A visit to King Hair

1 duck butt...

2 grouches...

A set of orange hair bows...














A wild hair & 7 inches later!

















Thanks Nat!

Me & my big mouth!

Warning - Teacher Post!

Ok, so last week I was talking to another teacher, Deb, during my ESL class about differentiation. She was saying how she didn't think she was doing enough & I told her I thought she probably was, she just didn't realize it. I then went on to explain some of the stuff I'm doing in my classroom. Well, the lady over the math for the entire district, Sandy, happens to be in my ESL class & happened to overhear me. When I was done talking to Deb, Sandy says, "I'm going to come observe you next week." I of course was like - "Um..ok?" That was the first time I needed a kick in my pants. So, today Sandy came by after school & we talked about what I was doing & I showed her lots of my stuff (Heather & Tannie - think Facts In a Snap, skip counting to music, graphic organizers, color coding, etc.). At this point Sandy asks me, "How would you like to be on the committe to develop the curriculum map for math?" To which I reply, "That would be great!" This is where I needed the second kick in the pants. After some further discussion, Sandy says to me, "I think you just might be the person I need to do some professional development." And this is where I say, "Sure! That would be great. Just let me know what you need." Yes, this is where the 3rd kick in the pants was needed! So now I think I might have committed myself to being overworked & underpaid all summer long! Yay! What a productive day I've had!
Oh, and after all of that I got to go do PTCs! :)

Charlotte's sweater

Ok - for those that posted about Char's sweater. The dog is only 6 lbs & she shivers like it's -20 inside the house. The poor thing is in the garage all day while I'm at work & the heat is only set to about 55 degrees. I'm just trying to be humane!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Food for thought...

My sister posted this on her blog. I've gotten this in an email before & really got a kick out of it. Some days, I think my kids would vote ME off the island! I think the dads should also have to hold a full time teaching job & commute an hour to & from work & make it winter, in a car, with no four wheel drive!

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks. Each kid will play two sports & either take music or dance classes.There is no fast food. (This is where I would lose!)Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money. In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time—no emailing.Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment. He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function. Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done. The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight,shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.The kids vote them off the island based on performance.The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice. If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

Odds & Ends

Another week has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I can't believe how fast the days go by lately. Maybe it's because it's winter and the air is crappy & Travis is home. Maybe it's because I'm getting old!

We have started planning Samantha's birthday party. I told her she could either invite 3 friends to go ice skating (she loves to ice skate & if the rink were closer I'd sign her up for skating classes). Or, she could invite 5 friends over for a sleep over since her dad will be out of town on her birthday. She, of course, has chosen the latter - Duh. So she is diligently trying to decide which of her friends she will be inviting for a sleepover. I was talking to Jess at work and told her what I had agreed to. I told her she should come up & party with us girls (& my boys of course). She's young & vivacious enough that she actually agreed! Now I am excited about Sam's birthday party because I'll have someone around to act as dorky as me! ;)

Samantha had parent teacher conferences this week as well. Travis ended up meeting with her teacher because I had to be at my portfolio night at school (don't ask). It sounds as though she's doing well in all subjects and isn't a behavior problem at all (why doesn't that carry over to home?) They are beginning a new reading thing at school. The kids are reading to travel around the world as many times as they can before May. Every time they read 20 minutes, they get a lined signed off. After so many lines getting signed off, they take their sheet in to have their passport stamped to show they visited that country. They also have to pass off their address, phone number, tying shoes, etc. Well, Samantha decided last night she wanted to work on learning her address. I wrote it down for her and told her to write it over and over to help it stick in her head. She lasted all of about 5 minutes! After she wrote her address I told her she had to tell me what it was without looking to see if she really had it memorized or not. She sort of did it (not well enough for me to sign off yet). She wanted me to sign it off & I told her to go recite it to her dad. She did NOT want to do that. Instead, she marched her little behind over to the counter & forged my initials on the paper & then brought it to me to date! I told her I wasn't signing her off on the task yet & to erase my initials because that was lying & cheating. She said no, pouted, cried & proceeded to tell me she wasn't erasing it because she was absolutely never going to learn it. This is when her dad decided to jump in. He ever so fatherly sent her down the hall to her room & let her know just exactly why we don't forge mom or dad's signature or initials. This was a fun experience to be had by all involved!!

Nash is doing assessments at preschool right now. I'm really curious to see how these turn out. I know he isn't like his sister, but I have a hard time remembering that when I look at numbers & data! You'd think I'd be better about that since I'm a teacher. Guess not! He is still very excited to be turning 5 & going to kindergarten. I really hope he isn't totally bummed out when he turns 5 & doesn't get to go to kindergarten that day! Travis took all 3 kids to the dentist on Thursday. Nash has 2 cavities that have to be fixed. Six months ago he had 3. I guess we're improving, right? I'm still mortified by the fact that my 4 year old now how 5 cavities & I'm 29 & have never had a single one! Thank goodness we're double insured for both dental & medical!!

Caleb is still using the potty on occassion. Success depends on whether or not he gets sidetracked by the sight of the toilet paper! Unfortunatly for me, he finds it quite humorous when he pees on the floor, in the tub, or all over me on the changing table! He is trying to get 2 more molars still. I am hoping they come through soon. I feel so bad for him with his giant swollen gums. It sounds like he did good at the dentist the other day though, despite the sore mouth.

I am trying to get ready for parent teacher conferences in a week and a half. I'm sure it's going to be a bucket of fun! It always is. I'm just glad it's a 3 day weekend this weekend. I NEED the break & it helps that Trav's home too. We're going to try & make it to Manti this weekend for Grandpa Charlie's 80th birthday party. Hope I can still relax!

Any Takers?

Ok, now that it's January I can't be in denial that my babysitter is going to have a baby in March! I need to know if anyone is willing (or knows anyone that is willing) to help me out with daycare from the last week in March through the end of April. Nash goes to preschool 3 times a week in Hyrum & Sam goes to school in Hyrum as well. If you know anyone or are willing to brave it, let me know soon!
THANK YOU!!!