In a Moment's Time...

Evolution of the Nursery

2011-06-18T22:48:00.001-07:00

The Before Shot

Cleaning...

...and More Cleaning!

Taping...

...and More Taping!

Painting...

...and More Painting!

Taking a Break With the Furbaby!

The Evolution of a stencil!

Aaron Gets to Play With Sharp Tools

Applying the Stencil

Voila! It's Finished!

24 Weeks down, 16 to go!

And Another Furbaby!

12 Week Ultrasound

2011-03-28T16:38:00.001-07:00

10 Week Ultrasound

2011-03-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

8 Week Ultrasound

2011-02-28T16:24:00.001-08:00

6 Week Ultrasound

2011-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Master's Paradise

2009-05-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

My mom has the Youtube clip of the graduation "speech" over at her blog. It was done on a real video camera and is MUCH better, if you want to check it ou.

Graduation Day

2009-05-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably know, my husband has spent the past two years working his tail off to earn his Master's of Social Work, or MSW. Well, it paid off - finally! Graduation day is here at last. My husband and one of his fellow MSWs were nominated to be the student speakers at the ceremony. Because we had family members and friends who were unable to make it out for the ceremony, I thought I would share his awesome speech here.

I know the picture quality is horrible, and I apologize. I couldn't find a better seat, and I couldn't figure out how to get my camera to zoom in on video mode, so this is the best I could do. You can't see him very well, but you can hear him, and that's what matters. So here he is - my husband.

I am so proud of him.

A Good Day

2009-05-01T19:07:00.001-07:00

Most of you probably know that my mom, A Chelsea Morning, has had a few days off this week. Krissy and Andy took the kids on a trip to Denver to go to the zoo. What you may not know is that Aaron and I took the day off to go play with them. The trip to the zoo quickly turned in to an all-day Denver adventure. It was way fun, and I know my mom is dying to see the pictures, and I promised her I would do a post (in a timely manner, I might add), so here we go: The Great Denver Adventure!

We began our adventure at Ocean Journey, the aquarium in Denver. This was built a year after I left for college, so none of us had ever been here before. As you can see, we got to meet Sharky, and have our picture taken with him! As you can no doubt also see, it was a bright, sunny day!

Cameron was blown away by "them big ol' fish" and totally impressed by the fact that they were "way bigger than Nana's fishies."

Even little miss Avery was pretty impressed with these underwater critters. She even agreed to pose for a picture with her new friends on the ocean floor.

Cameron was completely mesmerized by this shark. Every time we would start to walk away, he would come running back for another look. Every time he came back, it was just as exciting as the first time he saw this shark. Don't worry, though: "He's a good guy."

Cameron and Uncle Aaron found a really cool bubble to play in. This was a little bubble that you could actually crawl into and stand up in, and you found yourself standing right in the middle of the fish tank. It took us a while to get him to go in there, but then he was running around like crazy after that, going into all the bubbles. He had a blast making faces at us through the glass.

No amount of coaxing could get him to stick his hand in that water and touch those stingrays, though. Not even after Uncle Aaron touched one. (And then proceeded straight to the men's room to wash his hands.)

Um, no thank you! We opted out of this experience. We did, however, decide to brave the Spongebob Squarepants 4-D virtual reality ride. Well, Krissy, Cameron and I braved it- Daddy and Uncle Aaron were too chicken. They said it was because somebody had to watch Avery, but that was clearly just an excuse. I am sure the guy running the ride found it quite comical that the four year old boy sat calmly through the whole experience while his mommy and aunt squealed and hollared and made a big ol' fuss over the whole thing. It was quite fun, though!

Our next stop was the Denver Zoo- the basis for the Strommenger family trip. Unfortunately, we showed up right at naptime, so many of the animals were less than exciting to see. But each of us got to see our favorites, and Cameron loved it, so it was a great experience.

Our first stop was the big animals: hippos, rhinos, elephants. Despite the lack of activity, Cameron was still very awestruck by these guys. He wanted to know why this rhino kept on "licking that same ol' spot." I don't blame him for wondering- we stood there watching this animal for about 6 minutes, and he really did stand there licking that "same ol' spot" the entire time. Who knows!

Cameron thought it was pretty cool when this hippo got into the water with his great big ball. He kept going under water and then reappearing somewhere else. Cam got such a kick out of that. When we tried to get him off the railing to move on, it was not an easy task. He kept saying he needed to see him do it just one more time!

Avery could have cared less about that hippo!

Anyone who has ever been to the Denver Zoo (and probably any zoo, really) knows that there are all sorts of birds just walking around. It made my day when I saw these tiny little fuzzballs following the mama goose around. I only got to see one penguin on this trip- and he kept his back to me the whole time as if he was mad at me! Krissy kept saying that we would go to the bird house before we left. Do you think we ever went to the bird house to see the penguins? NO! We passed it - twice- but we never went in. But I did get to see these baby geese, so that made it somewhat ok.

When this peacock spread out it's feathers like this, Cameron's reaction was to say "Oh. My. God. Aaron!" Aaron just about fell over laughing. It's a good thing he didn't, though, as Cameron was on his shoulders at the time. As a matter of fact, Cameron was on his shoulders the entire time. Early on in the zoo experience, Uncle Aaron stepped in goose poop and made a big deal out of getting the mess of his flip flop. Cameron somehow latched on to that image and became terrified of stepping in it himself. Every time Uncle Aaron tried to put him down, he would start walking on his toes with his legs all bowed out, stopping at every single stick, rock, and leaf and saying, "What's that? Is that poop?" After a good round of laughing hysterically, we quickly figured out that we would move much faster if someone just carried him. He still pointed out every spot from up high, though. That kid has a heck of an eye for goose poop!

These, of course, were Krissy's favorite. There were two baby giraffes licking their mama's neck!

Cameron liked the giraffes, too, but he didn't at all like being told he couldn't crawl under the bar and go in there with them, though.

Here's my penguin! Hey- I'll take what I can get! In case you can't tell from the blinding light, our little boy is three feet tall! There's no goose poop in the penguin house (or penguins for that matter) so he is actually standing on the ground. Nobody told him that penguins poop, too.

For some reason, these guys made me think of you, Mom. Hmm... weird.

Our last stop of the day was dinner. We decided that while we were out having so much fun, we might as well top it off with dinner at Dave and Buster's. If you are not familiar with it, think Chuck E. Cheese for big kids. They have a restaurant that serves your typical dinner variety, and then a huge arcade to entertain kids of all ages.

They had motorcycles...

...and bad guys...

...and ski ball...

Is anyone noticing the common theme in these pictures? Cameron was VERY helpful in defeating these games! What you can't see is Krissy playing a haunted house game. It's some sort of spinning arrow thingy game that she managed to get 1600 tickets out of. 1600! I think she practices a lot at Chuck E. Cheese, because no one is THAT good at a spinny arrow haunted house thingy game. Needless to say, Cameron made out like a bandit at the prize shop.

It was a fun day. A very long day, but a day filled with fun. The kind of day that you go home so exhausted that you just fall into bed, but you know that it is a good kind of exhaustion, because it's the kind that comes from having a fun, fun day.

Yup- it was a good day.

By the Way...

2009-02-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention one thing in this post. The beautiful flowers on the table behind me in the photo were delivered to me at school. Isn't my hubby sweet? You can all say it...awwww. (My kids did when they saw them)

Valentine's Day - The Old Fashioned Way!

2009-02-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

I know, it's incredibly weird that I would disappear for 6 months, and then suddenly show back up in a poodle skirt. No- I didn't get lost in a time warp, and I didn't get my holidays mixed up. I promise, I will explain everything!

6 Months ago I started blogging again, for the purpose of connecting with other teachers out there, and keeping in touch with my family back home on the other side of the mountains. I had every intention of keeping up with it, and had no doubt that I could. Then I got my class list. I got to see all the names of my incoming students. All 32 of them. 32! At first, I didn't think a whole lot of it. I knew it was a high number - more than I had ever had before - but it didn't occur to me how many 32 really was. Now I am in the seventh month of this school year, and I can easily explain to you how many 32 is.

It means 32 papers to grade, every time they turn something in. Not so bad, until you consider that there are 5 subjects a day. So, if I collect one assignment in each subject, I have 160 papers to grade. And fifth graders like feedback on those papers! Needless to say, I am getting really good at finding other ways to assess student achievement. It means 32 report cards every quarter. One report card is a handful the way our district does them (filled in by hand). It means 32 parent teacher conferences. Actually, more if you count all the step-families and divorced parents who can't stand to be in the same room as the person they were once married to and demand separate conferences. Anyway, you get the picture. I have been buried in just trying to keep up. I have taken many pictures with the intention of turning them into a post. I have had many posts running through my head. I have even started posts and saved them. I have just struggled to bring them to completion.

So what changed? First, my mindset changed. I have spent the past few months trying different strategies to keep up better with not only school, but my family and home life as well. I am learning to let more things go, and prioritize better. My husband has been 100% understanding throughout this year, but I know he wishes he could see me more- without a plan book or a stack of fifth grade writing samples in between us. Then, the economy continued to go downhill. After reading several emails from the district offices about the state of our finances, it became blaringly clear that next year they are likely to make some major cut-backs. I would say it is safe to assume they won't be hiring many more teachers next year. Which also means the days of small class sizes are a thing of the past- at least for a while. So, what it boils down to is that I had better get used to having an overflowing classroom without it taking over my life outside of school. I am committed to working on this.

So, why the 1950s get-up? Well, I spent all of last weekend working on this skirt. (Yes, the gradebook and planbook got neglected for a few days). It was my first solo sewing project. What I mean by solo is without my mom, the infamous A Chelsea Morning, right there to help me. I think I must have called my mom 8 or 9 times throughout the course of the weekend. And when she told me that her and dad were going to be out all afternoon, and would be off the radar for a few hours, I almost had a total meltdown! Needless to say, I managed to finish the skirt (obviously), and I thought that my mom would probably really like to see what she helped me create. I started to email her the pictures, but then I thought it might be a good opportunity to do a post. Finally. So I did.

Again, why the 1950s skirt, you ask? Well, in the fifth grade, we don't do anything small. Especially not parties. We do a huge "Frightening Fiesta" with a full Mexican buffet for Halloween. We do a "European Christmas Adventure" with a full European food buffet for Christmas. And for Valentine's Day? A 1950s sock-hop, of course! We set up one classroom as a drive-in movie theatre. We turn the deks into cars, complete with headlights.

And we play The Honeymooners on the big screen.

And we have a 1950s diner in the cafeteria that served hot dogs, chips, and malts. And we finish it off with a sock-hop. We encourage the kids to dress up for the day, and of course the teachers dress up as well. So, this is why I needed a poodle skirt. It's not like you can just go to Kohl's and buy a poodle skirt, and the costume prices were ridiculous. So, I found myself spending the weekend in front of my sewing machine, with the phone permenantly attached to my ear. Likewise, my mom spent a great deal of her weekend on the phone, too. But, I wasn't the only own who went to great lengths to look to part. Check out my little cuties:

There were a lot more girls than this dressed up, but these were the ones I managed to get to stop running around the cafeteria like crazy. I got them to slow down long enought for a picture.

These two gals looked adorable. Apparently their dance class did a 50s number last year, so they had the costumes. They looked so cute dressed up like twins. (Even cuter with their heads attached. I cropped these because I feel it's better not to post identifiable pictures of other people's kids.)

I even had my own little twin! This little girl actually rented her costume, so it was very authentic. Aren't her little saddle shoes adorable?

Cute isn't a word that I use to describe my fifth graders. I am constantly reminding them that they are becoming young adults, and that they must be mature and set an example for the younger kids. "I'm sure you were adorable when you were little, but those behaviors are no longer cute," I tell them. (To which I am usually met with eye-rolling, a much more mature behavior). However, this was one day that I can honestly say these kiddos were cute. Very mature, adult-like, perfect example setters. But cute nontheless!

So, there you have it. This is my third attempt at doing the blogging thing. This time I am going to try to commit to a post a week, just to keep family and friends updated. Attempt and try are very much the operative part of these statements, however, as I am not making any promises.

Stay tuned for updates on the split list- my hubby and I have managed to have some fun these past few months. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out my split list post here.

See you in about a week!
(Unless I get a new student.)

I've Been Tagged...Five Ways Blogging Has Affected Me...

2008-09-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Grace Comes by Hearing tagged me.

Here are the rules:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively.

2. Link back to the person who tagged you.

3. Link back to this parent post.

4. Tag a few friends, or five, or none at all.

5. Post these rules- or just have fun breaking them!

FIVE WAYS BLOGGING HAS AFFECTED ME:

1. One of the biggest- and best - ways that blogging has affected me is that I have been able to keep in touch with my family. Having moved over 5 hours away from the family I used to live down the street from, the adjustment was not easy! But my dad, mom, grandma, and sister all have blogs, so I feel like I am able to keep up with what is going on in their lives in a fun way. My aunt and two of my cousins also have blogs, so I am able to keep up with family I haven't seen in a while as well. And, it feels more personal than emailing.

2. I have also met some new people through blogging. There are people out there in the world that I have things in common with that I never would have known about without blogging. I see it as just on more way to make the world a smaller place!

3. I have always loved to journal, and I have always seen the benefit of keeping one. Unfortunately, I have not always been good at keeping up with one. Through blogging, I feel like I am keeping a journal, just in a different way. And an added bonus is that this way people get to comment and give me feedback on my thoughts- unlike the journal that sits on the shelf and is never read again once closed. Or, the one that would have sat there had I ever kept it.

4. Being able to connect with other teachers, and share ideas with one another, and bounce ideas around has been a huge benefit of being a blogger. Of course there are teachers within my building and district that I can share ideas and strategies with, but being able to share with others who aren't in my school, district, or even my state, is like a breath of fresh air! And it is pretty cool to use an idea from a blogging buddy, and then see teachers from my school adopt it, too. I hope some of my ideas will be used in classrooms somewhere out there, too!

5. One of the neatest ways that I have been affected by blogging is that I feel like I see the world through a new pair of eyes now. It's one thing to experience something really neat, or scary, or funny, or exciting... and take pictures to remember it. It's a whole different thing entirely to view that same neat/scary/funny/exciting experience as "blog fodder" (as my mom says). The pictures you take are different, the way you react to it is different, the way you remember it is different. If you are a blogger, you know exactly what I am talking about! You just see the world in a different way when you are looking for post material!

That's all from me...now it's your turn. I tag:

1. Mom

2. Krissy

3. August

4. Aunt Bev

5. Grandma

Don't Ever Say You Can't...

2008-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last Friday a most unbelievable surprise took place at my school. A man named Tony Melendez was vistiting Greeley, and he said he had time to visit two schools. My school was one of them. Out of 30. I lost 30 minutes of instructional time on Friday. We skipped read-aloud. We cut Literacy block 15 minutes short. I had to get the kids ready to go home 30 minutes early. You know what, though? It was TOTALLY worth it!

This is Tony Melendez. And he visited our school!

Some of you may have heard of Tony Melendez before. For those of you who haven't, allow me to introduce him as best I can. Tony Melendez was born without arms, because his mother is one of the many who took Thalidimide when she was pregnant. But did that stop him? Absolutely not! Tony has lived a more-than-full life as a musician- he plays the guitar with his feet! And he plays very very well! I should know- he played many songs for my students! He has a music company called Toe Jam, and he goes around giving inspirational concerts and speeches.

When we first entered the gym on Friday, I wasn't sure about having an assembly so early in the year. When Tony insisted that all students jump up out of their seats, throw their fists in the air, and whoop "yeeha!!" after each verse of "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mount'n" I thought for sure that the whole thing would be a chaotic nightmare! what I hadn't expected was 600+ students grades 1 to 8 to be complete captivated and mesmorized by our guest. And when Tony began to speak his story, you could have heard a pin drop in that gymnasium- even the middle schoolers were engaged! Some students even had tears in their eyes.

What Tony did was show our students that they could do anything they set their minds on- even play a guitar and throw and catch a frisbee with their feet. He reminded them that it was never okay to settle for "I can't." This was by far the best assembly I have ever interrupted my class instructional time for. They learned more than I could ever teach them in that 30 minutes.

After the assembly I, of course, ran back to the classroom, got the kids on the bus, and then returned to the gym to snag a copy of one of his cds. If you're a fan of inspirational Christian music, you'll love Tony's music. The cd I picked was:

I also grabbed a copy of his book for my husband, who loves an inspirational read:

This was by far one of the highlights of my career- being given the privelage to meet this man in person and watch him perform and inspire!

Happy Birthday, Mom...

2008-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

You've been there for all of my biggest moments and biggest days...

The day I was born (duh)...

The day I graduated from high school...

And the day I got married... to name a few.

I so wish I could be there for you on this big day for you - your birthday. Please know that I am thinking of you today and wishing I was there with you. Just think - next year I will be!

I love you more than you can know.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

XOXOXO

My Hero...

2008-08-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Look what my husband bought for me this summer!!

Okay, let me start at the beginning, otherwise this could just seem really weird.

Have you ever looked inside of a child's desk at school? If you are a teacher, or a parent, then you know exactly what I am talking about. If you are not, let me take a minute to explain. An elementary school student has an unbelievable ability to stuff their desk to three times the capacity. This may not seem like much of a problem at first. Really, it's not that big of a deal, as long as you don't do one of two things. One, ask that particular child to find something and remove it from the desk in a timely manner. Two, try to move the desk to a new location. As long as you don't do either of these things, you're good. Unfortunately, the odds of a teacher not asking a student to get something out at some point during the day are slim to none. On top of that, when you do try to move that desk, the precariously stuffed "treasures" will inevitably explode from that desk onto the floor. Believe me, when you only have a 40 minute planning period to get a million things done, including moving those desks around, nothing will push you beyond your capacity of patience faster than this!

So, after three agonizing years of the desk battle, and many attempts at teaching "organization skills", I decided to try something new. My team teacher, who has been teaching for over 25 years, gave up on the desk game a long time ago. She now provides each one of her students with a "locker", or cubby. Her cubbies come in the form of rolling carts with plastic drawers. I couldn't find rolling carts with plastic drawers that were all the same size, had enough on each cart to keep me from buying a boat load of them, that wouldn't break the bank. After spending an entire summer searcing for something that would work, my amazing hubby discovered this little treasure at Lowe's.

Isn't it beautiful? It's actually designed for a child's closet, but if you turn it around backwards, it makes a perfect cubby for a fifth grader, don't you think?

And he bought it for me!

And he carried the big, heavy box in for me!

And he put it all together for me!

And then he took it into my classroom for me.

And you know what the best part is?

He did this six times for me!

And that's not even the Husband-of-the-year part! This wasn't some simple trip to Lowe's to get a few shelves. He took me to the Lowe's in Greeley, and bought me three of them. That was last month. Then, he took me to Lowe's in Greeley again a few days ago. They had two, but one was damaged, so he bought me the one. Then he drove 30 minutes to Loveland. They had one, so he bought it. Then he drove another 30 minutes to Fort Collins and bought me the last one. My wonderful hubby literally spent an entire day driving around Northern Colorado, all so that my kiddos could have cubbies when school started, and I could keep my sanity. Isn't he sweet?

Okay, you can all say it now. Awwwww!!!

Yesterday, these cubbies were put to the test when all my kiddos (32- in case you have forgotten. I haven't) came in like a whirlwind and filled them right up. They love them!

I sent them to specials 10 minutes after they walked in, so we didn't have time to actually get them hung back up, but you get the idea.

This was a huge investment for me, but it is a lasting one, and I am just tickled pink! These are my newest favorite part of my classroom! And my fifth graders actually think they're cool, so that's an added bonus!

The First Day...

2008-08-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! I survived my first day of school! This is officially the fourth time I have opened a new school year, and it was definitely the most eventful! Okay- I lied. The most eventful would be my first year when I had a student throw up everywhere. So this was my second most eventful first day!

This is me, first thing this morning. I was wide awake and ready to go! I always dress up a little for the first day. Tomorrow will be a different story! My husband just had to take a picture, because he so rarely sees me out of my pajamas!!

So every school year has its ups and downs, and this school year will be no different. I'm only a day in, so the course the year will take is still somewhat of a mystery to me. But as any teacher knows, you get a good idea that first day. Here is what I think so far:

Gripes:

I have 32 students in my classroom. My 32nd one was added five minutes before the bell rang. My first year of teaching, I had 18. My second year I had 22. Last year I had 25. So let me tell you- 32 feels like A LOT of kids. They are so close together in my room that seven table groups looks like one big long table when they are all sitting down. Wow!

They will not stop talking. When I am giving instructions, or doing a lesson, they are really good at listening and staying with me. The minute I ask them to do something- get out a notebook, put something away- they immediately start talking. Right now, I am 99% sure that the reason is because I let them choose their own seats this morning. I know- GASP!! I figured I would give it a try, since my team teacher does this with her fifth graders. I have news for you. I am NOT my team teacher. I must have order, and not chaos. Tomorrow I will promptly be adding name tags to each and every desk and assignning their seats. Maybe next quarter kiddos!

Praises:

I have surely got to have the best students in the school. Okay, so there are a few that I already know I need to keep under my thumb, but overall, these kids are great! My class last year was so difficult- I stuggled all year to keep up with management. This group of kids is helpful, and polite, and they still hug me! Okay, I know what you're thinking. Wait 'til the "honeymoon period is over," right? We'll see, but so far I think they're great. And the fourth grade teachers said they were great. And teachers do not lie to each other out of the earshot of parents and students!

I knew almost every single one of my kids today. Last year I was so new I barely knew the other staff members, let alone any of the kids. This year I knew them before they showed up- partly from being here last year, and partly from all the awesome things we do to kick off the year. It was great. I was able to greet them by name as they walked in the room. And since I knew all the returning kiddos, I was able to focus on learning the names/faces/personalities of my new ones. It felt really good.

One more thing you won't believe:

Okay, so remember that big scary tornado thing that happened in Windsor this summer? That happened on my last day of school last year. So I officially ended the school year by huddling in the student bathrooms.

Guess where I kicked off the year? You got it- huddled in the student bathrooms! Allow me to start at the beginning.

After school today, I walked outside to see the kids onto their buses, and I saw some really ugly clouds in the distance. I said "ooh, scary skies!" I've really got to quit saying that, because it never goes well from there! Anyway, there I was standing in the hallway, begging my team teacher to hang out with me until the big bad storm went away, when another teacher came running up the hallway. We had gotten a call that a tornando had touched down by Northridge High School. Northridge and my school share the same property! Talk about running in the halls! I was booking it to the bathrooms!

Okay, so it was totally a false alarm- there was no torando. Why anyone would think there was and alert us, I don't know. But don't you think it's ironic- I started this school year the same way I ended the last one!

The good news?

After the roughest storms come the most beautiful rainbows!

A BBQ and a Walk About Town...

2008-08-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

I teach at a school that is big on traditions. As a matter of fact, when I started there last year and went to the new teacher training, an entire hour was spent just teaching all us newbies about the many traditions at our new school. Throughout the year I will probably post about all of them, but today I am going to focus on the traditions that begin before the year even does

Fifth Grade Back-to-School Kick-Off bbq

Every year about a week before school starts, my team teacher and I throw a big bbq (at her house, of course- mine is WAY too small). We invite all of our incoming fifth graders and their parents. We have burgers and hot dogs, play games, and get to know each other. The best part is that we invite the kids on the last day of school, so they have all summer to be excited about it. Each kid brings something, and we do it pot-luck style, so Kathy and I spend next to nothing for an awesome evening of fun and memory making.

Of course, it took about 5 minutes for this group of girls to kick my volleyball over the fence! And being the princesses they are, they stood and stared at it while one of the boys climbed over!

If you look closely at this picture, you will see my husband's red head peeking out over all the rest. He always endures these activities, and he always gets put on "tend to the kids while we talk to parents" duty! He really is worthy of the Husband-of-the-year award!

And what back-to-school event would be complete without a parent pow-wow? This is my team teacher and I filling parents in on what to expect come next year. I really didn't stand there with my finger in my mouth the whole time- I talked, too. My husband just has really poor timing. LOL!

I love this tradition, because by the time Back-to-School Night, Parent Information Night, and the first day of school roll around, I have already gotten to know my kids a bit, I can put faces with names, I know who is friends with who, and I've met most of the parents. For these reasons, the first day of school starts more smoothly, because parents aren't meeting me for the first time, and they don't hang around to ask me a lot of questions. They drop their kids off, head to work, and we start the day right on time!

Walk-Abouts

Another tradition we have at our school, is one we call "Walk-Abouts." For this one, we actually drive into the neighborhoods where our students live. We are a school of choice in our district, so we have kids from all over town, so we have to split this activity between two nights to get all the neigborhoods in. What we do when we get there is exactly what it sounds like we do:

We all march in a huge group into each neighborhood.

We start going around to houses and calling kids out. We usually only knock on one or two doors before the other kids in the neighborhood know we're there. Then we have a street full of kids coming to see us!

While we're there we also have fun with the kids. This is a picture of two teachers and a student who all traded their flip flops around!

And we always end up with a tour guide-usually with wheels- who voluteers to go around the neighborhood with us and point out all the houses where the kids live.

The most imporant thing we do during this trip is let the kids know that we love them, and that we are excited to see them when school starts. This is a really good way to get kids excited about the fresh school year, welcome new families to our school family, allow new students to meet their teachers, and let the kids know that we are thinking about them before the school year even gets under way.

So there you have it! Two awesome traditions that we have at my school. They both require a little more time on our parts to accomplish, but the benefit of the environment it creates for us as a school and a community of learners is totally worth it.

A Trip Back in Time...

2008-08-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago some friends of ours invited us to go to Colorado's annual Renaissance Festival. When I told my husband this, he said, "What?! It's going to be full of weird people dressed in costumes- like a Star Wars convention, only dorkier!!" I thought he was just being crabby because he had to miss his Fantasy Football draft to go, but you know what? He was totally right!! It was way cheesy, but that only means it was right up my alley!

I knew that it was going to be a ridiculously fun day when I saw these (and proceeded to make my husband and friends stick their heads in every single one of them for a picture)!

And this was before we even entered the actual park! Once we did enter, the fun really began!

My husband was absolutely right. This place was just full of people totally decked out in medieval gear. Weird, fun, crazy people! There were just people scattered everywhere, and they never got out of character! It got to where it was hard to tell which people worked for the festival, and which people were just citizens that got WAY into this whole thing!

Within minutes of entering the park, I got my first medieval insult! There are these pretzel vendors that carry around these crazy racks of pretzels- they are seriously, like four feet tall, and there are just rows and rows of bread pretzels. Needless to say, I was somewhat intrigued when the first vendor walked by. I guess it was pretty obvious that I was interested, because the guy looked at me, and he didn't miss a beat. He said to me, accent and all, "Ma'am, stop staring at my rack!" This got me, and several people within ear-shot, cracking up. Everyone there was jolly and jovial, and just looking to have a lot of fun!

Speaking of insults, one of the best things there was this "insult game". In case you can't tell, that is a tomato in my husband's hand. And yes, he is throwing that tomato at a person. But before you worry about anger issues and violent tendencies, let me tell you- the guy totally deserved it! He was throwing insults at my poor hubby that are too graphic for me to even mention here! Hey- for five bucks, what self-respecting male wouldn't throw tomatoes at some poor, sarcastic clown? (By the way- because of where I was standing to take this shot, I had tomato slop all over me for the rest of the day.)

Doesn't he look like he is just asking for it?

Not all of the games were violent, tomato-in-the-face games. They also had other man-must-prove-himself sort of games. Take this one for example: your classic test of strenth game:
What carnival would be complete without all the men swinging an overgrown hammer at a lever that tells them how strong they are? For the record, here's where my husband scored:

But, the first swing must have really taken it out of him, because here is where he scored the second time around:

But don't let him take ALL the credit. He's not the only one that paid two dollars to play a game! I was brave and tried my own luck, too! I don't need a man to win me a prize! As a matter of fact, I was rather impressive at the hit-the-frog-into-the-bucket game!

As a matter of fact, I was so good that I won this fantastic prize:

A plastic fly! Can you see how thrilled I was when I learned what I had won?

Aaron played this game twice, and I played it once, so I figure this little plastic fly cost us $6.00! And we only had to pull money out of "Ye Old ATM" once! Now how's that for budgeting?!! Dave Ramsey- eat your heart out!

The day wasn't just all about games and fabulous prizes, either! There were several shows there as well. There were hypnotists, acrobats, comedians, and dancers. The best show we went to was called "The Washing Well Winches." They were absolutely hysterical. Their entire show was based on flirting with all the men in the audience and making them do embarassing things for their significant others. It was hilarious! One poor guy had to run out into the square, put on a pair of HUGE tighty whities, and at the top of his lungs yell, "When I wear my man pants, I can do anything!" All to earn his wife a pink rose! It was close to the funniest show I have ever seen! I was laughing so hard, I only managed to get one picture:

This poor man doesn't know it yet, but he is about to wear that entire bucket of water- all because he criticized the cleanliness of their laundry!

And what renaissance day would be complete without a good old fashioned joust?

Okay, so maybe the day was totally cheesy, but it was super fun. We played some fun games, ate some great food (nothing like a turkey leg and steamed asparagus to fill you up), saw some incredible creatures,

and spent time with friends. These are our good friends Stephanie and Junior (you make recognize Steph as one of my bridesmaids), and their beautiful daughter Madelyn.

And the most important thing is we spent time with each other.

Overall we had a great time, and we would do it again in a heartbeat! We thoroughly enjoyed our breif trip back in time!

Until next year... Fare Thee Well- Good Journey!

And So it Begins...

2008-08-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, if you aren't a teacher, or my mom, you probably won't be very excited about this post. But for me, one of the biggest and best times of the year is the back-to-school sales. I remember getting excited about school shopping as a kid, and it is ten times as wonderful as a teacher. I just love to go get all my new things, and imagine all the possibilities for my classroom. It's that fresh start, every year. I always end the big shopping day thinking, "this year is going to be my best yet." So, last week I got to do my annual shopping spree, and I thought I would share my treasures with those of you who might actually be interested. (Mom- that means you keep reading, this is not optional!)

The first thing everyone will see when they walk down the hallway to my classroom is my "Welcome" bulletin board, so I will start there. My original plan was to put "Fifth Graders Rock" and then have all my students' names written on rocks. Would you believe it- nobody sells rock bulletin board cut-outs! (Unless they are for a science bulletin board, but then they're labeled and wouldn't work at all). So, then I ran across these adorable penguins, and the cute ice border, and I HAD to have it. So, my new plan is to put "Fifth Graders are CHILL: Creative, Hard-working, Intelligent, Life-long Learners!" Then I'll write all their names on the penguins and igloos. I know- fifth graders are so not into "cute" anymore. But I am, so they will learn to deal!

Every year so far I have tried to go with a theme and then match everything- name tags, bulletin boards, labels, etc. - to that theme. This year there were so many designs that caught my eye, I just picked out all the borders I liked, and I figured I could make them all work. So here are my awesome discoveries! Hopefully you can click on the picture and enlarge it for detail- sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't.

And, as you know, the borders aren't even the half of it. It's what you put on the bulletin boards that count. (Duh!) Seeing as I am the Social Studies teacher for the entire fifth grade, and seeing as how it is an election year, I figured the Presidential Election Process bulletin board was essential. In our district, fifth grade curriculum starts with the Civil War, so I went ahead and grabbed a brand new shiny bulletin board set for that. And what fifth grade classroom would be complete without our wonderful presidents strung up along the wall for all to see?

And of course you can't call it good without posters, posters, and more posters! Birthday charts, Literature Genres, Descriptive words, and blank ones for Goodness-knows-what! You gotta have them all! (Especially when they're all on sale!!) The real trick will be to find places to hang them all.

I don't know if I will even use name tags this year- I am going to "experiment" with letting them be "grown up" and choose their seating, like in middle school. But seriously, I think I would have felt terribly disappointed and just not right if I didn't buy labels and tags on this shopping trip. It's like a teaching staple- like milk on a grocery shopping trip. You just always get it, right?

And last, but not least, all these wonderful supplies. If you're wondering, those pink and blue things are shower caddies that I found in the dorm room department. Weird, huh?

Not when you see how cool they look with all this stuff in them! These are going to be my supply trays- one for each table group. Gone are the days of digging in desks and sitting idle because you can't find the supply you need! In reality, where I work, many kids don't have the supplies they need, so I would never dream of starting the school year without a well-stocked classroom. And don't they just look so cool and fifth grade-ish this way?

So there you have it- my annual back-to-school shopping spree. For real, the main reason I did this post is because every year so far, the first thing I have done after this trip is run over to my mom's house with all my bags and show her all of my treasures. And this year I couldn't do that. So this is my way of showing off. And hopefully there are some others who can at least see a little entertainment value in it!

Again?!!...

2008-08-06T18:40:00.003-07:00

This is on my TV right now...

I love Northeastern Colorado!

The Split List

2008-07-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

How many of you out there have seen "The Bucket List"? Those of you who have, you already know what a fantastic movie it is. Those of you who haven't, you REALLY need to see this movie. It was one of the best movies I saw all summer. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I'll give it to you in a nutshell: It stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickelson, who play two old men who come up with a bucket list- a list of all the things they want to do before they kick the bucket. Fabulous movie!

As most of you already know, Aaron and I are planning a huge move back across the mountains to be closer to family just as soon as he finishes grad school. We are both super excited about being back "home", (although not so excited about the moving part). However, it occurs to us that we live out here on the front range, where there is TONS of great stuff to do. Stuff that you can't really just hop in the car and go do when you live 250 miles west of Denver. Yet we are taking advantage of none of it. I mean, really, we have been here a year and the only thing we have really taken advantage of was the Budweiser Center last spring. (Aaron took me to see Finding Nemo on ice, but don't tell him I told you. He was so embarrassed to discover we were the only people there above the age of 5 that didn't have a kid in tow.) Knowing that we have limited time left on this side of the Rockies, we have decided that it is time to start taking advantage of the wonderful area we live it.

Okay, by now you are probably wondering how in the heck "The Bucket List" and moving back to the Western Slope are even remotely related, right? Well, my friends, I give you ... (drumroll)...

The Split List!!!( all the things we want to do before we "split"- or leave the front range)

1. Estes Park
The last time I went to Estes Park, I was a little kid. My parents used to take us there. Honestly, there are only two things I remember about Estes Park. There was the BEST toy store there, full of hand-made toys, and they sell the world's best salt water taffy. (Yes, Mom, I will get you some when we finally go. What's your favorite flavor? I'll mail it to you if I have to.) Oh yea, and that creepy hotel from "The Shining" is there, too. My husband loves the outdoors, and there is so much more to Estes than shopping and taffy, and really, it's just dumb that we haven't gone- it's less than an hour from where we are.

2. Casa Bonita
Casa Bonita must be one of the best Mexican restaurants around. Not necessarily because of the food, but because of all the stuff they have there: an arcade, a haunted cave, cliff divers, dinner shows...My last memory of going there was when my Aunt Bev brought my uncle and cousins down for one of their Colorado trips. Leslie and I must have been about six, and they had a pinata there. When it finally broke, we each only got one piece of candy, and we cried and cried! Then, Leslie went through the "haunted cave", and when she got done, she told me all these terrifying things about it- eyeballs and a bottomless pit. Of course, none of it was true, but I actually remember her version of it better than I do my own experience. She was quite the story-teller!

3. Ocean Journey
This is the new aquarium they built in Denver. They built it one year after I left for college, so I have never been there. My first and only experience with an aquarium was in Maui on my honeymoon, so I have been dying to get to Ocean Journey since it was built. It would just be heartbreaking to live an hour away for two years and never go.

4. Denver Zoo
I think I went to the zoo on a field trip when I was in elementary school, but I hardly remember it. I do know that many of the pictures I posted on my old blog were taken at the zoo when my sister and I were very little, but I have few memories. But as a lover of penguins, how can I not take the time to go visit them while I am here? Krissy wants to bring her kids to the zoo someday. Maybe we can talk her into making that someday be in the next 11 months. Preferably one of the warmer ones.

5. Camping in the Poudre
I am not a big fan of camping. I typically don't like bugs. I don't really enjoy sleeping on the ground. I especially don't like large animals that want to eat me. But, my husband loves camping, and thanks to me, he hasn't gone in four years. We live, literally, right by the Poudre Valley and the Poudre River. It would break his dear, sweet heart if we didn't go camping- or at least hiking- while we are here. I suppose if he can stomach people skating around in sparkling fish costumes, I can stomach camping.

6. Broncos Game
I have never been to a professional football game. My husband has never been to a professional football game. We were both born and raised in Colorado. Do I need to say more?

7. CU vs. CSU Game
I guess if you are not from Colorado, or from the Eastern slope, maybe, you may not know about the rivalry between CSU and CU. Or maybe everybody knows about it, and I am just the sweet, oblivious girl. Either way, I had no idea. Apparently there is a huge rivalry between these two schools, and this is one of the biggest games of the year. Actually, I think it is the biggest game of the year. I don't know- I am really just pretending to know what I am talking about. Either way, it's supposed to be way fun, and way wild, and we have tickets to go at the end of August.

8. Dave & Buster's
I had never heard of Dave & Buster's until we moved out here. It is a bar and grill, and it is a lot like Chuckie Cheese's, only it's for big kids. Like the over 21 kind of kids. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I know they don't have them back home, so we figured we should check it out while we can. Surely we can round up some big-kid friends to go with us.

9. Skydiving (Aaron only- so Mom, calm down! Jan-help! Talk to your son about this!!)
Okay, there is no way I would ever jump out of an airplane. Maybe if it was on fire and about to crash into a very big mountain, but even then it's iffy. My husband, on the other hand, would love to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. It turns out, my friend Stephanie's husband would also love to do this insane thing. Even better- he got a gift certificate for his birthday. From Stephanie. (Her and I will talk about this later!) Who should her dear husband invite to go with him? My dear husband! I, personally, wonder about my husband's sanity. But who am I to break his heart? Besides, I figure he'll owe me big time! I sense a HUGE teacher store shopping spree in my near future. Unless some more disney characters decide to slip into some ice skates!

10. Armadillo
The Armadillo is a Mexican restaurant in Longmont that I practically grew up at. This is where my parents took us when we were kids. This is where my homecoming dates took me when I was still a kid but didn't think I was. This is where my date's parents sat on the other side of the restaurant at Homecoming, because they were our ride. This is where we went on Senior Ditch Day. There are so many memories at this restaurant- I just have to pay it a visit before I go.

11. Avalanche Game
I am really not all that interested in hockey. But my husband wants to go to a NHL game, and what better time to do it? Krissy and Andy usually manage to make it out to at least one game a year, so we are hoping to coordinate with them.

12. Rockies Game
Last year would have been a good time to go to a Rockies game, but the tickets were like a million bajillion dollars and totally sold out. So maybe we can make it this year when they are playing more like themselves. Rockies games can be way fun- I went to a ton of them in high school, so why not?

13. Breckenridge Brewary Tour
Of course, I am hoping to be pregnant soon, so I assure you that this is not about the free beer. It is about the learning experience, really! Almost all of my friends have done this tour, and they said it was way fun.

14. Budweiser Factory Tour
I just want to see those horses! I swear that's why I want to go. (See above paragraph if you doubt me even a little).

15. Cheesecake Factory
This is where all my prom dates always took me. I wouldn't have put it on the list, but my husband and his mom went to dinner here a few weeks ago, and he loved it so much that he said he HAS to take me on a date there. Who am I to turn down a romantic dinner?

16. Boulder Dinner Theatre
When I was a teenager working as a lifeguard at our little rec center, we went here for our staff Christmas party. We saw "The Will Rogers Follies". It was the very first time I had ever seen a stage production, other than those put on by our high school drama club. I fell in love with theater. I also came here with my parents when I was home from college once, but I don't remember what show we saw. Mom- do you remember? We went with Mike and Mike, if that refreshes your memory at all. Anyway, the only theater Aaron has been to is the Cabaret in Grand Junction. Don't get me wrong- it's a great theater, but I am dying to take Aaron to the first theater I ever went to. Now, if they would do "Annie" sometime in the next 11 months, I would think I had died and gone to Heaven!

17. The Denver Museum of Natural History
Okay, so this isn't on our list, but I am adding it now. (I'll tell my husband later). Writing about the zoo and field trips reminded me of our field trip here. And it was the coolest! They have the best dinosaur exhibit!! We gotta go here.

Okay, I take full responsibility for being the second biggest dork on the face of the planet (my husband being the actual biggest- the list was his idea). But this was fun, and it gives us stuff to look forward to, and stuff to help pass the time until we can get back home.

So there you have it- the "Split List". I promise to do my best to actually accomplish the things on the list. And I promise to give you updates every time we check one off! If anyone out there is from the Front Range of Colorado, please feel free to add suggestions. I am a little worried we may get bored with only 17 major events planned in the next 11 months!

Scary Skies...and a Fun Distraction

2008-07-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

I hate the weather in Northern Colorado. Okay, so we have had some beautiful summer days this year. When the weather here is good, it is very very good. But I'll tell you what- when it is bad, it is HORRID! You know that airline advertisement: "Come Fly the Friendly Skies"? Well, every time I see that commercial I laugh, because trust me, they're not always all that friendly!

Maybe I should start at the beginning...

When I was a kid, growing up on the Eastern slope of Colorado, I was terrified of storms. And it wasn't because I am a sissy lala- it's because every day in the summer the stupid tornado sirens would go off. And every time the stupid tornado sirens would go off, we had to go down into the crawl space. Not a nice basement, with carpet and a TV. A crawl space. It was small, cramped, dirty, and full of spiders! And don't even get me started on my fear of spiders- that's a whole different post. As a matter of fact, I don't know if those stupid tornado sirens forcing me to hide out in the crawl space caused my fear of spiders, or if my fear of spiders caused me to fear that horrible siren. Either way, I don't like them. Either of them. Anyway, just about the time that I was convinced that there was nothing to be afraid of, that tornados never really happened, and that I could just hang out upstairs while my paranoid family huddled under ground with the spiders, my mom took me to her bedroom window and pointed. And what should I see? A nice, big, scary, threatening funnel cloud. I never recovered.

Then I moved to the Western slope of Colorado to go to college. Because it is right smack dab in the middle of the mountains, tornados just didn't happen there- much to my pleased relief. Eventually, I forgot all about them. Unfortunately, spiders do happen there. Black widows and tarantulas, if you want specifics. But I digress- again, that is a whole different post.

Fast forward about 9 years, and here I am, back on the good ol' front range. Since we didn't spend much of last summer here- it was August before we actually made the trek- we didn't experience any summer weather. Until May. Those of you who watch the news, do you remember what happened in Northern Colorado on May 21st? Well, if you don't know what I am talking about, I will show you:

A lovely, mile-wide tornado paid us a visit. This happened about a mile from where I was standing that day in my classroom.

I'll tell you what- any memory lapse I may have been suffering about the kind of weather we get in this part of Colorado went right out the window. I have not been the same! Every time the wind blows even a little bit harder than usual, or if there are any clouds in the sky that don't look cute, white, fluffy, and innocent, I totally freak out. I even called Aaron at work one day because I was home alone and there was a terrible storm, and I was sure there was a twister hiding right around the corner waiting for me to get too close to a window so it could suck me out! It's that bad, really. I am a big baby.

So the other day I looked out the window, and this is what I saw:

I know! Aren't they terrifying?!!

And as if that isn't bad enough, a few minutes later, it started doing this!

And this!

I have to admit, even I, being the brave girl I am, was starting to feel just a little nervous about this. And when the thunder, lightening, and pea-sized hail came (Yea! PEA-sized if you can believe it!), I just about lost it. I guess my husband, as cute as he thinks the whole fear of storms thing is, must have thought it was time for an intervention. Of all things, he suggested that we play some games. Games? Okay, whatever! Like that's going to make me forgot about the monsoon outside!!! But I decided to humor him anyway.

The first game he suggested was BackGammon. This is some silly old thing that he got at a garage sale this summer. I had heard of it, but I had never played it. Locke plays it with Walt on Lost, so it can't be that bad, right?

Oh my gosh! This game was so fun! The object of the game is to get your pieces all the way around the board into your "home zone" so you can start removing them from the board by "bearing off." It sounds really easy, and it is, until your opponent starts landing on your pieces and "hitting" them so you have to start all over, and then blocking them in so you can't! It was so so fun! You're supposed to play with betting and stakes and stuff, but we're just beginners. That's all for like, Backgammon experts!

I am so good at this game!

Oh yea- my husband got kind of mad at me. He really doesn't like to lose! Oh well!

The other game we played is called Twixt. This is a game that came out in 1962, that Aaron used to play all the time with his dad. He has been dying to teach this to me forever now, so I finally decided to humor him.

Oh my gosh! This game was SO fun, too! In this game, you have these little pegs with connectors. Any time you place a peg you can use a connector to make a link. The object of the game is to build a continuous link from one side of the board to the other, at the same time blocking your opponent from doing the same. It's a lot like a mix between Battleship, Tic Tac Toe, and Connect Four. Okay, so it's nothing like Battleship, except for the little peg thingies, but that's what it reminded me of when I first saw it, so I had to throw that in there.

I totally sucked at this game!

Needless to say, I completely forgot about the storm, and by the time we were done playing, everything was clear and dry and safe again. See how wonderful my hubby is? He always knows how to fix things. Even when he can't go outside and lasso the tornado like Sallie Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, he still knows how to make it all better!

Speaking of Change...

2008-07-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my first post ever when I explained the name of my blog? If not, then you can read it here. If so, then you remember the lyrics that inspired the name of my first blog:

"In a moment, everything can change..."

Well, these words couldn't ring any truer! So many things have changed since my "old blog" days, I thought I would take a minute and catch everyone up. (disclaimer: if you read my mom's blog, A Chelsea Morning, feel free to skip this post- I'm sure you're pretty well caught up already!) Even though all these changes happened over the course of two years, they still feel like they happened "In a moment's time..."

My Age

(Duh!) Okay, that was a silly one. Let's move on...

My Marital Status

Yup- I went through with it. On June 23, 2007 I said "I do" and Aaron went from being my wonderful fiance to being my wonderful husband.

So, I went from being engaged, to being married. As if that wasn't a big enough change! I had no idea how many changes start happening once you sign the marriage license!

For one, my name! (Of course, when you hear your last name a million times a day, "Mrs. V!" Mrs. V!" , you get used to it pretty quickly! I also had to change my driver's license, my social security card, my bank account information, my magazine subscriptions, my blogger information...wait...I kind of didn't get around to that one, did I? Anyway, you get the picture. It felt like I was taking on a whole new identity! But, it was the best change I ever made, and I love my new identity as Aaron's wife, so it's all good!!

My Address (Twice!)

Not long after the honeymoon, my new hubby and I packed up everything we owned and moved across the state so he could pursue a Master's Degree. We moved into the married housing right off campus. And with that BIG change came a million little ones - again. My bank account information, voter registration, magaz...okay, okay, you get the picture. The biggest change for both of us was being 5 hours away from the family we were used to being 5 minutes away from. (I still haven't gotten used to that one, by the way!)

We stayed in that apartment for a year, and then we moved again- at my pleading- into a cute little condo an hour south of where we were. This put me closer to my job (within 5 minutes!!) and - as I like to think of it- an hour closer to our family. In a year we'll do it all again, to move back to where it all began. I don't even want to think about how big that move will be! But, we're settled and happy for now, so it's all good!

My Job

Before I got married, I taught third graders at a cute little elementary school in Southwestern Colorado. Now I teach fifth graders at a K-8 school in Northeastern Colorado. So, my school district changed, my school changed, my kids, parents, and co-workers changed. You want to know what the biggest change was? The surprisingly enourmous leap from third grade to fifth grade! It is unbelievable how much kids change between the ages of 8 and 10! Especially the girls! You don't even want to know about some of the notes I confiscated! Goodness gracious! But, fifth graders, over all, are a hoot, and I love the adventures they provide for me every day, so it's all good!

My Car

I know, people get new cars every day, right? Whereas I love my new car, I don't love how I got it. It all started on a Monday morning in November- the first day back to school after Thanksgiving Break. I was just driving along minding my own business, when out of nowhere a little blue car (and its oblivious teen driver) pulled right out in front of me! I knew I couldn't stop in time, so I did the only other thing I could think of in a split second. I slammed on the brakes and cranked the wheel HARD to the right. The good news is that going right allowed me to barely clip the front of him and avoid oncoming traffic. The bad news is that going right took me right off the road. WAY of the road. To be more specific, through-a-ditch-through-a-fence-into-a-tree-in-someone's-yard off the road. Okay, so I am probably making it sound way more dramatic thatn it really was, but it sure felt dramatic when it happened! The Lord was with me that day, though, because despite my car being completely totaled, I didn't even suffer a sore muscle, scratch, or bruise! So, here I am, unharmed!

And two months, a hellacious insurance company battle, and one attorney later, I have a beautiful new silver Jeep Grand Cherokee that I adore. (I call her Belle, as in Silver Belle). So, it's all good! Now, if I could only get up the courage to drive again.... I'm kidding!

By the way, it's worth mentioning that my husband got a new car, too. This is his new beauty. (I call her Hailey, as in Hail Damage - another story for another day). He got his a much more pleasant way- by selling his truck and using the money to buy a car. Great concept, don't you think?

So, there you have it- my life update in a nutshell. A very long and wordy nutshell, I know, but I did the best I could. I am sure there are more changes I will think of (don't even get me started on how different the weather is on this side of Colorado!), but for now I think you're all caught up!

I just hope something interesting happens soon, so I have something to write about!

I'm Back...

2008-07-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. I know, it's been well over a year (okay, almost two years) since the last time I posted. So why, after so much silence, would I suddenly return with a new blog? Well, it's NOT because I am any less busy than I was last time dropped off Planet Blog. Ok, so most of you know I am a teacher on summer break. But that doesn't mean I'm not busy! Did you know that Desperate Housewives has four seasons out on DVD? Four! And I have only until August 14th to get through them. And do you have any idea how many books Jodi Picoult has written? Well, it's a lot! Seriously, I have no heart-felt, lengthy explanation at all. I just missed it. I read my mom's blog daily, and I realize how much that makes me feel connected with my family now that I only see them every few months. So, I thought I would give it another try. That's all.

However, before I go any further, I have to add a little disclaimer for all who choose to view my blog:

I under no circumstances promise not to disappear again from time to time. If for some reason you become concerned about my well-being or current vitals, please check a calendar (or ask my mom- she'll know). If it is report card time, conference season, or the CSAP testing window, do not be alarmed or surprised. Rest assured that I am simply nowhere near a computer that doesn't belong to Weld County Schools.

Also, please do not be alarmed if the content of my blog is nowhere near the current standards for excitement. I spend a majority of my time in a fifth grade classroom. Don't get me wrong- my days are filled with excitement (not always a good thing with fifth graders, if you know what I mean). It's just that I can only say and post so much about children that don't belong to me, you know? That being said, I will try to be as exciting as I can.

One last thing.... In my defense, I did say in my very first post ever on my old blog, that I tend to put things off from time to time. Remember? It is part of the reason I named my first blog what I did (In a Moment). Well, let's just say that I REALLY procrastinated this post, and leave it at that!