RJ and Katie Cox

...And then....

2012-01-07T00:59:00.001-07:00

...there was this one....weird.

Reminded me of that creeper one about following a coworker you admire with a camera all day or something...I'd link, but there's that dang labeling issue again....

And also, I'm just picturing a few random people I would do this to....ha! I'd be the one laughing for sure....

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Cute...

2012-01-05T21:38:00.001-07:00

Remember my beloved daily calendar?

Loved the very last one of the year...

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"Resolution"

2012-01-03T12:21:00.003-07:00

Last year, I started doing a monthly goal instead of resolution for the year. It was nice for me to focus on one thing at a time, for a fairly short amount of time. I kinda got lazy after a few months. And some months I did it, but was bad at blogging about it.

My sister-in-law was here over the weekend, and we talked about doing the same thing this year. So...here goes! Last year I tended to choose physical goals. We talked this year about trying to mix it up between physical, emotional, financial, etc.

So, for January, my goal is to drink my Kefir/Diatomaceous Earth concoction every day.
I have some friends who swear by both of these items. Kefir is a probiotic yogurt drink that is SO good for you. My friend, Lacy, describes it best here. Diatomaceous Earth is finely milled fossil shells of prehistoric single celled freshwater algae-like plants referred to as Diatoms...I know, sounds weird. More info can be found here. The idea is that we used to get all the minerals we needed from food. Now that humans eat so much processed junk, our bodies don't get everything we need. Again, I have some friends who swear by the effects of Diatomaceous Earth. So, I've been stirring a tablespoon into my Kefir every night. I'm still pretty new to both, and want to drink this concoction daily through January to give it a fair shot.

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GOOD Business!

2011-12-28T14:46:00.002-07:00

I've been so worked up lately about getting less-than-stellar customer service...I figured it was time to tell of some local businesses that offer amazing service.

First....
Lynn's Audio Video
...a local electronics store.

Back in college, I drove the car that I've adored more than any other. My beloved red VW Beetle. Man, I miss that car. But...it definitely had its flukes. Like the time I rolled the window down and it got stuck. So I had to drive all the way Salt Lake on a windy, cold day. There are very few places that can fix foreign cars.

Anyway, one of those flukes is that the stereo quit working. Just wouldn't turn on at all. I took it into the dealership, where they told me I needed a whole new stereo. It'd be hundreds of dollars, because it was a specialized Volkswagen stereo, of course.

On a whim, I thought I'd might as well get a second opinion...or at least see if I could buy a cheaper stereo and somehow make it work with the VW system. So, to Lynn's Audio Video I went. The stereo guy took a look at it and said, "Ok, I know this is totally weird. But just last week I had a Volkswagen in with the same problem...and we noticed this 'secret' little fuse behind the stereo, not with the other fuses. I replaced that and it worked." He said he could replace that and see if it worked, if I was willing to buy the $3 fuse regardless of if it worked or not. Worth a shot, right? He replaced it, and IT WORKED!

My mom called the dealership and spoke to the man who quoted me hundreds for a whole new stereo. He was completely rude and said there's no way that was possible. She assured him that the sales guy was surprised as well, but that it had in fact worked. He again said there's no way and told my mom flat out that she was lying. (ha, maybe this is a tale of bad customer service after all!)

I was (and still am) impressed that Lynn's would offer this solution, at virtually no profit to them. The sales guy could have so very easily told me I needed a new system and made some commission. I so appreciated the honesty. I don't know if the VW dealership actually knew about the problem or not, but either way, they could have definitely had a better reaction. Even if they were completely humoring us, a simple friendly response would have sufficed.

So...if you are in Logan and in need of any audio/video equipment, I can recommend Lynn's for their honest service!

Grrr #2

2011-12-22T11:51:00.003-07:00

Next Story:

AKA: Christmas Card FIASCO!

Last week, I jumped on Sam's Club's website to order my Christmas cards. Got them all made....went to send them to print. My store says "Not Available". Perfect. I've seen that message before when they get a little backed up. So I waited a few hours, tried again. No. Called the store. "Our system went down yesterday. It won't be up again until at least Tuesday or Wednesday of next week (12/22)."

So, I decide to go with Wal-Mart, which I quit using once I started using Sam's Club about 3 years ago. But, my account's still there, so easy enough. Make my cards, send them to my store. I distinctly remember checking the location because we have a "north" and a "south" location in Logan. The north store was selected, because it was the only one I'd ever used for photos in the past, pre-Sam's Club.

I also signed up for text message alerts when my order was ready. The website said that due to volume, my order would not be ready until 4:00 the next day. Yet I received a text about an hour later to say that my order was ready. I thought maybe there was a mistake, so I called to verify. The clerk told me that for some reason, "the system sends out the text when the store receives the order, not when it's actually ready." This is a flaw that needs to be fixed in order to utilize the convenience of the texting system. A text when the store receives my order is useless!

Then, the next day I went to the store I had selected to pick up my order. Again, not Wal-Mart's fault, but the line was SO LOOONG. Will was charming the people behind us, so we chatted with them for a good 10 minutes or so while waiting.

The clerk looked and looked for my order and could not find it. I presented her with my order receipt and she searched online for it. She then showed me on my receipt that it was sent to another store 90 miles from my home.

I've never even been to that store.

When I told her I did not select that store, and have never even been there, she replied, "Sorry, sometimes our system just bounces orders to another random store." She was nice and all, but...

My thoughts:

Obviously, this is a problem! I'm not sure how this could have been prevented, but the website "bouncing" orders to another store is not acceptable. So...here I am, December 22...with $40 worth of paid-for Christmas cards sitting in a store 90 miles from my house! Who knows, you may just get your card in January! Oh, and Sam's Club's website is still down....

The texting thing totally bugs me. Wal-Mart is trying to be technologically savvy and make things more convenient for their patrons. But...should really just take the service option off the site until it works correctly.

"Bouncing" my order to another random store? Well, they'll need to "bounce" it right back!

I totally get that I am the one who waited until last week to consider getting my Christmas cards made...but still. When a business says they can do orders in an hour, or even a day during busy times, customers need to be able to plan on that.

Mistakes totally happen. But...I don't feel like much was done to solve it. I emailed my situation to Wal-Mart's online customer service (I don't think I can handle a trip to the in-store customer service! Maybe my $40 really isn't worth it....) and got a pretty generic email back...addressed to "Kathie" and asking if my order was sent to my preferred store. Um...did you read my email?

I think I'm done ranting now...I hope..... Opinions?

Grrrr!

2011-12-21T00:34:00.005-07:00

I totally get that it's a busy season for service-oriented/retail stores. I get that we're all stressed. And I REALLY get that sometimes "the customer is always right" is total BS. I've worked in service: Emigration Market as a cashier, at a gift store, Einstein's Bagels, as a server....so believe me, I have totally been on the receiving end of an irrationally upset customer who is taking it out on the wrong person. Sometimes things go wrong that the employee you are face to face with has nothing to do with...yet, they get to break the news and deal with it.

ANYWAY- do you get, now, that I really feel like I have a pretty solid, rational grip on the way service-oriented jobs work and how H-A-R-D it can be at times?

Story time.

1. Yesterday, I went to a new restaurant in Logan. It's not a sit-down-and-be-served restaurant, more like a mix of fast food/restaurant. My point is, it should be pretty quick. RJ was working late at school, so I thought I'd call in my order and do a quick to go order. Upon clicking on their website, I saw a link to order online. I'm a bit of a social anxiety type (seriously, I took medicine for it!), so I'd waaaay prefer to take the time to type in an order than call someone. Typed it in, after making an account, and got a confirmation email. My order would be ready at 6:40. Perfect.

Walked in at 6:54, thinking my food is going to get yucky and cold soon because I'm late...it's crowded and I was immediately thankful I ordered ahead. (P.S. I had my two year old with me,...not their fault at all, but definitely added to the chaos. I could only distract him with, "Can you find something red?" for so long. Soon, he didn't even want my phone. That's big.)

I waited behind one customer at the take out register. She was FURIOUS. She told the manager that she's waited an hour for one meal. He apologized and promptly handed her coupons. They finished and he walked away. I stood there for at least a few minutes while workers were buzzing all around. It occurred to me that maybe I should be in the other line....even if I am at the (labeled) take-out register, and I...have a take out order...(makes sense, no?)...

Finally a worker makes eye contact, so I ask if I'm in the right place. She says, nicely, "Yes!" Then keeps doing something else. So I wait...

Finally, the same worker comes to the register and asks how she can help me. I tell her my name. She turns around, looks at a take-out bag with a receipt stapled to it. Then does something else. So...I assume it's my order and she's finishing it up.

Nope.

As I wait, I see a former coworker. As we chat, she mentions that she and her husband ordered ONE meal to share and it's been 40 minutes!!! After we chat, her husband asks the worker to check on their meal. She apologizes for the wait and says their order must have been skipped. He was not rude, but definitely angry and wanted a response. She hands over more coupons. (Seeing a pattern?)

I'm still waiting.

Finally, I get the same worker's attention and ask again about my order. It's 7:10 at this point. My food was supposed to be done half an hour ago! She says she'll check. As she turns around, a fellow worker calmly says, "Can you help me make this salad?" And she proceeds to calmly...as in, not appearing to be in any hurry....make a salad. Where is my damn food! Will is all sorts of DONE by this point, bless his heart.

Salad's done (whew!), she turns back around, grabs some receipt tape and says, "We have no record of your order, so we'll need to make it. What did you have?" UGH! I just said I was kind of in a hurry (to get my hungry, tired toddler and his about-to-freak-out mom the hell out of there!) and I'd come back another time.

My thoughts:

• I'm not sure where the breakdown happened, but there were at least three hungry, dissatisfied customers. Mine wasn't a fluke. Again, working in service, I get that sometimes there's a fluke and an order doesn't make it to the kitchen.
Three...plus? Something's not right.

• No matter the issue, there was a lot of time wasted in getting the "we have no order for you" memo to me.

• I don't mean to be all high and mighty, (but here I go! Ha!) but I feel like if you as the worker are checking on something for a customer, that takes priority....not making a salad with another worker who appears to have it under control. Especially when the customer is right there, can see/hear you, and has been waiting forever!

• I hate the bullcrap of if you complain and get angry, you'll get free stuff. I used to have a manager that would hand out free coupons the moment a customer seemed dissatisfied in the slightest. Then I had an awesome manager that was reasonable if a customer was dissatisfied; he calmly explained things and mellowed things out. He would definitely give coupons in some situations, but not right away, and not without sorting the situation out.

Venting about that...complete. Next story coming...probably tomorrow. I'm still solving that one.

If you're still with me through this LONG post .....Opinion?

(P.S. I typed most of this on my iPhone from the WalMart parking lot while RJ ran into get three things and quickly regretted stepping into the December-at-WalMart mayhem!)

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Nice!

2011-12-19T19:48:00.001-07:00

So...I was just at Sam's Club. It was crazy....but not quite as crazy as I would have thought, actually. But, Will and I were definitely ready to be OUT! On the way to the car, I was holding Will with one arm while trying to push the cart FULL of stuff. I thought I was pulling it off pretty well...but this nice man stopped, said, "Let me get that for you..." and started pushing my cart. He said, "My wife's nine months pregnant and these carts are SO big!"

Although it was small, I appreciated that he took the time to help me out, when he could have easily kept walking right past us. He wasn't even going in the direction we were. How nice!

That's all!

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Break Your Heart

2011-12-16T20:15:00.003-07:00

In my class, we're working on autobiographies. A hilarious post is coming with all the gems from this adventure. But I felt like this one deserved its own post.

Because if this doesn't break your heart right in half and make you want to take a family under your wing for a Sub-for-Santa kind of thing, well....I don't know what will. Maybe it helps to know this little girl, but man is she a sweet little thing.

Here's an excerpt:

"My mom works. She still gets paid, but we have lots of bills. So we do not buy things that much. It's really hard for us. I am not poor, but I am a little okay. But not that much okay. My dad works really hard. When he gets home he's tired because he works really, really, really, really hard."

The part that gets me is, "I'm a little okay. But not that much okay." For an 8 year old to be aware of this and to feel "not that much okay" about it. Breaking right in half. Bless her.

Thanksgiving!

2011-12-12T21:16:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving ended up to be quite the road trip. Will threw up for his first time....a mere 20 minutes from home, with 4 hours more to go! Yep, that was...fun. Let's just say RJ and I both ended up doing the same at least once through the next day. Despite that, we had a good time. We went to Orangeville (near Price, Utah) to see RJ's grandma. She was so kind to have ALL of us take over her home!

You'll notice a recurring theme through these pictures...Will watching his cousin, Carter, play on an iPad. That's because Will adores Carter, and just thinks he is THE coolest thing ever. Even with an iPad available to play with, he preferred to watch Carter play!

Avery tried to make a move to play....
Will quickly took care of that!

And Avery tried her best nonchalant look.... :)

Carter and I tried to take a cool picture behind this ....thing.

While we drove around and "explored", I kept myself busy....

The cousins enjoyed all the goodies at their great-grandmas!

The adults were consumed with iPhone games....

Greg got in on the iPad fun....

The boys took an iPad break to play some piano!

...and back to the iPads.

Avery finally warmed up to Grandpa. But...then he was scolding the dogs, telling them to "GET OUT!" of the kitchen...except Avery was just walking in the kitchen and thought he was yelling at her! She tore out of there, crying for her mom!

Random

2011-11-28T22:42:00.001-07:00

No real topic today....just random thoughts.

•I'm not sure I like the gas at the dentist's office. Everyone says it's so great...but I feel so self-conscious! Makes me seem crazy. Like all my senses are exaggerated...and I might say/do something weird. Kinda reminds me of the good times in college ;). Only everyone else had the same "gas"...
•I get so annoyed when capable people leave their shopping carts in a random parking lot place. So irresponsible, so lazy. Saw a lady do it at Sam's yesterday, I silently grumbled.
•USU is finally going to a bowl game! So happy for them, win or lose. But, you know, hoping for a win!
•I have the greatest students this year. Really. They are sweet, witty, and willing. They rarely complain. Overall, the best thing? They are so kind to one another. It makes a difference, to me and to them, and I hope they never lose their compassion.
•I had a dream that I stole (well, more "borrowed"...it wasn't malicious) a police car. Then was trying to figure out how to quietly ditch it without being caught. The dream was so very real! Proud to report I do not have a criminal record.
•You know how nice my husband is? He made me lunch today. He forgot and left it in the fridge, but it's the thought that counts! And, AND!, he always buys me diet cokes....big, frosty fountain ones!
•With every stage of Will's life, it just gets better and better. Though I sometimes miss his tiny baby days, I love this toddler fun!
•I've never been Black Friday shopping, ever. And I wasn't that impressed with Cyber Monday deals today. Anyone get good deals?
•Had so much fun meeting friends for dinner last week...Katie, Crystal, Emily, Jenny, and Lex....we just talk and laugh and reminisce. Makes me really long for a night in the Chapter Room, surrounded by food, our big ol' big screen (that thing probably had to be lifted out with a crane!), late night chats, and laughter....right after flipping my tag for a "late plate" and doing my "hootie duty"....Miss the good old days.

Ok...well....that may be all my randomness for today....

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Books for Christmas?

2011-11-28T11:16:00.003-07:00

The GIANT set of book orders is out for Christmas/Holiday books! There are so many cute ones for gifts. It is due by this Friday, December 2. The books will be in by Friday, December 16.

Below is my previous post about how to order online:

I'll be honest...I LOVE ordering books from Scholastic book orders. Always have. I loved book order day. I'd circle all my top picks, my mom would do the final selection and write the check...and I'd wait anxiously to see them on my desk.

Still love it.

Only now I order a ton more for my classroom. So I got thinking....where would I get good, cheap books if I wasn't a teacher (and didn't have kids in school)? Then I got thinking some more (it's a rare event!), and thought maybe others are interested in ordering too. And if so....every time someone orders from my class site, my classroom gets a free book! And, well, many of my students don't own any books at home (SAD!), so what I have is what they have daily access to. Thus, I'm continually building up my classroom library.

They have books from $1 (good ones!), and I love the seasonal picks for Will. I've included all age level book orders...so from toddler-middle school.

So, if you would like to order any books, go to:

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GQVLJ

If you order, they will ship to my classroom and I will let you know they are here. Then I can either deliver or you can swing by and grab them. Also, you can pay online. Just click on the "parent" section and put your name as the kid, so I'll know who you are.... I'll post each month when I'm doing an order. So if you can't do it this time, there will be other times!

I feel sales-pitch-y, but I promise I have nothing to gain other than books for 22 sweet third graders. So, consider this your community service by providing books to adorable, witty, bright kids....there, two birds with one stone! ;)

Family Halloween

2011-11-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

Monster, Cowgirl, and Wolverine!

Best Costume Ever.

2011-11-23T13:59:00.002-07:00

My niece wins best costume award. How funny is this?! She ratted her hair right up and busted out loads of makeup and animal print..... SNOOKI!

We tried to take pictures together...

Since I clearly didn't know how to pose like a cowgirl, Snooki demonstrated...

Then I was more cowgirl-esque...

Halloween: Part 2

2011-11-23T13:43:00.004-07:00

Isn't he just the cutest monster? You should hear him "Rrrrroar!" Adorable.
Grandma brought him to school for our parade, he was a hit! It was so fun. He waved and said, "Hi Guys!" to everyone.

Later, we went trick or treating around the neighborhood. Except....Will hadn't had a nap (who has time for pesky naps on Halloween?!). He was grummmpy! He said, "Trick or treat!" at each house, but then wanted to eat the treat right then and threw a monster fit (maybe he was just in character?) after each house. So....We made it to a grand total of THREE houses and called it good! Poor kid was in bed by 6:30 for the night! It was a fun day though!

Halloween: Part 1

2011-11-23T13:35:00.003-07:00

Yep, I'm behind. Here goes!

We started with carving pumpkins....then roasting the seeds with loads of butter and salt...yum!

(P.S. Leave it to my creative husband to use a saw to carve...no simple knives for this guy)

Will discovered it was funny to put the pumpkin top on my head!

The finished products:

Will Fun

2011-11-23T13:19:00.004-07:00

Love this kid. I feel like I'll forget things if I don't regularly blog them....so here goes!

He is obsessed with the iPad...calls it either "the game" or "pa-pod". He can play a lot of apps, and is actually really good at a lot of them!
He repeats anything you say....
He is on this new thing where he wants to know peoples' names. If someone comes on TV, he says, "His name?" If I don't know, then he also says, "Don't know!"
He learned to shrug his shoulders, and would only answer questions with a shrug for a good week or so.
If he wants you to leave him alone, like when it's bedtime and I come to get him from Grandpa, he says, "Bye, bye!"...usually in an ultra cheesy voice with a smile and a wave.
He heard, "Have a good day!" somewhere and now says it often....like the other night when I put him to bed. So funny!
He dances! To ANY music!
He randomly says family names. Like we'll be driving in the car and all the sudden, "Mama, Dada, Nana, Bobo, Nick, Paul, Grandma, Grandpa, Morgan (which sounds like Megan)..."
Loves "Mr. Monk"...his stuffed monkey that my dear friend Leila gave him
Still obsessed with Elmo and all things Sesame Street
Suddenly gets scared of things. Not sure what or why, but will say,"No, no!" and cuddle up.

Um....I think that's it for now. We adore this wonderful child and are so grateful for his spunk and sweetness every single day!

Ah....

2011-11-16T23:22:00.001-07:00

Some recent student funnies:

Sitting at reading groups, one boy gets THAT look (a mix of perplexed and pensive)....

"Teacher? Where did you come from?"

Me: "What do you mean?"

"Where did you get borned?"

Me: "Oh, I was born in Salt Lake City..."

"Oh, ok." Continues working.

Next:

A student had to come to class during recess to do an assignment he hadn't done. It had been up on the board EVERYDAY during reading groups the week it was due.

Him: "No one told me I had to do that."

Me: "Oh, it's been on the board in bright red all week."

Him: "I know, but I thought everyone did it except for me."
(Whaaaat?!)

Me: "Hum....why would you think that?"

Him: "I don't know. But still, no one even told me to do it."

Me: "When it's up on the board to do, that's me telling you to do it."

Him: "OHHH!"
(As if this JUST clicked!)

Last:
"Teacher, I had a silly band that said 'I love Justin Bieber!'. But don't worry, I gave it to my cousin in first grade."

Me: "Oh, does he like Justin Bieber?"

"No, but I didn't tell him what it says and he can't read yet!"

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Loyalty...Tested.

2011-11-13T12:40:00.001-07:00

I teach at Ellis Elementary. RJ teaches at Bridger Elementary. At a local grocery store, customers can drop off receipts to give a portion of the proceeds to local schools. We went shopping the other day and faced this:

So, naturally, I pretended to be heading for the Bridger slot....and slipped it in the Ellis section at the last second. RJ was disappointed!

Next loyalty tester....
I went to East High (my students think that's totally cool....hello High School Musical!). RJ went to Logan High.

Guess who's facing off in the state 4A championship game this week?

Go Leopards!

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The Truth Comes Out

2011-11-08T23:32:00.001-07:00

We've been working with Will on saying full sentences. Instead of just saying one word, he repeats what we say to form a sentence. He'll pretty much repeat anything. I go all out and have him call me things like "my dearest mother"....it's a good time.

Today, as we're dropping RJ off for work....

RJ: "Bye, Will!"

Will: "Bye, dada!"

RJ: "Say 'I'"

Will: "I..."

RJ: "...love..."

Will: "...love..."

RJ: "...dada!"

Will: "ELMO!"

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Sweet

2011-11-04T16:30:00.003-06:00

And...MORE Birthday FUN!

2011-10-31T22:36:00.006-06:00

Whew...ok, I think this is the last of the birthday posts....but who knows!

On the Sunday after Will's birthday, "Nana", "Bobo", and Nick came up from Salt Lake to celebrate. We had a great time eating loads of food, playing with Will, and playing Speed on the iPads!

Will and Bobo playing on the iPad...

Will loves to stand on the stool that came with his desk from
Grandma and Grandpa Cox....Even while he's eating....

Will adores Nana, Bobo, Nick, and Paul...he talks about them for days after they're here.
He'll randomly just say, "Nana?" as he's playing.

He loves to play with the rubber ducks at my mom's house.
She has quite a few, and he loves them.
So...he got two of his own for his birthday!

But the most meaningful gift he got was...a cuckoo clock! I know, sounds kind of random. BUT... My grandfather (my mom's dad) LOVED clocks, all kinds. He had many different kinds. My mom has a beautiful cuckoo clock in her house that I believe he gave her. Will adores it...he gets to excited when we're there and it cuckoos. So, clocks...especially cuckoo clocks...have a special place in our family. He loves it, and it will be a beautiful gift to keep for years to come. When it cuckoos, he stops whatever he's doing and looks up. He either says, "Cuckoo!!!" or names someone in my family...."Nana!" It's really sweet. Except lately, if I ask who gave it to him, he says, "Nick!" Guess we need to get that bike out to remind him what Nick gave him!

The grandpas getting the clock going!

Will had a wonderful birthday...and we're so very grateful
to all our family that helped us celebrate!

More Birthday Fun....

2011-10-30T13:07:00.004-06:00

Will's birthday cake!

"Bobo" encouraging Will to dig in!

Ha, by the time he figured out how to blow them out,
the cake was covered in wax and the wick was all that was left!

*Made by Grandpa Cox,
who could easily go into cake making...

Vocabulary?

2011-10-27T22:38:00.001-06:00

So I've posted before about how I do a class points system in which the class earns letters as points which then spells the "word of the day" ...which is usually a vocabulary word from our curriculum.

They earn it letter by letter and love to guess the word, then define it. (I learned not to use "Associative Property"...let's just say the third, fourth, and fifth point came as a package deal on that one!)

Yesterday, the word was "conclusion" as we've been working on predicting, inferring, and drawing a conclusion.

The board had "CON" when a girl said, "Constipated?"...completely innocently. I chuckled and said, "No, that's not it...do you know what that word means?" She said no and was sheepishly embarrassed when I (briefly) explained!

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Will's New Bike!

2011-10-21T16:48:00.004-06:00

A little background....my dad and brother race motorcycles. And are obsessed! Whew...they race fast. Like my dad races drag bikes....so....close to 200 MPH in less than 7 seconds.
Can't even imagine it!

Anyway....when Will was tiny, my brother Nick gave him a leather jacket and boots. It was adorable. This year...Nick gave him his very first bike. There's no engine yet, but I bet that one's not far off.

Will's Birthday....Part 1!

2011-10-20T00:18:00.004-06:00

You know there will be many posts about my beloved Will's second birthday...right? It's because we l-o-v-e photos around here, and well, we also really love our child. So, allow me to indulge...

Last year, I had parent teacher conferences on Will's first birthday...sadness. So, this year, I decided I would take the day off and do whatever Will wanted all day. It was such a nice day! We slept in (10:30!...this kid is just like his parents!), got cokes, had lunch, made birthday cake, had pizza and opened presents....just played all day! At the gas station (our fave is Mooch's), the clerk (who we've become quite good friends with, we're there so often!) wished Will a happy birthday. He said, "Anks!", which means thanks...with a big smile. Then she asked how old he was and he said, "TWO!" while holding up his index finger on both hands. Adorable.

When he woke up, I asked him what he'd like for his birthday breakfast....his choice? Toast, milk, cereal, and OLIVES!

We took lunch to RJ at school. It was so fun to see him teach and see his class. They sang Happy Birthday to Will, it was sweet. Will enjoyed coloring while we ate.

We needed some birthday cake goodies at the store...which led us to picking out a pumpkin. Because who can say no to a 2 year old, excited about pumpkins, on his birthday?!

HA! LOVE this picture. This was after Will's nap...he spotted his presents all wrapped on the table...and wanted them NOW! He kept saying, "Presents..." while pointing and weeping.

Will opened his card from "Nana and Bobo" (my mom and dad).

We got Will these fun Converse sneakers...he loves them. The other day someone asked him how his birthday was and he pointed down and said, "Shoes!"

And the mushy part....cannot even believe this kid is TWO. How does this happen!? We love him with all our hearts. He brings such a fun spunk to our family, and an incredible amount of love and charm. We are so very thankful for him everyday.

Well. THAT was embarrassing.

2011-10-11T20:36:00.001-06:00

My father-in-law made a fabulous cake for Will's birthday last year. It was a giant "1".

So...naturally, this year I wanted him to make a giant "2" cake.
But....It came out like this:

"Can you make a giant number 2 on Sunday?"

Awkward.

Annoying?

2011-10-06T22:16:00.001-06:00

Random pet peeve moment....

When the radio station (or...someone) changes lyrics in songs to say Utah. As in... "Good Life" by One Republic. Suddenly it's, "My friends in UTAH..." and just sounds so forced and awkward. Then in Lady Gaga's "You and I"....she says Nebraska about 8,000 times. Ok, maybe like 4ish. But not here in Utah....she says Utah about 8,000 times.

Completely petty rant, I should really spend time on things that matter....OH! Like that darling child of mine who just happens to turn 2 next week! Don't worry, plenty of posts coming about that sweet boy.

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Fall Book Order

2011-10-03T14:52:00.001-06:00

New book orders are out! It's the October packet...with lots of fun Halloween/Fall books. If you'd like to order, it's due by October 14 to be back in time for Halloween.

Below is my previous post about how to order if you're interested!

I'll be honest...I LOVE ordering books from Scholastic book orders. Always have. I loved book order day. I'd circle all my top picks, my mom would do the final selection and write the check...and I'd wait anxiously to see them on my desk.

Still love it.

Only now I order a ton more for my classroom. So I got thinking....where would I get good, cheap books if I wasn't a teacher (and didn't have kids in school)? Then I got thinking some more (it's a rare event!), and thought maybe others are interested in ordering too. And if so....every time someone orders from my class site, my classroom gets a free book! And, well, many of my students don't own any books at home (SAD!), so what I have is what they have daily access to. Thus, I'm continually building up my classroom library.

They have books from $1 (good ones!), and I love the seasonal picks for Will. I've included all age level book orders...so from toddler-middle school.

So, if you would like to order any books, go to:

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GQVLJ

Ha!

2011-09-25T13:44:00.001-06:00

What my father-in-law just said, after coming home with a box of Hostess Ding Dongs....

"Hey, want a Ding-Dong...you know....since you're a blonde?"

Me: "No, thanks....I don't care for them much."

Him: "Why? Cannibalism?"

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Grammar!

2011-09-17T23:23:00.001-06:00

Biggest pet peeve: bad grammar. Especially from companies....shouldn't someone be paid to edit this stuff?!

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2011-09-14T00:00:00.001-06:00

So Will and I went to Einstein's to grab lunch on Saturday. When we walked in, there was a mom and her two adult children eating. We made eye contact and smiled. The mom looked familiar, and must have been thinking the same thing, because she said hi.

A few minutes later, we got back in our car. After putting Will in, I got in the car and fiddled with my phone for a second.

Suddenly the passenger door opened and the mom of the ladies was standing there. She was digging through her purse, then started to get in as she finally looked up. I awkwardly said, "Hi....." she looked up and was beyond embarrassed! We both just started laughing. She said, "Oh I just KNOW my daughters are over there laughing their heads off that I just got in the wrong car!!!" yep, her daughters, two cars over, in a similar silver suv, were laughing and waving!

Good laugh for the day....totally something I would do!

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Book Orders

2011-09-09T12:47:00.003-06:00

I'll be honest...I LOVE ordering books from Scholastic book orders. Always have. I loved book order day. I'd circle all my top picks, my mom would do the final selection and write the check...and I'd wait anxiously to see them on my desk.

Still love it.

Only now I order a ton more for my classroom. So I got thinking....where would I get good, cheap books if I wasn't a teacher (and didn't have kids in school)? Then I got thinking some more (it's a rare event!), and thought maybe others are interested in ordering too. And if so....every time someone orders from my class site, my classroom gets a free book! And, well, many of my students don't own any books at home (SAD!), so what I have is what they have daily access to. Thus, I'm continually building up my classroom library.

They have books from $1 (good ones!), and I love the seasonal picks for Will. I've included all age level book orders...so from toddler-middle school.

So, if you would like to order any books, go to:

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GQVLJ

If you order, they will ship to my classroom and I will let you know they are here. Then I can either deliver or you can swing by and grab them. Also, you can pay online. Just click on the "parent" section and put your name as the kid, so I'll know who you are....This time, the deadline is Monday, Sept. 12. But, I'll post each month when I'm doing an order. So if you can't do it this time, there will be other times!

I feel sales-pitch-y, but I promise I have nothing to gain other than books for 22 sweet third graders. So, consider this your community service by providing books to adorable, witty, bright kids....there, two birds with one stone!

Yep

2011-09-04T10:16:00.001-06:00

...but I still like it!

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Servers = Superhuman?

2011-09-03T21:54:00.000-06:00

Can we all agree that humans make mistakes? Regardless of occupation, gender, age, intentions.

I get that the very term "server" implies that this person serves customers, a waiter/waitress waits on a customer. But, I've been a bit disgruntled lately about the expectations set on servers. While we really do try our best to serve customers well (it's in our best interest to do so, after all), sometimes things happen beyond our control. Mistakes are made.

Example #1: The other day at Cafe Sabor, the patio was beginning to slow down. So our manager cut one of the servers and rearranged the sections. Within this time, a new table was sat....and their server didn't see them. Servers were confused about old/new sections, miscommunication happened....somehow they were not helped. This was only known when the customers stormed to the front of the restaurant saying/yelling to the manager something along the lines of "This is bullsh*t. Your service sucks and I'm never coming back..............." The calm manager calmly replied that he's sorry for what happened (although he still doesn't know what has happened at this point), and that he'd be happy to help resolve it. The man replies (while yelling) that he's been completely ignored for 10 minutes and he's leaving. Again, the manager says that he'd like a chance to make this right. To which the man storms out, yelling more.

REALLY?! That's really mature. Now, I'm not saying being ignored is ok, at all. Definitely not how we want things to go at Sabor.

BUT....It's also not worth storming around, yelling and swearing at people.

I can assure you, if this man had just stopped any worker, or even the manager, and said, "Hey, we've been here a while and no one has helped us. Can you send our server over?" The server would be horrified and embarrassed, but would have apologized profusely...given them great service, and probably free meals. Problem solved, everyone is happy.

So my point is this: Since servers (and anyone in the service industry, really), are in fact human, and therefore make mistakes...how about a little realistic understanding so the problem can be resolved in a mature way.

Blonde Moments Run in the Family

2011-09-01T06:11:00.000-06:00

My mom and I were driving down Main Street in Logan yesterday when we passed Village Inn.

Mom: "You know what I don't get? Why all the new Village Inn signs say '6' on them. What does that mean? I thought they were numbering them, but they all say '6'...."

Autocorrect Strikes Again

2011-08-29T23:35:00.001-06:00

The word "sewers" just kind of kills the heartwarming feeling you get from picturing your sweet husband reading to your child...."awwww" seems a little more suited. But autocorrect didn't think so....

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Pinteresting?

2011-08-28T10:05:00.001-06:00

This is kinda how I feel about Pinterest. I see the efficiency of "pinning" things instead of crowding my bookmarks....but I seem to just be looking at everyone else's pins....and wanting everything! So far, I want about 8,000 outfits and wish I had an astronomical decorating budget....

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Cuteness

2011-08-26T04:21:00.001-06:00

As I was telling my new class about my quiet signals, one little girl raised her hand.

"I already know about that because my cousin was in your class and she does that just like you when we play school!"

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2011-08-18T13:14:00.001-06:00

Oh you know, just another busy summer day during naptime...

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Whew.

2011-08-17T09:44:00.001-06:00

So...maybe I'm sitting at my desk at school holding back the tears. Will is doing a trial run at his new child care place. As I closed the door, he looked at me and said, "Mama?" while tearing up. So I went to the car and lost it.

He will only be there 3 hours a day. It's a good place, with fun activities. BUT MAN! This is HARD.

I KNOW the grass is always greener. I do.
I KNOW I love my job.
I KNOW he's safe and cared for.
I KNOW we will both be ok.
I don't know what I would do if I came to a job where I sat at a desk all day, thinking about him. Luckily I'm busy from the moment I get here, so I don't sit and dwell in my worry.

But....AH. Still crying.
I hope, hope, hope I can someday be a stay-at-home mom.

Bittersweet.

2011-08-14T21:08:00.000-06:00

Will and I like to walk home from church each week. We look for all kinds of treasures...bugs, rocks, "bage" (garbage), etc. He's starting to get a tad of an independence streak. If I try to do something he does not like, he'll say, "Stop!" which is more like, "Top!" and it's adorable.

So today, we were walking along and I reached my hand down. More often than not, he grabs it and we hold hands. Today, as I reached down, he said, "No, (s)top!" And it may have broken my heart just a tad. But of course we just walked along, side by side, hands to ourselves. A guy who was walking behind us caught up (we're on the slower side). As he passed he said, "He's already too old to hold your hand, eh?" I joked, "Apparently!"....while my heart broke just a tad more. Too old? My little baby? That man was totally right.

When we approached the front steps, Will started to take the first step. But, as he did, he reached his little hand up and grabbed onto mine for help. I smiled and my heart mended....he's not too old to hold my hand when he needs it.

P.S. Although this sounds strangely Love You Forever-ish...no, I will not be the crazy mom who sneaks into his bedroom when he's grown to hold him. (Sharon...I know you were thinking it!)

Thanks, Government

2011-08-12T01:31:00.001-06:00

Checked my student loan account....see those three magical words: PAID IN FULL

You see, if you work in a Title 1 school for 5 years, up to $5,000 of student loans is forgiven (more if you teach math, science, or special ed.).

I used this money to student teach in Texas....and 5 years later, it's all gone.

What a great feeling!

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2011-08-10T01:35:00.000-06:00

"I admit it's tempting to wish for the perfect boss, or the perfect parent, or the perfect outfit, but maybe the best any of us can do is not quit. Play the hand we've been given and accessorize the outfit we've got."

-Sex and the City, A 'Vogue' Idea

Marketing?

2011-08-09T10:58:00.000-06:00

Just going through my pics from the fabulous
Dinner Club Third Annual Pool Party...

None of these pics were staged....

Is there any reason why Diet Coke
would not want these for advertising?!

Good News

2011-08-08T21:59:00.001-06:00

I'm glad my friends inform me of important events....

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Big Day, Big Topics!

2011-08-03T05:17:00.001-06:00

Well.... I've been up since 4:12 A.M. Why? Because my eyes popped open and my brain adjusted to realize that in 3 short hours (2, now) I'm going through the LDS temple for the first time. And, although I KNOW it's the right thing for me to do, and I'm ready....I'm still nervous! Just a new, unknown experience, you know?

Remember when I got baptized? Here comes the next adventure!

So, I couldn't get back to sleep and clicked a few blogs. Found this little gem. It's a good read, and the comments on it are interesting, too. Hope you enjoy.

Gluten-free Mormonism

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Bach FINALE!

2011-08-01T21:59:00.001-06:00

First things first....loved William replying to Nick, "We're here because we can't find a girl that wants to date us..."

Next: Guest commentary tonight courtesy of Abbey, a fellow teacher...Jenny O., a college friend....Blaine, Jenny O.'s husband, and Angie....another college, reality tv-loving friend. We have a ridiculous amount of junk food in front of us, we're ready.

And....here we GOOOO!

-Ashley's still tiny....don't most contestants (?) gain weight? Lot o' drinkin!
-purple eyeshadow Ash?
-wow....family....
-brother's sweaty
-Fiji's botrytis (ha, that was autocorrect for hottttt)
-her sister is Ashley + a box of hair dye and a tattoo punch pass
-Angie: "Well, sister's assertive, isn't she?!"
-Jenny: "Satan's mistress!"
-Blaine: "Who's this freak?!"
-brother needs some shade
-helllllo JP!
-Swoobs for Ashley, apparently
-a bit of Ashley's foreshadowing
-tears!
-"journey" count, courtesy of Angie: 7
-sister's HARSH
-hello dad, AKA older Vince Vaughn
-"much older than her"...how old are they both? I didn't think there was THAT big of a difference....
-Angie: "It is NOT up to you!"
-sister...blah
-Jenny: "What a b*tch!"
-Go JP!
-Listen to Your Heart playing in the background? Cheese!
-the Brad reference was harsh
-she doesn't want him to go home and worry about this?!
-please be the next Bach
-this sisterly fight is awkward
-better with Brad? Blech.
-tell her Ash!
-Jenny: "She's just jealous."
-Blaine's prediction: "sister will keep quiet when Ben comes, then she'll pick Ben...."
-consensus around here: sister is Bitter Betty
-is that sweat on Ben's shirt?
-Ashley's overzealous now
-dog voice....awkward. Wait until babies come
-and brother comes to life
-wow, Fiji must be humid
-divorce= no wonder she's bitter...one big AHHA! from this group when that was revealed
-her roll-up shorts....ew
-oh Ben....that outfit....
-enough with the helicopters!
-"Lubing each other up with mud" yikes!
-"I wish I could reach lower..." ahhhh!
-this talk is awkward
-I think she wants to feel more for Ben than she does
-Hum...I don't know about that love word
-hello bug bite on her thigh
-yikes push up swimsuit
-JP was very sure about them...
-they seem to have real conversations
-JP's a big fan of the vneck
-JP's I love you was way better
-"You're the best boy ever..." but better than Ben???
-"Wanna lay down for a little bit?" easy there, JP!
-bringing a gift= genius!
-infatuated was her word....I think she has crazy chemistry with JP...not Ben so much....
-Shower scene
-hello Neil! and his diamonds!
-heart to heart with Neil
-finally, a rail scene
-more pink, and another vneck
-black shorts, brown sandals?! As Blaine just said, "Better pick Ben."
-ew...dress? Fringe?
-Blaine: "That dress looks like she went through a paper shredder...." this boy has fashion sense!
-Angie screams: "I can't handle this! My pulse is racing!"
-Blaine: "I know, like 300 beats!"
-those are Ben feet!
-Angie just swore for the 12th time that she'll "never watch thus show again!"
-oh she looks so worried
-he's getting the ax
-Abbey "It's like a car wreck."
-OUCH
-Angie "He's gonna need therapy"
-Blaine "Would it be bad if he punched her?"
-oh she should have stopped him
-"I feel so blessed to be a part of your life..." blah.
-Ben is calling her out! Yes! "I don't need you to sugar coat it."
-bitter. But I don't blame him.
-Abbey: "Ben and Bitter Betty can get together!"
-sad boat exit
-DID THE PLANE JUST FLY OVER HIM?!?!?
-bless his broken heart
-Blaine: "I didn't even know I was a blogger!"
-and the m&ms just got opened, Blaine, "I'm so upset I gotta have them!"
-ah, what if he turns her down?!
-WHEW! JP looks goooood in a suit!
-oh he is just so cute!
-does this mean he won't be the bachelor?
-Jenny: "Take that, sister!"
-Abbey: "I think she's going to need therapy after all this....or maybe she needed therapy all along!"
-Angie: "Well, poor Ben!"
-Ahhh, the rollerskating music!

After the Final Rose:
-Poor Ben
-I always want to know how long the time table is between the last episode and the After the Final Rose. Anyone know?
-love pinstriped suits...Chris looks nice
-he had to go to a wedding after? Harsh
-journey: 9
-Ben "Um...nice ring?"
-Ashley's hair?
-think Ben will be the next Bachelor?
-she looks kinda conehead-ish
-yep, he's still cute
-oh his cute little wink
-bring up the family drama!
-Angie, RE: sister's glare: "Oh, she is going to make his life MISERABLE!"
-what's the team cupcake thing?
-Abbey: "Team cupcake, WTH?!"
-all is well.
-Think they'll last?

Ah....another season down. Now what am I going to blog about?!

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Will's Hair Bow

2011-08-01T15:40:00.001-06:00

We put one of Will's cousin's hair bows in his hair....

Then he discovered it....

And tried to pull it out....

Then discovered what it was and just how much of his hair came out with it....

Guess we'll just stick to hats....

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Glasses

2011-07-31T20:42:00.001-06:00

(ha, he couldn't figure out how to get them unstuck from his lip)

Popsicle Genius

2011-07-31T03:10:00.001-06:00

Whoever came up with these little mini Popsicles for toddlers is a genius....the big ones are just too BIG. They melt too fast. But these little guys? Big fan.

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Pool Days!

2011-07-29T08:11:00.001-06:00

Will and I have spent many days at the pool this summer...it's been lovely.

We're #1! Ha, actually...when I take a picture using the reverse camera mode (is that what it's called? Anyway, you can see yourself on the screen), he points at himself, thus, the #1!

He's still a little timid at the pool and prefers to watch for a bit before getting in. Doesn't he look about 60 in this picture?

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Water "Fun" ?

2011-07-24T21:56:00.000-06:00

Before:

During:
(HA...talk about capturing the moment!)

After...One very happy boy!

Fresh Air

2011-07-20T22:17:00.001-06:00

Tonight at Sabor, as I approached a table to greet them, the customer had her phone out. She had dialed the number and was about ready to talk.

When she saw me, she hung up instead and apologized to me.

I was so impressed...unfortunately, she is far outnumbered by the customers who chatter away on their phones without any regard for politeness.

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Picnic!

2011-07-19T22:23:00.001-06:00

We had a lovely picnic at Whittier Park...locals, have you been there?! It's awesome!

Will just adores his friend, Beck! Which works out well for me, because I happen to adore Beck's mom! :) He holds his hand and they go down the slide...it's so sweet.

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Will...Sleeping

2011-07-17T23:33:00.001-06:00

Looks comfortable, no?

Nope, you didn't miss a post about Will losing his left arm...it's all the way around, nearly holding his right hand....

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Pool Gems

2011-07-15T16:37:00.001-06:00

Ah...the pool. Prime people watching. Really, not even sure why I brought my book.

Some gems:
•the grandma and grandpa sitting by the front gate, in the shade. So wish I could have slyly taken a picture. Bless their hearts, they may have been GREAT grandparents....or great, great! Hats, tube socks with Velcro shoes and shorts, him sitting on his walker. So sweet.

• the group of six gals next to me....along with the group of six guys behind them.

Girl: "Hey! How old are you?"

Boy: "14....almost 15....how old are you?"

Girl: "16....almost 17, well...actually 17 (right...). I'm not interested or anything...." (right...)

Said boys and girls have now joined forces. Ah, high school. Good times. I feel so old!

...and are now trying to talk each other into jumping into the closed-for-cleaning pool....naked!

•and....my fave....the two boys standing on the side, cheering their grandma on as she jumped off the high dive! She did it, rolled herself from the pool to cement (the lifeguard's face was priceless), amid the grandsons' high-fives and thumbs-ups!

And? And! I got a lounge chair today!

Ah, I love summer....

Update: no naked pool jumping, the girl who was about to jump in (with her suit) for FORTY bucks chickened out.

Ha, now one of the boys is sitting between two girls as they pick his peeling chest.

Why do I find this all so funny?!

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Duck Crossing

2011-07-15T14:43:00.001-06:00

Just on my way to the pool.... Had to stop for this parade.

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Lemonade Stands

2011-07-15T11:04:00.001-06:00

I've blogged many times about my love for my daily calendar...I'd link to said posts, but you know, that whole tagging thing. Ha, I could link to the post about tagging...if I had tagged it!

Anyway...

Two days ago, I saw some boys set up a lemonade stand on the corner. Will and I headed over. The entrepreneur was helping another customer, an older lady who had pulled over. She said, "You know, you have to support the local businesses!" and thanked the boy for "being such a nice salesman". He proudly served her lemonade and turned to greet us. He was very polite.

As he poured our lemonade, the walkie talkie on his hip buzzed. I asked him about it. "Oh, my friend is down on the corner (of the busier turn off street), he lets me know when cars are coming so I can get the sign ready." Efficient!

He shoved my dollar bill into a cup overflowing with coins and bills. I asked how business was. "Pretty good! We've made over $25 and we've only been out here for two hours!" Whew.... I might just be their competition on the opposite corner!

So, yesterday, I chuckled when I tore off my daily calendar:

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Creeeepy!

2011-07-14T11:06:00.001-06:00

Went into the food storage pantry to get some pasta...turned around and saw this:

Totally thought that creepy, life size doll was a person.

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Efficiency

2011-07-13T21:23:00.001-06:00

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VIT

2011-07-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

Very Important Topic:

Skechers Shape-Ups

Please discuss.

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My Own Autocorrect

2011-07-12T13:59:00.001-06:00

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Library Adventures

2011-07-12T01:07:00.001-06:00

Will and I frequent the library during the summer....

No matter how long it's been between visits, he repeats "fish...fish....fish!" on our way through the doors. The first time I couldn't figure out why he was talking about fish...then I remembered the beloved fish tank in the kids' area. Clearly, he remembered it, too.

Next favorite... The drinking fountains....

Today he even figured out how to use BOTH at the same time. Oh, the excitement! Who needs Disneyland?

Then, the reading corner....isn't it fun? Giant book couches!

Finally, watching the bigger kids play on the computers.

On the way out, we have to explore the garden...

Which includes smelling MANY of them! And loudly proclaiming, "Ahhh!" after each one!

Don't worry, we DO actually check out books, too!

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Sleepiness

2011-07-11T11:58:00.001-06:00

Will is for sure on a summer schedule. Went to bed at 10 last night and is STILL asleep...it's noon. A night owl, just like his parents.

P.S. Yes, he's breathing.
P.P.S. Yes, I know I'm totally jinxing myself for future children....

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Car Wash Awkwardness

2011-07-08T12:36:00.001-06:00

Just went to the car wash. The guy handed me this:

Totally thought it was a tampon. It's a dashboard wipe. Awkward.

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Really, JUST diet Pepsi....

2011-07-07T00:13:00.001-06:00

Cafe Sabor, tonight:

Man: "What diet drinks do you have?"

Me: "Just diet Pepsi, sir."

Man: "Oh, do you have diet Mtn. Dew?"

Me: "Just diet Pepsi."

Man: "Do you have diet Dr. Pepper?"

Me: "No, just diet Pepsi...."

Man: "Oh.... I'll have water."

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Pool Etiquette

2011-07-06T14:52:00.001-06:00

Remember the time I was laying (lying?) out at the pool, on the grass, very prego...and some nice soul came and offered me her lounge chair? That was great.

I came to the pool today. Just me, my diet coke, and my book. Not a lounge chair to be found.

Well, plenty of chairs... reserved with a towel. Seriously, 90%.

I'm kind of of the opinion that if you want a chair, you should be sitting in it. Of course, some swimming is reasonable. But... I bet there are some (most?) pool-goers who unload all their gear on a chair and take off to the pool for the next 3 hours. Then they grab their stuff and head home, not even sitting in said chair.

I better come right at noon for a chair next time...or be really prego.

That's all. Soapbox over.

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Love...

2011-07-05T01:19:00.001-06:00

It's past 1 in the morning. I was watching tv when I heard Will let out a shrill scream...then start to cry. I went in to check and him and he just cuddled right up. He asked for milk, then was wide awake. I just treasure these moments with this kid. He said, "Hi!" to everything as we walked upstairs to get his milk...the lights, the dogs, the towels, the bottle...everything. Then he just laughed...I mean, slapping his knee, all-out giggle. Adorable. He gave me a few kisses among the laughs, touched my nose while saying, "Nose!"...then my eyes, ears, and mouth....all amid more giggling. Then said, "Night!" and waved. Lights out and back to sleep. Ah....just love this kid.

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Move

2011-07-04T00:51:00.000-06:00

It seems like old news now...but we've moved! It was a quick decision, and a quick move...which made me feel like I was skipping town. RJ and I both were thinking we needed to make a change to get where we want to be....talked about it, talked to his parents, and made the decision. We're kind of the type of people that once we decide something, we just do it.

We have moved into RJ's wonderful parents' house for at least a year. We still own our home, but are renting it out. It's a money-saving venture....Although I love, love, love teaching, my ultimate goal is to be home raising my family. (No, I'm not pregnant and have been asked that so much lately!) We knew that we were not headed in that direction where we were. So, short-term sacrifices for long-term goals is our new motto.

We are so very grateful for the opportunity we have. I look in Will's eyes and I truly feel like we are doing what is right for our family...for him and for any future children. We are so thankful to Greg and Daryla for giving us this opportunity. They have wholeheartedly opened their home to us. People keep asking me, "Is it hard to live with your in-laws?" and I think, "Hard for me?! They're the ones that just had a whole other family, including a busy toddler, move in with them!" They are so generous and kind, and have been nothing but welcoming. What a wonderful family I was able to marry into.

In other wonderful news, RJ got a job! YAYYYYYY! He got his dream job- teaching fourth grade at Bridger Elementary. He student taught in the same school, same grade level. He collaborates well with the team, as well as the principal. He's thrilled, as am I. We were hoping, praying, crossing our fingers for a job locally. Wyoming and Montana were in the works....and I was about to order heavy duty sedatives for myself if that happened. I will never forget the morning we were woken by RJ's phone ringing and the principal's name on the screen. He was offered the job. It was 8:15 A.M. We were in his new classroom organizing by 9:00 A.M.!

It's bound to be an exciting year, full of changes. We're optimistic about the future for our small family.

2011-07-02T01:20:00.001-06:00

A lady at my table tonight had a tshirt with lighthouses on it. Very nautical, touristy... Up in the corner? "Yellowstone"

Does anyone else think this is weird? Does Yellowstone HAVE lighthouses? And, if so, why?

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Bachelorette

2011-06-30T00:41:00.001-06:00

Ok...so I haven't blogged about my fave show in a few weeks. And...it's been brought to my attention by some fellow bloggers/trashy tv watchers/friends. Problem is, move = no mas DVR. Boo! Hulu and I are now friends.

Just (finally!) finished this week's episode. Random thoughts:

Those boys are DRAMA!
Her Bentley "confession" wasn't THAT big of a deal.
The Bentley visit was dumb- I think she handled it well...even the f word! Yikes!
Ames blinks a lot.
Constantine and Ryan are twins.
Mickey was ok, until he wasn't. His looks, however, are more than ok.
Ryan cheeseorama is obnoxious!
Hulu cut off before the teasers!!!!
Her dresses were terrible. I'm no fashion queen, but blech!
Her accent bugs me...drawn out vowels or something. I want to pull her back to my guided reading table for a vowel sounds intervention.
Good riddance on the Bentley biz...please bless that it's really the end this time.

And...Team Jordan Paul!

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So True...

2011-06-26T22:33:00.000-06:00

That whole "a picture is worth a thousand words" thing....

Finally....

2011-06-19T07:13:00.000-06:00

Last November, all of RJ's family was supposed to go on a cruise. About 3 weeks before the cruise, the ship workings caught on fire and knocked out all the power and running water. The passengers were stuck with nothing but Spam and Pop-Tarts....and I'd bet the bar goodies emptied out real quickly...

So...we rescheduled for this week. YAY! I can't wait to enjoy some warmth. I have my motion sickness patches in place, bags packed, spray tan on (with an orange situation on my feet...oops), Will is cared for by my dear friend Denise, Dizzy cared for by my niece's friend...what could go wrong? Well...Titanic was on tv yesterday...and the theme song on the radio shortly after.... ;)

Ahhh....

2011-06-15T15:16:00.001-06:00

SUMMER!

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New Earrings

2011-06-11T00:45:00.001-06:00

My cousin's wife, Kumi, makes the most beautiful jewelry. It's also really unique- she's Japanese and all her stuff is handmade origami jewelry.

Check out the new earrings I just got- so dainty and pretty.

Want some? Here's the link to her Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KumikosOrigami?ref=seller_info

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Whew!

2011-06-06T13:06:00.001-06:00

We're apparently all worn out. Will went to bed at 10 last night... Finally woke up at 12:30 this afternoon!

We moved... Only across town, but whew...exhausting! More on that later. But, we are looking for good renters for our house. Help!

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Cute? Scandalous?

2011-06-04T10:01:00.001-06:00

So I left a note about shifts at work. Later, I noticed this....

First I thought, "Oh, cute...someone loves me!"

Then I looked again...pretty sure that's not what he/she meant....

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More Bachelorette....

2011-06-02T12:09:00.000-06:00

More Bachelorette...continued....

Don't love her blazer
Mickey is cute...I'm not sure there's chemistry
Zorro adds a beanie?
Enough with the coin tosses!
I like JP...seems like a genuine guy
9o\ (that was Will's contribution)
Love her classy dress
OK really...enough with the coin toss
Brave, JP, brave!
Ah...they're cute, I like them together
I'm with you West, William was being a dork
What is her tattoo?
Zorro on the balcony!
There seems to be an abundance of purple/lavender on the boys...
I think it's kinda weird when the "contestants" launch into their sad pasts...do they want a pity rose?
Ooooh...the revelation!
....is interrupted!
Ugh...Bentley. Ew.
"wanted to get down to it pretty fast" ah...the romance.
Hum...not sure on your "pretty good radar" Ashley...
Wow...who's in the bright-need-my-sunglasses green?
Enough with her advice on "having faith in the process..."
I like West...and JP...and usually William
...and of course I am intrigued by Zorro
There seems to be more guys with longish hair than usual
I thought we'd see more arrogance from Ames by now...maybe I judged too early
Am I the only one who thinks, "Wait...what? Who is that? Where did he come from?" during rose ceremonies? I guess there are just so many right now
What did she just say to Matt? Tell who I said hi? So confused
OH YES! His MOM. Of course.
Oh Ryan M., he's cute...but....maybe it was the gray and purple ensemble?
OK, so I read somewhere that Bentley isn't drinking and that it's obvious that it's water in his glass when they toast. It does look water-ish in the one toast I've noticed. Thoughts? Ha, how lame that I'm even decoding this.
Zorro vacuuming? In boxers, a button up, and shoes? Hum.

Ah...I pathetically love this show. Can't wait for next week.

The Monday Addiction

2011-05-31T22:53:00.001-06:00

Bachelorette!...A few days late. Still waiting for me on my DVR. Am I a bad person if I kinda cringed when my husband came to bed last night, because I was just about to start this week's episode? Don't answer that. And don't tell him that either.

P.S. Jenny O. and Angie...can we please start watching soon? I'm dying here! Ang, just end school early. Your kids, parents, and boss will totally understand.

P.P.S. I've already heard from 3 friends (via texts during the episode while I was slaving away selling those burritos...made the suspense build even more!) what a weirdo Bentley is. Ah...what Michelle and Bentley are doing for Utah....

Here goes! (Probably to be continued tomorrow, because I just noticed RJ is getting ready for bed. Think he'll notice if I "accidentally" lock the door? Ha! I'd watch with him, or rather let him watch with me, but he really just doesn't appreciate good tv. ;) )

Aw...William is cute. Still worried about his career in Ashley's eyes though...
Ashley is tiny. Was she that little last season?
I'd want to be on the show just for the fun cars they get to drive...
Look at them ALL scoping her out...then following them to the car. Awkward.
Oh good, Zorro the mask guy added a hat to the mix
OK really, did the producers make him wear that?
"I've taken the stealth approach...I feel like I can stay high up above and just kinda watch down below..." Creepster.
Ah Vegas! I want to go! Looks warm...which is about all I ask at this point in Logan's weather.
Weird that people in the Bellagio are hugging Ashley.
Ha, he looks creeped out about the wedding talk.
The ring shopping is awkward.
Ew, this is dumb. Poor William.
Is he really going to do the ceremony?!
Is this her lame attempt to give him a rose?
She just said this was her best first date...I think the carnival biz with Jake topped this.
Ew, you are not "falling for William"...you are giddy and on a fun first date.
Seriously, I think the Bellagio fountains at night are among my favorite place to be. Ever.
When we were in Vegas once in college, my friend dropped her cell phone in that water. Oops.
She drags out sounds when she talks...it bugs me.
Didn't she have a serious dad talk with Jake on their first date, too?
Oooh-love the watch story. Still think it's kinda a bit much that he wears it. I'd put it in a special place. A similar clock story happened with my mom when her dad passed away.
Cute first kiss....should have timed it with the fountains!
Do you think the producers wouldn't "let" onlookers cheer until now? They didn't when the big kiss happened...or the audio was cut at least.
Matt looks like someone? A celebrity?
Weird outfit.
West has never been to Vegas? I guess South Carolina is far...
Love Monte Carlo...they have the BEST pool and lazy river.
I bet that dance is so fun to see live!
She's buff....I want her abs
West is a trash talker
"No Rhythm Nation" winners!
"I want to throw myself in the engine right now" dramatic!
Hello Bentley's abs!
Maybe they should bring a new mask home to zorro
"I just want her to know I'm better than any other guy"...Oh, Bentley's off to a great start!
Way to skirt the convo, dentist
Oooh. I forgot that it was West's wife that passed away. Sad.
And, Bentley sweeps in.
WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!
Ew. He's gross.
Slimy.
He's totally there for ratings. And she just begged him to stay for more ratings.
Bentley gets the rose. Ratings.

And with that, I did not lock RJ out and it's bedtime! Until tomorrow's drama!

Talent

2011-05-31T17:04:00.001-06:00

Lately Will has had an obsession
with picking the lint from his toes after he takes his socks off. My little brother used to do the exact same thing- even in his sleep.

Today, we were driving and Will was snacking on some cereal. I looked back to see him putting the cereal between his toes...then trying to get it to his mouth!

Now THAT'S talent!

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Poverty, Puberty, whatever!

2011-05-30T14:02:00.000-06:00

A group of kids were working on a project. The debate came up whether they were kids or grown-ups.

One boy: "I'm not a boy, I'm a man!"

Other boy: "You're not a man, you haven't even been through poverty yet!"

Shot Sadness

2011-05-29T01:39:00.000-06:00

Will's feelings about getting a shot in each leg.
Sad.
But check out those Daffy Duck band-aids!
Later, he was pointing to the band-aids saying, "Duck! Quack, quack!"

Part 2

2011-05-24T22:20:00.001-06:00

Um...let's just talk about how weird it will be when I print out my blog in a nice lil' family book...wedding, house, Will's life and milestones....and then...this Bachelorette trash! Ha!

With that...part 2!

Cocktail party begins!
Who's the kiss up yelling that she looks beautiful while she's talking?
OK Mr. I've said maybe, MAYBE 4 words to this woman and can say, "Ashley is beautiful, I can see myself marrying this girl!" REALLY?! Really?!
Who just said, "It's going to take a little guts and nuts." Really?
Is "Really?!" my theme? Going all Seth Myers here.
Solar boy is a bit braggy too. Hello life story.
He seems like a cheerful type of guy though.
Does she have a major overbite?
Love gingham shirt with polka dot tie guy
You're calling your mom?! Weird!
Awkward!
Oh the motherly advice...
OH MY! Her advice!! AHHH!
I'm kinda done with the gimmicks...wine, compass, calling mom, the guitar....
Guitar thing was weird
This situation always causes the guys to get so girly and drama!
Like the creepy music that plays whenever mask boy comes along
Mask guy reminds me of vampire girl last season
He should go on that show in the dark...was it Dating in the Dark or something?
Tim is a jerk...reminds me of that dude last season who was always drunk and picking fights....what was his name?
Enough with the gimmicks, sign boy
William? First impression rose?
Is Tim really that drunk? Really? Really?!
He's a creeper!
Ha, that guy nailed it, "He's the drunk guy!" Every party has one!
"wine and spurs" ha!
And....still drinking. Dude, stop. Someone cut him off.
Amen, William. Amen. Good guy.
Enter mask dude....getting weirder.
Even drunk Tim says he wouldn't "rock the mask"
Tim's totally THAT guy at a party that everyone wants to back off...trying to out drink everyone, then fight. We all knew THAT guy in college.
"If you can't take the heat, get out of the oven." Um...isn't the expression out of the kitchen?
That snoring is SO bad! Is it real?
Ha, he totally has the fur thing that she had wrapped on her earlier
Love how the producers don't step in
Love the guy saying, "It happens to all of us!"...in college, at a party, with friends...maybe. NOT on national TV!
Wouldn't you love to see his face in the morning, "Wait...what...?"
Cue first railing scene of the season....creepster mask!
"Here for the right reasons..."BLAH
"Ok, I want to hear everything that's going on..." to mask guy. AKA, "What the he** are you wearing that mask for?!"
"So....do you think I'll ever be able to see you?"
It is TOTALLY a "stunt to get your attention".
JP is cute. I like his rugged look.
"I haven't had a cavity since junior high, and I floss everyday!" Cute.
OK the cupcake stuff is a little much.
Here for right reasons count: 4
"Cozy...I love that name...so cute...." ha
"She's my first priority..." RIGHT. Is that why you are on a dating show?!
Loganites: Bentley kinda looks like Jim Grewe? Eh?
She's totally into him. First impression rose?!
Or Ryan! He's cute.
That would be sad to go home the first night.
Here for the right reasons count: 5
Totally want to nominate my brother to be on the show...He's a catch.
Mask boy. Oh mask boy.
"I will miss all of you guys..." Even though I hardly know you....
Kinda wondering if mask guy has something to be self conscious of...? Maybe like a scar or...I don't know!
It's sad when the people leaving act as if their lives are OVER and all their dreams are crushed.
"I'm lost...I'm definitely defeated...I don't know when I'll find love..." Come ON!
"I'm beside myself...to see this slip away...it's heartbreaking. What's wrong with me? I thought Ashley was the one..." (from the hour, maybe two, that you spent with her and 24 other men?!)
Is he CRYING?
Is West gone? Where is he?

Hum...ok. Until next Monday! Ahem...when it will be S-U-M-M-E-R!!!

Ok....really.

2011-05-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

The Bachelorette has started! My Mondays just got a LOT more exciting. But...apparently I cannot handle just watching. I want to comment on EVERYTHING. And...well....Will's asleep and RJ's working. So...I paused the DVR after 4 minutes and got out the computer. Here goes:

OK this intro is embarrassing to even watch!
All the cheesy gaze-off-into-the distance....oof
Ashley was cute before, but I really like her makeover
Her workout scenes...enough already
Awkward laugh into the camera...and the punching! Awkward!
Ha, the lying in the ground in the theater. Weird.
Love her dark hair
Laughing, running backward in the red pea coat. Yikes.
Just because you CAN wear a cut off shirt, doesn't mean you should. IMO.
Ooooh- burning rose. That's one we haven't seen!
Sidenote: I think that phone commercial (ha, must be effective, can't even remember what provider it's for!) with the flash dance guy is so funny!
Classic running shirtless on the beach scene. Something tells me this won't be the last one.
Ah...the bad puns. The "only thing not sunny in my life"... from the solar guy.
Um...JP. Awkward hard hat scene, surveying an empty construction site.
JP's too into his career...foreshadowing.
Ames....Overachiever. And braggy. Nobody likes a bragger.
ARGH. That "on a scale of 1-10" stuff, when someone says a higher number...TOTALLY bugs me. Um, you're not on a 1-10 scale then. It's like the phrase "110%" NOT possible!
"I hope to have a lasting love, and the greatest one." Is anyone else thinking of Casey "guard and protect your heart"?
Benjamin the winemaker....yum! (on the wine, not so much on him...although he seems sweet)
Oh, just drinking a glass of wine by the barrels.
Oh Bentley. Blah. COZY?!
THIS MAKES ME SO MAD. I'm about to get all Dr. Laura here. You were warned. "I got divorced about a year and a half ago, basically because we tried to take on too much too fast...so now I just want to have more fun." YOU ARE A FATHER. That means a different kind of fun. That does not mean go-on-a-dating-show-and-look-like-a-fool fun. Ok I'm done. For now.
Family fun center? Where in SLC?
Love his house though. And he would be cute with Emily.
New Jersey butcher....hum. I think she'll like the businessman type instead.
Ha, second shirtless scene.
West...sad story. Not to be insensitive, but they seem to always put at least one sad story on the show.
Gazing longingly to the lake.
West is cute and seems like a sweet guy.
William...a cell phone sales guy...not sure if she'll go for him.
Ah, the stepping stone.
Third shirtless scene. Wow stare into the mirror.
He still wears the watch everyday? Put it in a special place.
She looks good. That dress looks fun to wear.
I wish I could do my hair that way...love the loose waves.
I hope she doesn't talk about Brad and her regrets all season long
Fireworks reference...was that a crazy Michelle reference?
ENOUGH with "the right reasons"
ha, she already has dirt on a guy! Ooooh....Bentley!
Little does she know single dad is Bentley!
A fellow dentist...is she a dentist yet, or still a student?
Jon's cheesy. Schmoozer.
I like William's scruff.
Oh Mickey...going bold.
Tim, liquor distributor...is he the one who passes out? Seems like he's had a few already.
Ah Ben, pulling out the foreign language already. Kiss up.
Hairstylist! Ha, he comments on the color of her hair.
Chris....the...rapper?
I totally think West is cute. Ha, the compass is totally cheesy. But, clever.
Anthony...wanna be Prince Charming. Bugs me already. Unbuttoned shirt. ew.
Rob looks like the party boy
Ames totally bugs me!
Mask boy. Um....
She seems totally weirded out.
Oh my...this is a long post. Only 15 guys so far.
Wow Ben...bringing a bottle.
Love his tie
OK Frank...a little much. Enough with the twirls.
Mike totally planned a dentist joke
Maybe Chris is the party boy?
....or Ryan? He's cute.
JP is kinda cute? I like the pink shirt. I'm glad he didn't bring a prop. Enough with the props.
Nick....too much hair. A poem. Ew.
She would look good with Blake. She's into him.
And Bentley. She knows it's him. Oooh, the rebel music.
Lots of guys with shaggy hair.

Ok really. I've only watched half! I'm exhausted, and this is a loooong post. So...part 2 tomorrow.

P.S. THREE AND A HALF days of school until SUMMER!

Day at the ZOO!

2011-05-22T12:36:00.000-06:00

Will and I went to Salt Lake yesterday for some fun!
He enjoyed some lunch in the most comfortable rocking chair ever.

...and some potato chips in the swing....

Then, off to the zoo!
Took the yearly picture in front of the gorillas. This time he could stand, but was afraid of the silhouettes.

Will and Grandpa, giving high fives.

Will enjoyed some chocolate ice cream....and dripped it all over my poor dad's shoe.
Good thing grandpas are such good sports.

Playing with the garden gnomes....ha

Making the dog food, as he does every time we're there!

Hanging out on his uncle's motorcycle.

We had a lot of fun...and can't wait for summer so we can venture down more often.

Pictures Digital?

2011-05-17T19:48:00.000-06:00

Opinions, please:

I have LOADS of pictures in crates, bins, drawers, books...everywhere.
And I'm not sure what to do with them.
But, what I'm thinking is....

Should I scan them all in and save them on a hard drive?
And if I do, should I throw them away after?

I just feel like they are sitting, taking up space.
Maybe summer would be a good time to take on this project?

Of Course

2011-05-16T18:32:00.000-06:00

Me, to student who got a haircut over the weekend:
"Your hair looks nice. Did you cut it?"

Student: "No, the lady did."

Easter...part 2

2011-05-14T00:05:00.000-06:00

We had a great Easter in Salt Lake....
an egg hunt, a stuffed basket, and a perfect pot roast dinner!

We made a cement garden stone...
Will loved decorating it,
but did NOT love putting his hand print in it...

He caught on to finding the eggs quickly...

And Roxy was super helpful!

Will loved his basket goodies...
bubbles, plenty of treats, a stuffed frog dressed as a bunny,
and plenty of other fun things...

He checked out the motorcycle selection...

One of his favorite things to do at my parents' house
is to "make dog food" with measuring cups and spoons.

Whatever Works?

2011-05-11T23:54:00.000-06:00

I have a student in my class who has a hard time controlling his emotions.
Today, he walked over to me and said,
"Teacher, I brought something that will help
when I am getting angry. It helps me calm down."

Out from his pocket: A tampon applicator.

I'm speechless.
So, I said, "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, just from some junk."

As he walked away from me,
he needed both hands to pick something up.
So he just popped the applicator
right in his mouth.

YIKES.

(Don't worry, without describing why, it successfully
(after much prodding)
ended up in the garbage.)

Birthday "Cake"

2011-05-10T20:36:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to my awesome husband.
I could get all mushy-gushy,
but how about I just say he's rad...then move on to the cake, eh?

Wow.
So, we're addicted to a local cupcake shop.
We recently discovered their cookies too.
Amazing.

So, I thought....hum, how can I do a cookie treat for RJ's birthday?
I asked them to stack cookies and make it into a "cake".
It was so cute, and tasted even better.

The Token Mother's Day Post

2011-05-08T21:37:00.000-06:00

I know, I know...everyone thinks their mom is just the greatest. I'm sure they are...for you. My mom is the greatest for me! In honor of my sweet mom, I'm going to list 28 things I adore about her. 28 is random, I know...but since I've known her for 28 years....28 it is!

1. She is so incredibly selfless. She would give anything to anybody and do anything for anybody. Really.

2. When we were little, there were the "bad kids" in the neighborhood. Most other parents seemed to ban their own children from being near them. Not my mom. She knew that these kids simply just needed some love and a better example. They were always welcome at our house. I know they felt the love, and even now, years later, I feel the love and try to do that same thing.

3. One time...ha, scratch that, it happened more than once....we'd be heading to bed on a Sunday night around 10, when one of us would say, "Mom! I need __________ for school tomorrow!"
It was usually something like black pants for Nick's choir performance, or a poster board for a class of mine or something that of course would be tricky to find and wouldn't be in the house. So, she'd head to the store at midnight and get what we needed.

4. Whenever my dad was out of town, my mom would let us sleep in her bed. Isn't that just the most fun a kid could have? I bet it's not so fun for the crammed, being-kicked parent!

5. One of those times, my mom and I were dozing off and heard a noise. Creaky, but with a few bangs...possibly steps. We were terrified. We were just sure the house was being robbed and we'd be left to die. We were all cuddled up in the middle of the bed, not sure what to do...when we realized we had started the dishwasher before bed and it was right above us in the kitchen! Ha! Those things are noisy!

6. My mom and I are both night owls. We could stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning, then sleep until 9 or 10 and be just great. We have so many memories of staying up, eating, and laughing...or as my dad would say, "cackling". Nothing like a bag of potato chips and a funny story to get us going.

7. Speaking of potato chips....we both LOVE the folded over ones. You know, the crunchy good ones!

8. Once, we got on a cleaning charade and cleaned my whole room. Most moms probably would have just yelled at me to clean my room and made me do it myself. Not my mom. We gutted everything and reorganized. It was so fun to do it together and such a good lesson for me. When we finished, it was about 2 A.M. and we were tired. But we were also hungry. So, down to Dee's we went! Had our early morning breakfast with all the crazies out that late and went home to bed.

9. The dripping glue, and the ring and necklace to go with it. Treasured forever.

10. When we were little, I never remember our home being out of order. She kept our house spotlessly clean. Windex in hand at all times! I'm sure I never appreciated this at the time, but now...whew. It's hard work to keep a home clean. And it really does change the atmosphere and mood of the home to have a clean, organized living space. She always made sure we had that.

11. It's been so fun to see my mom be a grandma. She ADORES Will and is so good to him. They have so much fun together.

12. Not only is she good to Will, but to me as I begin the adventure of motherhood. When I call with questions or need help, she can give me good ideas of what to try. She's never judgmental or forceful, just gives thoughts.

13. When she met RJ, she loved him and knew he was the one for me. She has always been kind to him and welcomed him entirely into the family.

14. Especially the way she welcomed him to Easter dinner a few months before we got married....We all sat down to a nice dinner out on the patio. Beautiful garden, decorations, matching serving bowls. It was all just perfect. Then we looked down. Each of us had a full-size, laminated placemat...a picture of RJ playing the baton in a performance when he was about 6 years old! Ha! It's the funniest picture.

15. When we were planning our wedding, my mom was so helpful. She was completely fine to have and do whatever we wanted. You know how some mothers get CRAZY about what they want? Nope, my mom was completely fine with how we wanted it. Well, except those ugly raised motorcycle/Precious Moments looking announcements she wanted us to get....ha. Remember mom? Those were awful.

16. I rarely remember my mom being sick in bed with a cold or the flu. She got them, in fact, she gets bad allergies every season. But she hides it well. She's not the type that will wither away in bed, feeling sorry for herself. She'll get up and get going.

17. Ha, one time she was cleaning the kitchen and I was in my room. All the sudden, I heard violent coughing from the kitchen. I rushed in. I got her water, patted her back...didn't know what to do. I was about to call 911, when the coughing eased. After some water and deep breaths, she could tell me what happened. She was trying to get a drink of her iced tea...but instead of picking up the glass, she picked up the Ajax container that was right next to it. Without looking, she put it to her lips. Of course she pulled it away at that point, but enough was in her mouth to make all the coughing start. It was so scary!

18. My mom has the kindest heart. She will ALWAYS believe the best about anybody. (Well, ok, except for a democratic politician! We don't talk politics in our family!) But really, I remember once we were eating at a restaurant (Hires, maybe?) and the waitress was just awful. She was nice, and meant well, but just kept forgetting things, couldn't answer the questions, that kind of thing. While most people would complain, my mom gave her a bigger tip, saying, "It's probably her first day. Or maybe she's just had a bad day."

19. Speaking of being charitable, she'll always buy from those workers that sell garbage bags and such for some kind of charity (Who is that?!). Even if she has to say no to someone selling something, she's kind and apologetic. She's not a door-slammer!

20. She has always made birthdays a BIG deal and it's so fun! The house is decorated, you get your favorite meal, favorite dessert, it's YOUR day! That was fun growing up, but it's even still fun as an adult.

21. For birthday gifts, she really tries to find something you will like and use. She's very good at finding these goodies. It's always very heartfelt, and wrapped gorgeously. When we were younger and would ask for money, she didn't just give money in a card. She would find some creative way of making it fun. I think one year she rolled bills all over a plant or something. Way more fun than just cash in a card.

22. Probably the thing I admire most about my mom is her empathy. If someone is sad, she is sad. If someone is excited, she is excited. And she's not superficial. If you have something exciting going on, she wants to know the exact time so she can be thinking of you at that moment. Then she'll call to find out how it went.

23. She's just FUN! Any of my friends could tell you that, she's just fun! We just have fun being together, doing nothing! We can talk and laugh for hours. One time we went shopping in Salt Lake. Between Tai Pan and Ikea, I think we were out 9 hours. Most of it was just wandering the aisles, talking and laughing.

24. It does not matter what time I call my mom, or for what reason, she always seems happy to hear from me. Even if she's in a hurry, she will chat for a minute first, then ask if she can call me back later. She's never rude or rushed or wanting to know why I called.

25. I know I already said she sends the best gifts....but her care packages in college! Ha, one Valentine's Day, I got a big box. Inside....candy, a card, a roll of Valentine toilet paper! Hearts and cupids all over! Hilarious. Oh, and there was a little stuffed rat...with blond hair! It was so oddly cute....but it gets better. When you squeeze it, it plays a Nelly song, "I love you...baby, I need you...." HA!

26. Not only can my mom and I talk for hours....but we find the same things funny. Someone will say or do something and we will just erupt in laughter while my dad and brothers just stare. Get us going late at night and pretty much anything is funny.

27. My favorite mom story....we were out running errands and drove past a local high school. On the marquee, it said, "Can drive Feb.25". My mom said, "Hum. That's fun...I wonder who can drive. I bet it's like the football captain or the student body president that is getting his license on that day. He's probably so excited that he'll be able to drive so he put that up there." She was going on and on about who it could be that was driving. Once I figured out her mistake, I couldn't stop laughing to tell her! I finally got the words out to explain that it was a FOOD drive for canned items! We laughed so hard.

28. And...the best thing about my mom? How she raised us. I genuinely think she did a stellar job of raising 3 honest, hard-working kids. We were never really spanked or punished by losing privileges, or grounded....but somehow we became adults that are empathetic toward others and want to do what is right. This probably had a factor in my lack of rebellion. One time in high school, I wanted to sneak out, of course to see a boy, at about 2 A.M. But...I was afraid that if my mom woke up and saw that I was gone, she'd be worried that something happened to me. (ha, not that I'd get in trouble, but that she'd worry...I was such a dork!) So, I left a note. Granted, I fibbed on the note and said that I was with a (girl) friend. I told her to call me if she needs me to come home. Of course, she got the note and called me, and yes, she did want me home and not out with some boy at 3 in the morning! We never wanted to cause trouble, because it would be rude to our parents...and we liked them! I think a lot of teenagers don't care what consequence their behavior has for their parents. I mean, sure, we were teenagers for sure, but we genuinely liked our parents and wanted to do our best for them. I think that's a hard feat to accomplish as a parent...to not threaten your kids so much that they're scared not to behave, but to have them see WHY they should behave correctly and make them want to choose that course. I think my parents accomplished this by example. They're just good people. And I love them!

My mom's mom passed away when my mom was only 9 years old. For most of her life, she didn't have a mom to model how to be a mom. While I can't imagine, can't even fathom, that...she somehow learned how to be a trusting and kind mom, and how to take care of a home, and how to cook and clean. She's the best role model I've ever had, and I thank God for her everyday in my prayers.

Happy Mother's Day, mom! I love you dearly, and I admire you so much. Thanks for all you've ever done, and mostly for the example you've set for me as I learn how to be a mom.

Coping

2011-05-06T17:01:00.000-06:00

Stress? What stress?

Easter Basket

2011-04-30T13:20:00.000-06:00

This is Will's I-just-woke-up-and-saw-what-the-Easter-Bunny-brought-me face...

He's been super into coloring lately, so he received some Crayola Color Wonder markers and paper. So far, he's more interested in taking the lids off the markers and putting them back on. Ha, whatever entertains, eh?

Blonde Moment...student version

2011-04-18T22:18:00.001-06:00

So we're doing a word puzzle yesterday in class. One of my brightest, highest-reading-level, always-gets-answers-right students says, "Wait...what's a dork knob?"

He's looking at the word "doorknob"....get it? DOORK/NOB

Aww....

2011-04-18T22:18:00.000-06:00

The other day, while finishing up with a reading group, a student pushed in his chair.
As he walked away, he said, "Thank you, Mrs. Cox!"

To which another student said, in a shocked tone, "Thank you?! Thank you for what?!"

"Thank you for everything! She is our teacher, after all."

My heart melted. Right there. It was just so sincere. He didn't even say it for me to hear it.
This kid is such a tender little soul, so polite.
He was so genuine...it wasn't just to kiss up...although it totally worked.

Liquid Paper

2011-04-17T22:47:00.000-06:00

My class is working on ecosytem murals. Each group was assigned an ecosystem to study, research, and teach the other groups about. They've really enjoyed it..and it's gone mostly well. They teamwork concept is a continual struggle. Developmentally, they're still very into rigid turns and complete fairness....which can cause a rift quickly!

One group has assigned "jobs" to each group member. They have a little guy who struggles with behavior. In a peacemaking (and smart!) move, they made him the "Supplies Leader". He is in charge of gathering supplies, sharpening pencils, organizing supplies, etc. It's been a good move for all involved! He loves the responsibility, and they love the prepared supplies.

So...on Friday, they were working on their murals. I looked over to see the "Supplies Leader" at the sink. He was running water over a wad of paper. I asked what he was doing and he replied, "I don't know....but my group said we needed it..."

I asked another student in the group what he was supposed to be getting.
"Liquid paper."

Mz. Kox

2011-04-15T11:40:00.000-06:00

"Teacher, I made you this bracelet....
but...sorry I ran out of 'S' and 'C'..."

Ethnic Food?

2011-04-12T17:11:00.000-06:00

"Teacher, how do you spell gina food?"

"Spell what?!"

"Gina food."

"I don't know what that is....what is the sentence you are writing?"

"I am writing, 'Do you like gina food?'"

"Hum....What does it taste like?"

"I don't know..."

"Ok...what does it look like?"

"Um...noodles."

"Oh...do you mean Chinese food?"

"Yeah! That!"

K.F.C.

2011-04-11T22:19:00.000-06:00

Kentucky Fried Chicken drive thru today....

R.J.: "Hi, I'll have the 3 chicken strips meal."

K.F.C. worker: "Oh, I'm sorry sir, the strips will take about 8 minutes to be ready."

R.J.: "Oh, ok...what do you have that's ready now?"

K.F.C. worker: "Um....we have...some chicken..."

2011-04-08T14:32:00.000-06:00

All the moms out there who say it's impossible to shower/get ready
with a toddler in the house...crazy.

All you do is set him free with a roll of toilet paper
and a junk drawer to empty.

Totally safe and totally not messy.