How we got to space camp...

Hi there! I am one half of the Kelly & Tackett @ Space Camp Team. My name is Missy Kelly and I am an elementary gifted teacher and science enthusiast.  Melissa Tackett and I were former coworkers... that are now coworkers again! We taught together for three years and now she has just moved to my school for the new school year. We will once again be working together under the same roof! He he (insert devious laugh here)...

It has been almost 2 months since we first found out our Space Camp news. It is still a little surreal. I wanted to start out with the story of how we got to this point. 

When we worked together 4 years ago, we made a pact that we would go to space camp. It was over a discussion about teaching space that we found out that we both shared a dream to attend space camp since we were little. You know... the typical sciency discussion between two grown adults. But how could we make this happen? We had a problem to solve. So what did I do, I dug a little on the web and found out about Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy. 

I couldn't wait to tell Tackett. We could not only go to space camp, but we could get scholarships! So the next fall we both applied. I had started at a new school, but we were both still eligible. We found out in March that we didn't get in to camp. I was really sad and even looked into how much it would cost to just go on our own. Tackett had just gotten married and we both decided it wasn't feasible that year to pay. We were still determined to make this happen. I don't take no for an answer!

So... if at first you don't succeed then try, try again! I could practice what I preach to my students and persevere. The next fall rolled around and applications were due again. I put my heart and soul in that writing (and a little prayers!). Tackett and I would dream about what it would be like a space camp and how cool it would be to bring all that information back to our classes. Before we knew it, March rolled around. I was on spring break that week and I was home with my kids. My phone buzzed because I had gotten an email. I saw the notification that said 'Space Camp'. I held my breath. I opened the email and scanned it quickly...

Dear Melissa,

Congratulations! You have been selected to attend the 2013 Honeywell Educators @ Space Academy (HE@SA) program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Ala.  We are thrilled to have you participate in this exciting educational program...

 All I saw was CONGRATULATIONS and I screamed!!!! My kids came running and asked what was wrong. I told them I was GOING TO SPACE CAMP!!! They weren't at all interested. They went back to what they were doing. What in the heck were they thinking? This was SPACE CAMP and I was going and they didn't even blink. I questioned myself as a parent and then decided I had to talk to someone who cared. So I called my husband, Ryan. He was really excited and couldn't believe it either. He said he would take care of everything at home for me that week. 

Then he asked, what about Tackett? My thought was what if she didn't get in and I did? I would feel so bad. We had to go together. So I told him I would call her and I did. She answered calmly with 'hello'. I said 'hello' in a way to calm for me voice. I asked her if she got an email lately and she asked the same thing back. This was not a normal tone for our conversations. We are loud and high energy. I couldn't hold it in and I blurted out that I got in and then she said SHE DID TOO! Then all things were chaotic once again. Jumping, screaming, running; it was the most amazing feeling. Something we had planned years ago was coming true. It was a long shot that we would both be accepted in the same year at the same time. But, this was REALLY happening! After we both calmed down a little, we talked. We knew several things...

1. Space Camp didn't know what it was in for with the two of us coming together...
2. It was going to be the educational experience of a lifetime...
3. We absolutely had to go shopping to prepare for this event!

So we have been planning and talking and screaming about it ever since. We plan to keep this blog updated prior to our experience, during and after. Since we will be teaching together once again, who knows what kind of space hijinks will be going on in our hallways next year?

I hope my kids will also read this when they are older and realize how AMAZING it is that their mom got to have this experience. :)

I still can't believe it...WE ARE GOING TO SPACE CAMP!