sure we'll make it out to a nice dinner soon, but Thai delivery hit the spot.

We're still super active on our benefit coming up. If you have ideas on donation items, bring 'em to the table. If you have connections to food, drinks, lights, and music, bring that, too. Thanks for all of your work so far. We still have a long way to go and it's coming up quick.

Helen's Egg

2010-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided to give our fountain a full bath. After much sand, brushing, and scrubbing, the water is clear again. Update: Not so much anymore (just hours later).

We've had a lot of requests for Cassidy stickers lately. Well, hot off the press, we have 'em. I'm more than happy to help put them on your car... just ask. They're in the office, so just stop by.

The same place that made our stickers made our new parking signs, too. Wouldn't be much of any type of news, but I designed them, sooooooo... it's news.

Both Cassius and Kipi got into Helen's lunch today and ate a hard-boiled egg. Turns out, it was Helen's lunch from Tuesday and she'd been wondering what happened to that egg. So far they're fine. The only evidence was little flakes of brown shell all over the office carpet... and faces that screamed "I just did something bad."

Another playground shot.

Do something sweet for your honey. Have a great weekend.

What Doing?

2010-02-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

Three guesses on what I did today... and the first two don't count.

It was my mother-in-law's (I call her the Battle Ax) last day in town, so we headed to the beach, rented bikes for a while, and played on the pier. Lots of fun.

I created myself a few more projects today at school. I might as well walk around with a tool belt. It's very cute having the kids ask me what I'm doing. Although, at times the conversation is quite circular. "What doing?" "Fixing the door." Why?" "So it'll close all by itself." "What doing?" "Um, fixing the door."... and so on. One little guy threw me off when he asked "Are you making it so it's automatic?" He's 3... and clearly a genius.

Figuring it might make it easier to access, we put a link on our new website to list all of our blogs... I was losing track... we're sooooo 2010. It's at the bottom of the left menu on the homepage. You still need a password for your class. Ask the teachers if you don't have it.

Thinking of doing a "Summer Day" on the playground once it gets warm enough... sprinklers and all... just like when we were kids... unless you were the kid who had the pool. More details to come.

Quasi-Monday Donuts

2010-02-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

I had a project today. Turns out the people who installed the music system kinda directed some of the speakers to the sky. Thing is, not many of our kids sit on the ceiling, so a lot of sound was being wasted. Time to pull the big ladder out and feel like a man for once... drill, screws, hammer, and all. Problem solved. I have brought the music back to the people.

Experimented again today with the music channels. A song came on that inspired an Otis Redding station to be created... man is it good. It must be noted that I sorta have what the doctors call a musical attention deficit disorder (thanks to the iPod) so I'm sure there will be lots of changing to come. The fine line is finding a genre that, for the most part, uses friendly language to convey their point. Kanye didn't make the cut.

We had new water spigots installed today for the playground. After talking to Crys for nearly a half hour about placement, they flubbed anyway. I think they're coming out soon to move it back where it belongs.

Michelle and Mia took the time to do a little gardening out back. It looks amazing. Thanks so much. I can't promise Cassius and Kipi won't eat what is both above and below the ground, but it's very nice right now. Again, thank you.

Kellie, your lunch today was great. You're so thoughtful and amazing for thinking of the teachers like you do. While I must say you keep putting my quasi-Monday donuts to shame, having the teachers realize someone loves them more than me (I know, how is that possible?) is liberating. Maybe they'll start asking you to fix things when they break now.

My eyes are crossing. Goodnight.

4:15 Yawn

2010-02-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

I can say without question, California is where I'm supposed to be. Not that I'm basing my entire thinking on the rest of the country buried in snow... but it does help my case. I think I've said it on here before that I love rain storms. In Georgia, I was reminded of the fact that while I do love the rain, I'm not so fond of it when it's accompanied by 20 degree weather. I do think everyone should live in California, though... I guess so do a lot of other people. Good to get away for a bit... really good to be back. Yawning at 4:15pm PST has never felt better.

One thing I did forget about family in the South is that they always believe you've got to be hungry. My mental downfall is such that I listen and believe right along with them. I'm having to make a concerted effort now to listen to my belly again.

For those of you who are longing to shove the Super Bowl in my face, I'm really okay... one of our parents donated 2 months worth of sports-therapy, so no biggy. On Friday, Dazzling Donna Holleran offered me Super Bowl tickets. Too bad I was traveling. Thanks D.

Our architectural plans that everyone is signing is about to be framed forever. If you haven't signed it, please do.

Today was our first day with the Patsy Cline Pandora station. It slipped up a couple of times, but for the most part was kinda cool.

I really missed you guys.

The Bail Bonds Calendar

2010-02-04T19:32:00.001-08:00

I sit here writing you from my Nana's living room in Atlanta, literally stealing (maybe sharing) the internet with a very unsuspecting neighbor... and so goes the neighborhood.

I came here just to hang out after a rough year for her, but we ended up going to Indiana where my Deeda (code for grandfather) was from. I got to see cousins I hadn't seen since I was 3, and some I didn't know I had. I would have to say one of the coolest things up there was seeing my last name, spelled correctly, on a bail bonds calendar. Well, and Colts stuff everywhere. Aaaaaand a breakfast place that, no kidding, served every plate with about 2 and a half pounds of bacon.

Before the trip, I was the brunt of forceful persuasion by my dad, to go see Biltz graveyards while I was up there. He's kind of a genealogy buff and had traced us back to several families from the early 1800's around Warsaw, Indiana. Again, cool to see my name spelled correctly on something, but I don't get along real well with dead people. I took a photo of the tombstone and emailed it to him with nothing but the subject line saying "proof"... sorry dad.

The trip up and back flew by. I got a chance to talk to my grandmother probably more than I ever have. She's a special lady... opinionated as all get-out, but I'm proud to call her my Nana. We did have a great time together. She's even giving me a few things to put in her room at Cassidy (the Blackberry room). On a side note: In true Georgia fashion and terribly inappropriate for a preschool blog (other than Cassidy's), I'm teaching her how to shoot a shotgun and revolver tomorrow... she's 82.

On the trip she got me into Patsy Cline and I even created a Pandora station for Cassidy. I would liken training a Pandora station to maybe raising a teenage daughter. At first, things are going well with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Hank Williams (the early teens), and then they test their limits with Leann Rimes or Dierks Bentley while sneaking out of the house to kiss a boy. I would get it in line with the thumbs down feature, stop for gas, be gone for maybe 4 minutes, and all hell would have broken loose with Toby Keith. I think I've finally got it ready for the Cassidy playlist now. If you ever come in and hear Brad Paisley, don't judge me.

Leslye, in the past 3 days, I have eaten enough Chick Fil-A to last us both a month.

This week was our new Toddler Queen's first week. She's already getting some great feedback, too. We're really excited to share her with our community and welcome her to the family. She'll be available to autograph your kid starting next week... not really. Unless you want it... which would be kinda awkward.

I'm here for a little bit, but back in LA on Saturday. I miss the kids. See you soon.

Stephen King's Pancakes

2010-01-29T17:05:00.000-08:00

What a week. I would swear it's Tuesday, but I don't swear... on here anyway. I'll see how my memory goes...

The Strawberries made some popcorn... pretty much all week. They were excellent at sharing. For those of you concerned with the nutritional value of our popcorn, we use only the kind injected with all the vitamins and minerals you would expect from Orville. Ms. Robyn even has a popper just like the one my grandparents had when I was about 5.

I got a chance to play a bunch on the playground this week. What's unfortunate is dressing for the Valley chill in the morning and then wearing the same get-up for midday playtime outside.

I was fortunate enough to get a couple of slobbery kisses, a few tight little hugs, and I even made time for what is being referred to as the "tickle monster"... such an easy out with kids.

Last night we had our very first date night here at Cassidy. The teachers had asked all their kids out on a date for dinner and a movie. They all showed up in their pj's and had pizza and wine... no, wait, apple juice. Conveniently, the parents had time for their own date night if they wanted (wink, wink). HUGE success. Over half the school showed up and watched several Stephen King films.

Last night was also the meet-and-greet with our new Toddler teacher, Randi. Again, HUGE success. Ms. Carol will be transitioning into our Blackberry room with Ms. Tanya starting Monday.

Ms. Breck made sourdough pancakes today... from the mother (starter). Ms. Breck has been baking a lot lately and it's all from the mother. She killed her first mother... very sad news, but this one is doing fine so far. You actually have to feed and water it... just like having a kid I guess.

We've had several meetings going on about our benefit in May. Thanks for all of your help so far, parents. I know we're going to be doing a big drive soon for silent auction items, so be thinking of things you can get a hold of. Cindy Knight is our benefit chair and will be sending out emails soon. If you have ideas, you can contact her at cindy@cassidypreschool.com

I won't be here all of next week, so my blogs might be about Atlanta. Have a great weekend. I'm out.

Another Reminder

2010-01-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

There's definitely something to be said for the end of football season. It means a sadness will cloud over us fans again until September. On the bright side (literally), I'll once more venture outside on Sundays. Except for one more. Donna, our Colts are in. Anyone who has extra Super Bowl tix with my name on them sittin' around, please let me know.

Crys and I braved Ikea again for more Toddler stuff. Even went to Cassidy to build everything... on our day off... it's like a magnet.

We just launched our new website on Friday. Go tell it on the mountain. We also posted a Haitian Relief page for those of you who would like to give, but haven't yet. The parents have also decided to put an American Red Cross donation center right outside of the office. While it's hard to think the Cassidy kids will understand what's going on with Haiti, this is a great chance to teach them about giving.

Yet another reminder... come put your John Hancock on our architectural plans.

Jamaica

2010-01-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

Of all the music we've played to date, today was maybe the coolest. I created a Reggae playlist on Pandora and for most of the day, other than running through the rain, I thought I was in Jamaica. Every little thing... is gonna be all right.

The website is coming along. Lucky for me, I have a father-in-law copy-reader in Picksburgh who catches every mistake I make. I have also recently found that Crystal likes to change her mind about design... sometimes just because (I love you). In that, things are ever-changing. Still waiting on a few parents to give their blessing on some of the photos, too. If any of you know what Easter Eggs on a website are, there will be a few eventually.

One of the teachers made pesto pasta with pine nuts today (ha, that's fun to say). Props to Miss Ashlie. I have realized that being from the South has molded me into a love for food that goes beyond basic survival needs. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm an emotional eater, but I usually cry a lot when something tastes good. That doesn't count, does it? It's not like I'm sad.

Catching Up

2010-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

I guess the rain has made my blogging sense fade away. I got whipped into shape this morning by a mom looking for a recent entry. I sheepishly walked away to my computer...

So, I haven't lived in the South for about 9 years now. I can say that, without question, one of the things I miss the most is the rain. It's amusing to hear people complain about. The newscasters talk about "weird" weather, accidents go up ten-fold, and some of the smiles we used to get have turned to panicked faces. Aside from the wet socks and my old car's convertible top leaking, I say we've got it pretty good. Go on a hike in the next week... everything will be flourishing, green, and overgrown.

Just in case you're wondering about the status of my '65 Corvair (and I know most of you are), it's been on the road 3 times now. That's how I know the top leaks... ah, bitter sweet it is.

Please note: If you're reading this... and honestly, now I know you are... you need to come sign our architectural plans hanging across from the office. This includes parents, friends, other schools, nannies, grandparents, etc. I see a lot of only one parent when I know there are two of you for some. We're going to be framing it and hanging it on our walls forever.

Also, we're going to be launching a new website soon... maybe even very soon. You might have even seen it getting here. The idea is to start using photos of our kids on a few of the pages, too... some cute kids out there. Don't worry, we'll ask you first.

We've had a few of the local elementary schools come by this past week. We've been getting some pretty nice compliments, too. Thanks for that.

I'm going to go eat the rest of my turkey sandwich.

Watering Children

2010-01-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

I think Crystal got dogs because she wanted to test me being a dad... I guess it worked out okay because she still talks about it. My point is, I'm not so sure. I would imagine some sort of parallel responsibility comes along with plants. I spent the morning watering and talking to our various trees and flowers for the first time in a while. Given the fact that the majority of our plants are with baby Jesus now... I'm second guessing myself. Aren't you supposed to water kids, too? I will say that the sensory garden is pretty handsome... no thanks to me.

I rode my bike out today on an errand. When I returned, the gate was shut, a police car was in our parking lot with its lights on, Mr. Ryan was comforting a small child in the backseat, Crystal was walking around with a clipboard nodding her head, and my heart sank a little. Turns out they were just visiting the school... crisis evaded. Thanks police people.

I'm really starting to think we need a full-time fountain man. I must have siphoned 30-40 pounds of sand. What's cute is that right behind me a new Blueberry was dumping cups of it right back in. If there are problems to have, these are the ones.

Shrimp, Corn, and Beer

2010-01-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

Went on a nice little hike today with a friend... highly recommended. At the top, you'll be higher than anyone else in the Santa Monica Mountains. There's even a little notebook to sign... fun reading through the entries. Great conversation, great hike, great day.

This is the view from the top. The plan was to drive down to Neptune's Net right after for shrimp, corn-on-the-cob, and a beer. Those plans were attacked by prior dinner plans... but I took a rain check and will be shrimping and cobbing soon.

It'd be fun to get a Cassidy group together to go hiking. Any takers?

We've Graduated

2010-01-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

The old 40's music playing has grown up a bit. I think yesterday was the Dave Matthews Band channel. Today was Led Zeppelin... um, I think it's my new favorite. Every once in a while it feels like we're riding in a green helicopter over Vietnam... in a good way... like right now... Jimi Hendricks and Purple Haze.

Cassius came to school today. He played with a few of the classes outside and even went into a few of the rooms, too. I think he even gave some open mouth kisses out to his favorites... ewwww. Cassius is a dog for those of you with your mouth open.

Right inside the back door we have our architectural plans hanging on the wall across from the office. The idea is to get everyone to sign it and we'll have it framed. This includes everyone who helped make this happen... moms, dads, teachers, grandparents, nannies, friends, friends of friends... basically, anyone who is part of the reason we're here. Sooooo, be sure to sign it.

We just asked Helen to drop an eff-bomb so I could blog about it. All we got was "bologna"... she's getting better.

Biking to Cassidy

2010-01-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to ride my bike to Cassidy. I Googled it... only 14 miles... no big deal. Google didn't tell me about the fire road that was now private property. Google also didn't tell me, or my legs, that it had been awhile since I last biked. After "exploring" the mountains for a few miles, and asking several people for directions, I was back on track. I rolled up to Cassidy just in time for the parent-hosted teacher lunch... honest, I had no idea, but thank you.

The early stages of our benefit are in the making. We're looking at a few venues right now. If you have connections/ideas, please let us know.

The holiday cards keep coming. I love seeing the family pics. Thanks for all of your thoughtful gifts, too.

Going Awry

2010-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

If you happened to call us yesterday, you might have gotten one of those "beep beep beep, you have reached a number that has been disconnected... blah blah blah." Well, let me back up. I got a phone call early this morning from Crystal saying our kitchen sink was overflowing. Ironically, I had just looked under the sink yesterday and knew I didn't have the tools to fix it. After I woke up and realized the phone call wasn't a dream, I headed down. When I walked in, Crys told me the alarm wasn't setting, the internet was down, and our phones were off. I pulled the back of my jeans down a bit, stuck out my belly, and put my head under the sink... turns out I couldn't fix it. After a few phone calls, the phone was up again. Helen ended up fixing the internet... not sure what she did. And I must say, my very own wifey fixed the alarm all by her lonesome. What a day. I've always thought it's better to have things go wrong all at once anyway... so, small blessings.

As I was leaving, I noticed the fountains needed water for our afternoon classes, so I headed back in. Miss Pauline was 2 steps ahead of me. Okay, so maybe I stuck around hoping to be invited to play chase or something... and sure enough I was. After much tickling and chasing, the kids headed in. When I got to my truck, Crys had sent me a text about being a daddy... blast!... she was watching.

Oh yeah, the sink's good too.

Fountain Sake

2010-01-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

I guess it will never cease to amaze me how much these kids learn at Cassidy. I'm not sure which teacher brought this into their curriculum, but the kids tried to make sake over the break... maybe they learned at home. Anyway, the fountain was full of rice that had fermented over our 2 weeks away. Honestly, it wasn't half bad. I found a map that curiously enough was drawn in crayon and looked much like the moonshine trails of East Tennessee. I'm happy we thwarted their plans.

Glad to be back. Glad to be warm again. Glad to see the ocean. Glad to see the little smiling faces and hear the little feet. Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for an amazing 2009 and here's to an even more amazing 2010 (I say as I raise up my glass of fountain sake). Cheers.

Las Vegas... New Mexican Style

2010-01-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to sit here and claim the picture of perfect safety for driving... sooooooo, on the way back from New Mexico I couldn't pass up this pic. Crys was sleeping, and while nestled in my headphones with loud music to keep me awake, I drove with my knee, leaned over to steady my hands, and snapped this shot...

...and then this one.

Found a cool little spot close to Needles with a private beach on the river about 100 yards long. We had to trek through the brush and woods, but ended up on all alone with the pups. Nice little break from a 16 hour drive. Also, the government of California has inadvertently donated some rocks for our fountain. Thanks Arnold.

Picksburgh

2009-12-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is what I woke up to today.

Billy

2009-12-25T22:11:00.000-08:00

Didn't think I'd have much to say today... just a morning filled with prizes, English muffin bread, homemade sausages, and a nutcase amount of super-duper unhealthy snacks... of which I had my fair share.

After all was done, Crys' dad asked us kids to go see one of his friends at an assisted living home. His name's Billy, he's 74 years old, and he's been living with cerebral palsy his whole life. For the past 16 years, Bob (her dad) has been going to visit him there on a regular basis. For the past 6 years, no one from his own family has had contact with him or come to see him. What's amazing is that beneath the body he's trapped in, you can plainly see his mind is fine. You can see the sparkle in his eyes. I can't even begin to express the emotions running through me just being there this morning. He was so glad to have visitors and proud to show us off to the staff. Even though my heart was so sad seeing how he lived, it really did make my week to be there with him... even for a short time.

As we were walking out, nearly everyone (staff and residents) wished us a Merry Christmas with big smiles. You could tell not many new people were ever there. Watching Bob talk to Billy and seeing everyone else who lived there, really put me in a pretty strong check. Family is everything... and by family I mean the people who are most important to us... including our actual families. Personally, I lose track more often that not. Whatever's in front of me is my focus. Today hit me pretty hard, but it's jolting me to find more time for my own family. I'll never be able to get you to feel what I felt today, but I can leave you with this: Cassidy has created a brilliant family of friends in our teachers, our parents, our community, and our kids. Our own families have all rallied around us in support of this new family we're making, too. I guess if there's anything to get from this posting, without sounding too much like one of those inspirational Power Point emails from your forward-happy friend, it's that we should take extra steps to not take each other for granted. You guys mean the world to us... our Cassidy family, our friend family, and our family family... in-laws and all. Go call your mother.

Blogging Just To Blog

2009-12-23T19:54:00.001-08:00

I just checked the traffic on the blog today and saw that (even well into the Winter Break) we have about 50 people following each day. I don't have that many friends, so I'm assuming some parents are checking in. For that, I'm inclined to blog. The problem is I'm only updating our life... not much Cassidy... unless I guess it burns down or is on the national news for some reason... which it isn't.

Had a nice time with my mom and mamaw (that's Southern for grandmother) in New Mexico. Just flew into Pittsburgh last night. Got some last-minute shopping done today for the in-laws and company. By the way, it's really amazing how cheap food is out here. If you didn't know, I'm a big proponent of food in general, so it's nearly like I would have to imagine nirvana might be. There is snow here, too, but nothing too out-of-control.

As you probably might have guessed, Crys is busy working on enrollment stuff. We had to consolidate bags at the airport due to several folders worth of applications... good problems to have I guess.

Until next time.

Happy Break

2009-12-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...

You people staying in LA have it made. It was something like 17 degrees here in New Mexico last night.

Kipi's first snow. Headed off to Pittsburgh next... where it's apparently snowing in measurements of feet.

Have a great break. Happy Holidays from your Cassidy family.

DH... I forgot. 14-0!!

Mexico

2009-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Cassidy Caravan headed off to Mexico yesterday. I'd like to think we had the fun car... others might disagree, but would be hard pressed to prove anything. We had so much fun, one of our teachers was funned out and had to catch a ride with another car... hmmm, wait a minute...

Besides getting stopped at the border for an hour, it was a great trip... and actually even that wasn't all that bad. Some of the teachers are already talking about going down again over a weekend. Saturdays are really good because the kids aren't in school. We'll put the word out when we go. Anyone is welcome to join us... Cassidy families, neighbors, other schools, etc. The more the merrier.

Based on some of the shots from Mexico, a few parents have asked about family photography... simply put, I'd be honored. Just ask.

A Thousand Words

2009-12-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

Dooon't Stop Belieeeeeeeevin'

2009-12-12T02:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight was our Holiday Party for Cassidy. Thanks so much to the Goldbergs, the Wiczyks, and the Davis' for hosting a great night. Much "shop" was talked, but watching you parents mingle and mix was great. Sometimes it's just surreal, looking at what Cassidy has become in such a short time and knowing how much it will mean in the years to come. Simply surreal.

After a few conversations tonight, I do feel the need to clear something up real quick. I know I'm just Crystal's husband, but I swear I have my own identity. Yes, I love football. And yes, indirectly and through some transitive property as it may be, I'm a Steelers fan because I have to be. But, Crys is the Steelers fan. I like the Colts. Just saying.

I did get a chance to talk filmmaking with one of the parents for a while... felt like a soft old lucky shirt I forgot I had (not the parent... just the feeling). I've been out of the filmmaking mix for so long, I think I forgot how much I missed it. Maybe I'll get back in the swing soon.

Toward the end of the night most people had left and DJ Goldberg spun some Journey (much to the dismay of Lady Goldberg)... to which all the guys sung in their flat cheese-rock pitch while the ladies just laughed. Whittled down to just 8, including the bartenders, our very own Helen started breakdancing to the likes of The Police, Weezer, and Ben Folds. You know what? I did get some video, and while I'm inclined to share, I feel that protecting her reputation as a non-breakdancing Assistant Director is in the best interest of the school. Granted, I might change my mind.

Tonight was a lot of fun. It makes me proud to see the community we've all become. Thanks so much for being a part of our first year. You guys mean the world to us.

Also, also... We will be leaving on Tuesday for the orphanage in TJ. If you haven't had a chance to donate a toy or two, please do on Monday. We have a few cars we can fill up.

Is there caffeine in summer sausage? It's 3am and I'm wired.

First Perk

2009-12-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

Admittedly so, this isn't the most school-worthy blog of events, but couldn't go without mentioning. Yesterday a parent asked me if I was a hockey fan. She and her husband had 3 tickets to the Kings and couldn't go. I'd never been to a Kings game and thought it might be a fun experience. Little did I know HOW much fun. The tickets were on the glass right behind the goal. I could see their eyelashes. Crys and I have never been that close to any professional sport and it was amazing. Our parking pass even got us right up to the door with valet. If that's how the other half lives, I'm hooked. Thanks again for the tickets. You made our night.

Our Holiday Toy Drive is chugging along. The kitchen area we set aside is filling up... but there's plenty more room. Some of you parents have decided to join us on our trip to Mexico and I couldn't be more excited. It'll be a blast down there. I can't wait to see their eyes sparkle. Also, we're accepting toy donations from our local community as well... spread the word... we'll have lots of cars, so lots of space for toys. Please remember, toys should be new, unwrapped, durable, and not require batteries. The ages range from newborn to 17. Thanks again for helping out.

I started writing a blog on Dec. 3rd called Catching Candy that never made it. Partly because it started to be a novel in length, and partly because I couldn't find a good way to get across what I wanted to say. It literally was the bane of my week dancing around the holiday eggshells... which I've never been good at... holiday or any other myriad eggshells. The gist? Crystal and I want Cassidy to be a safe place of love and warmth for our families and kids. There is so much to honor and learn from all of our heritages and cultures without battling over God (or lack thereof). We both love the holidays and love what it means to us. And honestly, that's all that matters.

12-0DH!

Muddy Trampoline

2009-12-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

We had our very first teacher lunch today provided by one of the parents. Nice little spread. Thanks for doing that.

I was on Handy-Man duty today... screens, bulbs, fountains (may very well be the death of me), computers, printers, record player, sink... all with my shirt off.

I had a bunch of help today with the fountains. I think the little minds were fascinated watching the sand be sucked up through the tube. Reminded me of watching my Papaw cleaning his fish tank when I was a kid. I learned today that when we clean the fountains, the water overflow flows North... literally. I had been wondering why our parking lot wasn't a kiddie pool yet. Turns out the water ends up creating a pretty big puddle right next to the fountain. Little Joey and Griffin noticed... unbeknownst to me... and acted as if it were their own personal trampoline. My instinct was to keep them dry, but as I looked around at what I had created, I saw a much more qualified take... Ryan was smiling. He suggested they roll up their pants and helped them do it... maybe just a formality because they were soaked from the waist down. It made my day to see them laughing that hard spraying sand/water/mud everywhere. Either way, I'm honored to have teachers like him.

Oh yeah... in adding to the good fortune and random charm that's been following us around in starting Cassidy... the remote that works on the gate at school also works at our apartment complex.

11-0DH!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Our good friends from Florida flew in for Thanksgiving this week. It was so nice having them here. They used to live right below us and seeing them again, it's nearly like they never left. Plus, company is always a great excuse to eat out at nicer restaurants.

I didn't think I'd write over the holiday, but the whole point of the holiday was begging for an entry. Here goes. Thanks to the Cassidy building owners for taking a chance on us when we sat down 2 years ago with stars in our eyes. Thanks to our investor for having the confidence to bankroll Cassidy without ever seeing much more than a hopeful budget. Thanks to Brentwood for pushing Crystal to become an amazing school psych. and standing behind her while we started Cassidy. Thanks to all of you private and public schools who opened your doors in the early days... and thanks for your good words and support now. Thanks to all of you early childhood education professionals for your continuing advice through researching and creating Cassidy. Thanks to our contractor who fought tooth and nail with inspectors and the city to keep us on track for a September opening. Thanks to all of you vendors who worked day and night, weekdays and weekends to finish on time. Thanks to the City of Santa Monica (most of you) for your encouragement and speedy plan-check process. Thanks to our architect for his patience while we figured out how to build what we wanted... yes, there might have been a few changes. Strangely enough, thanks to all of you people who didn't believe in us. You only made us better, stronger, and more aware of our goals. Thanks to our teachers (some of which left other stable teaching jobs) for having the confidence in Crystal and our program from the get-go. Thanks to our friends who helped stuff promotional folders over wine back in January. Thanks to our family, who without question (well, there were a few) jumped on the Cassidy Train. Thanks for your love and support way back from the beginning.

Finally, thank you to all of you parents who trusted in the concept of Cassidy enough to enroll without ever seeing the building, much less meeting the teachers. You guys are an integral part of what is making all of this a success. When Crystal first had the idea of Cassidy, we never really anticipated how quickly it would snowball. It's so amazing to hear how people hear about us and how confident you all are with the school. It's been a labor of love for both of us and we couldn't be more proud to have the families we have. Here's to a great 2009. Thank you so much.

Mandolins On Fire

2009-11-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

Apparently some fire trucks came by the other day. Sorry I missed it. I heard the eyes and ears were full of information and a good day was had. Thanks to the local fire station for coming out.

Today was a fun day. Our good friend Nick came by and played Mandolin for all the kids during play time outside. It was neat seeing some of the kids gravitate toward him. Some danced, some sang, and some couldn't have cared less. It was a great touch to the day. Kinda thinking about hiring him to just hang out and play music the whole time.

A few days ago, one of our little ones came into the office with a suggestion. He wanted to have a pajama day where everyone would come to school, including the teachers, in their sleepies. Today was the day and it was amazing. Thanks Ryder.

The Strawberries had a potluck feast of turkey and fixins. I snuck in a few bites of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great weekend. Be gluttonous.

Green Thumbs

2009-11-19T22:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a few of the Blueberry moms, we now have 2 flower beds outside. Well, I guess we always had the beds, but no green thumbs (or time) to do anything about it. Now they're stocked with colorful flowers, herbs, and smell goodies. Thanks so much for doing that.

I found out today that we're going to need fountain maintenance a few more times than first thought... like maybe even once a day. After much siphoning again, we're back to barely cloudy water... which is much nicer than I-can't-see-my-toys-below-the-surface water. I've pretty much given up on the shot of having a sparkly blue oasis.

I'm pretty sure "Cashy" is coming to school tomorrow. I'll be at home finally rebuilding my engine... which I'm imagining will trump date night... sorry Crys.

Cassius and the Korean Couch

2009-11-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Cassius is becoming quite the staple at Cassidy. If you haven't actually met him, you might be hearing his name at home. It's cute when this kids are asking for him, or making Ms. Crystal promise to bring him the next day. She's even gotten the suggestion to write herself a note and check it before bed and first thing in the morning so she doesn't forget.

Under the new label of "learning opportunity," the fountains made it through the day. We also moved what the kids call a bucket of dirt (known to adults as a potted plant) away from the small fountain. I think that helped.

I made it to the El Faro fundraiser tonight in Koreatown... and had authentic Korean BBQ for the first time... amazing. Hardly any English on the menu or spoken, so we pretty much said "whatever is good." I think it might be my new favorite.

This weekend, Crys and I ordered a new couch with two very scary words included... "custom made." So, 7 hours later we (and by we I mean she) had chosen the perfect color, the perfect fabric, the perfect frame, and the perfect pillows. This morning I got a call that our fabric had been discontinued... the only one out of at least 1700 swatches. So, tonight Crys spent another 7 hours picking out the second most perfect color/fabric/frame/pillow combination. I might just do a special 3-part blog on this couch when it's done.

Keep filling up the Food Drive bins. Keep checking out the Party Book website.

9-0DH!

Life Truths

2009-11-14T21:49:00.000-08:00

There are a few key lessons in life... Treat others with respect. Learn to accept the things you can't control. You can't make someone love you. Do or do not, there is no try. The freezer deserves a light, too. The Jamocha shake at Arby's is untouchable. Etc, etc. Dare I introduce another? Never underestimate the imagination and tenacity of a 3 year old. My granddad used to say I could break anything with a couple of cotton balls. Within hours on Friday, the "imaginations" broke both fountains in the playground. We've decided to now make them "learning opportunities." You know what though? Now I know how to disassemble and repair a fountain pump... and it's been years since I've siphoned anything. Gas... I think I stole gas one time back in my teens... to make my teacher think his new truck had horrible gas mileage. Plus, how could you ever be mad at these kids? I actually respect the junior engineers for pushing the limits... just like I did.

Thanksgiving is coming up... sooner than you think. Our Food Drive barrels are hungry, too. If you haven't donated, take 20 minutes across the street at Whole Foods. Every little bit helps. This weekend, my car club had a Food Drive for the MEND Food Bank in the Valley. We collected nearly 2000 pounds of food in 5 hours. Surely Cassidy can fill up 4 barrels... aaaaaand, I have a side bet with my car club buddy. Toddler families, feel free to jump in the party, too.

If you don't have anything to do Monday night, there's a swanky little fundraiser for El Faro (the orphanage we're helping this "Christmas"... again, feel free to insert your holiday and/or PC word between the quotes).

Proverbial Horn

2009-11-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Well, the fountains are in. I left today to run errands and came back to find them fully installed and running. I got a quick mental flash of the kids completely draining them within 17 seconds. Hey, don't underestimate the creative minds that we ourselves have molded. They've figured out how to transfer nearly 70 pounds of sand to the opposite side of the playground with only tiny little buckets. Egyptian pyramids all make sense now... probably built by 2-5 year olds.

I took my camera today and got some really sweet shots... and by sweet I don't mean cool or good... although without shamelessly patting my own back, and indirectly tooting my own proverbial horn, they were both sweet and good.

Had a little run in with some Cassidy electronics today. Although my logic assures me no good comes from verbal or physical abuse to said electronic device, my laptop nearly ended up in the Food Drive bin... forcefully. Thanks to Apple support, a few deep breaths, and a very snide albeit distracting hug from a little Blueberry, all is well. Honestly, there's not much that compares to a 2 year old hug... runny nose and all.

Parents, the Party Book site is up and running. We've been getting some really good feedback and ticket sales are pretty amazing for only being the first couple of days. If you haven't checked it out yet, please do.

Also, there's a new link on the bottom of the Cassidy homepage for the Parent Blog. It's full of information about what's actually going on... much unlike this blog which is slowly becoming my therapy. If you're not a Cassidy parent, do your best to never ever ever ever ever click on this link.

Brush With the Law

2009-11-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

It's a shame we only put aside one day to give thanks to the Veterans. I read a story a while back about the "silent thank you" (sign language) people had been giving others in uniform. I think about it every time I see someone in uniform, but especially today. Whatever your take on politics, government, or the military, not much is greater than a single individual giving up their life fighting for this country. It's easy to dismiss when Veteran's Day comes and goes like any other, but take a second to think about it... it's so much more.

We got the fountains today... well, we got inspired as I mentioned we might, and bought two. They're delivering them tomorrow after school, so the kids will have some cool water-play on Friday.

We had plans to head off to Ontario right after, but were caught up by Crystal's itch for a new couch. Luckily so, because while in one of the stores, we got a call from ADT... the burglar alarm was going off at Cassidy. Ended up being some hanging art in the Raspberry room... ahem. Just when you thought you'd get a day off from work, fate pulls your pigtails. Pretty cool, though. I got to hear one officer call for back up to "sweep" the building. Swept and safe. They made us stay outside for the search. When they were done, they came out smiling and complimenting everything saying how they wished they had something like Cassidy as a kid. It's like they came back out different people... come on, how great is that?

Fountain of Youths

2009-11-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend Crys and I found a water fountain shop in the Valley. We had found (and visited) a few places on the trusty iPhones, but this one came up claiming to be "worth the drive"... all the way out in Reseda. On a side note, I think we as Los Angelesians have lost track of distance due to traffic. Think about it. We don't speak in miles like the rest of the country. We speak in minutes.

Anyway, we found this shop in Reseda that seemed pretty unassuming driving by. It was slated as the largest supply of fountains in Southern California... I might be paraphrasing. We parked around the block and headed in. Within 2 steps of entering, our ears were filled with what could be mistaken as Niagara Falls... or a really heavy rain storm. I wanted to take a nap right in the middle of the floor. There had to be thousands (probably not) of them. We had hit the jackpot. Sure enough, we found one that's gonna be perfect in the Cassidy playground right next to the sandbox. We're going tomorrow (Happy Veteran's Day) to buy it. Should be on site within a week or so... I must say, a much needed addition to the yard, because kids have been filling up their water pails with the drinking water. We might even get all inspired and grab two.

Hey Mama, I'm On TV

2009-11-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

All ramped up for firetrucks today... turns out there was a fire... and not at Cassidy. Luckily no one told the kids a firetruck was coming. Soon enough, soon enough.

Our Party Book site went live today with the help of a few amazing moms and their input. Cassidy families, you'll be getting an email soon regarding the new website and parties.

I totally forgot to mention that we were on the news a couple of weeks back. Guerrilla Gardening came to our school and taught a few of the Strawberries how to plant and water around in our flowerbeds. ABC's local news channel was along for the ride. You can see the video here. Pretty neato... yeah, I said it.

We're doing a Thanksgiving Food Drive right now to support a local food bank. Even if you're not with Cassidy, we'd be more than happy to take your donations. If you're a Cassidy parent, the bins are right outside each classroom. It's the usual items... canned stuff, beans, rice, gift cards for turkeys, etc.

We're also throwing around the idea of doing a toy/clothes drive for Christmas (or whatever PC name going around these days) to benefit El Faro, an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. More info to come as we figure out things. It might very well end up being a big Cassidy group going down to deliver the goods. We'll see.

Our new afternoon class started today. I think we must have some of the cutest kids in LA.

DH8-0

No Itchy Legs

2009-11-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

Cassius came to school today and played with the Strawberries. Strawberry parents, check your blog... some cute pics. I played the evil character in their movie who stole cake. There was lots of "cake" to steal... lots of running around... lots of out-of-breath Jesse. Having to come in to work on the website may very well have saved my life. It does mark the first time I've rolled around on our fake grass. I must say, it was kinda nice... no itchy legs either. Kipi didn't make the cut today... she needed to run around at doggy-daycare. Maybe next time.

Quite the dilemma tonight... Lakers or a movie. I think a quiet dinner and a movie might win... even with the persistent lobbying on my part for sports. The Lakers might be a personal-time-for-Jesse thing. How dare they play on our date night.

Have a great weekend.

DH

2009-11-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a pretty great night. We had our Grand Opening and invited all the local schools, preschools, businesses, education professionals, and friends. The place was packed out. Whole Foods was so great donating all of the food and snacks, too. A few of the moms and dads were the ones who made it all happen, though. Also, thanks to everyone for all of the good words about Cassidy, our building, and program. We really appreciate your support and look forward to getting more and more involved in the community.

With the growing popularity of this blog (upwards of several million people per month reading), I'm starting to get offered movie deals and television appearances across the country. I must say, in the best interests of the kids, I've declined. One request made sense to me, though. I got it tonight. She just wanted a simple shout-out... or is it shot-out? Just her initials, or our team's season record, or "hey". I'm gonna do it one step further. Donna, you are amazing. This lady runs Baby Group here in LA. Besides being a die-hard Colts fan (and being cool enough to bring me a Super Bowl fanny pad), she's ended up being an amazing friend to both Crystal and me through building Cassidy. Donna, you're one of the brightest bulbs in the scoreboard (and although you're genius, by brightest I mean inspiring and by scoreboard I mean... well, you get it). Thanks for your words, your time, your energy, and your advice. 7-0 DH!

I got a chance to meet some really dedicated people tonight. As someone on the outside of education, it's really warming to see how many of you live for these kids. They've never had it so lucky.

Thanks again to everyone for a great night.

Dogs Who Keep Kids As Confidants

2009-11-03T21:19:00.001-08:00

So, I've been working on a scale model of the Cassidy playground for a while now. Thought I'd take a photo and share. Snicker, snicker.

Tomorrow is finally our official official Grand Opening. We're expecting well over 40,000 people and have wine to prove it. Thanks to all you parents helping to get it organized and handled. We couldn't have done it without you. Whole Foods is also pitching in with cheese and olives, too. I'd be curious to see their quarterly reports since we started construction.

The dogs spent the day today at Cassidy. It's amazing watching how they interact with the kids and how many of the kids "relate" to them. Plus, it's cute to hear a 3 year old say "Cassius."

Our outdoor electrical stuff is done. I worked on getting the outside lights going today. I felt a little like Clark Griswold with the twinkle lights... all but a random 3 feet work. Ideas are welcomed.

On a side note, my Corvair engine parts are in and I'll be rebuilding next week... yeeeeeeeees.

Muddy Buddies

2009-11-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Look what your director did this weekend. Little bit of running. Little bit of biking. Lotta bit of mudding.

Cassidy Halloween

2009-10-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

Seeing preschoolers in costumes is right on par with warm milk, a sweet little bedtime story, or watching dogs play with bubbles. My cheeks hurt from grinning all day.

Sadly, as I was taking a few photos, their faces were a bit off. I guess it was in part due to me being dressed as Raggedy Andy (soon realizing that not one of these kids knows who Raggedy Andy is... thus, I was just a strange clownish guy) with bright red yarn-hair. Their faces were more of puzzlement than entertained. Noted. Stay current.

Your director was even dressed up as Raggedy Anne, the teachers surprised Crystal with Steelers uniforms, and the puppies, against their will and dignity, were honey bees.

All the kids did what we at Cassidy like to call a Halloween "parade." If you don't know what a "parade" is, it's when you open the playground door and all the kids run to their parents. I'm thinking we might call it a Halloween Gathering next year.

Wednesday night is our Grand Opening to the public. Spread the word.

Happy Halloween.

Club Cassidy

2009-10-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

I brought what I would hope to be our last piece of furniture in the building today. It used to be our TV stand in the bedroom, but has been cleverly converted into a toilet paper stocking/supply center located in the men's bathroom.

Check this out. We walked down to El Cholo to have dinner tonight and were greeted by a lady giving out tickets for teachers and educators. The tickets were for free dinners! Note: I never use exclamation points, so you can tell what excites me. Pretty great to be surrounded by the ones who mold the little minds of our community.

Our electric gate is almost done. He's running some outlets outside as well for our fountain and twinkle lights. That'll be nice for parties and for when we turn Cassidy into a night club... starting early December.

Crys and I came back and played the piano together. Pretty special moment for me... kinda full circle. Nothing but Chopsticks and the knuckle-roll black-keys song, but nevertheless special. Stacey was playing today and it filled the halls. I love live instruments... especially when played by people who know what they're doing.

Tuned

2009-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

The piano is now successfully tuned. It's really neat having my old family piano in Cassidy. I sat down with it tonight and just played around. The tuner said it was 70 cents off standard tuning... whatever that means. I stood around and watched as he brought her back to life. I think neat is the wrong word. Proud maybe. I remember playing this thing when I was in 4th grade. I never took lessons, but was always interested in playing... maybe now I'll take some. It still trips me out that I have it. I guess I'm a grown up now.

Thanks again to all the parents who are planning our Grand Opening on the 4th. Sounds like things are coming together nicely.

I've been reading the classroom blogs a bit, too. Nice job everyone.

If you're a new parent looking to join Cassidy, we are now accepting applications for our afternoon classes beginning in November... plus, you've been reading this blog too much to not be enrolled... a little weird don't you think?

Learning Life

2009-10-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to you parents who donated to the Pumpkin Patch. We just got another truck-load of them today. If you haven't gotten a chance to pick out a pumpkin, please do so. The donation bucket is on the table right outside the office.

I had a chance to be there this morning to see all the little ones show up for class. It's funny watching them discover and interact with each other. Just little people learning life.

I said hello to a boy today and used his name. He stopped everything he was doing and asked, "How did you know my name?" I told him my name and that I worked at Cassidy, but behind the scenes where not everyone sees me. He said, "Oh" and went on his way in the sandbox. Later, as he and his mom were walking out, he gave me a cool little swagger and pointed to me saying, "See ya later Jesse". Yep, I've got a new friend.

Tuned Like a Crazy Person

2009-10-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

I did a little more painting, scraping, and throwing chairs against the barn doors today. I even took a mason jar top to it. The little spots of red paint add a much needed element of character and dimension to the piece.

We booked a piano tuner today because no one ran to me in slow motion offering their services... oh well. He's coming in on Friday. I've heard piano tuning is very annoying, so if anyone wants to hear a 2 hour service in flat flat, please stop by. I think the last time it was tuned is when I was 12. I also know my mom reads this blog and will likely contest my facts. Stacey played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star today and it sounded a lot like Benny and the Jets. Being from 1921, it's chances of ever being tuned standard are slim. It will be tuned with itself, as the tuner told me over the phone, just like a crazy person.

We got our pumpkins today from Trader Joe's. Pauline and Marcy painted a sign for the pumpkin patch outside. Here's what happened. I was thinking of a farmer-style, side-of-the-road, messy-brush-painted sign. They pretty much Bedazzled it... fancy fonts, glitter, jewels, light bulbs, crazy straws, pipe cleaner, and gold leaf trim. Just what I was thinking. The pumpkins are available to families for a donation of $7000 each... nah, just playing... $3000. The donation bucket is right outside the office. Limit 2 per family... for now anyway.

The Strawberries got to play with Cassius and Kipi on the playground today. They learned... well, kinda... a few commands. Stop. Sit. Run. The stop and sit part doesn't translate the same when they're all running around... I mean the kids.

Enjoyed another sunset dinner on the playground. I think I've killed taco salads from Whole Foods.

Peas out.

Messy Doormat

2009-10-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'll have you know, I'm not nearly the sucker-emotional guy I might come off as... facetiousness as it were. With that said, tonight I heard, for the first time, one of our little guys say "Cassidy". Mommy said, "Where are we going tomorrow?" He said, "Going to Cassidy." My heart melted right there on her doormat. I hadn't heard any of the kids say our name yet and the past 2 years of working on this school flashed in front of my eyes. I mean, it's not like I barely teared up or anything... geez.

I did join a parent committee meeting tonight. Some parties were planned, some cookies were had. Lots of good ideas and lots of good input. I think we're on a great track for getting the parents involved in not only Cassidy, but our community as well. Speaking of, one of our moms got Trader Joe's to donate 100 pumpkins to the Cassidy Pumpkin Patch. Leslye, I know you're reading this, so I'll address you personally. Leslye, you rock... I don't care what Helen thinks about you.

I did catch a video of our elusive director on her way to a classroom meeting. Personally, I think she should lighten up and maybe enjoy the job a bit more... but that's just me... and of course I'm biased.

Art

2009-10-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

Another fairly large day yesterday. THE PIANO IS HERE! The barn doors are in!

The piano: As many of you have read early on in this blog, I had been wanting a piano for Cassidy since the beginning. After putting some feelers out, my mom read the blog and offered our family piano. My great-grandfather bought it new in 1921. It's changed family-hands a few times down the line, been refinished a few times, tuned once or twice, restored when I was a kid, and has finally made it's way to Cassidy... for what I would imagine will be it's final resting place... assuming my grandchildren don't hate the idea of owning a preschool. It's so out of tune... (fill in your quirky one liner). If any of you tune pianos, now's the time to run to me in slow motion while Chariots of Fire plays in the background.

The barn doors: After weeks of planning and building, they were finally installed yesterday. Crystal and I stayed late doing some touch-up painting... and scraping. I love that "art" is whatever you want. I would paint a bit, then take a butter knife and scrape a bit, then stain a bit, and at one point, took a stool and banged it against the door... art.

Crystal and I are doing Muddy Buddy this year. If anyone wants to join us as a Co-Ed team, sign up. Come on, do it for the kids.

Sunset Dinner

2009-10-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

First off. Good Lord.

Today was our day to "interview" the dogs at a new daycare. Yes, interview. They did good. The Strawberries got to meet Cassius and Kipi later today, too... very cute.

We finalized everything graphics-wise for our Grand Opening on November 4th. The emails started flowing. Pretty neat seeing how many people are interested in coming to see our school. Even better to find out how many people already knew about us. Like wildfire.

You'll be happy to know that we met with our fence guy today about putting up a privacy screen around the playground. That should be going up soon.

For dinner, Crys and I got Whole Foods. Walking back, I suggested we sit outside on the playground. We sat at the little tables and had a nice sunset dinner while the dogs played in the yard. They can both go down the slide now. Right now, as you can see from the photo, they're worn out from a long day at work.

We do sleep at home... I promise.

Spider-Bots

2009-10-13T23:38:00.001-07:00

If you type "Cassidy" into Google, the first option comes up as Cassidy Preschool... pretty neat. Maybe it's just an anomaly with my computer being infested with Cassidy stuff, but none the less, it was worth waking up the wife to tell her.

The in-laws have been in town for a few days, fresh off a cruise from Mexico. They leave tomorrow. Luckily, they love working on Cassidy, so some finances were done, some cabinets were drilled, some latches were installed, some toilets were fiddled with, some new furniture was assembled, some shelves were clicked in, a few cinnamon buns were had, etc.

We finally broke down and bought drawer pulls for the kitchen cabinets. It wasn't like we were thinking about doing without, but much more of a "Hey wifey, we still don't have drawer pulls and I'm sure as hell not picking them out." To which the boss replied, "Too bad. Pick some." Thus, brand new knobs. I think I did alright.

We got the lower parking lot fence installed today as well. Soon enough we'll be able to open up the playground and have all the dads cooking pancakes in their pajamas.

The parent committees are coming along well I hear. Thank you parents. There's a pretty huge surprise for our benefit... details to come, but I promise you'll be like "whaaaaaaat?"

I did overhear Crystal talking about not being afraid to be shameless to any parent about any and all connections to the Steelers. I think she just found out one of you has a sister who knows blah blah blah with the Steelers. So, I'm being shameless for her. I think I owe her cotton for our 2nd anniversary, right? Any Steeler cotton out there with Hines Ward's tears on it?

The Metaphor

2009-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

First off, Tuesday night was a blast. We had our Back To School Night at Cassidy and parents came to learn more about their teachers, the classrooms, and got a chance to see what's in store for the year. The best part about the entire night (well, besides my friend bringing me Chik-Fil-A from Irvine) was seeing how seriously everyone was taking the classroom projects. It's fun to watch completely grown up people with Elmer's Glue, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, and construction paper. The kids loved their little surprises the next day.

Today was our final final final inspection from Santa Monica and it went well. We had to wait because they threw an ADA sink at us in the 11th hour... boy is it a beauty. Not so much because the actual sink is all that beautiful (it's simply stainless steel with a chrome faucet... much like in your grandfathers basement next to the gin), but the metaphor of the sink... ah yes, there it is. Finality. Inspectionous Overous. No more Tum Ta Tum Tum Tuuuuums.

Yesterday I hung some cool little carpet rugs from the ceiling to scare off the sounds that bounce down our hallway. Parents, if you're reading this... shhhhhhhhh... preschool in session. We'll see what silence they bring.

There is a 4th plane in my car just waiting to be assembled and hung in the Raspberry room. I guess if you're not going to Cassidy, you have no idea what that means... hmmm, all the more reason to be going to Cassidy. You're reading this blog. You know you wanna.

We finally got our cameras for each classroom (no, not the ones where you guys can watch your children online). You may be saying to yourself, "Self, I wonder why it took so long for Cassidy to get their cameras." Well, just know it was ALL my fault. I like deals so I waited and waited and none were to be had. I broke down.

Thanks for all of your good words with Cassidy. It's so great to know what we've worked so hard to get open is now providing happiness for not only the kids, but the families, too.

On a very personal note, Crys and I cooked for the first time in what would seem to be months. Chill night with Curb and House, topped off with a little NFL and Top Gear. Does it get any better?

The List

2009-09-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

I just made my list for tomorrow. Honestly it's been a while (say a month maybe) since I made myself a list. I'll be the first to tell you I forget everything... except random numbers and facts about electronics and old cars. Everything else... gone. Anyway, the last list I made was more about construction. Call Joe about the tile, email Steve about the sign, call Bruce about the countertops, ask about patching the Blueberry wall, etc. My list now, much like this blog, has evolved. There's like 3 construction things on it and the rest are fun things. Build the last airplane, call back the newspaper who wants to do a story on us, send the pics from ABC being there today, etc. I love it. My point is, the tide is turning. As much as we're still non-stop, we're getting a chance to breathe and enjoy what we've created.

Crys has been doing parent coffees with the different rooms and organizing committees for our activities throughout the year. It's pretty neat seeing how excited everyone is to help get Cassidy going. There are lots of ways to help, so if you're reading this and have questions, please contact us.

The Halloween thoughts are already coming. One of the parents even brought pumpkins today. Yes, we're dressing up... and maybe even Trick-or-Treating (soy, organic, nut-free, environmentally friendly, low-fat, politically-correct candy of course).

The Strawberries did a little Guerilla Gardening today for ABC local news. I'll keep you all posted on when it should air.

My dogs have already turned in for the night... guess I should, too.

The Evolution of This Blog

2009-09-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

To say it's been busy around our house would be a grand understatement. It's been non-stop, well except for Sunday football, since the doors opened. I feel like we're at Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, or IKEA every night. Don't mistake this for complaining though... I couldn't feel more proud of what we have right now. Even buying a gate latch, or rubber floor stoppers... it's just nice.

I felt a little lost once the construction was done. I didn't have much to say that you parents weren't already seeing. There are a few things left to finish, so the workers are coming after hours, but as you've seen, it's essentially done. What I'm realizing is that the people reading this blog (aside from my family and friends) are not only parents of Cassidy Kids, but also parents of future Cassidy Kids just peeking in. So, I'm figuring my target reading audience is evolving. Now, maybe just maybe, I'll have things to talk about again.

With that said, and from the astute advice of one of our parents (thanks Deena), this might just turn into up-and-comings for Cassidy. And with that said, ABC is coming to our school tomorrow (Sept. 30th) to do a story on Cassidy partnering with LA Guerilla Gardening. The Strawberries will be planting flowers in our flower bed behind the building starting at noon.

If any of you have ideas on how to get the word out about us, please let me know. I would imagine with the group of parents we have, there would be several options. This would be an amazing help across the board.

Wow Wow Wow

2009-09-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Nearly speechless... nearly. At the beginning, Cassidy was an idea. Crys and I talked about it and started seeking out information from different cities, different buildings, licensing, the State, paint colors, furniture, blah, blah. It was an idea. We started talking about it and financing came through within days... literally. It was now a potential concept. Crystal and her reputation with Brentwood fueled the fire and it quickly became a reality. She gave her year-and-a-half notice and we both started piling on the long nights doing more research, clipping pictures, etc. After finding this building, we hired an architect to pretty much make official what Crystal had already designed in her head. My point is that, for me, it was always just an idea. Then it was just plans on paper, then it was just a building, then it was just a building with toys in it. I didn't get it until today. It became so much more than I ever thought. The energy has changed. In just a day, the kids have brought Cassidy full circle. It's no longer just a building, just plans, or just an idea. The kids have changed it all and now it's perfect.

Mere Hours

2009-09-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

I walked around the building tonight, video camera in hand, touring myself through the classrooms. It's like we're in the eye of the storm. So much has come before this day and so much will come after. Right now, it's just peaceful. It's only Crys, Miss Breck, and myself.

We cleaned up the odds and ends and finally got our trees placed... you'll see. We watered the plants, dusted, and cleaned the windows (well, Miss Breck did). There's so much of ourselves in Cassidy. I look around and still see ideas that Crys was talking about a year or two ago. The teachers are adding their own passion to their rooms and it has all come together nicely.

I got a ticket today shopping for twinkle lights... I hear that's good luck for opening a preschool. Know anyone who can make that disappear?

Right now, I hear crickets. I don't remember the last time I heard crickets in California. I'll see you soon!

One More Day

2009-09-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

Beware: Stream of Consciousness Ahead

Our painters came in today touching up little areas. The phone guys were installing our stereo... sad that it won't be ready for Monday. Our burglar alarm is installed. I got a rundown of the fire alarm. Our trench drain in the parking lot is complete. Some bracing was added for the A/C guards on the roof. I hung some more lights around. Our drinking fountains were shipped today. We got our last computer set up and installed. The dogs spent the day with us and have been roaming around the school exploring it all. Crystal went shopping for curtains, mirrors, lights, etc. and the office is a war zone right now. Miss Ashlie and Miss Tanya put our art room together tonight and it ended up really nice. We all had dinner with wine and talked shop. Couldn't have been more perfect. Football tomorrow morning... more Cassidy tomorrow night. One more day.

Monday!

2009-09-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

We did it! The regular inspection passed, we got the certificate, and we're good to go for Monday! It's hard to believe it's even real... but it is.

Tonight the teachers were putting some final touches on everything. A few more boxes arrived. Our playground equipment is pretty finalized now. Tons of books. And my favorite... we have Moon Sand. If you haven't seen Moon Sand, just wait. I saw it at another preschool and had to have it.

We had our first "in house" "official" employee meeting tonight, too. Seems like everyone is really excited and raring to go.

Thanks again for your patience and support through this past week. It really means a lot to both Crystal and me.

See you Monday!

Skate Ramp in our Playground?

2009-09-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

There's a buzz in the air. You can walk through the classrooms and watch the energy going around with the teachers. They're all putting their final touches on everything and the classrooms look pretty amazing.

We finally had our Fire Inspection today... down to the wire, but it passed. Luckily (and no one had informed us of this), the person who inspects on a State level was there as well. He said he usually never rides with the city inspector, but just happened to be with him today... again, another one of those little miracles that have been following us around for the past 2 years. With the fire clearance in hand, I headed off to the city to get our Temp Cert. of Occupancy. The head inspector needed to come review the final items before giving it to us. I'm meeting him at the building tomorrow morning at 8am. If he gives the "go", we're on for Monday. It's a little crazy how the smallest things could get everything all caught up... but, it is what it is.

After my blog yesterday, I stayed late at the building working, while Crys had gone home to let the dogs out. It was peaceful. I started to hear what sounded like skateboarders doing tricks in our playground, then people would cheer, more skateboarding, more cheering... over and over. Then the skateboarding got louder and the cheering got louder. I turned off the lights and peeked out the window... nothing. Walked to the side window... nothing. No skateboarders, but I could still hear them. I stepped outside and saw brilliant lights from the fireworks on the pier... definitely not skateboarders, but the cheers made sense now. I had forgotten they were throwing their big celebration. I walked up to the roof and got probably one of the best views of the show from 22nd Street. Great little night-cap on the day.

Lights and Little Chairs

2009-09-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Inspection went well today. Our Fire Inspection got pushed until tomorrow. I've been listening to the fire alarm for the past few hours... it works. It's been off for a while, but like a good concert, life is a tad muffled. If everything goes well tomorrow, we'll be able to open on Monday as planned... well, re-planned.

There's a nice bit of solace for the past few days, in that I'm still sitting in the middle of it. The tables are put together and tiny little chairs sit around them. The light globes are hung. Cool rugs are scattered everywhere. Shelves are holding paints, toys, beads, buttons, fabric, and lamps. Baskets are filled with toys and blocks. It's done. Actually, I'm curled up in the Blackberry's library blogging from a giant beanbag. I'm looking around and seeing everything in it's place and wishing all the little details were figured out. Soon enough, soon enough. We're so close.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but it's been really amazing getting all of the support from you all. Every day there's at least a few asking if we need help with anything and/or offering their families for cheap labor. What's most comforting is that you all "get it". It's easy to get caught up in the negative with our circumstance, but you all haven't and I couldn't thank you enough. It's been quite the journey so far and with being so close, both Crys and I can't wait to show you what we've created.

Mushy Mushy

2009-09-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

All of my days are mushing together. I think today is Tuesday. Feels kinda like a Thursday. Couldn't tell you why.

I don't think the parking lot was done on my Thursday post. Is now. Looks pretty great. Getting dusty with all of the work trucks, but nothing a little warm soapy water and a toothbrush won't fix.

We have locks on the doors now, too. With keys, even. More and more deliveries keep coming. Today, we got about 30 books, toys for the yard, some furniture, and I think a puppy. Haven't opened that one yet... we'll see tomorrow.

I think my shelf hanging days are over... and not too soon. I have graduated into mirror hanging. Same pay, nearly the same work, much much more appreciation from the boss.

We bought some lights for the outside. Thought we only needed one. Needed 3. Went back to buy 2 more, and they were sold out. Tracked some down... all good now.

The inspection went really well today. Of course he had a few notes, but nothing too major at all. I've never been through a final inspection, but from what the guys were telling me, he was being "very cool" about it. He's also into airplanes, so we hit it off. Same guy tomorrow.

They started painting the trike path today, too. Hand painting it actually. It feels like that was yesterday. Isn't that when you know you've been awake too long?

My pillow just walked down the stairs and whispered sweet nothings in my ear.

Latter

2009-09-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

I've never had to think about if hardware stores are open on Labor Day. Or paint stores. Or specialty light bulb stores. Or motorcycle shops. I found out... all of them were. I even got a dandy ladder (spelled "latter" by the cashier at Home Depot). So, yes, we labored. From the top of a 12 foot ladder, I hung lights and wired wires.

I got the internet working yesterday and hooked up the routers today. Need a new outlet for the range booster... nearly easier done than said.

We have a pretty hefty inspection tomorrow. Keep us in your thoughts. I hear that's all it takes.

Teasers

2009-09-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Whew. Big day. So, with everything going our way for so long, we were bound for a hockey-check at some point. It happened today. It was the perfect storm of "light Fridays" at City Hall and the Holiday weekend. All in all, Cassidy is done. The classrooms are complete (barring a few small details like lights and whatnot). Buuuuuuut, the Fire Inspector can't come out until Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. That throws our opening off. We had to make a decision to hope for the best, so we planned for a contingency and will have our opening Monday the 14th... City willing. I know our teachers have called most of you parents and I just want to say thank you for being so supportive and understanding, but most of all encouraging. Trust me, I walk around these halls in amazement of what Crys has created. I'm itching to show it off, so I want you in here as bad as you want in.

With that said... updates.

Since we have an extra week, the parking lot is getting redone tomorrow. We're also gonna paint the trike path on the playground. I think this weekend might hold some short nights of sleep for the Biltz family, dogs included. We'll be there until the wee hours of the morning I'm sure. I'm still busy hanging shelves, lights, and planes... yes, planes. Another trip to IKEA scored us some new dishes, silverware, cleaning tools, lamps, tables, and stools. We shoulda bought stock in IKEA. Crys is headed to the nursery tomorrow... green thumb and all. I'm gonna hook up our internet and get the computers going.

Here's to redefining a Labor Day weekend.

I'm collecting a bunch of photos for the blog, so I'll post them soon. For now... a few teasers. Enjoy. See you soon.

Hats Off

2009-09-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

Today they were pouring a new curb down in our parking lot. We still need to put a fence back up there at some point, but we just wanted to help catch the rain... does it really rain that much in Santa Monica?

More of opening boxes and putting things together today. The teachers actually started setting up their rooms and it's beginning to look like it should. There's so much really neat stuff in there. I'm not a preschool guy, nor have I seen that many, but to see how everything has come together makes me so unbelievably proud of Crystal. Her vision is no longer a vision... it's real and in front of me every day. Just seeing how the teachers are working together and how everyone simply respects one another for their strengths is assuring. We were pretty confident we'd hired a great group of people, but now seeing them in the school with materials and furniture, it's very clear that we have a phenomenal staff. Hats off if any of you are reading this.

Crys and some of the teachers went to IKEA again tonight for lighting. It's now 9:33pm and I'm sure they're still sifting through the racks. That's some dedication. There's another group going tomorrow morning.

I'll be hanging shelves and staining concrete tomorrow.

The inspectors are coming, the inspectors are coming! If any of you have an inside track to the Santa Monica inspectors, do it up.

The New-Old Goods

2009-09-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Three hours of sleep does the body no good... just saying, don't do it. My eyes started yelling at my contacts for being in so soon after they were ejected last night. I was caught in the middle of that fight for at least 5 minutes.

The movers came and got some stuff from our place this morning and we headed to the storage unit... it was finally going to be in the school. Like I said before, we had no idea how much stuff was in there... lots. There's enough for every room to have a substantial amount of coolness.

Teachers continued to build desks, tables, and chairs. Some helped divvy up the goods. I put some of the big guys together with the help of the other Jesse.

Door handles and handrails should be in tomorrow. Painters still going at it. All in all, a very productive day.

Happy Birthday E.

Blog Soaking

2009-08-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, now we're just living at Cassidy. It's kinda known... "When are you going to the building?" "Around 10. You?" "8" "Cool, see you there."

They're finishing with the turf today. Go drive by and check it out. It's really cool looking. Some of the playground guys are still hanging around finishing the sand pit and cleaning up. I think we'll have them lower one of the arbors they installed. I think they measured it for adults...

Lots of boxes are arriving daily now... toys, furniture, tools, games, paints, rugs, costumes, little kitchens. The teachers were busy again putting everything together. It's coming along.

The painters are now touching up the doors and baseboards and finishing little spots around the school that need a little attention.

I met with the ADT guys for the fire alarm system today. They're installing everything tomorrow and Wednesday.

Tomorrow we get everything we bought in April out of storage. I think both Crys and I have no idea how much stuff is in there. Can't wait to see it all set up.

All of this has been such a part of our lives for about 2 years now, it doesn't makes sense that someday soon I'll have nothing to organize, correct, resubmit, order, engineer, design, contract, paint, decide on, email the city about, or maybe even blog about... soak it up moms and dads, soak it up.