Yesterday was the BIG day! Eleven and a half bloggers met at Ruby’s on the pier in Huntington Beach. I say eleven and a half because Makayla is not a blogger {yet} but came to meet all of us. Wow!
I know you’re dying to know what I wore. I did it. I went with my gut. I wore cargo pants, a t-shirt, and my converse. I wore my hair down and it went flat. You’ll see. Stick around.
Hadar (do I really have to say Miss Kindergarten?) and I carpooled! I almost didn’t make it because there was an accident right in front of me on Fastrak. If you don’t know what Fastrak is, all I can say is that you also have no idea what the 91 freeway is and what it does to me when I travel on it. You pay a lot of money for Fastrak to avoid traffic and speed past the other poor suckers drivers stuck in a parking lot that is supposed to be a freeway. ANYWAY, I was completely stopped for about ten minutes, and I was FREAKING OUT, and I felt like Sandra Bullock in Speed when she is screaming, “Stay on or get off? Stay on or get off!?” except that I was the opposite of Speed and more like Stop. And you’re not really allowed to get out of Fastrak once you’re in it but people were doing it.
It all worked out – I lived to tell about it and I was only about 7 minutes late to Hadar.
I think I may have scared Hadar because I talked her ear off and she couldn’t get a word in edgewise unless I asked her a question and then I usually interrupted her when she answered. I may never hear from her again. I have this effect on people.
When we got to the beach, it was beautiful and we got to see surfers take off their wetsuits while we waited for their parking space. My oh my. I could do a WHOLE POST on that. Cowabunga. Holy tan.
I’d love to show you all my pics from the pier and the beach and the sun . . . it was a gorgeous day and I was actually sweating while we waited for our table but alas, I didn’t take any. I know! I’m sorry! I brought my camera and I was all set to take pictures and then I got too busy talking or something and then we were going home. It happened so fast!
So I am “borrowing” pictures from Annie of The Moffat Girls and you can also go see some more from Fran at Kindergarten Crayons.
Ruby’s gave us Breakfast menus (yuck) so I reached for a Lunch menu and as I did, I thought I heard Hadar say she didn’t like breakfast. One more reason we’re BBFF! But just as I was about to say, “I don’t like breakfast, either!” she told me that she knows I don’t like breakfast because I blogged about it. See? Even if I’m not talking your ear off, I get through in other ways. Hadar had waffles and I had grilled cheese.
Hadar is fantastic – she is so sweet and personable. I am so glad she arranged this for us! She was so quick to introduce herself every single time someone new walked in, whereas I may have waited to finish
my story . . .
Kathy from Coloring Outside the Lines was a doll. She sat across from me and told me that she used to teach a multi class of K, 1, 2. YIKES – in a public school!!! Anyways, she didn’t think she would ever want to teach kinder by itself but she said she did like the kinders in the multi. Here’s my brilliant response:
“In the multi? Like at assemblies? I like the kinders in our multi, too, when I see them in there.”
Um . . . she meant in the MULTI AGE CLASS that she taught.
Fran from Kindergarten Crayons is a riot. I loved her. She cracked me up and her energy is amazing. She knows EVERYBODY. She works out (I know – I had to look that up, too. Work out? Huh?) with the principal of the school I did my student teaching in. AND she taught my friend’s son — although my friend was actually my aide for four years and her name is FRANcine which is just a crazy coincidence. But they know each other and now I’m having lunch with FRANcine next week because I had to come home and email her right away. Fran also made us these cute personalized tags for luggage . . . and her husband cut them out. π
Annie from The Moffat Girls is exactly what I expected. A doll. A living doll. Sooooo sweet!!
Kerri and Lindsay from Teacher Bits and Bobs were adorable! They look JUST like their pictures and now that I know which one is which, I will never mix them up in my mind again. Lindsay brought her little guy and he was so good. Fran joked that he could be in her class and I agree – he was the strong but silent type. Either that, or he was completely bored with the conversation and fell asleep.
Makayla sat at the end but I was able to talk to her at the end of the day. She needs to start a blog – her stories were so funny!!
Gwyn from Preschool Printables cracked me up because she brought a list of questions with her AND took notes! Love it!
Madison from Life with Mrs. L was out here from Utah for the holidays. She must have been the youngest one out of the bunch. We quite possibly overwhelmed her. And she sat next to Fran. π
Nancy from The Apple Basket Teacher came a little late (she lives FAR FAR AWAY) so she missed out on being in the pictures. She was really funny – VERY excited to be there!
It was one of those lunches where you start answering a question and then you get off topic and/or you hear someone say something down at the other end of the table and so you join in that conversation and it’s just a whirlwind (although this sounds like my every day life). Lots of chit chat and lots of laughter!
We are going to meet up this summer, too. I can’t wait!
I hope you liked hearing about this. My goal was to have a picture of all of us in front of the ocean so that you could drool and be jealous but oh well. Ho hum.
PS Thank you so much for joining our linky party! I can’t believe the response we’ve gotten. We may be exceeding the maximum occupancy – that’s so cool! I am having so much fun reading everyone’s 11 in 11. We have so much in common! π
Not sure if I should tell you this…but when I glanced at your shirt in the pic of you and Hadar..I thought for a sec that your tee said "Daddy" in cursive! muwahaha! sorry!! I'm a dork! lol
Sounds like you guys had a blast!!!
Jennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
Sounds like it was a great time!! Wished I lived closer to join in, but Rochester, NY is a little far to travel π Maybe some day!
Ali
That sounds like so much fun! I would love to meet up with other bloggers but I don't think there are very many in Oklahoma lol! I am coming to California for a wedding in the spring though…. π
Jennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten
I am soooooooooooooo jealous!! It looks like y'all had an awesome time :o) It is fun reading about!!!
Thank goodness you documented this event because I could not remember half of this. Remember my age please. You are so accurate and I missed half of what was going on. I was too busy answering clip art and blog questions on both sides of me. You were adorable and I think I have MISSED meeting you a thousand times! Our lives overlap in several places. But I finally did meet you and it was so much fun! Hadar is on her game-right?
oh i love this! isn't fun to actually meet everyone in "real life"? i loved it when we did a ut meet up! it is funny how you can be automatically friends with someone because they are a teacher! i love it! π
ridiculously jealous but LOVED the run down. So awesome! The pictures are great! Shame on you for not taking 3000 pictures. I forgive you though! I am sure it was such fun!
I'm so glad you girls got together and just knew you'd become fast IRL friends {In Real Life}.
Have loved reading the 11 in '11's too…and have started following a ton more blogs! π
Holly
Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade
That sounds like you had the best time! How much fun!
Buzzing with Ms. B
Can you hear me crying from the east coast? waaaa!!! It was so cool to hear about though!
That is awesome that you all were able to get together! I bet it was fun meeting all the faces and personalities behind the blogs!!
Lucky you (on everything but the Fastrak)! I was jealous from the get-go. The interrupting, the surfers, the beach and sun, the chit chat. I'm sure in MT there are maybe 3 bloggers and we could still be hundreds of miles apart. At first, I thought the half was because you're so teeny tiny! HA!
2B Honey Bunch
Yay, that sounds like so much fun!!!
I got excited when I saw that you all went to Ruby's because I went to Ruby's when I visited my cousin in Oceanside!! But then I went to their website and saw that there are like a million Ruby's……… so I guess it's not that exciting, haha!!
Marvelous Multiagers!
Thanks for sharing! I felt like I was reading the synopsis of a reality show. Too, too fun! But seriously, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day – French toast, pancakes, waffles, orange juice, cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast with lots of jelly and of course a little fruit on the side. Yum, yum, and more yum! I could eat breakfast for every meal. But that's okay, I still bloggy love you!
Camille
An Open Door
Ok so you have to let us know the next time you come to Ok. Jennifer from Herding Cats and I will herd all us OKie bloggers together (she must be good at herding her blog says so) and we'll go to TEDS!! Sounds like a blast. What a great opportunity for all of you.
Tammy
And THIS is what blogging is all about. You guys are awesome!
Kristen at Ladybug's Teacher Files: Let's plan one on the east coast!
Elizabeth
http://ladybugsteacherfiles.blogspot.com/
Ok 1st off, you linked up to everyone's blog BUT mine…whatever, I see how it is!! Secondly, I laughed out loud all over again about the whole multi story….seriously, dying again!! And lastly, I felt like I was talking your ear off the entire time! Maybe we were both talking and not listening to the other person?? Happens to me all the time. I LOVED meeting you IRL and I'm tho thad we didn't take any beach pictures but hello, sweat and smog are not pretty!! I put the picture of us on my blog FB page and captioned it "We can't have that in the background!" hahah yay, our first inside joke!
OMG, I had sooo much fun yesterday laughing with you!! I love your recap of our get together (mine is really boring! lol!) I laughed all over again about the MULTI! In addition to always interrupting, I don't always speak in complete sentences. Comes from working with 5 yr olds. Can't wait till we do this again!!
Kathy
Coloring Outside The Lines
Looks like you guys had a lot of fun! Maybe one day, in the future (when I get to know you all in the bloggy world!) I will be joining you on the So Cal get together. I am here too. π
Your newest follower,
~Stephanie
Teaching in Room 6
I agree with Stephanie! It sounds like you all had a great time! Thanks for sharing!
I love all the photos and the great re-cap of your day!! Thanks so much for sharing, Kristin!
Rebecca
Teaching First
Looks like you had so much fun Kristin! I can't wait to meet you someday!
OMG! I live in orange county! I have been to that restaurant before! I would love to meet all of you IRL!!!! So jealous!
I don't know how I missed the meet up…hmmmm..maybe cause I don't have a teacher blog. But…I would still love to meet up with you all int he summer!
Isn't hanging out with other teachers so much fun… I mean they get it….whatever I have to share…just makes sense… teachers get other teachers.
Anyway…about the summer thing… you can't see me but I'm raising my hand…I want to go too!
I was sending you CyberHugs from Washington–did you get them?!
I think the 91 should be in a Guinness Book for the most cars going nowhere on a freeway. Day or night, weekday or weeknight, there is some problem on that "lovely" stretch of road.
Great choice on the outfit, hair looked great (don't argue) and grilled cheese is one of my top 5 favorites after ice cream, fries, mochas and "other delights served in glasses."
I'm so happy that you were happy!
Kim
Finding JOY in 6th Grade
You are a gifted storyteller Kristin! Loved the run down on your fun meet-up and especially loved the parts about the surfers…
Looks like a great time! Super jeal that I missed out…I am actually in Aliso Viejo, but we spent the last 4 days in VEGAS!!!
Megan
http://www.mrswheelerfirst.blogspot.com
Oh my gosh!! You crack me up Kristin!! You are so fun and lovable!! I LOVE reading your blog!! I can't wait until we meet in the summer…whoo…hooo!
Kristin:
As I check for updates on your blog each day, I usually check for followers too.
BlogFriend! At 6:42 in the morning on Friday, December 30th, you have 998 followers…
THIS COULD BE THE DAY!
Good luck, Good luck, GOOD LUCK!!!
Kim
Finding JOY in 6th Grade
Sounds like tons of fun! I would like to join you next summer, if I am invited! I live in Southern CA too- wow, I can't believe how many there are of you!
I didn't really plan anything this week because I had Jury Duty, and luckily got released on Wednesday afternoon. I have never been so glad to be not wanted in my whole life, LOL!!!
Heidi Butkus
http://heidisongs.blogspot.com
That sounds like so much fun! I love Ruby's, especially all the milk shake choices!! My family and I would always go to the one in Oceanside when we'd visit my aunt and uncle. Yum!!
I wish I could have joined you all, even though I don't live in So Cal, and I don't have a blog…..But I blog stalk like crazy, because this is my first year with my very own classroom. Anyways, it was cool to see a California meet-up! Only that I live on the Central Coast, not in southern California! Oh well. Maybe one day I'll have my own blog and a meet-up to go to!
Thanks for always making me laugh!!
~Heidi V.
Sorry for my THIRD comment today, but you got your 1000th follower while I was on a PLANE!!!
And now there are 1003. Maybe they are on my plane too!
Maybe we flew over your house and the PILOT joined up! (I know he had been thinking about it; he looked so pensive when we boarded… You could almost hear his thoughts… Should I? Shouldn't I? I believe yes. Yes, I SHOULD join in with the fun with the Teeny Tiny Teacher with a big box full of little followers…
Hey! Look up! See me? In the plane window? Giving you two thumbs up? Yep, that's me! And the pilot waved too! (He was the taller one.)
HOORAY, for you, BlogFriend! Happy Parade in my head!!! I blogged ON A PLANE about Kristin. And, just barely audibly, from the clouds outside, you could make out the sound of angels singing…
Kim
Finding JOY in 6th Grade
OMG! I am So jealous! I may have to fly in for the summer meet up because all of that fabulousness in one room is just too much to miss. Are you going to the Blogher convention in NYC this August?
I'm very sad, I was in Huntington Beach on Thursday, however I was so far behind in my blog reading I didn't know this was happening. I would have loved to stop and say hello to the fabulous bloggers that I follow and get inspiration from on a weekly basis.
I'm not from CA, which is why me being in Huntington Beach on the day of this meet up and not knowing about it such a funny coincidence. Oh well pretend I waved. I don't think my sister would have really wanted to stop anyway…
Thank you so much for all you share π
Mrs. Hallβs Fabulous Firsts