Random Pictures

I have been staying busy doing "this and that" and have been having a great summer so far.

My regret is not taking more pictures. I have been to the beach and a natural (freezing) spring/park with friends, had book club at my house, had dinner with a bunch of girlfriends while our husbands stayed busy, and saw Transformers 2 in Imax stuffing myself with popcorn just because we got the free refill bucket (thanks Brittany!).  

Here's one thing I actually snapped a picture or two of. One of the Young Woman I taught has gotten married. She is the first to get married out of her age group, and it was so strange to see this happen! I taught about getting married in the temple, and now here she is doing it. It was beautiful!

My mom asked to see my new light fixtures hanging, so this is for her and anyone else who cares. I hated our old light fixtures, and didn't get around to changing them until I accidently broke one while changing the lightbulb. And yes, it really was an accident, not a ploy for a new fixture as my husband still partially believes. I came home with one style of fixture that would go perfect with our house and decorating but Chris hated them. I left them out on the table for about 3 weeks, hoping they would grow on him. Alas, it was not to be, and his distain remained. I traded them for these, a little more modern fixture that I love, but doesn't match my house quite as well. Chris likes them despite the fact that they are way more "out there" than the first ones I picked, go figure.  They are up and we are happy. 

Lights On

Lights Off

Next on the list...you can now see that I badly need a curtain for my kitchen window! I know what I want in my head, now I have to find it. Also, let me know if anyone is having a great sale on large area rugs. I need one of those too!

Good Old Florida Thunderstorm

For those of you who have never lived in Florida or the south, you haven't experienced a REAL thunderstorm. We get them big time in the summer. This is a pretty typical thunderstorm for this time of year. You don't get the true effect of it though because the water is so loud by my front door that it drowns out the thunder a bit and it is hard to see the actual size of each massive drop of water. The thunder is so loud it shakes my house though and for the record, the amount of water you see is only from 15 to 20 mins of rain. If you look at the street, you can see the wind blowing the water around. And yes, this is a thunderstorm not a hurricane. We do get those too though. Gotta love Florida. 

 

Chris and his 2nd Favorite Girl

I'd like to think that I am Chris's favorite girl, but I have a feeling this little one is a close second. This is Calla, our niece. Camie, Mike, and Calla came to visit recently, and we had tons of fun with them. Often times Calla would be comfortably "chilling" in Chris's arms. Even when Camie would offer to take her or put her in a seat, Chris usually refused, saying that he was "just fine." She is too cute for words and I guess I understand why he is so taken with her! :) I happen to like the little princess quite a bit too, but I have to fight to get a moment with her!

Happy Father's Day!

I wanted to say Happy Father's Day to mine and Chris's dads before the day was over. They are both wonderful men, and we are lucky to have such strong, good examples in our lives. I know both Chris and I turn to them for advice and a good listening ear. We love you both!

Break out the Crayons!

As a way to hold my "summer bliss" guilt at bay I privately tutor 5 to 6 kids over the 2 1/2 month break. A part of me wants to completely veg out and plea that my salary covers the whole year, and honestly, isn't getting the summer off one of the perks of being a teacher? Isn't it one of the reasons we put up with the whining, messes, and everything else that comes with being an elementary school teacher? As much as I want to say yes to all that, I also realize that I would feel lazy and guilty doing nothing, which brings me back to tutoring. I do like to work one on one with kids and be able to focus on their needs since teaching a whole class can be a balancing act. Plus, I'm done by noon and have Fridays off. I won't anger any more full timers out there by continuing to whine.

This particular summer I happened to pick up 3 preschoolers in addition to a couple older ones. I admit that the idea of tutoring a 4 year old seems kind of silly, especially since none of their girls are academically low, but hey, if the mothers want to pay me to give their kids an edge, I'm not going to complain! 

After my first day with 2 of the 3 preschoolers, I am loving it! There is something so great about teaching these little babies something new! They have the attention span of Dori from Finding Nemo (about 5 minutes)...but luckily I brought a lot of stuff for us to do. We stamped letters, talked about sounds they make, blended a few sounds together, learned what adding and subtracting was, read a couple books, and worked on writing their name without using lowercase and capitals every other letter. 

The line I kept hearing every 5 minutes was, "Okay, can we do something else now? I want to pick in your bag." Rummaging ensued with a little guidance from me. I think they thought I was there to play with them, and they are still used to being the boss. I guess I'm used to the second graders who have realized that they don't get much say in what comes next or how long they get to spend on things. I think the "all about me" attitude is kind of funny when it is innocently done. 

So here's to a great summer of keeping up my teaching skills and getting in a few laughs along the way! Bring on the 4 year olds!

I Made it Through Another Year!

In my head the Beetles are singing, "Here Comes the Sun, do do do do." Ahhh, another school year has ended and another summer is before me. We learned, we grew, we annoyed each other (they annoyed me more), we laughed, we worked, and we played. As I hugged my students and wished them a happy summer (and pried Little Creeps arms off me), I found myself already missing many of my students but being okay with not seeing some for a couple months. Harsh, I know, but you would say the same thing if you met them! I feel good about the school year and am again so happy that I get to be a teacher. I am always excited for summer break, but am always ready for a new year to start in August. I feel blessed to be able to teach and interact with these kids and watch them really grow. I think I have one of the most demanding but rewarding jobs! I am already thinking of all the projects and fun things I want to do this summer. Unfortunately, many of the "to do" things on my list are the same as last year. Like cleaning out the garage and painting some rooms in my house. Maybe I'll do those things this time. I do plan to spend time at the beach and hanging out with all my friends. Yeah for summer!