Author's Note:

Dear Readers,

My apologies for the long delays in updating:

My state (southwest US) has a shortfall of ½ billion dollars in their education budget statewide. While my school district is only 4 million short, it means that we have had to make a lot of sacrifices. There has been a hiring freeze and substitutes are primarily available for emergencies.

One of my colleagues (and friends) has been on medical leave since the end of the first month of school. They haven't found a diagnoses yet (where is Dr. House when you need him?), so they needed to find a permanent replacement for her in the classroom. Unfortunately, due to the hiring freeze, they have to find a replacement from within the school.

To make a long story shorter, I have been called upon to take over her 5th grade class for the rest of the school year. I'm not sure yet how I will fulfill my already fulltime responsibilities for the technology of the school (around 1000 students and staff), while teaching in the classroom. Not to mention the fact that I haven't been in the classroom for several years and all my teaching materials are boxed and stored…. I found out about this the day before Thanksgiving Break and my first class is on December 1st!

Once I am back in the swing of things, perhaps I will find time to update. Otherwise, I will have to wait until Winter break to finish the story. Sadly, I am only a few chapters from the end and I have already started the next sequel…

Thank you for your patience and for your previous encouragement and reviews.

Kailynray