First day of class

Today was my first day. Marc and I got up around 6. We enjoyed our usual morning routine of coffee while Marc watched the news and I played around on the computer for a bit before showering, getting the girls up and ready, and eating breakfast while walking out the door.

I arrived with plenty of time to spare and gave everyone hugs and kisses and walked into the building. I bypassed the long line of students in the lobby who were waiting to receive their schedules and headed to my classroom. There I found that the room we were scheduled to meet in had changed to another location. I found the classroom and settled into my chosen seat- front and center.

One of the things I appreciate most about AI is that they focus so much on professionalism. That being said, the staff is still warm and friendly. Becca walked by at one point and gave me a big smile and a wink. A few minutes later, she came into the classroom and came over and gave me a big hug and asked how my first day was going. I appreciated that she really remembered me and that I wasn't just one of the other faces.

As I stated above, I really am thankful that AI is so focused on professionalism. They demand it from us and they lead by example. Their uniforms are always clean and pressed and they expect the same from us. Their goal is to get us through this journey with as many skills and as much marketability as possible. I love that they talk already about getting jobs. I love that this school is so well known for their quality of students that they turn out. I love that there are a million opportunities to get involved in things. They really have made it where you can get as MUCH out of this experience as you want to.

Another thing that really thrills me is that the teachers have so much passion. Many times in life you see people come out of school with so much fire for their profession: doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Many times they have such ideas about what they are going to accomplish. Somewhere down the line, though, it seems that many of them lose that spark and they just go about their jobs only feeling that what they are doing is a JOB. These teachers at AI have so much fire and passion in them still. Most are of the older demographic but they still talk about cooking with so much enthusiasm that it makes you sit on the edge of your seat and have your eyes locked on them the entire time they are speaking. Maybe it's just that I am so excited and thrilled myself that they affect me this way. Maybe they are just that good. Either way, I am loving it.

At one point, Chef Mattern came in with the Dean and told us that the skills class I was to take on Wednesday and Thursday was over registered and they needed 8 people to switch to Intro to Pastry. My hand was the first up. As many of you know, pastry is my favorite. I must admit that I had an additional ulterior motive of Layla's birthday coming up and hope that I aquire some wonderful fondant skills before I make her cake, but aside from that, I still would have volunteered.

So now my schedule is as follows:

Monday 7-12 Intro to Pastry
1-4 Sanitation and Safety
Tuesday 7-12 Intro to Pastry
Friday 1-4 Concepts and Theories to Culinary Techniques



I have the same credit hours as before, they are just on three days instead of 4 and I only have two mornings. It still works out well as far as the girls go so I am thrilled with the schedule change.

In the midst of all this, I became known to the Dean and Chef Mattern as more than just a name on a sheet of paper. They were thrilled that I was the first of only three to volunteer to change my schedule and unhappy that more people didn't. I also had to hang around after class to wait for my revised schedule, so I also got a chance to make small talk with the Sanitation and Safety teacher. Connections can only help me at this point and I definitely am getting a great start on that.

Tomorrow is my first pastry class! I am even more excited, if possible, than I was last night.

Tomorrow is the big day

Tomorrow is my first day of school. I have Sanitation and Safety from 8-12 and we already have planned for Marc to take me and pick me up because it is supposed to be the coldest day yet here in Jacksonville. Yes. We are in the middle of a long cold snap here in northern Florida. We have had reports of snow on various sides of the county and the sprinklers have been freezing water on trees. I suppose I should have prefaced all of this by saying that we only have one car, so if one person is using it for something, the other parent walks Harmony and Layla to/from preschool. In normal weather this isn't a problem and is actually enjoyed since it gets us out of the house and exercising. In 20 degree weather, however, not so much. So Marc and the girls will be taking me to my first day of school. Then I will hang around after my class until they make it back to pick me up. This will be at least a half hour wait, since Harmony doesn't get out until noon at the earliest. It will give me a chance to ask the teacher some of the questions that have been floating around in my head about my classes. I will have the same teacher for all classes except for computer, so I can make sure I have what I need for my classes the rest of the week.

I have been reading my "On Cooking" textbook and finished the first chapter today. I then went back through and took notes. I finished up by doing the quiz at the end of the chapter. Marc laughed at me. I know I won't have time to do all of that, possibly, for every chapter but I am bound and determined to give this everything I've got this time around.

12 1/2 hours until I am in the car headed to class. I have the alarm and coffee pot set to go of at 6am. My clothes are ready to go. I have everything ready to head out the door. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve and I'm sure I will have trouble sleeping tonight.

Orientation

Today was orientation. Marc's buddy, Tom, came over to watch the kids so that he could go with me. Family was encouraged to attend and he, as always, wanted to show his support and come with me. I love this man more every day.

We were talked to by many of the staff at the school and then the chefs came down to speak with us. I was literally on the edge of my seat. We learned some of the expectations that they will have of us, and some of the ways we can get the most out of the experience. After all the speeches, we were released to go get our photo ID's *already done*, create our myaicampus username and password *also already done*, finish any paperwork that needed done *Oh! Already done!*, and pick up our supply kits and parking passes. Marc and I were the first ones out since I had all that other stuff completed already. Can you tell I'm excited to get started? I got my uniforms, my knives, and a massive amount of books which I have already begun to read. Tomorrow we are going out to get the shoes I will need for labs and I will be all set! Monday cannot get here fast enough!!

Then Tom let Marc and I take a lengthy journey home and stop by Outback for a celebratory dinner using the gift card we got from my parents for Christmas. I am so thankful that the girls are big enough to not have to worry so much about leaving them with other people. Let me edit that. I am so thankful that Layla has outgrown her need to literally be attached to me every moment of the day and that she doesn't freak out over new people quite so much. I am also thankful that she sees Tom and Jaime enough that she doesn't mind being left with them. I am thankful, as well, that we have friends willing to watch our kids.

Christmas Surprise

I have the best husband and family and friends ever.

Seriously!!

Marc spent over a month leading up until Christmas organizing a massive Christmas surprise for me.

He contacted all the family and friends he could come up with the contact information for. He set up a gift registry at Williams-Sonoma and had everyone send the gifts *ie support* to our friends house along with notes of encouragement. On Christmas day he made me wait to open a jewelry shaped box from him until Tom and Jaime showed up. When I opened it, there was a note inside that took me on "The Amazing Chase." Tom and Jaime stayed with the kids and Marc and I wandered through the neighborhood finding clues and deciphering codes. Tom met me with a embroidered chef's coat *Yay!* and my final clue. We headed back to the house and there were all the gifts lined up in front of the tree. I was blown away by the love and support everyone showed me. I am well equipped now to begin this wonderful journey I never thought I would actually be taking. I definitely got choked up reading everyone's wonderful notes. I cannot tell you how much it touched me to have everyone do that for me. My husband is the best husband in the world and I don't know how I got so lucky as to find him on my first *and only!* try at marriage. I appreciate his thoughtfulness and his complete and total support of me in this endeavor and I am so thankful he made that initial contact with the school. Thank you to everyone who participated in my wonderful, best Christmas EVER, surprise!!!!

Student ID

I went and paid my enrollment fee and got my student ID today. It's really happening! It still is hard for me to believe. I still won't LET myself believe it. What if something goes wrong? It won't!!! I have to keep telling myself that. Nothing will go wrong. This IS happening and I DO deserve it.

I am thankful, once again, for Marc being so willing to help with kids and entertain them while I was running around the school to get this stuff done.

Schedule!

I got my schedule over the phone from Becca today!! It makes it so much more real! My schedule is amazing. I could not have asked for better time slots.

Monday 8-12 Sanitation and Safety
Tuesday 9-11 Dimensions of Culinary Education
1-2 Computer Literacy *I know, I know*
Wednesday 7-12 Fundamentals of Classical Techniques
Thursday 7-12 Fundamentals of Classical Techniques


No classes Friday.

This works so perfectly because Marc works Monday-Wednesday in the evenings so I'll have plenty of time to study on those nights and then he also works Saturday night which gives me time to study the things from Thursday's class. I'm sure I will study more than that, but the days work out well and that gave me a little thrill.

It's also great because Harmony is in preschool during those times so I really won't be missing out on much time with her. I think it will be good for Layla to spend more time with Marc and he's shown that he is really good with working with her. He is working on potty training and colors with her and it's really going well! I finally feel comfortable leaving Layla with anyone other than me. Anyone who met her when she was an infant or even fairly recently will understand that statement. She was an extremely high needs baby who had an attachment to me that I have never seen a child have with a mother before. I honestly think it had alot to do with her birth. With complete and total devotion to making sure that she felt secure as an infant, she finally has started to not freak out when strangers look at her, and even is ok when they talk to her now. She doesn't freak out when I leave the room or even the house anymore. She loves spending time with Daddy and going out with him by herself. I am so thankful that we have come to this point and that I am not feeling guilt at going to school and leaving the kids with Marc. I struggled with that for a bit, but this schedule makes me feel better. I still get to spend the whole afternoon and evening with the kids on school days.
I can't wait to get started!

All the i's and t's...

...are dotted and crossed!

I am officially enrolled in The Art Institute of Jacksonville's Culinary Arts program! My projected graduation date with an AA is December 2011 and then it's one short year to my bachelors degree. All the paperwork has been filed, they have received all my transcripts, and I have signed everything I need to sign. I still can't believe it. My head is spinning and I can hardly breathe. :D