Summer is a-comin'! I don't know who is more excited, me or the kids. It's so funny because nothing technically will change much for us. Lydia does a little preschool co-op that ends next week, and I've been doing some babysitting that will probably trickle off into the summer. But as far as everything else goes - it will all be the same stuff.
Except sun! And swimming. And popsicles outside on the grass. And shorts, and sandals, and eating dinner outside!
Yes. I'm really really really excited.
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I have so many things to blog about, but then I sit down and can't think of a single flowing thought. So here's a list of things I'm thinking about today:
-Babysitters. We're so blessed to be surrounded by so many willing babysitters (friends and family). It seems like this is such a busy time of year for everyone. But literally, just this week, we need a babysitter almost every night. Tonight my sister Jenna is letting us drop our kids off at her house while David and I go to dinner with one of the partners from David's firm. Tomorrow, my brother Matthew is watching the kids because I have a meeting that evening and David has a work event that goes until late at night. Friday our good friends, the Shields, are watching them while we go to the temple for our babysitting swap night. Saturday we have tickets to Jane Eyre at Hale Center Theater and my sister Melissa is coming to watch Lydia and Austin at our house. (It's going to be a busy rest of the week!) Then next week is our anniversary and David's sister Wendy said she would babysit, and just the past couple weeks his sister Amy watched the kids for hours and hours while we went van shopping. Whew! I'm so incredible grateful for these wonderful people who are willing to play with Lydia and Austin and take such good care of them for us.
-Window Seat. When we built our home, we bumped out the window/wall in our stairway so that we could build a window seat. After 3 years of living here - we are finally making it happen! Here's hoping that in the next month it will be done. I can't wait!
-I still haven't blogged about Lydia's birthday or her turning four. (You better bet that when I post them, I'm going to back post them for when they belong - but this is my honesty post.) I really should be working on that instead of this random post. But, really, how did my little girl turn four? She tells everyone that she is four - almost five. She's embraced it, that's for certain.
Happy Wednesday!
Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday (Christmas Edition)
This morning started earlier than usual when a 5:30 feeding with Austin abruptly ended with him spitting up everything that he'd eaten all over my shirt/pants/body then pooping a blow-out diaper in less than a minute and 30 seconds. Lydia woke up at this same time with a peed-out diaper and wet pajamas and sheets. I changed her diaper/pajamas and got her settled on top of a blanket to read some books until it got "light outside" and went to finish taking care of Austin. After giving up on getting either of them back in bed, I was holding Austin and talking to David while he was getting ready. I said "Just think! Today is Wednesday. So right now it seems like there are a billion days before the weekend - but tonight we will only have 2 days left!" He laughed and said "True, but we have to survive today first!" Touche.
It sounds like a terrible start to the day, but actually both kids were incredibly cheerful and smiley through the whole thing and I can't help but be happy. We defrosted some breakfast sandwiches that we had made in bulk last week and we all enjoyed a yummy breakfast together (complete with Orange Juice). David had to leave quickly after eating his sandwich, but as Lydia and I moved to the couch after finishing our breakfast I said "This is nice." To which she replied "This is nice." It was sweet.
In other news from our life - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here! Well, at least inside of our house. The outside still looks like this: (It's been an unseasonably warm December.)
But the inside looks like this:
See all of these presents?
We are 99% done with our Christmas shopping and wrapping. Just one more present to buy and wrap (and that's happening today). This year the church produced a video called He is the Gift with the encouragement to #sharethegift and with each present I've purchased and wrapped, I've thought about our Savior and the gift that he is. I'm so grateful for the chance to focus on Him and his gift.
Lydia is at such a fun age, and I'm so excited for Christmas this year. David has been doing some good FHEs this month focused around Christmas and the Savior. Lydia can tell you that the lights on the Christmas tree remind us of the star and that the Christmas Tree reminds us of Jesus. It's the most special thing. We weren't sure how we were going to approach the Santa thing (I've thought for years that we were just going to not do Santa) - but we decided that we didn't want to take that away from our children. I'm not sure exactly how we'll do it in the future but this year, Lydia can tell you that Santa brings us presents on Christmas morning because he loves Jesus and he wants to remind us of Him.
We've done some other fun Christmas things - we went to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point which Lydia loved. We went to our ward Christmas party (and made the homemade ornaments you see on the tree above - the polarbear, elf, and reindeer - I love them!). We made yummy little plates of treats for our Neighbor Gifts full of brownies, lemon bars, donuts, and little sugar cookies. We made a few bigger cookies and decorated them one evening.
And we've also gotten all of our Christmas Cards addressed - I just need to send them today. I love the way they turned out.
For future reference:
I used this website and the font Feel Script as a reference for the outside of the envelopes.
So on this Wednesday morning, I'm sitting here and thinking about how much I enjoy the Christmas season. I love all the lights, and parties, and cookies, and family, and traditions. But I am especially grateful for the Gift of Jesus Christ and the peace that it can bring to us. The visiting teaching message this month is focused on the peace of the Savior. (I'm going visiting teaching today and loved the message.)
“The Savior is the source of true peace,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace.” Understanding that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace can help us find inner peace and increase our faith in Him.
Jesus Christ said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Bearing testimony of that truth, Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, said: “The Lord has been merciful to me and has helped make my burdens light. He has helped me to feel great peace.”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “The ideal place for … peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece.”
I love what Elder Scott says about making Jesus Christ the centerpiece of our homes and how that brings us peace. I love it. I hope that my little family grows up feeling the peace that comes from having Christ at the center of their lives.
Happy Wednesday!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Wednesday
This morning I had all sorts of things that I wanted to write about and decided that today I would write a "Wednesday" post full of all of my random little thoughts. However, as I am sitting down to write this post I can't think of a single thing that I wanted to write about. I still feel the need to write (for my sanity more than anything) so who knows what this post will actually be about.
This morning Lydia and I had a painting party while Austin napped. I worked on some crafts that have been waiting patiently and I let Lydia paint a big blank canvas that I had laying around. I plan to hang it up in her room. It was nice, and I felt happy to be doing something productive and fun with my girl. I only half-finished several projects, *sigh*, but it's progress. Her canvas ended up being perfect. Messy and full of mixed colors and obviously painted by a two year old, but I think it will be fun to hang in her room. I've hit a wall with Austin's nursery and instead I've turned my creative energy to Lydia's room. We hung bookshelves and it's gotten me antsy to hang things on the wall and make it a fun big-girl-room for Lyd. I made a puff-ball garland and hung it above her bed and we just finished hanging some beautiful white-ruffled curtains over her windows. I love the way it's turning out.
I don't like drama. I can occasionally be kind of dramatic, but real drama makes my stomach twist and makes me want to cry. Our neighborhood facebook page has been kind of dramatic lately and I can't get it out of my head. When people are mean or upset, it makes my heart hurt - especially because I just don't know how to change anything. Along with this - I've slowly started shying away from any TV shows with much drama in them. I can't handle the stress. Instead I have been convincing David to watch things like HGTV, Shark Tank, or Chopped. Shows without much storyline and a conclusion to every episode. I can't handle the suspense.
I don't want to leave my house today. I just want to stay home and not have to do anything. But I just submitted a photo order to Walgreens and they called me to say that it was finished but they accidentally printed the biggest photo on a canvas paper instead of a photo paper (which is a more expensive print) and asked me to come in and see if I'm happy with the canvas or if I want them to reprint it. I'm sure I'll keep the canvas, even if it is going in a frame - but I really don't want to leave and wish that I could just stay home. My manners tell me that I should go today, but my brain says that it will be just fine to wait until I'm already out tomorrow.
Lydia has been in love with looking at pictures of her when she was a baby, or pictures of David and I when we were babies. She has recently started asking to "Watch when I was a baby?" Which means that she wants to watch the video that I made of her first year. I love the video and comply pretty much anytime she asks. We then started watching the video of her second year, because the music is even more upbeat and the videos of her are so cute. I've loved watching them with her and remembering how darling she was. It makes me so excited to have Austin grow and learn and start doing some of the same things. There is one clip in the 1-2 year video that shows Lydia in the pantry where she had made a mess playing with the pancake mix. I love the video and laugh every time it comes on. However, today I found Lydia re-enacting that scene. She had been at the computer watching the video and two seconds later she was in the pantry with pancake mix all over the floor. Ah! As soon as I heard her in there I knew what was happening and as I stood in the doorway I didn't know what to do. I was torn between getting the camera and taking another picture to put up next to the first one and angrily telling her that it wasn't funny for her to make messes and that she was a big girl now. (I'm not having the greatest or most patient of days. In retrospect, it is kind of funny - but at the moment I was not amused.) I maintained my calm and helped clean her up while asking her about why she was playing in the pancake mix. We then talked about how she was trying to do the same thing as in the movie, but that we really shouldn't play in the pancake mix because then there won't be enough for us to eat pancakes and pancake mix doesn't belong on the floor. I'm grateful that I stayed calm and didn't show my frustration, because I know that she is so tender and that she wasn't trying to make a mess. She was trying to be cute and fun (she was playing with the mix in her hands the same way as in the clip and had even put it on her face just like she had in the movie - you could tell she was just trying to recreate it and she had actually done a good job). I think that we'll stop watching those videos for a while now though.
This post of full of nothing. And actually a bit complainy. *sigh*
But - I am excited for this weekend! We are going to my parents house for Thanksgiving on Saturday. (Bless them and their sweet compromising selves for being willing to host Thanksgiving a week early so we can do Thanksgiving with both families.) I can't wait to see my siblings and spend some quality family time with everyone. Then just two days of work and David is off for the rest of the week! Some more Thanksgiving, some black friday shopping, and maybe even a visit with Santa to tell him what we want for Christmas. (Lydia wants roller-skates.) Then putting up the tree and getting ready for Christmas and all of the magic that comes with the holidays. Only a few more days and then fun-fun-fun! I am so excited to celebrate this year with Austin and Lydia. We are just so blessed.
This morning Lydia and I had a painting party while Austin napped. I worked on some crafts that have been waiting patiently and I let Lydia paint a big blank canvas that I had laying around. I plan to hang it up in her room. It was nice, and I felt happy to be doing something productive and fun with my girl. I only half-finished several projects, *sigh*, but it's progress. Her canvas ended up being perfect. Messy and full of mixed colors and obviously painted by a two year old, but I think it will be fun to hang in her room. I've hit a wall with Austin's nursery and instead I've turned my creative energy to Lydia's room. We hung bookshelves and it's gotten me antsy to hang things on the wall and make it a fun big-girl-room for Lyd. I made a puff-ball garland and hung it above her bed and we just finished hanging some beautiful white-ruffled curtains over her windows. I love the way it's turning out.
I don't like drama. I can occasionally be kind of dramatic, but real drama makes my stomach twist and makes me want to cry. Our neighborhood facebook page has been kind of dramatic lately and I can't get it out of my head. When people are mean or upset, it makes my heart hurt - especially because I just don't know how to change anything. Along with this - I've slowly started shying away from any TV shows with much drama in them. I can't handle the stress. Instead I have been convincing David to watch things like HGTV, Shark Tank, or Chopped. Shows without much storyline and a conclusion to every episode. I can't handle the suspense.
I don't want to leave my house today. I just want to stay home and not have to do anything. But I just submitted a photo order to Walgreens and they called me to say that it was finished but they accidentally printed the biggest photo on a canvas paper instead of a photo paper (which is a more expensive print) and asked me to come in and see if I'm happy with the canvas or if I want them to reprint it. I'm sure I'll keep the canvas, even if it is going in a frame - but I really don't want to leave and wish that I could just stay home. My manners tell me that I should go today, but my brain says that it will be just fine to wait until I'm already out tomorrow.
Lydia has been in love with looking at pictures of her when she was a baby, or pictures of David and I when we were babies. She has recently started asking to "Watch when I was a baby?" Which means that she wants to watch the video that I made of her first year. I love the video and comply pretty much anytime she asks. We then started watching the video of her second year, because the music is even more upbeat and the videos of her are so cute. I've loved watching them with her and remembering how darling she was. It makes me so excited to have Austin grow and learn and start doing some of the same things. There is one clip in the 1-2 year video that shows Lydia in the pantry where she had made a mess playing with the pancake mix. I love the video and laugh every time it comes on. However, today I found Lydia re-enacting that scene. She had been at the computer watching the video and two seconds later she was in the pantry with pancake mix all over the floor. Ah! As soon as I heard her in there I knew what was happening and as I stood in the doorway I didn't know what to do. I was torn between getting the camera and taking another picture to put up next to the first one and angrily telling her that it wasn't funny for her to make messes and that she was a big girl now. (I'm not having the greatest or most patient of days. In retrospect, it is kind of funny - but at the moment I was not amused.) I maintained my calm and helped clean her up while asking her about why she was playing in the pancake mix. We then talked about how she was trying to do the same thing as in the movie, but that we really shouldn't play in the pancake mix because then there won't be enough for us to eat pancakes and pancake mix doesn't belong on the floor. I'm grateful that I stayed calm and didn't show my frustration, because I know that she is so tender and that she wasn't trying to make a mess. She was trying to be cute and fun (she was playing with the mix in her hands the same way as in the clip and had even put it on her face just like she had in the movie - you could tell she was just trying to recreate it and she had actually done a good job). I think that we'll stop watching those videos for a while now though.
This post of full of nothing. And actually a bit complainy. *sigh*
But - I am excited for this weekend! We are going to my parents house for Thanksgiving on Saturday. (Bless them and their sweet compromising selves for being willing to host Thanksgiving a week early so we can do Thanksgiving with both families.) I can't wait to see my siblings and spend some quality family time with everyone. Then just two days of work and David is off for the rest of the week! Some more Thanksgiving, some black friday shopping, and maybe even a visit with Santa to tell him what we want for Christmas. (Lydia wants roller-skates.) Then putting up the tree and getting ready for Christmas and all of the magic that comes with the holidays. Only a few more days and then fun-fun-fun! I am so excited to celebrate this year with Austin and Lydia. We are just so blessed.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Thursday
I meant to write a "Wednesday" post yesterday, but I was too busy having fun with my sister-in-law, Amy. But, lets be honest, Thursday is way better than Wednesday... even if only because it is one day closer to Friday, which is when David is home for the weekend!
I can't believe that summer is almost over. We are more than half-way through August and September is right around the corner. I have mixed feelings. I really love summer, but the upcoming holidays are going to be SO much fun with Miss Lydia. I can hardly wait for Halloween, not to mention how excited I am for her first Christmas! I feel like we have been insanely busy this summer - constantly on the go. Weddings, parties, family, friends, and lots and lots of house hunting. Even with all of that, I have hardly any of my "summer bucket list" items checked off. I'm not too bummed, because I don't know when we would even have been able to fit them in, but I am definitely going to try to squeeze a few of them in before the weather turns too cold.
With the approach of fall, I've started to have some serious "back to school" nightmares. Last night my students had a full out food fight while I was talking to the vice principal who was returning a #2 pencil to me. That was jumbled between trying to set up a lab experiment for my students in the basement of Angela's (from Bones) house and trying to stop the Janitors from getting away with some big plot (of which I can no longer remember). I have weird dreams. I'm just grateful for David who always always holds me close after I wake him up to tell him that I'm having a bad dream. Oh, the point of this was not to tell you about my many nightmares - but rather to express how happy I am to NOT be going back to school. Seriously, I loved teaching. But I love staying at home with my baby way way more. People keep asking me if I am sad not to be going back, and I can honestly say that i'm not. I'm just happy to be this little girls mama. That is enough for me.
I've been trying all sorts of great Pinterest recipes lately. High Heels and Grills "Mini-Philly Cheesesteaks" - awesome. Forgotten Chicken - not so much. Next up on the list to make are Crunchwrap Supremes and Chicken Broccoli Pies. Oh, and we ate some pretty delicious Navajo Tacos last night. Yum.
I bought two nursing shirts from BabySteals last week. They just came in the mail and they are oh, so cute! I have been wearing the same four shirts outside of the house everytime I needed to leave because they were the only ones I own conducive to feeding Lydia. Even they weren't particularly comfortable. And at home I pretty much stick to my walmart $5 v-necks. I really can't express how excited I am for these beauties. Yay!
8,000 envelopes arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Thats in addition to the 12,000 that we ordered just a couple of months ago. Business is good.
We are waist deep in this whole "building a home process". There is a lot more yet to do, but progress is being made! Our structural upgrades were just approved. (yay for pocket doors, pendant lights, pop-outs and laundry-room sinks!) It's not going to be my DREAM dream house. But it's definitely way above and beyond my dream-starter house. David and I are so blessed, and SO so excited.
This whole post is pretty random. But I guess that's what a Thursday post should be. Now, we are just counting down until David gets home tonight. Tomorrow, he has a big banquet-lunch-celebration for passing the CPA exam at the Little America, and I get to go with him! That means working from home in the morning and an early weekend for us.
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Wednesday and a great opportunity!
Is it Wednesday again already? I suppose it is. For some reason - this morning feels much more like a Monday than anything else. Not that I haven't had to go to school for the last two days. It just feels like a Monday.
It may have something to do with the fact that I almost ran out of gas on the way to school today and then had to buy sewing supplies during my lunch break - resulting in me being 10 minutes late to my Clothing I class.
In happier news... I am going to attend this Photography workshop in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! I'm totally hoping to find a friend who is willing to come with me. Do I have any takers? Mindy Black is the photographer who took our wedding photos and I absolutely adore her. Holly Hyde is an equally amazing photographer and I have been following her work for quite some time. Happy day! I was thrilled when I realized that I would be able to attend their workshop - so here is my plug... Come with me and lets have some fun! I love photography - and just think it's a great skill to have. Don't want to pay the money? Lucky for you, they are giving away one free entry to the workshop! Check out this link:
http://mindyblackphotography.blogspot.com/2011/11/enter-to-win-free-seat-at-our.html to find out how.
Seriously. If you are interested... let me know. I think it's going to be awesome!
It may have something to do with the fact that I almost ran out of gas on the way to school today and then had to buy sewing supplies during my lunch break - resulting in me being 10 minutes late to my Clothing I class.
In happier news... I am going to attend this Photography workshop in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! I'm totally hoping to find a friend who is willing to come with me. Do I have any takers? Mindy Black is the photographer who took our wedding photos and I absolutely adore her. Holly Hyde is an equally amazing photographer and I have been following her work for quite some time. Happy day! I was thrilled when I realized that I would be able to attend their workshop - so here is my plug... Come with me and lets have some fun! I love photography - and just think it's a great skill to have. Don't want to pay the money? Lucky for you, they are giving away one free entry to the workshop! Check out this link:
http://mindyblackphotography.blogspot.com/2011/11/enter-to-win-free-seat-at-our.html to find out how.
Seriously. If you are interested... let me know. I think it's going to be awesome!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday
I don't have much to write- but I need a break before I write my lesson plans for the sub that i'm having tomorrow. I can't tell you how much I hate writing lesson plans for a sub. Really... I just hate having a sub! We are having a department meeting during the first half of the day and so I have to get someone else to teach my classes. Lame. 10 times out of 10 I would prefer to meet after school than have to get a sub for my classes. Bah. Oh well. (Besides, they aren't even feeding us lunch. Double Lame.)
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Wednesdays? I don't know why - but I do. A lot. Hence the ever-so-often blog posts dedicated to them. Today has been a good day, but crazy. My foods class cooked today - and instead of having them all make one thing, I had them all make different things and then potluck it up at the front for a little Halloween party. Can you say insane? Yes, it was. And yes, I am. I had on the agenda for me to wake up extra early so that I could get to school extra early so I could be organized and prepared for my extra intense foods class today. But after being at the school last night until 7, shopping for Foods lab supplies until 9:30, and doing wedding announcements until midnight - I was plum tuckered out! I didn't get out of bed until 6:50. I was planning to be at the school at 6:45. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to my school. I rolled in around 7:20 (I am supposed to be there at 7:15 on an average day.) Moral of the story, I was late. Things were a little unorganized (which I hate) - but we survived... even if our chocolate frosting did not. (I had a student put the entire can of evaporated milk into the frosting mixture instead of the 5 tablespoons like the recipe called for. Oh well.)
I think that I need to drink more water. I've been feeling really dehydrated. I keep a water bottle on my desk and refill it a couple of times a day... but I don't think it's cutting it. I've been trying to be more healthy lately - and that includes staying hydrated. In fact for lunch today I ate carrots, red peppers, and celery that were leftover from the "Ghouls Veggie Delight Tray" this morning. However, Idipped smothered them in a buttermilk ranch dip and paired them with six oreo cookies. I'm such a rock star example for my nutrition students.
I love my prep period. I only have a free period every other day and it is glorious! I can clean my room, grade papers, and organize lessons (and blog and blogstalk and eat oreo cookies) all without having any student distractions and with the sun shining through my window. I am on my prep period now, and honestly - I don't know if I could have made it through another class today. It's so nice to be able to sit and rest. Its amazing how teaching an 85 minute class seems like it will take forever. But a measly 85 minute prep period seems to fly by! Much like this one is doing. I really must get back to writing my lesson plans.
Wednesday must mean random thoughts of Shantel. But it's nice to be able to organize some of the things that I have been thinking about today and get them written down.
Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!
Have I ever mentioned how much I love Wednesdays? I don't know why - but I do. A lot. Hence the ever-so-often blog posts dedicated to them. Today has been a good day, but crazy. My foods class cooked today - and instead of having them all make one thing, I had them all make different things and then potluck it up at the front for a little Halloween party. Can you say insane? Yes, it was. And yes, I am. I had on the agenda for me to wake up extra early so that I could get to school extra early so I could be organized and prepared for my extra intense foods class today. But after being at the school last night until 7, shopping for Foods lab supplies until 9:30, and doing wedding announcements until midnight - I was plum tuckered out! I didn't get out of bed until 6:50. I was planning to be at the school at 6:45. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to my school. I rolled in around 7:20 (I am supposed to be there at 7:15 on an average day.) Moral of the story, I was late. Things were a little unorganized (which I hate) - but we survived... even if our chocolate frosting did not. (I had a student put the entire can of evaporated milk into the frosting mixture instead of the 5 tablespoons like the recipe called for. Oh well.)
I think that I need to drink more water. I've been feeling really dehydrated. I keep a water bottle on my desk and refill it a couple of times a day... but I don't think it's cutting it. I've been trying to be more healthy lately - and that includes staying hydrated. In fact for lunch today I ate carrots, red peppers, and celery that were leftover from the "Ghouls Veggie Delight Tray" this morning. However, I
I love my prep period. I only have a free period every other day and it is glorious! I can clean my room, grade papers, and organize lessons (and blog and blogstalk and eat oreo cookies) all without having any student distractions and with the sun shining through my window. I am on my prep period now, and honestly - I don't know if I could have made it through another class today. It's so nice to be able to sit and rest. Its amazing how teaching an 85 minute class seems like it will take forever. But a measly 85 minute prep period seems to fly by! Much like this one is doing. I really must get back to writing my lesson plans.
Wednesday must mean random thoughts of Shantel. But it's nice to be able to organize some of the things that I have been thinking about today and get them written down.
Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Accomplishment for the day...
It's Wednesday, and I am back in my classroom getting ready for school to start next week. It is a very exciting thing - but I am also kicking myself for not doing more this summer. *sigh* C'est la vie. I
enjoyed my summer to the fullest and now it is back to the grindstone.
I have made posters/bulliten boards, worked on my grading scale, and done other organizational things around my classroom. However - my biggest accomplishment today is my website! I finally buckled down and created a website for my classroom. It isn't perfect - but I am really excited and think that it will really help me out during the school year. I realize that you probably don't care - but the school is basically empty and I don't have anyone to share my awesomeness with (except for David - and I already made him look at it.) Therefore - I am sharing said awesomeness with you.
enjoyed my summer to the fullest and now it is back to the grindstone.
I have made posters/bulliten boards, worked on my grading scale, and done other organizational things around my classroom. However - my biggest accomplishment today is my website! I finally buckled down and created a website for my classroom. It isn't perfect - but I am really excited and think that it will really help me out during the school year. I realize that you probably don't care - but the school is basically empty and I don't have anyone to share my awesomeness with (except for David - and I already made him look at it.) Therefore - I am sharing said awesomeness with you.
Again, I know that it isn't perfect - but I am really proud of it. Thanks for caring!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Thursday
I really hate coming up with titles for my blog posts. There is this pressure there that is just too much for me. What if you decide not to read my post because the title isn't interesting enough? Is there a correlation between comments and an interesting title? Like, if I have a boring title then no one will comment on my post? See. There is too much pressure.
So the big news around our house lately is that David got new glasses! He looks so handsome in his new specs. The poor boy hasn't had new glasses since he was 14. His prescription was vastly outdated - to the point that if we were watching a movie, or playing cards, or really doing anything, he would have to change back into his contacts. Needless to say, we are really excited for him to have some new glasses. Being able to see is such a wonderful thing. I am definitely going to post a picture of his new look soon. Maybe tonight. Until then, this picture will have to do.
In other news: my hair is now long enough to pull back into a messy bun. This is pretty big news. Unfortunately, this means that my hair will probably be pulled back 75% more often than it used to be. Well.. fortunately for my morning sleep time, unfortunately for my attempts at trying to look professional at school. I can resist pulling my hair into a ponytail - but the messy bun looks just nice enough to pass and is still really easy. I wish that I had a good picture of my "messy bun". It was a staple for me in high school - but my college life was one of fairly short hair. Now that my hair is growing out (slowly and painfully) I am finally able to make it work again! Hooray!
Well, thats it folks. Thursdays are not nearly so interesting as Wednesdays are. But they are one day closer to weekend and that, my friends, is all that matters. And so, with that in mind, I wish you a very happy Thursday!
So the big news around our house lately is that David got new glasses! He looks so handsome in his new specs. The poor boy hasn't had new glasses since he was 14. His prescription was vastly outdated - to the point that if we were watching a movie, or playing cards, or really doing anything, he would have to change back into his contacts. Needless to say, we are really excited for him to have some new glasses. Being able to see is such a wonderful thing. I am definitely going to post a picture of his new look soon. Maybe tonight. Until then, this picture will have to do.
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| These aren't the exact ones - but they are very similar. |
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| Like this, but not nearly so prom-ish. And lots less hair. Lets be honest - I could never get my hair to look like this. |
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday.... again.
Well, here we are. It's Wednesday again. How did that happen so quickly? Who knows.
The big news of the week is that I was officially hired as a contract teacher here at Westlake High School. I interviewed last Thursday, and they told me yesterday morning. Last night David and I celebrated by eating pizza pockets for dessert while watching an episode of Lois and Clark. (After which, I promptly fell asleep on the couch until David kindly woke me up and helped me crawl into bed.) But back to the big news - the fact that I was hired as the official teacher is a big deal. I've been so blessed to get this job. I will be forever grateful to my friend Emily who basically dropped this opportunity into my lab. I would feel a little guilty about snatching this job away from here if she wasn't so happy staying home with her darling baby girl. (And if I wasn't so jealous of her because of it!)
Today, being Wednesday, is parent teacher conferences at Westlake. This means I will be here for the next 4 hours. Not that this would be unusual for me. I generally stay till 5:30, and Tuesday I was here until 7:30. I just won't be able to get as much work done as I usually do. However, I do have something grand to look forward to. Tonight is HBM's "End of Busy Season" Party - and David and I get to go party with the rest of David's incredibly interesting Accounting associates. Hooray! (I really do love HBM. They have been such a great place for David to work, and the people there are awesome.)
Okay, sorry for another random post. We have been incredible slackers at taking pictures lately, and so I don't have much else to post about but the random musings of my mind. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
The big news of the week is that I was officially hired as a contract teacher here at Westlake High School. I interviewed last Thursday, and they told me yesterday morning. Last night David and I celebrated by eating pizza pockets for dessert while watching an episode of Lois and Clark. (After which, I promptly fell asleep on the couch until David kindly woke me up and helped me crawl into bed.) But back to the big news - the fact that I was hired as the official teacher is a big deal. I've been so blessed to get this job. I will be forever grateful to my friend Emily who basically dropped this opportunity into my lab. I would feel a little guilty about snatching this job away from here if she wasn't so happy staying home with her darling baby girl. (And if I wasn't so jealous of her because of it!)
Today, being Wednesday, is parent teacher conferences at Westlake. This means I will be here for the next 4 hours. Not that this would be unusual for me. I generally stay till 5:30, and Tuesday I was here until 7:30. I just won't be able to get as much work done as I usually do. However, I do have something grand to look forward to. Tonight is HBM's "End of Busy Season" Party - and David and I get to go party with the rest of David's incredibly interesting Accounting associates. Hooray! (I really do love HBM. They have been such a great place for David to work, and the people there are awesome.)
Okay, sorry for another random post. We have been incredible slackers at taking pictures lately, and so I don't have much else to post about but the random musings of my mind. Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Wednesday
Well Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to real life. Spring Break was awesome. Full of hanging out with family, playing Mario with David, and watching loads of movies on Netflix instant play. Oh, and of course the occasional lesson plan. I'll be honest, I got way more R&R and way less school work done than I had planned - but honestly I wouldn't have changed a thing.
Now it's back to the grindstone. It's so funny because just three months ago we had such big changes in our life. Graduating, moving, getting new jobs, growing up, etc...etc... But now, everything seems routine. I think that we have been really blessed because we have been able to adjust so well. I feel happy and comfortable in our routine. In a way - it's really not that much different from anything we've been doing for the past 15 years. Wake up - go to the place you are supposed to be - work hard - come home - eat dinner - go to sleep. Except now we are getting paid to go to that place we are supposed to be! It's amazing what a difference that makes. Yes, I have a difficult job. I teach six different classes. Six different classes. But even when I get stressed out it's fine - because someone is paying me to teach all six of those classes!
How wonderful.
This post is so random already, but I forgot what I was going to write about and am in need of a little break - so this is what you get. I thought about titling the post "Random" but then I figured that I have enough posts with that title. This is definitely a "Wednesday" post. Funny thing about Wednesdays - in the morning it seems like the rest of the week is looming over you. The week has barely begun. But as soon as it reaches evening time it feels like the weekend is practically here. Seriously - only Thursday and Friday left this week. I guess it's even more so for me, because that means I only have one more A day and one more B day. Hooray for block schedule. (Seriously - I would definitely recommend this schedule to any school who was asking.)
Wednesdays are about the glass being half full.
Here are some things that fill my glass to overflowing:
-Making it over the mid-week hump. Hooray!
-Husbands who don't mind sharing in the dish duty. (I like to make dinner, I love to eat dinner, but I hate to clean up after dinner. This is why our sink is constantly full of dishes.Until the "dishes fairy" comes and does the dishes after I've gone to bed.)
-Old-school TV shows. Remington Steele, Mork and Mindy, Superman, Star Trek, Quincy. Our new favorite is Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. (note: I do know that not all of these could really be classified as "Old School" - but they are all off the air - and that makes me love them even more.)
-Seeing my students take a project or assignment and running with it. (You should see some of the "Trash to Treasure" projects my clothing students have made. I have everything from Capri-Sun purses to baseball skin dresses!)
-Pretty tissue boxes. I got sick at the end of spring break and haven't been feeling up to par lately. Luckily I have some pretty tissue boxes to help me and my nose get through this tough time. It almost makes my incredibly runny nose worth it.
-Dr. Pepper - Cherry. First of all - you have to understand that David and I are not big soda drinkers. In fact - we don't eat many sweets or treats at all. But every once in a while we will pick up a few cans of Dr. Pepper. We were at Smiths the other day and they had a killer deal on Dr. Pepper - Cherry. It is delicious! I like to put my can in the freezer so that when I open it it gets all fizzy and the soda is slushy. Especially good for those sore throats out there.
-Teaching the Gospel. David and I have recently been called as ward missionaries. I'll be honest - this is probably the most out of my comfort zone that a calling could be. Ask me to teach a class, or head up a committee, or even be in the nursery - no sweat. But making cold visits to inactive or less active members or the ward? It makes me nervous. I'm just not super good socially. (I realize that may not make sense - but that is how I feel.) However, we have been teaching this sweet little 8 year old boy, and his less-active mom, the discussions so that he can be baptized. They are such a nice family - and it is so amazing to be able to teach and to feel the spirit in their home. I guess it's like my bishop in my family's ward always says, "The gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." I really believe that is true. We learn and grow by stepping outside of our comfort zone and comforting the people around us.
-Red Ladder Design. I seriously love what I do. The Bridal Fair was a blast - and hopefully it will be really successful. I think that whole whole wedding industry - and I had almost as much fun analyzing the business models of the various vendors at the fair as I did talking about Red Ladder Design and why it is by far the best place to get wedding announcements done. (I'm a salesperson at heart - I really am.)
-Lifesaver Jelly Beans. I'll be honest, I don't particularly love Easter Candy. Sure, I love a few pieces of chocolate (especially if there is a peanut butter surprise inside) now and then - but the candy just doesn't float my boat, if you will. The exception to this rule is a big bag of Lifesaver Jelly Beans. Can you say tangy-fruity-deliciousness-encased-in-a-sugar-coated-shell? Yum, yum, yum.
Well... there you have it. My random Wednesday thoughts and little items of gratitude. What things are you thinking about today? What fills your glass to overflowing?
Now it's back to the grindstone. It's so funny because just three months ago we had such big changes in our life. Graduating, moving, getting new jobs, growing up, etc...etc... But now, everything seems routine. I think that we have been really blessed because we have been able to adjust so well. I feel happy and comfortable in our routine. In a way - it's really not that much different from anything we've been doing for the past 15 years. Wake up - go to the place you are supposed to be - work hard - come home - eat dinner - go to sleep. Except now we are getting paid to go to that place we are supposed to be! It's amazing what a difference that makes. Yes, I have a difficult job. I teach six different classes. Six different classes. But even when I get stressed out it's fine - because someone is paying me to teach all six of those classes!
How wonderful.
This post is so random already, but I forgot what I was going to write about and am in need of a little break - so this is what you get. I thought about titling the post "Random" but then I figured that I have enough posts with that title. This is definitely a "Wednesday" post. Funny thing about Wednesdays - in the morning it seems like the rest of the week is looming over you. The week has barely begun. But as soon as it reaches evening time it feels like the weekend is practically here. Seriously - only Thursday and Friday left this week. I guess it's even more so for me, because that means I only have one more A day and one more B day. Hooray for block schedule. (Seriously - I would definitely recommend this schedule to any school who was asking.)
Wednesdays are about the glass being half full.
Here are some things that fill my glass to overflowing:
-Making it over the mid-week hump. Hooray!
-Husbands who don't mind sharing in the dish duty. (I like to make dinner, I love to eat dinner, but I hate to clean up after dinner. This is why our sink is constantly full of dishes.Until the "dishes fairy" comes and does the dishes after I've gone to bed.)
-Old-school TV shows. Remington Steele, Mork and Mindy, Superman, Star Trek, Quincy. Our new favorite is Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. (note: I do know that not all of these could really be classified as "Old School" - but they are all off the air - and that makes me love them even more.)
-Seeing my students take a project or assignment and running with it. (You should see some of the "Trash to Treasure" projects my clothing students have made. I have everything from Capri-Sun purses to baseball skin dresses!)
-Pretty tissue boxes. I got sick at the end of spring break and haven't been feeling up to par lately. Luckily I have some pretty tissue boxes to help me and my nose get through this tough time. It almost makes my incredibly runny nose worth it.
-Dr. Pepper - Cherry. First of all - you have to understand that David and I are not big soda drinkers. In fact - we don't eat many sweets or treats at all. But every once in a while we will pick up a few cans of Dr. Pepper. We were at Smiths the other day and they had a killer deal on Dr. Pepper - Cherry. It is delicious! I like to put my can in the freezer so that when I open it it gets all fizzy and the soda is slushy. Especially good for those sore throats out there.
-Teaching the Gospel. David and I have recently been called as ward missionaries. I'll be honest - this is probably the most out of my comfort zone that a calling could be. Ask me to teach a class, or head up a committee, or even be in the nursery - no sweat. But making cold visits to inactive or less active members or the ward? It makes me nervous. I'm just not super good socially. (I realize that may not make sense - but that is how I feel.) However, we have been teaching this sweet little 8 year old boy, and his less-active mom, the discussions so that he can be baptized. They are such a nice family - and it is so amazing to be able to teach and to feel the spirit in their home. I guess it's like my bishop in my family's ward always says, "The gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." I really believe that is true. We learn and grow by stepping outside of our comfort zone and comforting the people around us.
-Red Ladder Design. I seriously love what I do. The Bridal Fair was a blast - and hopefully it will be really successful. I think that whole whole wedding industry - and I had almost as much fun analyzing the business models of the various vendors at the fair as I did talking about Red Ladder Design and why it is by far the best place to get wedding announcements done. (I'm a salesperson at heart - I really am.)
-Lifesaver Jelly Beans. I'll be honest, I don't particularly love Easter Candy. Sure, I love a few pieces of chocolate (especially if there is a peanut butter surprise inside) now and then - but the candy just doesn't float my boat, if you will. The exception to this rule is a big bag of Lifesaver Jelly Beans. Can you say tangy-fruity-deliciousness-encased-in-a-sugar-coated-shell? Yum, yum, yum.
Well... there you have it. My random Wednesday thoughts and little items of gratitude. What things are you thinking about today? What fills your glass to overflowing?
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