Back to School

Remember on your first day of school when your mom took your picture with your new backpack and cute new outfit that you painstakingly picked out the week before (and it's possible that the outfit changed 10 times before school actually started)? And now when you look back you think you looked like a gomer pile (At least that's what I think when I see my big rockin bangs). Do you remember the anxiety of wondering if you had the nice teacher or the mean teacher? How about the fear that this year might actually be difficult (who decided an 8th grader needs to memorize the periodic table?).

Well, today was the first day back to school. Unfortunately, Nathan wouldn't wake up at 7am to take my picture in front of our door. So, I don't have a cheesy picture to post of me on my first day back. Anyway, as a teacher the feelings are different. I hope I didn't forget anything important, especially when I say the same thing to each class all day it's easy to think you already said it (i.e. how I grade, how to get extra credit, what I do if your obnoxious, etc). I also want to make sure I don't look too much like a student.

One thing that is nice is that it is my second year so I know where to find supplies, who to go to, and I have previous students to say hi to me in the hall. It was really nice because I had previous students walk by and they were excited to see me and asking if I was teaching any of their classes this year. It made me feel good. That is why I teach, because it feels good to know you have a positive influence on someone. Oh I'm sure there are students who think I'm awful and tell their friends to get out of my class (which works to my advantage because it is normally the students that cause problems that tell their friends to get out of my class), but it's the few that come to visit you that make the bad days worth it. It's so nice to be working in what I chose instead of something to get by.

Sleepover

Whit and I had a sleepover a couple of weeks ago. We went to the beauty college and got all dolled up. This is why I'm the favorite.

Weekend Trip

We just got back from a fun little weekend trip from Utah. We went to Lagoon and had a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure Nathan had the most fun choosing rides that got us wet. I got completely soaked! It was very uncomfortable for I while. I ended up going into the bathroom and standing under the automatic dryers. We had a lot of fun, though. We very much enjoyed the funnel cake and other fair type food.

We also went to the Hogle Zoo, however, we forgot to grab our camera. They had a fun bird show and tons of animals that just aren't in our local zoo. I really want to bring my nieces to the zoo because they would just be so excited about everything.

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And what is a trip to Utah without going to Cabellas. I didn't enjoy this as much as Nathan. But he really loved showing me everything and explaining it to me. I need to learn to want to hear how a gun works, because I really don't care but he likes to tell me. We also went to IKEA (this is where Nathan doesn't really care). I was drooling over the kitchens and apartment spaces. Nathan kept having to remind me that it wouldn't go with us if we did anything. I know this, but I still loved one of the closets they had. Oh, it was beautiful! Walk in, great space for shoes, and shelves, etc. Oh it's such a wonderful store.

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Lastly, our favorite tradition is Tucanos! It has a fabulous salad and pasta and everything bar. Then the waiters come around with fabulous cuts of meat and ask you how much you want. They have such delicious food. The grilled pineapple is so amazing. And the fried bananas are magnificent. I totally recommend this jewel of a restaurant!

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We had a fun time playing and having time off of work!

This post is for Jessica

Pllllth!! That I assume is the noise made when you stick your tongue out at someone. You know. Just because I don't have cute kids to take pictures of blog about doesn't give you the right to make snide (no matter how true) comments.

Alright, that was directed toward Jessica. Everything else should be appropriate for all.

Well, I do have something cute about Jessica's children. First off, really good news. Ryan likes me now. It used to be that he didn't want to play with me, I don't know why. And it really bothered me that there was no apparent way to purchase his love. However, somehow we've had a break through. I'm excited.

Now for the really cute stuff. My niece Whitney told me happy Mother's Day yesterday and apparently the book she made in Primary for her mom is actually for me. Jessica saw it and said, "Is that for me?" Whitney's response: "No, it's for my mom. They didn't know Tiff is my real mom." Yeah I think it's pretty funny. I wonder how long this stage will last. Hopefully not much longer because Jessica is started to want to put some financial burden on me. : ) Okay may not so much, but it is her favorite thing to say when Whitney wants something. The nerve of some people.

Now for news actually about me. I have to share this because I just think I'm so clever. I'm doing a project based Geometry class this trimester and I'm pretty excited about the project we're doing next week before they present their final projects. Next Monday I'm having them bring cameras and I have a whole bunch of items of a Geometry Scavenger Hunt for them to take pictures of and then on Tuesday we'll go into the computer lab and create a collage of our findings. I'm really excited because I'll take the best ones and blow them up really big for posters my classroom for next year. Anyway, I thought it was a stroke of genius on my part and I hope the students have fun with it. I need to take my pictures this week so I can get mine made.

Anyway, Jessica I hope this blog post was a bit more to your liking.

What have I been doing?

Don't you worry. I am alive and well. I just apparently have been super lazy at blogging. I looked at when the last time I blogged was and it was ridiculous. Plus, Nathan had to start a blog for school and so he updates way more than I do. So now I feel like a loser.
The main news is, thanks to my friends, I'm getting lots of cute Lia Sophia jewelry. Thanks everyone for helping me out. When it all arrives, I'll take a picture for everyone to see!
Well, I don't have much to say right now. I just didn't want anyone else's blogs to say that I haven't updated in over a month. :)

Look who has gone digital!

I've got my mom hooked on digital scrapbooking. All it took was showing her how easy it is to replicate the recipe pages for us and all my sisters by simply hitting the print button. And it is no wonder where I get any of my talent. She's been doing digital for less than a month. Here are some of the things she has made (Just when I finally do something better than her...she has to start actually trying!).