Amanda has been chosen for the Governors Public Safety Award!!!!!!! (this has been changed from the community service award applied for). The award ceremony will be held Thursday, April 23rd at Dover Downs. Registration Begins at 5 pm, award ceremony to begin around 6 pm. There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres and a DJ.
Tickets are $25.00. Congratulations Mandie!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Winter Wonderland in...Spring?
After having a few days off (thank you snow!!), I'm all cozy in my sweatpants, cup of tea in hand, and ready to update you on all that I have been up to! It's hard to believe that yet another month has passed!..we're into March already! St. Patty's Day is just around the corner.
In mid-February, I joined the Governor in celebrating National Salute Week to show our appreciation for the great things that our Veterans have done for our country. We visited the patients in the Veterans Hospital in Elsmere, chatted with the staff about the facility, and even joined some of the Veterans at a little lunch party that they were holding. There just happened to be a piano in the room too, so someone asked me to play. I always have to be prepared for anything..performances inluded! We had a great time visiting and celebrating!
Then I was off to the Corpus Christie School in Wilmington to present for Character Counts. I typically make these presentations to 2nd and 3rd graders, so naturally, when browsing through my planner, I just assumed that the presentations were for those grades. The night before, I happened to notice a line in my agenda that read "5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th" under the headline "Corpus Christie School." I couldn't believe it! That important detail went completely unnoticed until the night before. I couldn't very well speak to 8th graders the way I would speak to a 2nd grade class, so I came up with new ideas and examples. The next day, on very little sleep, I arrived at the school ready to present to the 5th-8th graders! The presentations went very well! and once they got warmed up, I had a great amount of participation from the students..which can be difficult at times with middle-schoolers.
That weekend, the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen orientation took place. I spoke briefly with the contestants about my experiences at Miss Delaware and Miss America, and I gave them a little advice that I thought would help them feel comfortable at the pageant. I'm so excited to see who my new "little sister" will be, but I will miss having Mandie around!! We are in the process of choosing a song for our joint performance at the pageant (she dances while I play the piano). I can't wait!! We were actually supposed to rehearse today, but the snow kept me from leaving the house! (Can we say CABIN FEVER? hehe). Anyway, we are going to have a fantastic pageant in late March for the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen contestants!!! They are a great group of girls!! That night, I joined all of the contestants, their families, and the MDOT board members for a fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings!! It was so nice to just sit back, relax, chat, and eat with everyone. All of us have such hectic schedules; it isn't too often we all get to be together at once!
The next week, I was greeted by oodles of pre-schoolers and kindergarteners at the Little School for dental presentations. Afterall, February is Children's Dental Health Month!! I actually went there with Dr. Sean, one of my bosses at the dental office, and Jen, a dental assistant who will be a first-year dental student at Temple in the fall!! (So excited for her!!!!)! We had a blast! I always enjoy the responses from all of the children. One little girl said that the dental masks are worn "so that you don't smell the bad breath." haha Normally we get the "germs" answer, but hers was just as good!
Later that week, I went to the Southern Lights of Life event that benefits Breast Cancer Awareness. I had volunteered at the event back in high school, but had not been back since then. I dressed up in my powder pink cocktail dress and sold the "lucky ducks" for $10 a piece (or 3 for $25 hehe). Before the dinner even started, all of the duck-selling teams sold out completely! The silent auction and duck-selling were very successful! Then it was onto the dinner..that's when I got to kick back and relax!! The volunteers had already eaten before the event started, so is was our downtime. Before dinner was even over though, I was pulled backstage to help show the live auction items. These ranged from bikes, to signed footballs, even a mo-ped!! They had it all! I had so much fun walking the runway with all of those prizes. The last time I walked the runway at Dover Downs was when I was crowned Miss Delaware!! Oh, the memories :) After the Live Auction came the Fashion Show. The models were all Breast Cancer Survivors and they looked absolutely stunning!! I could tell that they were having so much fun too! What an experience that was! All of their family members and friends were in the audience cheering them on as they walked down the runway!! One of the models was a teacher of mine in high school; GO MRS. THOMAS!!!!
That weekend, I took off the crown and went to...a Baby Shower!!! It seems like half the ladies in our dental office are pregnant, so what more would you expect than a handful of baby showers? Ashley's shower was so much fun! She looked so happy to see everyone, and her cake was beautiful; Hailey had a great time helping her mom open presents, and everyone got to visit with eachother! I could really get used to these baby showers!..good thing, because I have another one in a couple weeks!
Last week, in the spirit of I love to Read Month, I read to a couple kindergarten classes at Fairview Elementary in Dover. I read "The Rainbow Fish." They seemed to like it and had a bunch of questions for me afterwards. One child asked if my sash had real diamonds...I jokingly said to the teacher "they're real rhinestones!," but I told the student that they were jewels hehe.
The next day brought another dental presentation! I went to Lake Forest North to present to second graders. From dental office items like masks and gloves, to dental-related experiments and games, the kids had a great time learning! We cut into good foods like apples and then cut into bad foods like Carmello Bars to show what is left on the knife afterwards...resembling the amount of food that sticks on your teeth. We brushed hard-boiled eggs, that had soaked in coke, with toothpaste to show what brushing does for your teeth. We even played a question and answer game with my Sandbag Toss!
The next morning came sooner than later! I was up in Wilmington at Darley Road Elementary to participate in the Dr. Seuss event, in honor of his (then) upcoming Birthday. I went in with the idea that I would be reading, but quickly found out that I was actually performing!..again I say, be prepared for anything! It went very well! and after the assembly, I went around with my second grade teacher, Mrs. Aldridge, to visit the classrooms in the school. It was great to see her again!!
After that, I left to go south to the McIllvine Early Child Center to read to the kindergarteners. Because Dr. Seuss' birthday was close, I read "Green Eggs and Ham." I had them share something that they didn't think they would like until they tried it! I got answers like broccoli, cupcakes, carrots, and even brushing teeth! One student asked me how my crown stays on..so I shared my little secret with them hehe. The last class invited me to their room to join them for a birthday party. I ate cupcakes and veggies with them, and somehow managed to fit into their chairs!!
As most of you know, it started snowing on Sunday, so my Monday and Tuesday events were cancelled. The rest of this week should probably get back to normal..as long as the ice melts! As quickly as the snow came though, it will soon dissipate. Our Winter Wonderland in the Spring is just another example of our unpredictable Delaware weather! One of Delaware's many surprises.
In mid-February, I joined the Governor in celebrating National Salute Week to show our appreciation for the great things that our Veterans have done for our country. We visited the patients in the Veterans Hospital in Elsmere, chatted with the staff about the facility, and even joined some of the Veterans at a little lunch party that they were holding. There just happened to be a piano in the room too, so someone asked me to play. I always have to be prepared for anything..performances inluded! We had a great time visiting and celebrating!
Then I was off to the Corpus Christie School in Wilmington to present for Character Counts. I typically make these presentations to 2nd and 3rd graders, so naturally, when browsing through my planner, I just assumed that the presentations were for those grades. The night before, I happened to notice a line in my agenda that read "5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th" under the headline "Corpus Christie School." I couldn't believe it! That important detail went completely unnoticed until the night before. I couldn't very well speak to 8th graders the way I would speak to a 2nd grade class, so I came up with new ideas and examples. The next day, on very little sleep, I arrived at the school ready to present to the 5th-8th graders! The presentations went very well! and once they got warmed up, I had a great amount of participation from the students..which can be difficult at times with middle-schoolers.
That weekend, the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen orientation took place. I spoke briefly with the contestants about my experiences at Miss Delaware and Miss America, and I gave them a little advice that I thought would help them feel comfortable at the pageant. I'm so excited to see who my new "little sister" will be, but I will miss having Mandie around!! We are in the process of choosing a song for our joint performance at the pageant (she dances while I play the piano). I can't wait!! We were actually supposed to rehearse today, but the snow kept me from leaving the house! (Can we say CABIN FEVER? hehe). Anyway, we are going to have a fantastic pageant in late March for the Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen contestants!!! They are a great group of girls!! That night, I joined all of the contestants, their families, and the MDOT board members for a fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings!! It was so nice to just sit back, relax, chat, and eat with everyone. All of us have such hectic schedules; it isn't too often we all get to be together at once!
The next week, I was greeted by oodles of pre-schoolers and kindergarteners at the Little School for dental presentations. Afterall, February is Children's Dental Health Month!! I actually went there with Dr. Sean, one of my bosses at the dental office, and Jen, a dental assistant who will be a first-year dental student at Temple in the fall!! (So excited for her!!!!)! We had a blast! I always enjoy the responses from all of the children. One little girl said that the dental masks are worn "so that you don't smell the bad breath." haha Normally we get the "germs" answer, but hers was just as good!
Later that week, I went to the Southern Lights of Life event that benefits Breast Cancer Awareness. I had volunteered at the event back in high school, but had not been back since then. I dressed up in my powder pink cocktail dress and sold the "lucky ducks" for $10 a piece (or 3 for $25 hehe). Before the dinner even started, all of the duck-selling teams sold out completely! The silent auction and duck-selling were very successful! Then it was onto the dinner..that's when I got to kick back and relax!! The volunteers had already eaten before the event started, so is was our downtime. Before dinner was even over though, I was pulled backstage to help show the live auction items. These ranged from bikes, to signed footballs, even a mo-ped!! They had it all! I had so much fun walking the runway with all of those prizes. The last time I walked the runway at Dover Downs was when I was crowned Miss Delaware!! Oh, the memories :) After the Live Auction came the Fashion Show. The models were all Breast Cancer Survivors and they looked absolutely stunning!! I could tell that they were having so much fun too! What an experience that was! All of their family members and friends were in the audience cheering them on as they walked down the runway!! One of the models was a teacher of mine in high school; GO MRS. THOMAS!!!!
That weekend, I took off the crown and went to...a Baby Shower!!! It seems like half the ladies in our dental office are pregnant, so what more would you expect than a handful of baby showers? Ashley's shower was so much fun! She looked so happy to see everyone, and her cake was beautiful; Hailey had a great time helping her mom open presents, and everyone got to visit with eachother! I could really get used to these baby showers!..good thing, because I have another one in a couple weeks!
Last week, in the spirit of I love to Read Month, I read to a couple kindergarten classes at Fairview Elementary in Dover. I read "The Rainbow Fish." They seemed to like it and had a bunch of questions for me afterwards. One child asked if my sash had real diamonds...I jokingly said to the teacher "they're real rhinestones!," but I told the student that they were jewels hehe.
The next day brought another dental presentation! I went to Lake Forest North to present to second graders. From dental office items like masks and gloves, to dental-related experiments and games, the kids had a great time learning! We cut into good foods like apples and then cut into bad foods like Carmello Bars to show what is left on the knife afterwards...resembling the amount of food that sticks on your teeth. We brushed hard-boiled eggs, that had soaked in coke, with toothpaste to show what brushing does for your teeth. We even played a question and answer game with my Sandbag Toss!
The next morning came sooner than later! I was up in Wilmington at Darley Road Elementary to participate in the Dr. Seuss event, in honor of his (then) upcoming Birthday. I went in with the idea that I would be reading, but quickly found out that I was actually performing!..again I say, be prepared for anything! It went very well! and after the assembly, I went around with my second grade teacher, Mrs. Aldridge, to visit the classrooms in the school. It was great to see her again!!
After that, I left to go south to the McIllvine Early Child Center to read to the kindergarteners. Because Dr. Seuss' birthday was close, I read "Green Eggs and Ham." I had them share something that they didn't think they would like until they tried it! I got answers like broccoli, cupcakes, carrots, and even brushing teeth! One student asked me how my crown stays on..so I shared my little secret with them hehe. The last class invited me to their room to join them for a birthday party. I ate cupcakes and veggies with them, and somehow managed to fit into their chairs!!
As most of you know, it started snowing on Sunday, so my Monday and Tuesday events were cancelled. The rest of this week should probably get back to normal..as long as the ice melts! As quickly as the snow came though, it will soon dissipate. Our Winter Wonderland in the Spring is just another example of our unpredictable Delaware weather! One of Delaware's many surprises.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The word "crown" is ambiguous in the eyes of a dentist..
This past week started with a "chilling" appearance as I joined our new Governor, Jack Markell, and thousands of Special Olympics supporters and athletes in taking the Polar Bear Plunge! This was my fourth year participating in the event, but that didn't make the feeling of the 36-degree water any less shocking. I saw many familiar faces, but because of the enormous crowd that gathered to raise awareness for Special Olympics on Sunday, there were many more people to meet! Side by side with Governor Markell, his son Michael, a few athletes, and a handful of State Troopers that I had met a couple months ago, I sprinted into the freezing water and ran back out all smiles! We had a great time and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to support such a wonderful cause. If you've never taken the plunge, it is held every Super Bowl Sunday in Rehoboth and I highly recommend doing it it at least once! although I know that after the first time, you'll be hooked!!
On Thursday night, I was back to being Vana! The Miss Delaware Organization held a Vera Bradley and Longaberger Basket Bingo. There were tons of beautiful prizes! The only bad part was that I opted to wear high heels that were new and had not been broken in yet..BIG mistake!! I paid for that later that night hehe. We had a great turnout! Thank you to everyone who came out!!!. Chris and I even got a tour of the new Camden Fire Hall. We met the volunteers that were in the night, saw the "movie theater," and walked from one gym to the next!..it was huge!! Next time I need to relax, I might just go hang out in their movie theater hehe.
The Go Red luncheon was held on Friday afternoon. The organization supports the fight against heart disease in women. The event was pretty large!!..two full ballrooms at the Sheraton! I took part in the fashion show which was so much fun! They asked me to wear an extravagant red gown so what better choice than my talent gown from Miss America?! I was so excited to be able to wear it again and without the pressure. Everyone made it down the two catwalks beautifully and without falling so I'd say the fashion show was a success!! I met people like the Governor's wife, heart patients, employees at Dr. Abbrescia's, and a large number or supporters and volunteers. They put on a great event luncheon!!
The weekend began with the Give Kids A Smile event right here in Dover at Mercer Dental Associates. Our office staff was joined by about 14 additional dentists, and 30 other volunteers from hygienists to dental assistants. At first the office seemed to be a little crowded, but once everyone found their places and jobs, we were well on our way to a successful, smooth-sailing day! We treated a large number of children with procedures including dental cleanins, x-rays, extractions, and restorative work. We had a waiting room packed with people eagerly waiting to be seen. I helped out where and when needed, but also had the chance to speak with many of the dentists! I even received some advice on dental school matters like the application process and dental school itself! Although I have a couple years of undergrad to go, I will take all of the advice and guidance that I can get!
All of the dental work done at Give Kids A Smile was pro bono and sadly, the entire second bus-load of pre-approved patients did not arrive. To have 15 dentists that were donating their time to perform work on patients free of charge is such a blessing to these kids, but only if they show up. It's such a shame that these opportunities were taken for granted and not used. Although I don't know the reasons for absense of the second wave of patients, it is discouraging to see these great opportunities going to waste.
That night, all of the office staff went out to dinner. I was able to see Dr. Andy's little girls, Emma and Ruby, again. They convinced me to order a dessert which turned out to be much bigger than we thought!! They helped me eat it, but there was no way that hot fudge brownie sundae was completely finished!
On Thursday night, I was back to being Vana! The Miss Delaware Organization held a Vera Bradley and Longaberger Basket Bingo. There were tons of beautiful prizes! The only bad part was that I opted to wear high heels that were new and had not been broken in yet..BIG mistake!! I paid for that later that night hehe. We had a great turnout! Thank you to everyone who came out!!!. Chris and I even got a tour of the new Camden Fire Hall. We met the volunteers that were in the night, saw the "movie theater," and walked from one gym to the next!..it was huge!! Next time I need to relax, I might just go hang out in their movie theater hehe.
The Go Red luncheon was held on Friday afternoon. The organization supports the fight against heart disease in women. The event was pretty large!!..two full ballrooms at the Sheraton! I took part in the fashion show which was so much fun! They asked me to wear an extravagant red gown so what better choice than my talent gown from Miss America?! I was so excited to be able to wear it again and without the pressure. Everyone made it down the two catwalks beautifully and without falling so I'd say the fashion show was a success!! I met people like the Governor's wife, heart patients, employees at Dr. Abbrescia's, and a large number or supporters and volunteers. They put on a great event luncheon!!
The weekend began with the Give Kids A Smile event right here in Dover at Mercer Dental Associates. Our office staff was joined by about 14 additional dentists, and 30 other volunteers from hygienists to dental assistants. At first the office seemed to be a little crowded, but once everyone found their places and jobs, we were well on our way to a successful, smooth-sailing day! We treated a large number of children with procedures including dental cleanins, x-rays, extractions, and restorative work. We had a waiting room packed with people eagerly waiting to be seen. I helped out where and when needed, but also had the chance to speak with many of the dentists! I even received some advice on dental school matters like the application process and dental school itself! Although I have a couple years of undergrad to go, I will take all of the advice and guidance that I can get!
All of the dental work done at Give Kids A Smile was pro bono and sadly, the entire second bus-load of pre-approved patients did not arrive. To have 15 dentists that were donating their time to perform work on patients free of charge is such a blessing to these kids, but only if they show up. It's such a shame that these opportunities were taken for granted and not used. Although I don't know the reasons for absense of the second wave of patients, it is discouraging to see these great opportunities going to waste.
That night, all of the office staff went out to dinner. I was able to see Dr. Andy's little girls, Emma and Ruby, again. They convinced me to order a dessert which turned out to be much bigger than we thought!! They helped me eat it, but there was no way that hot fudge brownie sundae was completely finished!
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