Happy New Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).