I am Kayak, Hear me roar

Bring it On The Musical

2012-02-09T07:55:00.002-06:00

Do you like musical?
Do you like Bring it On?
Do you like to be happy?

If you answered yes to all these questions, this might be the musical for you.

I bet you haven't even heard of it. It has just got out of workshop and starting to tour the country. It doesn't even have a soundtrack CD yet, which is a shame when I really want to listen to the music. I watch this Youtube video to get me through it while I wait.

Towards the end it did start to feel too much like High School Musical. And just because it takes place in high school does not mean it should've. Lots of musicals take place in high school and don't feel like that.

Commercial

2012-02-07T07:53:00.001-06:00

I didn't watch the Superbowl so I didn't see this commercial. But it is my favorite. I love NBC and if I could only watch 3 channels, NBC would be one of them.

It makes me extremely happy to see Community here.

Another List

2012-02-06T09:28:00.000-06:00

1. As long as you read books, I don't judge you, mostly. Unless you read Extreme Conservative Non-Fiction, Weird Self-Help books and Romance novels (as in real romance novels, not two people fall in love novels.) You might as well have a sign that says "Idiot."

2. I wrote this whole post on being a teacher and how I was frustrated that people discredit teachers as real people and that teacher's jobs are so easy. But it was a little rant-y, so I deleted it. Can we all just agree that everyone's job is hard? Unless you get to pet puppies all day long. If you really thing teacher's jobs are easy, let me know. I'll give you my rant.

3. A combination of Downton Abbey and reading a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has me re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I like it so much better this time around.

4. The best part of the Super Bowl is the food. And I had no idea what a safety was until last night.

5. Downton Abbey is really good. And the first season in on Netflix streaming. Always a bonus.

Goodreads

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

Here is my new obsession. Goodreads. I joined it years ago but just started using it consistently. I can browse all day looking at books to read. My to-read list is long and I am trying to knock books off of it. But I just keep adding to it. Plus, it is a great way to find books similar to books I have already read and liked.

So join, become my friend.

Books I Didn't Finish

2012-02-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

Seed By Rob Ziegler

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Chris found it at Barnes and Noble and it sounded exactly like the type of book I would read. A society in the future where the government controls the food supply. Or a robot controls it. I only read about 40 pages of it. It didn't really get into the story it was supposed to. And there was a lot of language. And the characters spoke in a mix of English and Spanish. Maybe someday I'll start it again.

Reading the OED by Ammon Shea

This was a non-fiction book about a guy who read all 21,730 pages of the Oxford English Dictionary. It was kind of like reading a dictionary. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn't quite what I expected. He goes on for 3-4 pages about what it was like to read the dictionary, and then gives a list of interesting words he found in a certain letter. I made it to "D."

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

I like Rob Lowe. I currently love him in Parks and Rec. But this book was like he was trying to hard. I am going to assume that he had a ghost writer and there is a reason he doesn't have his own book deal. There were good stories (from what I read) but just too much. I got probably 25 pages in.

Engagement Pictures

2012-02-01T13:09:00.004-06:00

Charleah and Steven are engaged! And these are my favorite pictures of them that I took a few weeks ago. I think they look adorable but Charleah is super picky about them. And I can say that and post them here because she doesn't even read this.

Tuesday Notes

2012-01-31T13:14:00.002-06:00

1. Revenge is coming back. Next week.

2. Community is also coming back. But no date has been set yet.

3. I worked out 3 times this week. And on one night we went to the track and did bleachers and lunges. I am still sore. But we did set two days a week to always go to the track. Apparently I like to torture myself. And running is torture.

4. I am going to run a 5k. I want to run the Blue Bell 5k in April. After you finish you get to eat all the Blue Bell you want. That is according to the website anyways.

5. One month down in the new year and I am rocking most of my resolutions. I have read 10 books this month, I have been working out, and I started trying to knit. I can only get the yarn on one needle, not the other. But I'll figure it out.

The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen

2012-01-30T13:36:00.000-06:00

Zed is from a future society that is considered "perfect." He is sent back from the future to make sure that the past plays out as it originally did. There are others who will go back in time to "fix" it by preventing bad things from happening. Zed's government wants to make sure that the past isn't changed so much that it changes the future.

Zed is sent back to prevent a major event from happening. I wish I could be more specific on that but the book was specific on what the happening was. That is the only thing I would change about the book.

The book follows three other characters whose paths make them essential to the future.

It was a Science Fiction book, but wasn't too SciFy. I actually enjoyed the amount of Science in it.

I would recommend this book. I think there were a few curse words, but beyond that there wasn't much inappropriateness.

Frosted Toast Crunch

2012-01-24T20:39:00.001-06:00

I love cereal. It is the best. Luckily, Chris shares in my love.

Behold:

It was amazing and good and I love it. This cereal deserved a post all on its own.

Saturday!

2012-01-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

1. Sammie and I have been watching Revenge. It is on of our new TV shows from the fall that we both thought would be stupid, but now we are hooked. But I don't know when it is supposed to come back on!

2. I don't read books that don't use proper pronunciations. I have picked up a few that don't use quotation marks. What is the point? I might be missing out on some good books, but I'll live.

3. I got these shoes. I saw them at Target a week ago and they didn't have my size. And then I went later and they had my size. So...it is my conquest of the week. And less than $10.

4. I started running this week. Again. Hopefully I won't stop.

5. I love the non-winter we've been having. Recess outside isn't just a break for the kiddos.

The Jolly Postman

2012-01-20T11:44:00.000-06:00

Has anyone else ever seen this book? I remember it from 1st and 2nd grade. And I have been looking for it for a few years. It was on my Amazon wish list, but I finally just bought it for myself.

I love it so much because it has other people's letters in it. And it is characters from fairy tales. I love reading books with letters in it.

It isn't exactly what I remember. I think they "improved" it and "updated" it. But since I don't really remember it too much, I couldn't tell you exactly what those improvements are.

But I took some pictures. It is just adorable! There is another like it that I'll have to get soon.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

2012-01-19T10:59:00.000-06:00

Go ahead and say the title out loud. I didn't exactly get it right away, but as soon as I realized what it said I had to read this book.

The set up is a fictional island, Nollop, home to the fictional creator of the phrase "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." A phrase which uses every letter of the alphabet at least once.

When the monument to the creator starts losing letters of the phrase, the city council bans the use to the letters as they fall. The first letter banned is "Z." Anyone who uses Z in writing or speech will be several punished.

Fantastic premise and the novel delivered. The book is a collection of letters the characters write to each other. As letters are banned, they have to get more creative in their writing. It was fantastic how far the characters got as they lost letters. Towards the end, words were spelled phonetically.

I would recommend this book. It is also one of the few adult fiction books I have read that are completely clean.

My favorite line was write before the K became banished from the island.

"Kkkkkiss me again, Nate, while I may still speak of it!"

Christmas Ornaments

2012-01-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

This year I was a little obsessed with making Christmas ornaments. I spent a majority of Thanksgiving break doing it. I had the intention of giving them away on gifts, but I forgot about that. I still need to pass them out.

These were some of the ones I made.

While gathering supplies at Michael's one day, I saw the trains and figured they would be fun to paint. I convinced Chris to paint one also. And then we just got lots of wooden ornaments to paint.

We are slowly expanding our ornament collection. I would love if most of them were handmade.

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

2012-01-16T08:58:00.000-06:00

I read the first book in this Trilogy (yes, another young adult trilogy) last year. I have a lot of young adult series to finish up this year.

What I didn't like about the first book was the set up of the dystopian society. Now as the main character Gaia leaves one society, she falls into another dystopian society. I felt that the second society was better set up and I loved that.

However, the story had young adult written all over it where the first book did not. There was a love interest in the first book, but it wasn't weird. The characters knew each other for more than a day, they genuinely helped each other and Gaia didn't brood over the fact that she wasn't with the boy all the time.

But in the second story, it was quite opposite. Not only was there a love triangle, but there was a love square. After the girl had talked to two of the boys for about 20 minutes. How does that happen? It just didn't seem real life, it seemed juvenile.

But... there were a lot of interesting themes suggested. I could imagine that some people would hate the books based on some of the choices that the main character made.

If you are looking for a good series, I would recommend these. I also don't know when the next book comes out yet.

List of Things

2012-01-14T12:11:00.001-06:00

1. School has started again. And we are halfway to summer!

2. We had an assembly this week at school. As it was ending, the students were asked to repeat a pledge.

Presenter: "I"
Students: "I"
Presenter: "State your name,"
Students: "State your name,"

I don't even think they noticed.

3. I am still obsessed with reading. And getting more obsessed with doodling/coloring. In my free time, I alternate between reading and doodling.

4. My school half-year resolution was to leave work on time and not take any work home. And I have stuck to it 85% of the time. Which means I have a little more free time. Some things are not getting done, but they aren't priorities. Sometimes things just have to get dropped. I am okay with that.

5. I got my hair cut. And now I try to grow it out again. Any suggestions on how to make my ends stay healthy will be appreciated.

Family Pictures

2012-01-10T09:56:00.000-06:00

Over Christmas break we had family pictures done by Sarah Berry. I think they turned about fantastically and she did it in like 20 minutes because we had all woken up really early so we can take these during sunrise. So some of us might have been a bit cranky.

Crossed by Ally Condie

2012-01-09T09:29:00.000-06:00

Love triangle. Mysterious love interest. Life or death situations. Too much poetry. Part of a Trilogy

It is YA Fiction. The second part of the series I started last year.

It was fluff. Not much happened. You find out 1 or 2 new things. Maybe just one. It was basically just a way for two of the main characters to spend some quality time together and quote poetry to each other.

The first novel was Matched. It is about a dystopian society (I have a type) that controls everything they people done. The main part of the society is where you can choose to be married and if that happens, you become Matched to a person you are most likely to be successful with.

The main character Cassia is matched to her best friend Xander. But as she is going to see his file, someone else's face flashes.

From there, Cassia "society" starts to fall apart.

Crossed picks up where Matched left off, but in my opinion doesn't really add anything to the story.

I am excited for the last one for two reasons. 1) I would love to find some answers. 2) I know that it is 3 of 3, so their can't be anymore. I'll have my answers.

I would recommended it, but wait until the last one is out. I don't know when that will be.

Donor's Choose- My Project

2012-01-08T19:00:00.000-06:00

I set up a Donor's Choose project a little bit ago. I checked my email today and I had two donations! It was pretty exciting. What is even more exciting is one of the donors said he saw my project on Daily Kos. I recognized that because it is a political website that Chris often visits.

I checked and there it was. My project. (Scroll down to the second project.) Every week the Daily Kos picks projects to sponsor and encourage their readers to donate to.

It is very exciting. I wish I would have chosen some more exciting stuff. Once I have one project funded, I can do another. It is stuff that I really need in the classroom.

Here is my project to check out.

44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

2012-01-07T08:14:00.000-06:00

This book reminded me of the P.G. Wodehouse book that I read a few years ago. And then I read a review that said is was like Seinfield. Combine those two things together and you get this book. It follows several characters who are somehow intertwined and doesn't seem to have a real plot.

All the characters have ties to the address at 44 Scotland Street in Edinburgh. There's Pat who is on her second gap year living with Bruce. Bruce is a narcissist who works for Todd. Todd's daughter doesn't want to do anything with her life. Pat works at an art gallery with Matthew who has coffee every morning at Big Lou's. Irene and Bertie (a mother/son pair) also live in the building and are at odds with each other.

There really isn't a main character but I did have some favorites. I loved reading about Irene and Bertie. He is a 5 year old boy with a pink room and decides he just wants to be normal like other boys, but Irene doesn't want that.

Although it didn't have a real plot, I did like it. And I will read the next books in the series. However, I feel like because I don't know much about Edinburgh or Scotland, I was at a disadvantage. There were a lot of references to streets and people that I didn't catch.

I did love that the author can make you love or hate the characters. Even though there are so many characters, you have a sense that each character is developing somehow. That is what I consider good writing.

Drawing, Doodling, and Coloring

2012-01-06T08:03:00.000-06:00

I have found a new skill that I would love to learn. Doodling. Does doodling come naturally to some people, because it does not come easy to me. I can draw like 2 flowers and a tree and some swirls.

I saw this book online and got it for myself. And I love it. Each page has different things to either color or add to the page. Sammie and Charleah were so jealous of my book, they had to get their own doodling book.

My Top Books of 2011

2012-01-05T08:40:00.003-06:00

I don't usually read books that I don't want to . I have no problem putting down a book I've started if I don't like it. Why waste my time reading a book I don't like when I can read a book I do like?

So it was kind of difficult to narrow down the list. But here were my favorite books of the year.

1. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

2. One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Jasper Fforde

3. Across the Universe, Beth Revis

4. Bossypants, Tina Fey

And then all of these tie for 5th place, because I couldn't just pick one of them.

5. The Declaration, Gemma Malley

5. Tomorrow When the War Began, John Marsden

5. Insatiable, Meg Cabot

5. Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress

5. Before I Go to Sleep, S.J. Watson

5. The Woodcutter, Reginald Hill

5. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling

2011 Books Read

2012-01-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

It is another year and it is time to start another list of books read. This is 47 books long, hopefully a year from now it will be at least 50 books long.

Tomorrow I will give my top 5 of the year. Possible more if I can't narrow it down to 5.

Heart of the Matter, Emily Giffin

The Declaration, Gemma Malley

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary Pearson

I am Number Four, Pittacus Lore

Tomorrow When the War Began, John Marsden

Love the One You're With, Emily Giffin

Matched, Ally Condie

Misguided Angel, Melissa De La Cruz

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, Rafe Esquith

The Resistance, Gemma Malley

Last Night at Chateau Marmont, Lauren Weisberger

Birthmarked, Caragh O'Brien

Insatiable, Meg Cabot

Across the Universe, Beth Revis

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Sophie Kinsella

World War Z, Max Brooks

Delirium, Lauren Oliver

Why Didn't I Learn This in College?, Paula Rutherford

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan

Reluctant Disciplinarian, Gary Rubinstein

Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress

One of Our Thursdays is Missing, Jasper Ffrode

Bossypants, Tiny Fey

John Adams, David McCullough
The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Green, Ted Dekker

The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent

Rise Again, Ben Tripp

The Sisters Brothers, Patrick DeWitt
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Before I Go to Sleep, S.J. Watson
Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger
Death of a Witch, M.C. Beaton

Death of a Bore, M.C. Beaton

The Woodcutter, Reginald Hill

Death of a Valentine, M.C. Beaton

The House at Riverton, Kate Morton

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, Mindy Kaling
Killer Move, Michael Marshall
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

Already Gone, John Rector

If You Ask Me, Betty White

Sister, Rusamund Lupton

Alone, Lisa Gardner

Wither, Lauren DeStefano

44 Scotland Street, Alexander McCall Smtih

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

2012-01-03T08:19:00.000-06:00

This is a young adult novel, which I have stopped reading. But it was dystopian. And I can't say no to a good dystopian book.

In this society, humans have been genetically engineered so much that cancer and other diseases have been eradicated. The first generation of genetically engineered babies has survived, but their children start dying off. Males now die at age 25 and females die at age 20. Rhine has been kidnapped and sold to be one of the wives of a rich boy.

All she can think about is escaping to find her twin brother but at the same time her husband is falling in love with her and she is falling in love with her assistant. As she is part of the love triangle, she is caring for her sister wives.

The reason why I stopped reading young adult novels was the love stories. They aren't real! But they are what teenage girls like to read. So I understand why they still get written.

I thought the writing was good. The premise was good. I don't really care about the science part of it but I know that there is no real backing for any of this is actually happen.

I do not like that it is a trilogy. To me that says the author can drag out the story with whining and necessary things when the three books probably could have been crammed into one.

I give it a 2 out of 5 stars. You probably wouldn't hate it if you read it.

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

I am keeping it more simple this year for resolutions. I am not feeling it like I have in the last years. Not to say I am not going to do tons of fun stuff. Chris and I have lots of things planned that we hopefully get to do.

1. Read/Listen to 50 books.
2. Move to College Station.
3. Go to the temple every month, especially when we live 1 1/2 away.
4. Look good in a pencil skirt, my bridesmaid outfit, by Charleah's wedding.
5. Learn to knit. And make warm socks for Christmas.
6. Find out the cause of our infertility and start the adoption process if needed.

He's Back.

2012-01-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

Adison has been back for over a week now and it has been awesome. The morning of us picking him up was a little chaotic and everybody was excited. Charleah, Steven and I ran through the airport (in a hallway nobody was in) while Chris just took his time. Charleah video-ed us waiting.

We all got as close as we could to security. Mom was crying, Sam was crying. I almost did. But I managed to get through it.

Then let the hugging commence. There was a lady there who really wanted to talk to him about where he was coming back from. While we were trying to have a family moment. But I guess that's okay. It just interrupted Sam's hug.

We are all so glad that Adison is back! He is still himself, but all grown up now.

2011 In Review

2011-12-31T10:02:00.001-06:00

I remember when I was younger and complaining to my Dad that years took too long to pass. He informed me that as I grew older, years would pass much quicker.

Well, it is true. This year has just flown by. It did not go how I planned it to go at all. But, I am happy with where Chris and I are at right now.

Some of the years accomplishments:

1. Chris and I both have jobs that don't feel like jobs. Teaching is hard, getting up early is hard but when I am at work I don't feel like I am at work. I enjoy what I do and feel like I am doing something great. Plus we have benefits.

2. I read/listened to 47 books this year. Which was 11 more than my goal.

3. I didn't lose any weight, but I didn't gain any either. Which I am surprisingly okay with.

4. I did take at least 52 good pictures this year.

5. We went to the temple at least once a month.

6. Eventually 80% of my student passed the TAKS test. Not 85%, but still okay.

7. We ate out less, we aren't putting ourselves into any debt, and we are continuing to be awesome.

2011 Gift Exchange

2011-12-30T09:51:00.000-06:00

This was the first year us siblings did a gift exchange. We have always just bought everyone presents. But I really like how we did it this year. We drew names and didn't keep it secret. But we still got stuff for everyone's stocking. Because, honestly, I love buying presents for everyone else. So if was fun to still get a little something for everyone.

These are everyone's gifts that they got. Except Steven, I guess Jennifer got that picture. But he is still included.

This was the order of everyone.

Randi-->Rob-->Steven-->Randi

Jennifer-->Adison-->Charleah-->Chris-->Sam-->Jennifer

It was so successful, I am sure we will do it again next year. Well, I would love to do it again.

Scratch Off Tickets

2011-12-29T11:38:00.001-06:00

This was a Pinterest inspired project. I made them during the summer but I just started using them in my class a few weeks ago.

The kids absolutely love them. I limit how much I give out, so the demand stays high. And most of the prizes don't cost me anything. It took me a while to come up with some ideas for prizes. So, if anyone is interested, here is what I am using.

Sit at Mrs. Stowe's desk for the day

You and a friend each lunch with Mrs. Stowe

The whole class gets 5 extra minutes of recess

Drop lowest daily grade

Add 5 points to a test

1 day assignment extension

A mint

A piece of gum

Use Markers for a day

Draw on the whiteboard at the end of the day

Choose a song for the class to listen to at the end of the day

Swap seats for a day

Here is the link for one tutorial. I combined a few with the supplies I had. This one says use contact paper, but I just used scotch tape. However, I have read others where no tape or contact paper is used so I'll want to try that next. It means less work for me.

Sister

2011-12-28T23:37:00.000-06:00

This was a book I borrowed from the Library on my Kindle. Which I still think is amazing.

It started out slow. I am not sure why I continued reading it...but I am glad I did. That has been a theme around here lately with my books. Maybe I should never give up on any books that I read.

The book is set as one sister, Beatrice, writes a letter to her younger sister, Tess. Tess has gone missing and Beatrice immediately flies from the States to London to help find her.

Eventually Tess is found dead. (That is not a spoiler, the book synopsis tells you about it.) It is rules as a suicide, but Beatrice insists that Tess could never kill herself.

In this letter, Beatrice tells Tess her journey to finding the truth.

It is a book that tries to be suspenseful, but isn't too successful with it until the last quarter of the book. And it is also a book that is heavy on foreshadowing, which started to bother me. But now that I have finished it, I understand why. I think that is what I liked most about the book. How there were a couple of things that annoyed me, but once I understood everything, it made me actually like the book even more.

The author has a new book coming about next year. I will be reading it.

Pictures from the Phones

2011-12-27T11:26:00.000-06:00

This is a Chris picture from when I took Jesica's senior pictures back in May. She is such a pretty girl, even if she got rid of her awesome red hair. She was pretty easy to photograph.

The first time Chris was in his classroom. The day after his interview/he got the job. It is a pretty exciting thing to see your classroom for the first first time. (As opposed to seeing a new classroom the later in your career at a different school.)

And then a sort of creepy picture of me.

This might be filler posts, but it keeps me going. At least I feel like I have something to post about.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T09:08:00.001-06:00

"The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things."

"There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ."

Thomas S. Monson

Charleah and Steven

2011-12-23T20:00:00.000-06:00

Look at the happy couple! They are finally engaged! It wasn't something that took too long, I was just getting a bit impatient. Steven had been planning it for a couple of weeks and kind of through Charleah off a bit. She was mostly surprised that we all knew about it and that we were able to keep it a secret.

Besides Steven, Sammie had to do the most work. She knew about the ring, and helped Steven planned it a bit. She almost let it slip to Charleah once when she accidently texted Charleah instead of Steven, but she caught that in time.

Charleah does not approve of these pictures. But she doesn't read this anyways, so she will never know.

I am most definitely excited that I can use my Pinterest Wedding board to plan a wedding. Which I was supposed to do before I turned 25, but I guess I will settle for before 27.

Kindle Fire

2011-12-20T19:00:00.000-06:00

This was my birthday/Christmas present. And I love it. In 1 1/2 weeks, I have finished 3 books. And I have found several books for it already and not paid anything (except for Chris's book.)

There are so many free books on Amazon that I have snatched up and my library lets you borrow books. It is not so easy to find a gem and some of the books are really "easy" reads, but so far I have managed to find several from my "to-read" list.

Along with my Kindle Fire, I got this awesome cover. It is one of my favorite things in the world.

I have been debating for several months to on whether I should get a Kindle. I read a lot, so I could justify having it that way. But I do most/all of my reading through the library, which is free. I didn't want to have to pay for any books. But then, Amazon announced that Kindle users would be able to borrow books from the library. I waited and waited and waited until I saw that it wold actually happen at my library.

And then I had to decide which Kindle to get. I had finally decided that if I got one, it would be a Kindle Touch. But then Chris suggested the Fire. After some more debating, the Fire we got.

So...about 6 months worth of debating, and I finally got one. I am glad I waited because now I have the Fire.

My Birthday Cake

2011-12-19T22:59:00.000-06:00

Dad has been making us all special birthday cakes this year. Sammie's was molten lemon and Charleah's was Tres Leches. But we save the best for last with an ice cream cake.

[ignore the number on that cake]

It had 5 layers and everything was homemade. The ice cream, the frosting and then the cake. To be honest, I was expecting that. But it was delicious.

We did not put 26 candles on the cake. That would have looked like the "burnin' of Atlanta."

Chris's Project

2011-12-18T20:20:00.000-06:00

In the middle of Thanksgiving break, Chris realized there was money to make out there. Using Amazon and the Power of the Kindle.

He asked both Sam and I if we read The Scarlet Letter in high school. Our response, "I was supposed to but I never did."

So, he has created a study guide/cliff's notes/shorter version of the Study Guide.

The Scarlet Letter in 15 Minutes

He has been working on it in his "free" time the last month. He read the whole book several times and has chapter by chapter analysis. And since Chris is so smart, its gonna be good.

If you want to support him to help him out on the rankings, it is only $.99. And then if you actually use it, review it.

PostSecret

2011-12-17T23:45:00.000-06:00

Sometimes PostSecret just hits you.

Birthday: Part I

2011-12-15T08:26:00.002-06:00

Birthdays as a teacher are the best. You get nice notes saying how awesome you are. Which is cool. And I got my first apple. I guess I am an official teacher now.

Down to One Week

2011-12-14T08:19:00.004-06:00

There is just one week left until the favorite child returns. It seems like just a week ago there were two weeks left.

Here are some snippets from some of the letters that he has written. I only edited a few of them to make them more understandable.

thanks for explaining the whole school thing to me but to be honest i was not really paying attention as i was reading it

that would be way fun.( winky face but not in a creepy cerial killer kind of way you dig)

Alright my comp is going to poo his pants, so I got to go.

Remember last week I said my comp was about to poo his pants? Well he did. Yep, it was the most sick thing i ever saw.( nasty disgusted face).

[signed] elder x mcclellan (dont even want to know what the x stands for) ( shocked face)

oh need to know about a song. something about rolling and getting McDonald's, shorty. dame some lyrics por favor.

so you asked me a whole bunch of questions that im not going to answer.

boy drama is actually becoming my new favorite topic. haha. i personally think that she should just move on to the next stud muffin. Why not the baker made more then a couple dozen. haha ( like that reference to God creating man? I thought it up myself. Feel free to share it if you like)

and im not going to lie i hate that show glee people are obsessed here with it.

The Woodcutter-Reginald Hill

2011-12-13T10:20:00.000-06:00

This was a weird book. I almost didn't get past the first couple of pages. It starts very cryptically without any names. At the beginning there are several short chapters about mystery characters who we know nothing about. I usually don't push through books that keep me in the dark from the very first chapter. Also, it was really long and not an easy read. But, it is one of those books where you know nothing is going to come together until the end. I do like that.

It tells the story of Wolf, a woodcutter's son who marries a princess (in the modern day.) He lives a fairy tale for 15 years before he is arrested and accused of horrible crimes. You are unsure if he is really every innocent or guilty of those crimes. Years later when he is finally released from jail, he wants some type of revenge. The chapters move between Wolf and his psychologist nicknamed "Elf." She is worried he will relapse but the more she finds about his case, the more sympathetic to him she becomes.

Towards the end, I couldn't stop reading it. Although it took a lot to get there. I am really surprised I made it all the way through, but I am glad I did.

Books To Read

2011-12-12T20:36:00.000-06:00

One thing that I missed about the computer was my list of books that I wanted to read. I keep it on my desktop in some digital post-it notes. The more books I read, the more books I want to read. So... I need to get going. So I am going to read now. Feel free to copy some.

Scholastic Warehouse Sale

2011-12-10T10:32:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, Chris and I went to a Scholastic Warehouse Sale. If you remember the Book Fairs that you had in Elementary School, they are usually run by Scholastic. They also print almost every children's book in the United States.

This is what I walked away. There was a build-a-box where you stuff a box full for $24.95. Plus every book was on sale for 25%-50% off. So I ended up getting 33 books for about $26.

If there hadn't been the build-a-box thing, it might not have been worth it. But outside of that section, the books where just 50% off. Which is still good, but it adds up fast. Chris didn't find a whole lot for his grade level in that section, but I did. He ended up getting Diary of a Wimpy kids books, which are very popular in school.

The sale happens about twice a year and I think after a few more boxes, I will have a nice sized classroom library.

More Pictures from Chris's Phone

2011-12-09T09:59:00.000-06:00

Chris has never missed an election day. And I have only missed one, the very first primary after I turned 18. We almost missed the last one because there was nothing really important being voted on and we weren't sure if we would make the polling place before it closed. But we did. Whether or not the issues are important to you, we should still take an active role in our communities.

Yes. Another pictures with Chris with something on his head.

And no phone album is complete without an adorable picture of Miss Kali.

Two Weeks

2011-12-07T09:59:00.004-06:00

There are two weeks until we get to see this boy:

I am so stinking excited.

The Night Circus

2011-12-06T10:02:00.000-06:00

I think this book will be in my top 5 of the year. Sometimes I think it is weird to say a book is beautiful, but this book was beautiful. From beginning to end. This is what got me:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it.

It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements.

It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

It seems like it is just about a circus, but is is so much more than that. Behind the circus there is a competition of illusion/magic going on between two people who are fated to battle until the competition is over. They just don't realize what it means for the competition to be over when they fall in love.

Not everyone will like this book. It isn't a fast read because I think the author does such a great job of describing things and I wanted to make sure that I caught every work. Usually I skim over descriptions, but not here.

With this book I got to the climax at 11pm on a Tuesday night. It killed me to have to put it down and wait until after work the next day to read it. I was craving it.

It Works!

2011-12-05T21:14:00.000-06:00

This is my desktop. And it is the first time I have seen my desktop in 3 months. My mac started acting up on me and would freeze after being on it for more than 5 minutes. And then it just wouldn't turn on past a gray screen. So I put it aside hoping to get all my data off of it before I took it to get fixed.

Well, finally I realized I was never going to be able to get anything off it and finally took it to the Mac store on Saturday. 3 months after it stopped working. Can you say "procrastinator?"I just used my work computer which I hated lugging back and forth everyday for work stuff and Chris's computer for other stuff. But I didn't have my pictures or my silhouette software or photoshop elements or my book list or anything fun!

Finally Chris asked me to do something and I realized I was going to need some of that stuff for Christmas coming up so I just got it fixed.

And now it works. So far. I am still a little nervous about it though.. Because the genius lab said they might have to replace the hard drive or hard drive bracket but they just ended up doing some software thing and it was fixed. And they didn't charge me the $60-$180 I was expecting. So score there.

Here's hoping it stays fixed. And I am going to back it all up for the future. Nothing like the threat of losing all my pictures to scare me into doing it.

The House at Riverton-Kate Morton

2011-12-02T09:50:00.000-06:00

I don't remember how I found this book. When I am out of books to read, I usually browse amazon through lists that people made that have books on it that I have read and liked. I figure that if they liked a book I liked, then we might have something in common.

This book was a bit of a slow read. It goes back in forth in two different areas in Grace's life. Grace used to be a maid at the house at Riverton and as she is about to die, she is telling her story to her grandson.

She kept a secret her whole life and at the end of it, she is finally read to tell that secret.

I liked the story. I don't like how the author set up to tell the story with Grace telling it right before she was about to die. There were a lot of parts that I skimmed through because there were too many details. But there were some twists that I did not see coming which is why I liked it so much. It was a really good story and I love finding books like this. It isn't mainstream but it is still worth the read.

Pictures from Chris's Phone- Part Deux

2011-12-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

One night we went to Best Buy and saw this. Two guys wearing spandex body suits. Kind of weird, right? Surprisingly, this was not the last time we saw something like this. A few weeks ago we saw two boys skateboarding wearing body suits like this. If you can't tell, their heads are completely covered. It doesn't exactly scream "comfortable!"

Last February we went to the BYU v TCU basketball game in Ft. Worth. We totally beat them and we waited outside with lots of other people for a glimpse of the team. Especially Jimmer. This is the blurry picture that we snapped of him.

The crowd as we awaited the basketball team to come out to their bus. It took them forever. Because technically the meet and greet was inside the gym and we missed that memo.

Death of a ... M.C. Beaton

2011-11-30T01:23:00.001-06:00

I love it when I can find an author who has written dozens of books who I can turn to when I need something to read. M.C. Beaton is one author that I have found lately. She has two mystery series. I have been reading/listening to the Hamish Macbeth Mystery series. There is a reoccurring story line through all of them, but it isn't necessary to have read the books in order to know what is going on. I am sure it would be better to read them in order, but I just grabbed on off the shelf for my first one.

It follows a local "bobby" (a British police officers) as he solves cases in his small town of Lochdubh in Scotland. I love listening to the books because it is read with a British accent. I have decided I can listen to almost any book if it is in a British accent.

Reading this is like sitting down a watching an episode or two of Psych or Monk. Just a quirky mystery with fun characters.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

2011-11-29T12:43:00.000-06:00

Another book I finished. This was a collection of essays my Mindy. She plays Kelly on The Office, my favorite show.

It was similar to BossyPants (by Tina Fey) in the format. It was cleaner than Tina Fey and didn't make me laugh out loud as much.

However, I want to be friends with her. She seems like my type of person. It is hard to separate characters from the actors sometimes. But she is not very much like Kelly on The Office, who I could probably never be friends with. But Mindy and I have some of the same philosophies in life.

She is also a pretty big writer on they show. And she has written some of my favorite episodes.

Basically, if you enjoyed BossyPants, you should read this book.

Pictures on my Phone: Part 2

2011-11-28T13:17:00.000-06:00

Part two of my segment "Picture on my Phone." I should note that my phone is not a smart phone and does not have a good camera at all. It is probably like 0.5 megapixels.

Obviously from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. This was one stressful trip. But the day Chris and I went here was very relaxing and then we drove along the coast for a bit.

I make Sammie take pictures of weird stuff. This day in Hobby Lobby, it was pictures of large dishes.

Blue Crabs! That we never got to eat because they died before we could get them home. I want to try again next summer though. It was fun getting them and I miss the taste of fresh crab so much.

Sediment Videos

2011-11-27T00:58:00.000-06:00

Last week in my science class, we made a stop animation video showing how two pieces of sediment (small piece of rock or sand) travel from a glacier to either a sand dune or a river delta. The kids made all the pieces and as I took pictures we talked about how everything traveled. I then came home and put it all together.

This is what my two classes created.

Pictures from Chris's Phone

2011-11-26T09:11:00.000-06:00

These photos are from Chris's phone. Theme: Chris wears crazy things. He is always willing to wear the thing that is most out there. And you can't not have a picture of it!

I think this wig is what Chris wore on Halloween at school. Or that was his plan.

His school did a 50s day to celebrate the 50th day of school for the year. He dressed up as a nerd. Isn't he such a cute nerd?

Pictures on my Phone

2011-11-25T13:05:00.001-06:00

Here is a new segment called "Pictures on my Phone"

The following two pictures are of our first tiny apartment in Provo. Neither Chris or I are very organized people. We don't put things away as soon as we finished them. So, this was proof to Charleah that at some point our room was clean. And Chris's closet was clean.

This was in our second apartment in Provo. Mom was visiting us and she snapped this picture on night to send to Dad. We all have pretty cheesy smiles here.

Finally for the end of this segment, Chris wearing a Cosmo hat in the BYU Bookstore. I actually have a lot of pictures of Chris with weird things on his head. This is actually my phone background. I love seeing his silly face every time I look at my phone.

Ferris Wheel Spontaneity

2011-11-23T19:02:00.000-06:00

Chris and I were in a spontaneous mood last Friday night. We decided to just go on this Ferris Wheel. The whole ordeal turned out not to be a quick decision after everything. We got there and realized they only took cash. So we had to find an ATM to get some cash which involved driving a few miles. Then we finally made it back and the ride was going to cost $5 each. A bit ridiculous for a Ferris Wheel. But, we decided to do it anyways.

I haven't been on a Ferris Wheel in forever. I don't think Chris has been either. It is a bit freaky now that I am grown up, especially since this was a traveling carnival and I have heard tons of freaky stuff/dangerous stuff about places like that.

But at least I got some pictures. In the end, we went around about 3 times and then we were off. We were the only ones on the ride, which meant we didn't even get to stop and sit while other people boarded.

Another Tuesday

2011-11-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

1. Root Canal re-treatment part 1 is done. I have to go back in a month to finalize it and then I have to get a crown redone, since my horrible crowns where the reasons I am having these problems. I wasn't actually sedated for this. I took my pills, but I already know that sleeping pills don't really have an effect on me. It really wasn't that bad and it didn't take too long. I remember it a lot more than I remember the other ones I had done.

2. There are only 3 more weeks left to write Adison and then he will be home. I am super excited about that.

3. Now that my root canal is over for a bit, I can focus on more important things. Like Thanksgiving dinner. I've got to find a new pie to try this year in addition to my apply pie.

4. I have 5 books that I want to read this week. And I want to scrapbook. And clean. And sleep. And plan some lessons and grade papers. And cook. And go shopping. And eat. And see a movie or two. One week off for Thanksgiving is almost not enough. But I will make it work!

5. But I am on Thanksgiving break and I am so happy!

Root Canal

2011-11-21T12:30:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am getting another root canal. Actually, a root canal re-treatment. Today. And it sucks. The last dentist I had the originally done at was in Provo.

My new dentist and endodontist (root canal specialist) have been very polite, but not so polite about the the original root canal saying "To be fair, it is a hard tooth to do and it should have been refered to an endodontist the first time." But then I looked up my old dentist online to see reviews and lots of people have had trouble with them.

The problem with my root canals (actually both of them) is the crown is not on the way it should be which is allowing stuff to get under my tooth and the filling of the tooth isn't in completely. It is kind of floating which just allows for more space for things like bacteria to get in.

But basically I am just really mad that maybe I didn't even need the root canal in the first place (because this place in Provo is infamous for telling people they need things that they don't actually need).

So, don't go to Provo Dental Care in Provo. They have a nice office and flat screen tvs to watch, but seem to not be so good at their jobs. I'd go to someone who doesn't have any bad reviews.

And I will be orally sedated again. However it is a little different than last time so I am afraid that I will wake up. I'll report back soonish.

Science Poster

2011-10-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

I saw a poster like this on Pinterest a while ago and wanted it. So I called upon my favorite artist, Charleah, to make it for me.

It turned out awesome. I had it laminated and now I can use to forever!

Books

2011-10-22T20:02:00.000-05:00

With everything I have to do to keep on top of my job, I have still made sure I have time for reading.

And because of that, I have reached my goal to read 35 books this year. And it is only October!

I have actually read 37 books.

If it hasn't been apparent to anyone, I love to read. And with all the stress I have to deal with lately, it is a nice escape. I will not neglect that hobby.

I wish I could say that I was going to write more. But... all I think about is education and school and teaching. And I know I bore some people with how much I talk about it. I could practically go on all day about it.

But, possible I'll write some book reviews.

Tuesday!

2011-09-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

1. I am really looking forward to Friday night. I can't wait to sleep all night long and not get up until it is light outside.

2. I have a renewed man-cruch on Neil Patrick Harris. Have you watched How I Met Your Mother?

3. My song line for life right now is from Sara Bareilles "Many the Miles"
"I made up my mind as a young girl, I've been given this one life, I won't worry it away"

4. This is new tv week! So... I am very excited to waste some time watching stuff I don't have time for.

5. I am very happy with the way my classroom is going this year. I have few big behavior issues and if I do have them, I don't let it bother me at all. It is other stuff like lesson plans that stress me out. But I actually have time to do extra stuff with my class because for the most part they stay on task.

Constitution Day

2011-09-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at school we had a lady from the Grimes County something come and read a book about the Constitution to our fifth grade. I was busy taking care of two behavior issues and the yearbook guy who came to talk to me that I wasn't paying attention all that much.

When I finally got settled, she was asking kids to name some people who helped write the Constitution.

Some kids raised their hands and shouted names.

"George Washington!" Yes he was.

And then two students said "John Adams and Thomas Jefferson"

And she said Yes.

Um... Not they were not. They were both aboard as ministers in Great Britain and France.

It isn't a huge mistake, but I think that you should always tell kids the truth. I try to never say anything untrue and if I don't know for sure, I say, "I'll look that up for you." But we all just assume that they were part of the delegation that helped write the Constitution and because we assume, that lie of history gets passed down.

They did sign the Declaration of Independence, but we weren't talking about that.

I've survived

2011-08-24T19:32:00.000-05:00

I have made it through my first three days of school! Little celebration there. Only two days left of the week.

Everything is going better than last year. I feel better than last year. I am less frustrated and less effected by misbehavior. So I am leaving school happier. Happy Randi=Happy Randi. I just repeat my instructions and expectations, use my rain stick and move on. I did pull out a seating chart for one of my classes today, and that helped tremendously. Tomorrow we get to practice walking in the hallway and coming back into the classroom without talking. Yeah for the first week of school!

My feet do hurt. They are basically killing me at the end of the day. Because I am such an awesome teacher, I never sit while students are in the classroom. I am always walking around. So, my feet have to get used to being used again.

And I have been so busy. I am not getting a lot of stuff done at school because I want to try to leave at a decent hour. I refuse to stay up there too long after school. I need a mental break from the building.

But I have decided that this year will be a good year. And I am going to at least make it to the end of September before I break down and cry.

The New School Year

2011-08-18T23:04:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my classroom! It is finally mostly done. There are only a few things to touch up. I think it is better than last year and I love it.

Tonight was Meet the Teacher night and most of the kids commented that they liked my room, which makes me happy. I think it feels open and inviting.

This is my absent wall. I have a student job to maintain these folder.

Shot from the front of my classroom. I am trying groups this year. I am hoping that I have a group of kids that it works with. Notice the ceiling. I made tissue flowers which are hanging everywhere. Those are my favorite.

Shot from the size of my classroom.

My permanent word wall. This is another favorite.

My current word wall where all the words will start.

Thank you to Mom and Sammie and Jannette for helping me with lots of stuff. Only 3 days to the first day of school!

Ouch

2011-08-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

1. I banged my head really hard on something today. I literally have a bump. And it hurts.

2. Today was my first day back at work. We had inservice and I have 6 more days to get my classroom ready until students come.

3. I have read 3 zombie books this summer. And working on a fourth. They are pretty fascinating. I had a student ask me last year if I thought I would survive a zombie attack. I thought, "Zombie's aren't cool." Well, they are pretty interesting. I think they are my favorite supernatural creature. And Chris and I started watching The Walking Dead, which I love.

4. My classroom is going to be so awesome this year, decoration wise. I will take pictures when it is done. I am counting on a few people (Charleah, Sammie, and Jannette) to come help me decorate. Not all of those people may know they are helping yet.

5. Refrigerator

The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady

2011-07-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

I am not really sure how to categorize this book. I guess it is realistic fiction although I don't think it would ever really happen.

Chris saw this book in the featured book section at the library and said it looked like a book I would read. I went back a few weeks later to get it and wasn't sure at all what to expect. I didn't even read the book cover.

Marylou is 77 years old and and in the fifties was given a radioactive cocktail while she was pregnant as part of a study. The cocktail was eventually blamed for the death of her daughter years later. Now it is 50 years later and Marylou is seeking revenge so she tracks down the doctor in charge of the study and moves into his neighborhood with the intent to kill him. But it doesn't exactly go as planned. The doctor now has a form of dementia and she wants he to know why she is killing him.

Each chapter is devoted to a different member of the doctor's family. I didn't quite expect that. But I ended up liking it. The family seemed like a typical family that looks perfect from the outside but had some big issues.

Adult topics are covered. Not RS book club recommended.

Montpelier

2011-07-21T12:41:00.001-05:00

The morning we visited Monticello we also visited James Madison's house Montpelier which is in Virginia. Because it has really only looked like this for three years, it is very sparse inside. They are still looking for some of Madison's furniture or similar things to fill the house with. And you can imagine that those things would be expensive.

I find it interesting that Monticello actually has some art that was originally James Madison's while Montpelier actually has the copies. I think they should probably give those back, but I guess Monticello wouldn't like to lose it.

After Madison died, his stepson basically lost the house. It was went through a few hand before ending up in the DuPont family. They had several additions to the house and added some pink stucco. When the last DuPont died in 1983, she gave it to National Trust for Historic Preservation. The must have toured it like this for while before they decided they could take the stucco off and took off the additions.

It almost doesn't look like the same house. I would love to go back in a few years to see what they have added.

John Adams

2011-07-20T13:34:00.000-05:00

This was my first installment of presidential biographies. I decided not to do them in order because 1) I was already reading this book when I made the decision 2) I don't want to be constrained by something as silly as chronology.

I don't have a very high opinion of politicians. I think most of them are liars and fakes. I tired to believe that there can be good politicians, but I don't feel like I have met one yet. (My sample size is very small.)

But I like John Adams. Maybe because during his time he wasn't so much a politician as he was a diplomat. But from what other people wrote about him, I don't get the feeling that he was fake. There were several people who wrote about his flaws, but praise him for his convictions and patriotism. They were aware he wasn't perfect and so was he.

As someone who has trouble reading non-fiction books, I thought this book was well-written. It was able to hold my attention and almost read like a story. I could have done with a more condensed biography of John Adams, but David McCullough is a good author.

I loved the letters between John and Abigail Adams. They spent so much apart and wrote hundreds of letters. He is also one of the Founding Fathers who never owned slaves. The only time John and Abigail had a slave working in their house was when Thomas Jefferson's daughter came to stay with them awhile and brought her own slave.

I marked two of my favorite quotes by John Adams.

Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it; others will not... Integrity should be preserved in all events, as essential to his happiness, though every stage of his existence... My advice to my children is to maintain an independent character.

And when he was praised for the accomplisments of his son John Quincy Adams, who was also elected president, he said, "My son had a mother!"

Get Down On Tuesday

2011-07-19T12:18:00.000-05:00

1. I am half way finished with summer school. With the students I was blessed with the last 6 days, I don't think I want to teach summer school next year.

2. I got told I looked like I was pregnant yesterday by a student. (Why wouldn't I want to teach summer school?) Needless to say, I made sure I worked out last night.

3. I don't look pregnant. I went to the bathroom and checked. I think he was just being rude. But I did let him know that he would need to learn how to charm women if he ever wanted a girlfriend.

4. I am going to read the biographies of the presidents. I already finished one, John Adams. It was 650 pages long. I told myself I would try to get shorter ones in the future. So I got FDR which is 630 pages.

5. I am going to groom one of our children (son or daughter) to be President of the United States. You can blame a combination of visiting DC, reading the John Adams biography, and re-watching The West Wing for that.

Rain Rain

2011-07-16T10:36:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about Texas is the summer thunderstorms. For those living in Texas, you know that we haven't had those in a while. Well, one here and there. But not enough to make me happy. Or anyone else.

This drought has taken its toll on some stuff.

This is the pond in Chris's parent's backyard. From the picture you can't really tell, but it is probably about 10 feet deep.

I saw this pond early this week. It has dried up so much that the fish don't have enough room to swim. Can you see the dead fish floating?

While I don't think this drought is very cool, I do find it interesting. And it is something I can use when we talk about ecosystems in science this year. For that I am excited to draw on something the kids have experience with.

There is supposed to be a rain in about a week. But I think the weather people just say that to make people feel better. It always gets pushed back.

Antietam Battlefield

2011-07-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

We saw a few battlefields on the trip. This one is Antietam which is in Maryland.

Side note: I love Maryland and the east coast. It is near the ocean, it is beautiful, and there are fireflies. Even this battle field is gorgeous. However, it wasn't always.

The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in the Civil War. There were 23,000 casualties. It is still the bloodiest day for Americans.

This battle was almost a fluke. Lee's battle plans were found lying on the ground and found by a union soldier who passed it up to his supervisor and eventually it got to General McClellan. Who actually moved forward to fight! (There might be a post on him later. Not exactly the greatest guy in history.)

If I remember correctly, both the Confederate and Union lost five generals. The battle could not be declared a win on either side.

So while this battlefield is gorgeous today, you have to try to imagine it covered with soldiers. Some still fighting and some wounded and dead on the ground. It was in September so the corn was high.

During the civil war, photography was a new technology. After the war, photographers took pictures of the battlefield. There were still soldiers on the battlefield who had died. Thankfully today that practice didn't stick around.

If you are at all interested in knowing more, check out wikipedia. There is much more on this battle then I remember.

Where Am I?

2011-07-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

In line. For my first midnight showing of Harry Potter. Can you believe that? It is actually the first time I am watching a Harry Potter movie on opening night. I usually procrastinate buying the movie tickets and miss out on it. But not tonight.

This is also my first midnight showing since X-Men 3. That was in college. I am not in college anymore. But I don't think I'll have a problem staying awake.

And I am not too old to like Harry Potter. He has been a part of me for more than 10 years.

Smithsonians

2011-07-13T12:42:00.002-05:00

The saddest part of my trip, besides being apart from Chris, was only being in DC for one day. I've only ever been to DC for one day at a time and would really love to spend multiple days in a row there.

We hit some Smithsonian Museums. I loved the Museum of American History and the Museum of Natural History. A little something for the history and science teacher in me.

These are some pictures I took with my class still in mind. This would be my class from last year because I know they would have loved to see this stuff. And I can only hope that the incoming 4th graders aren't too much different and will also love it.

I've said before that my students were obsessed with how people in history died. And John Wilkes Booth.

This is the hat that Lincoln was wearing the night he went to Ford's theater the night he was assassinated. The hat is cast in bronze, I believe.

This is a reward poster for the capture of John Wilkes Booth. I wonder if I can find the actual poster replica.

And the real Ford's theater. We walked by it after it was closed so I didn't get to see inside. (Next time, along with everything else I need to do there.) I would love to compare this to a photo taken closer to Lincoln's time.

And finally, there was so much in the Museum of Natural History. I wish I had more time to explore it. I got lots of ideas for science this year. Can you find the bugs in this picture?

Bossypants

2011-07-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

I finished another non-fiction book. And I did it in less than a day!

It was hilarious. I laughed out loud on several parts. I loved Tina Fey before and I love her even more now. It makes me want to re-watch all of 30 Rock. Which is what I am doing.

Here are some good quotes from the book.

Why could I never remember? That feeling of “I’m pretty sure this next step is wrong, but I’m just gonna do it anyway” is part of the same set of instincts that makes me such a great cook.

I had definitely never heard of anyone peeing in a cup and leaving it in their own office on a bookshelf to evaporate and be absorbed back into their body through the pores on their face.

In September, my daughter was born. (For the record: epidural, vaginal delivery, did not poop on the table.)

(About 30 Rock) We premiered on Wednesday, October 11, 2006, at 8:00 P.M. and we were an instant hit—like figs for dessert or bringing your guitar out at a party. We were New Coke! We were not a hit. But we barreled ahead knowing that we’d at least come out of this with DVDs to show our friends.

I need to take my pants off as soon as I get home. I didn’t used to have to do that. But now I do. (I am 25 and I totally do this.)

You'll have the read the rest of the book to get the other good stuff.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

2011-07-11T09:59:00.003-05:00

Chris and I went to the driving range on Friday night. We got there right at 7:30, which was when they stop filling buckets. We were the only ones there and they were closing soon. Although, I know that people are still on the golf course until at least 8:30 because I went golfing with my dad last week and we were there until 8:30.

Basically I wasn't too worried of getting shooed off the course.

Chris hasn't been golfing since Christmas. So I think he was having a great time. He said he was off a bit but then he found his game.

And then some sprinklers came on. It was before 8 and it kind of stunk. We were in their path but quickly moved down.

I looked for more sprinkler head things and made sure that I could run away if they turned on. Chris moved right in front of the sprinkler head thing. This is what I said.

"Chris, if that sprinkler turns on, it is going to get you." I don't remember his response.

Well, what do you think happened? Luckily for all of you, I have a picture.

Not a real one, Chris wouldn't let me take one. As a concerned, caring wife, I immediately started laughing. If you can't tell, that is the sprinkler turned in such a way that the water hits him in the middle of his body. So yes, I was laughing. He had 3 seconds to react from when the other sprinklers turned off and the new ones turned on.

To be fair, about 5 minutes before Chris had said he was done and I made him stay. So it is all my fault. But it was worth it.

I think Chris can laugh about it now. He was pretty unhappy.

Harry Potter Yo' Momma

2011-07-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

Who isn't super excited for Harry Potter next week?

Chris/Megan showed me this a few weeks ago and it is hilarious.

Monticello

2011-07-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

Back to my trip. I have a stack of postcards over an inch high from all the places that we went. I think this was one of my favorite places we went. We had walked through a few historic houses before and some of them weren't so amazing; I kept my expectations low. But even if I had high expectations I would have loved it. Now get ready for a history lesson.

Monticello is the house that Thomas Jefferson designed, built and lived in. It is on the top of a mountain that he visited often when he was a child. When he was married, he and his wife lived in little Monticello which was a small house while Thomas Jefferson built the real one. He said that he loved tearing things down and building up again. The house was constantly under construction.

Jefferson never had formal architecture training. He learned it from books. And he had some unusual viewpoints. LIke he didn't think stairs should be the main point of the house. So this house has two very narrow and very steep stairs that seem to be hidden.

The thing I like most about Thomas Jefferson is that he had so many interests and pursued all of them. The house is full of inventions by him. And the grounds are full of his hobbies. (Of course he had about 200 slaves to help him pursue all his interests.)

My favorite part of the grounds was the garden. It was huge. I would say at least 2 or 3 football fields long. The garden is still kept today and has every single type of vegetable and herb you can think of is planted there.

Thomas Jefferson and most of his family is buried on the grounds. The cemetery is still used today and descendants can still be buried there. He wrote the words on the tombstone which shows us what he felt his most important accomplishments are. "Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom and the Father of University of Virginia."

You can see the University of Virginia from the top of Monticello. Jefferson wanted to be known as the "father" and not the "founder" because he was so involved and really put his all into the design and set up of the school.

Jefferson and his wife were only married for 10 years before she died; he never remarried. And only one of his children lived to adulthood. He also only bought a handful of slaves in his lifetime. Most of them he inherited from his father and father-in-law. When he bought slaves it was to complete a family or because he needed a specific trade done at Monticello. It was a place that was mostly self-sufficient. However, Jefferson did eventually go into debt because he bought so many books.

And finally, Jefferson argued for the elimination of slavery, but only freed a handful of slaves in his lifetime.

Chris and I

2011-07-07T00:26:00.000-05:00

This is what Chris and I do.

Except we do it to the side of the bed and it is a two person gig. One person holds the hand of the other while we lean over the bed to get something just out of reach.

It does seem silly when the thing is literally 2 feet away.

Jasper Fforde and YAF

2011-07-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

I love Jasper Fforde. I really wish that he would write more books. So, I loved this book. It is in the top 5 of the books I have read this year. I love all the different characters. And since it takes place inside BookWorld (where characters act out the books that real people read) there are lots of plays on words and literary terms. If you can handle witty writing, read this book.

This is the 5th or 6th Thursday Next novel. I really want to name my daughter Thursday, but Chris would never allow it.

Remember how I gave up Young Adult Fiction. Well, I went back on my word because I requested this book a long time ago and it was finally ready at the library. So, I made an exception. You might notice that this book is not in the "2011 Books Read" section. Because I didn't finish it. I had about 100 pages left and I just decided I didn't want to finish it. I would rather read something else.

This is a Dystopian book and I really did like the set up. This society decided that there are four qualities that are important. Honesty, Bravery, Selflessness and Brains. When a person turns 16, they take a test to tell them which quality fits him/her best. Then they choose which group they want to be a part of. If it is different than the one they were raised in, they basically are separated from their family forever.

Why didn't I like it? Because it is written for Young Adults. I want something more clever and witty and adult. Something like Jasper Fforde.

Tiring Week

2011-06-30T13:07:00.000-05:00

This year I was a part of the Teaching American History grant. All year I participated in lectures about the Civil War and Reconstruction. At the end of the year, we took a trip to tour Civil War sites and some other history sites because if you are there, why not go?

This is the map of our travels. 8 days, 7 nights starting in Baltimore and ending in Baltimore. We went to three states and D.C. I learned a lot and it was fun, just really really long. And I missed Chris loads.

I'll hit my favorite sites later.

Wednesday. And #300

2011-06-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

I am making a come back to Blogging this week.

1. I had a reader specifically ask me where this weekly list was. So I guess I can't stop doing it. (That reader's name is Sammie and she is my sister.)

2. I have 1 1/2 weeks left of summer. And then it is Summer School. And then it is August and so starts in-service. I am not quite ready to go back yet; we'll see if I am ready then.

3. I wish there was good TV on during the summer because I actually have time to watch it.

4. And for a month of non-blogging, I have surprisingly little to say. I will be back with some other stuff.

My Guy

2011-05-27T06:30:00.001-05:00

Today is Chris's 25th birthday. Welcome to old age!

I've already done my 100 reasons why I love Chris. And they all still stand.

Anyone who knows Chris knows that he is unique. He laughs a lot, makes funny faces at the camera and sings loudly in the shower. He is a grammarian, a great big brother, and a fantastic driver. He likes Dr. Pepper, Sour Patch Straws and Outback SteakHouse. He doesn't like waking up, the unknown, or crazy Republicans.

He is my eternal companion, my best friend, my biggest fan, and my favorite person.

I have known him for 10+ years and he just keeps getting better.

I am not great with words like he is. But I love him a lot.

Happy Birthday Chris! I love you!

Get Your Tuesdays!

2011-05-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

1. 6 days left of school. And two of them are half-days. I think I can! I think I can!

2. I made my students write a bit this week, since I am going to be a writing teacher next year. It worked out okay. It wasn't anything with much depth, but it is a start.

3. I went to the Houston Zoo on Friday. I didn't get to do it my way. (My way would not be 6 adults and 35 kids in one big group) But it was fun. It was mostly exciting to know that sometimes my students pay attention. The day before we watched some videos and explored the Houston Zoo website and learned some of the animals names. The students were super excited to see them at the Zoo. The were really looking for them. Also, they were so amazed by the skyscrapers in Houston. They just kept snapping pictures back and forth.

4. I already gave Chris some of his birthday presents. I was too excited to keep them. I was just going to give him one, but then I just couldn't stop. Good thing his other stuff hasn't gotten here yet, so I can be trusted to not give it away.

Beggars in Spain

2011-05-21T08:32:00.001-05:00

My new finished book. This as the most science-fiction book I have ever read. And completely not what I expected.

Sometime in the near future, genetic doctors have found a way to create babies that don't need sleep. They are called "sleepless." Everyone else is called "sleepers."

What do all these sleepless do in their spare time? Become freaking smart and become better than everyone else. As they grow up, some of the sleepers start to resent the sleepless. That is the basic sumise.

However, the book has a more philosophical twist. The title comes from a scenario that the sleepless use to describe their actions. If one beggar asks you for a dollar and you are able to give it to them, you probably will. Maybe even 2 or 3 beggars. But what if 100 beggars ask you for a dollar. Do you give it to them? The sleepless felt like the sleepers were beggars draining them of their resources without holding up any end of a contract.

Of course, not every sleepless felt that way. Which is what the basic plot line is. One person contradicts what her community believes and the book follows her story.

I really liked the beginning and the ending. The middle dragged on a bit. But there are 2 other books in the series which are automatically added to my to-read list.

This book has some language. Not a lot, but it is still there. Other than that, there were no other concerns.

Next Year

2011-05-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

I got my assignment for next year this week.

As of right now, I will be teaching 5th grade science and writing. And I am super excited about it. (I am extremely sad that I will be loosing social studies however.) I get to work with two teachers that I really like on my team and probably don't have to change classrooms.

I already taught science this year and have tons of ideas of how I could do it better. And I have always wanted to teach writing because then I could make kids write in journals everyday! Now I've got to make them do it.

My school district is experiencing some budget cuts. However, they have not had to lay off any teachers. They have been able to solve most of the problems with grants, teachers retiring and pay freezes.

What that means is that if you were certified to teach something and there was a need in that area, you could be moved to fill that need.

Luckily, that wasn't the case with me.

Crack

2011-05-18T21:14:00.000-05:00

The library is my new crack. I have to visit it several times a week. I went on Monday and I went today. And I am sure I will go again.

And guess what? It's free. (Except for the few fines that I might get.)

My crack used to be Hobby Lobby. And before that the grocery store with coupons. Now it is the library. Can you tell from my growing list of books read on the side?

I just have to go and can't really stop myself from getting there. The last two weeks I had after school tutoring and I didn't get home until after it was closed. It was pretty horrible.

And from The Office:

Pam: Their breadsticks are like crack.
Ryan: I love when people say 'like crack' who have obviously never done crack.
Pam: Well, breadsticks are like what, then, Ryan? What can I use?
Ryan: I don't know, something from your world. "The breadsticks are like scrapbooking.
Pam: You're right. No, I'm a middle class fraud.

The Day Before Wednesday

2011-05-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

1. My blog is becoming lists and book reviews. I like doing the book reviews, and these lists are a neat little way to tell everyone who reads my thoughts. There will be more book reviews coming.

2. I have noticed that I have hated the ending of the last couple of books I have read. There seems to be a trend in YA literature (trend=the books I read) that says the love interest in the story has to die. Can't anyone live happily ever after anymore?

3. I got my itinerary for my east coast trip this week. I get to go to Harper's Ferry, Monticello, Washington D.C. (a whole free day there), Antietam, the Confederate White House, Williamsburg, and 4 other days of stuff.

4. I put mentos into soda the first time last week. We were doing it as an experiment in science on Friday and I wanted to test it out first. It was kind of a shock how much that soda shot up. My students loved it. One girl was so doubtful and said "I don't think it is going to do anything. I think it is just going to shoot up a little bit and then fall back down." She had already set herself up for disappointment. She was way excited when I drew her name to help me with it though.

5. There are 11 days left of school. But if you take out a field trip, splash party, field day, and the last two half days of schools, that number seems much more manageable.

Delirium

2011-05-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

Another book done. And another dystopian society one.

In this society they have found the cure for love. When everyone turns 18 they have the procedure to rid them of the "disease." There is no love for children, friends, or spouses. And because there is no love, there is no pain caused by people. Hence why love is thought of as a disease.

The book follows Lena who is about to have the procedure to rid herself of the disease. But, gasp, something happens that makes her questions exactly everything she has ever thought. She had been looking forward to the procedure so she could lose the pain of losing her mother, but then she meets a boy. And she realizes that she would rather die loving someone that live loving no one.

I liked the story. I did feel like that writing was too fluffy. I skipped whole pages because the author spent a lot of times describing feelings and surroundings of the characters. I couldn't care less about that stuff. I just want the story!

The book has some language, so it is not RS book club approved. But it would be rated PG-13.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2011-05-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

Not a very pretty name, eh? It almost turned me off with visions of teeth and bones sticking out of a forest floor. But, I felt like I needed to continue by Zombie run.

The main character is Mary and she lives in a village that is enclosed by a fence to protect it from the "unconsecrated" zombies that live in the forest. The village is protected by the Guardians and controlled by they Sisterhood. Early in the story, Mary's mother is bitten and becomes a zombie. Mary spends a brief time with the Sisterhood, even taking some of the vows, but then a childhood friend speaks for her and she is not engaged to be married. The story takes off from there.

While living with the Sisterhood, Mary finds that they are not as pure and honest as they town thinks they are. Mary soon learns that there is an inner circle who knows all the secrets of the town. They lead the town to believe that they are the only survivors of the Zombie apocalypse. But one night Mary sees tracks coming from outside the gates, a place no one goes. Then she does some digging and ends up with more questions than answers.

That is the premise that got me. A dystopian society with a group that was lying to everyone with a main character close to discovering those secrets.

***If you want to read this book, don't continue. I will ruin it for you.***

However, the book was disappointing. Mary doesn't find any answers to her questions! And she is a bit annoying always changing her mind. Whenever she gets what she wants, she always thinks there is something better. It is only when she can't have something that she regrets her decisions. Oh, the life of a teenager.

What bothered me the most is that I have no idea what this Sisterhood was up to. Obviously they were lying about them being the only ones alive, but that is all I know.

This book is one reason why I am giving up on Young Adult Literature for a while. But, it is a recommendation for Relief Society book club. As in, there isn't anything bad about it. It does describe what some of the Zombies look like, but not in too much detail.

Tuesday! Tuesday!

2011-05-10T22:15:00.000-05:00

1. Last week most of my boys happened to all wear the same color one day. They decided that was cool so they would do it everyday. One tuesday they wore blue and on wednesday they wore black. It is something girls do, but it was quite funny that they boys did it too.

2. I did see Something Borrowed this weekend. It got horrible reviews, but I really liked it. Chris and Charleah liked it ever more. They laughed so much. But they are giggle-ers, so that is to be expected.

3. My girls at school are jump roping at recess now. It brings back memories. They all try to beat each other at the jumps, but it is hard to beat anyone when you just give up. Seriously, around 25, they will just stop jumping.

4. I jumped rope this week. Afterwards I got calls of "You still got it Mrs. Stowe!" Didn't know I lost it. Or that I was in dangers of losing it.

5. And I was a hero on Friday at school. The football got kicked into the community pool area at recess. Using my arm and a stick, I freed it. I was a hero for 30 seconds before they forgot.

6. 16 days left of school!

Quotes

2011-05-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

I have been collecting quotes for my classroom. I have a grand plan to post them all over my room and possibly I'll post the finished result on here once it gets done.

But my plan is to have a quote for my class each week that we all try to use to guide what we are doing. It will be the "spotlight" quote. I am pretty excited about it.

Here are some of my favorites that I have found.

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you quit, try. Ernest Hemingway
There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can't. What you've got to do is turn around and say "watch me."
Life begins that the end of your comfort zone. Neale Donald Walsch
Never ruin an apology with an excuse. Kimberly Johnson
Everyone is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid. Albert Einstein
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all- in which case, you fail by default. J.K. Rowling
It's not who you are that holds you back. It's who you think you're not.
Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Plato
Small acts transform the world.
If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always got.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou
Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway. Eleanor Roosevelt
You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. Samuel Johnson Edison
At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Thomas
Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.
Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. Conan O'Brien
Stop saying you can't. You can. You just choose not to.
Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.
The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.

And those are just a few.

World War Z

2011-05-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

This book was different. I have never like Zombies and have never read a zombie book, but I decided to be flexible and try it. I still don't necessarily like zombies; they are too undead.

The book was written a few years after a Zombie War which affected everyone on the planet. Max Brooks goes around the world collecting stories from people affected by it. So the book is divided up into sections of people telling their story. It starts with the first signs of zombies, with doctors telling when they first noticed something. It goes through citizens, military leaders, governmental leaders all giving their point of view. There was the "Great Panic" where basically everyone panicked. Then there was the actual war when each country came up with a strategy to beat the zombies.

I liked the beginning the best. I am not really one to read about major battles, even the real ones. It was interesting for the author to included all countries of the world, which ones survived and which ones panicked the most.

This is so not appropriate for RS Book club. It is about war and zombies, so don't expect it to be 100% clean.

The Best Husband

2011-05-06T19:20:00.001-05:00

I am going to brag about my husband. We haven't seen each other properly in 3 days. Our work schedules have been backwards and it has been crazy.

But in all of it he was still thinking of me. I told him I wanted a 120 count box of crayons and he went to the store the other night, after getting off work at 1:00 am just to get it for me. He didn't buy anything else. How cute is that?

As soon as he wakes up from his nap, we get to spend time together. But until then, I can color and know my husband loves me. And I love him loads.

The Story of a Fainter

2011-05-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

I had blood drawn today in order to continue the investigation of "Why Chris and I Aren't Having Children."

I couldn't eat for 8 hours before the the test so I was extra weak before. I have been blocking this from my mind for the last few weeks so I wouldn't think about it. I didn't even give it a thought until the nurse called me back. And then I saw she had 4 vials. 4! I convinced myself that it wasn't all for me.

So, we informed the nurse that I was a fainter and that I had never given blood before. She was really good at distracting me. I kept my eyes closed and made me talk. I hardly felt the needle go in but I could quickly feel the blood draining from me and my skin getting clammier and I was getting more light headed.

When she finished, I just went out. Luckily I was already laying down. Then I woke up to someone moving my legs. I told them to stop and then I realized it was the nurse and Mom.

I have no idea how long I was out for. It couldn't have been for more than a minute. But, I warned them it would happen. I don't know if she really believed me.

It was as bad as I expected. I knew that the needle wouldn't hurt, but it is feeling all the blood drain from my head and feeling like I am going to faint. If anyone has ever fainted, you'll know what I am talking about.

I was even a little bit closer to maybe donating blood. But I am backtracking on that now. One pint is so much more than 4 vials!

Maybe it will be better next time because I know this isn't the last.

Across The Universe

2011-05-02T20:10:00.000-05:00

This was almost a book I couldn't put down. It started out really slow but then picked up about 1/2 way through and I was reading it in the car with the sun visor light the other night.

The two main characters are Amy and Elder. The chapters go back and forth between each of them. Amy is frozen with her parents to live on a plant far, far away. They get put on a spaceship run by humans who have never been on Earth. Amy gets waken up early and is almost killed in the ice that has melted. Elder is training to be the leader of the people on the spaceship and saves her from drowning. But as they try to figure out who tried to kill her and stop it from happening again, they find out there are lots of secrets on the spaceship.

I loved it mostly because it was a dystopian society book in hiding. It was nothing like I expected it and I almost didn't read it.

Summer 2011 Movies

2011-04-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

I can count on three fingers the movies I liked in the theater last year and that were worth my money.

But this year is making up for next year.

And without further ado, some of the movies I am looking forward to.

May 6- I read the book and it was a good, short, fun read. I hope the movie is just as good.

June 10. I love Kyle Chandler. Remember Early Edition?

June 17. Green Lantern.

July 1. Transformers. I have blocked the second one from my mind.

July 15. This one really deserves a post on its own. Also, I have you seen all the cool posters for it? It is so hard to choose just one. And, I am totally seeing this one at midnight. Nothing will stop me, not even work. (Because I won't have to work the next day!)

July 29. I love Daniel Craig.

And these are the only ones that I am looking forward to. There are so many more that I can discover.

Book Reviews

2011-04-27T20:25:00.001-05:00

Birthmarked is a dystopian novel. (Which is my favorite type. The Hunger Games, The Giver, Brave New World are all examples of dystopian.) This is a book that had a lot of potential but didn't give me exactly like I wanted. My favorite part of these books is where the author explains why our current society fell and how the new society is different. Well, she alone spends about one page on it. So I am not completely convinced the new government is completely bad. I don't hate it and can totally see where they are coming from. They were only trying to save everyone's life.

I would recommened it to people who like this category of book.

Relief Society Book Club Approved

Insatiable This is a vampire book that makes fun of all the vampire books/movies out there. But basically has the same plot line. Girl doesn't believe vampire exists, she meets one, they are irresistible to each other, then something big happens and they have to decide if they continue together. But I have read all of Meg Cabot's adult fiction books except one, so I wasn't not going to read it. It was actually one of her better books. Her writing brings you into the story and I didn't count any of those weird things she does. In her writing I mean. (Get it Sammie!) I would recommend it but it is not RS book club approved. ( I am very strict about these ratings. Only G & PG books get through.)

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan The sequel to Confessions of a Shopaholic. I like the story, but it really makes me anxious. I don't know if I can read the other 3 books in the series. Basically the whole book is Becky Bloomwood's thoughts about all the shopping she does. (Because guess what, just because she paid off all her debts in the first one doesn't mean that she is cured of shopping.) So I am sitting here reading how she is spending hundreds of dollars at a time and I just want to slap her! Who is that bad with their shopping? And the next one she gets married, so there is so much money to spend there. And then she has a baby, more money to spend. Ugh, so much anxiety. So if you aren't an anxious person like I am, it is a quick, light read.

Not recommended for RS Book Club. But only because it has some language. The author is British.

Terrific Tuesday

2011-04-26T20:08:00.000-05:00

1. There are 26 days left of school. I can hardly believe that I have made it this far! Not that I didn't think I would, but it kind of went by really fast. I am so looking forward to summer.

2. Speaking of summer, There are about 44 days until I leave for my history trip. At the beginning of the school year I got involved in a grant where I get to read good history books and go to lectures on the Civil War. And during our trip, we get to visit history sties on the east coast. I am super duper excited for that.

3. And... then there is my goal of the summer. I want to lose 8 pounds by June 7. Charleah says it is possible, and she is basically a doctor. It is possible it I make some changes. Do you want to here about the changes? Maybe not, but I am going to post a weekly status update of my exercise and some eating habits. I have decided that I can give 15 minutes 5 days a week to running. And then do some strength training stuff.

4. Chris thinks I could be blogging about him, so here is is 15 seconds of fame. I think Chris is absolutely fantastic and I love him. And soon we will be celebrating 4 years of blissful marriage!

5. I am really going to miss my students at the end of the year. They have made me laugh and cry and pull my hair out. But they are my first year and I'll compare every class to them.

Until next time... then we'll be closer to summer!

Books Books and Books

2011-04-25T20:02:00.001-05:00

What did I do on my three day weekend?

I read. I finished 3 books. And I started 3 more. (I never read one book at a time. Sometimes I need a break from one and move on.)

(Exceptions: Harry Potter, The Hunger Games... books I can't stop reading.)

On Wednesday and Thursday we went to the library, paid my fines and checked out all these books.

I know that I won't be able to read them all the due date, but I have made a significant dent.

Also, I check out lots of books in case I don't like one I have a back-up to read.

Also, I am now way behind in my grading because I shirked it and read instead.

Easter

2011-04-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

In our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.' Thomas S Monson

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

In the words of the hymn, “Let me not forget, O Savior, / Thou didst bleed and die for me." I wonder how many drops were shed for me. James E Faust

We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name. Bruce R McConkie

I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way. Bruce R McConkie

He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Alma 7:11-12

It feels like Wednesday

2011-03-29T21:27:00.001-05:00

But it is still Tuesday

1. How Do You Know is a really boring, slow movie. It is basically pointless as a movie. But I kept watching it because I like Paul Rudd.

2. TAKS test in on Monday. My first real one. Some days I feel really confident but other times I don't. Today was a confident day. Hopefully it was for the kids too.

3. One my phone I make a list of things I want to write on my blog about. One of the items I have on there is "eating." Just the word "eating." I don't remember what that means. But, I like to eat. Maybe that is what I wanted to tell you. But anyone who knows me already knows that. So I don't really remember.

4. I accidently took a nap from 6:45-7:15 tonight. Which means that Randi will not be able to go to sleep tonight.

5. I decided to give the show Park and Recreations another shot. It isn't as good as The Office, but I like it this time around. As a TV-on-DVD show. Not one to watch every week.

6. My kids are always obsessed with how someone died. Yesterday we were talking about Thomas Edison and they had to know. (He died of complications from diabetes, if you were curious.) Before we talked about John Wilkes Booth and they were just obsessed with him. I don't get it sometimes.

7. And sorry this post was so boring. Should I throw some controversy in here?

Making the bed is stupid.

It feels like Tuesday

2011-03-23T21:52:00.000-05:00

But thankfully it is not.

1. The time change was over a week ago. Stop complaining about it. ADJUST.

2. Now it is dark when I wake up. Before if I woke up and it was dark I would think "That is okay, I didn't miss my alarm." Now I freak out and have to check my phone for the time.

3. I am not complaining about the time change. I am complaining that my brain just can't trust that I did things. I obsessively check my alarm to make sure it is on every night.

4. I am trying to introduce my kids to Jimmer as a verb. With the TAKS test in 7 days, I am trying to get them excited to "Jimmer the TAKS test." Just a little boost while our days are spent reviewing. Tomorrow I am going to show them this video.

5. And then Friday I am going to show them this one.

I try to introduce them to new things.