I know things...do you?

Summer...blah

2011-06-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Summer...it comes every year. For kids it is the most wonderful thing in the world! You get to sleep in, be lazy all day and see your friends. Summer is the best. For parents, it can be a time of bonding or irritation. I'm not a kid and I don't have any kids so summer is not any of those things. No, summer for me is a bit more. Summer is.....ready? BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Did I put enough emphasis on the boring part?) Now, don't get me wrong...summer has it's fun bits too but for the most part, in my world anyway, summer is BORING! My days consist of getting up early, working out, eating, playing with the dogs, playing the Lego video games and reading. In the last week I have read over 10 books and some of those were read on the same day. Yep, I read and read and read and read and for some fun....sometimes I read some more. deep sigh. I'm tired of reading (I bet some of you out there never thought you'd hear me say that huh :)

Highlights of the summer so far-
1. Girls Camp
2. Pink hair
3. Tiny running away several times (not that this was a highlight but it added a bit of excitement to an otherwise lame day)
4. Going to the last 45 min of the circus
5. My dad moving in down the street
6. My parents getting a pool
7. Working in the ward garden

I'm sure there is some other things but I can't remember what they are...that's how exciting my life is...

2011-03-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

this is my life now... in 20 simple sentences
(bad grammar and all)

1. I work in Coolidge
2. I have 215 students i see every day
3. I teach writing
4. I love my dog who is so stinkin smart
5. I have learned to ride a horse
6. I am taking piano lessons
7. I still own a house
8. I am a temple worker
9. I have a new roommate
10. I am still single
11. I still have hopes of getting married
12. I get to go to girls camp again this year
13. I REALLY want to go camping
14. Sometimes i stalk people on facebook
15. I still wonder what is going on in Jessica's life even though we haven't spoken in 7 years
16. I miss my friends from college...more than i can say
17. I am insanely jealous of all of my friends who are having their own families
18. I wish i knew more people
19. My parents are planning on moving down the road from me in 3 years
20. I like my life...for the most part :)

I know the my life will never be the same

2010-05-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

River.
River is my dog.
River is a sweet beast.
He has huge feet, floppy ears and perhaps the most beautiful ice-blue eyes
He was free.
He eats a lot.
And doesn't fetch.
Or play tug of war.
But he likes food.
He doesn't like cows.
Unless I am with him. Then he doesn't mind them so much.
He likes being outside.
He also likes to get up early.
Like 5:45 am early.
Sleeping in is not often an option for me anymore.
He likes to run and chase me.
I like to chase him.
River has some good manners.
He can sit.
And lay down.
And take things from your hand nicely.
He will wait outside until you invite him in.
He likes to jump though.
I blame Lil Pup
When he eats fast he gets the hiccups.
He drinks A LOT of water
This means he has to pee A LOT
That gets annoying.
He is really soft.
River doesn't bite
Or go on the furniture
But he used to sleep under my bed.
Where he snored LOUDLY.
He is my monster.
I love River

I know I can't think of anything else I know.

2010-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Life for me so far has been interesting. I'm laying on my couch, listening to my ferret run around the house, playing on my computer. So much has been going on I find myself in a position of confusion. I actually don't know where to start and what to talk about. Let me think... Well...the school year is almost over and I have a pretty big decision to make. I have to decide if i want to teach middle school at MT. Vista next year or if i want to transfer to another school in the district. I have several concerns about both moves. I just can't seem to think about working without Gillis. She is the person that I trust the most and she's been helping me out for the last 3 years. I just don't really know what to decide. Work is going pretty well though. I guess I can't complain too much. The kids still keep me laughing. There is one girl who makes me laugh so hard all the time. Today, Gillis called my phone, the science teacher picked up, and told him that i was needed. We both put our ears up to the phone and this is what we heard. "So 'drab' is one of your vocab words. One definition means lacking in color, boring. The second definition is a noun. It means a slut or prostitute. The kids are wondering which definition you want them to use..." To which the science teacher replied "I like nouns". I laughed and then Gillis told me that all of the children are going around calling each other "drab". I laughed a whole lot. Since I know that everyone loves to hear my stories about work, here is a note that was confiscated. It was sent from a boy to a girl, a day into their relationship.
Hey whats up I know its kinda early in our relationship for me to be write a love note. But I love you and want to be with you forever. Your smell is intoxicating and makes me go to heavan. Your face and body are the most beautiful things that are on the earth. I wish it could be just me and you together forever and we could just have a nice piecefull life. But your friends could come and visit us tho. Being away from you is like having my ankles cut off and then having to run a 4 mile race.

I love the spelling errors. I have my work cut out for me. I love my house. I have completely settled in and i love everything about my house. I love how quiet it is and how i now can walk through it in the dark without running into any furniture. OK...that's a lie. I can walk through my house in the dark with out running into a lot of furniture. The only thing I'm having a hard time doing is decorating. It's not that I'm afraid to put holes in my walls, it's just that i don't know what to put on my walls. Any suggestions?

The last thing that I'm really struggling with is the fact that i REALLY want a dog. I really want Atticus (my future Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier) i can't afford to buy a pure bred dog. I was thinking about fostering dogs through the ASPCA and it sounds like an awesome adventure. I guess i just need to go to the meetings and find out some more information.

Let me know if you want anything else. I'm pretty sure i can come up with some more stuff if i only remembered what I've been doing.

*pictures of my house are soon to come. This time I promise!

I know that life is moving forward...

2009-06-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well...June is almost done and lots has happened. Here's a brief update.
1. I have a beautiful 4 bedroom house that is mine
2. The house is painted all sorts of colors
3. I got new carpet too
4. I'm still undecided about the cat
5. I love my haricut
6. My parents are still coming out
7. I get to move on Sunday
8. I get to see my uncle shoot off fireworks for the 4th of July!
9. We found a good home for the hamsters.
10. I'm posting pictures of the house today!

I know that summer vacation is boring

2009-06-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have agreed to be a teacher for the rest of my life and one of the things that goes with that territory is summer vacation.

I think that I loved summer vacation as a kid. I remember laying on my trampoline reading books, eating frozen apple juice, laying on my bed watching the curtains blow in the wind...I even remember the rule that my Dad tried to enforce that we were not allowed to go outside after dinner. I am pleased to say that we frequently ignored that rule. Summer was a time spent camping, roasting marshmallows and squishing fire flies on my fingernails. It was bliss...

Summer now is full of boredom. I realize that I am an adult and that I do have the ability to entertain myself all summer long but...it was a lot easier when all of my friends had summers off too. Now, I say good-bye to Lisa in the morning and I read or play on the internet all day until she comes home. Jay and Derek work as do all of my other grown up friends. It's rough being by myself all the time. I still read but I think it's the waiting that is the most irritating.

You see, my friends (or those of you who actually read my blog), I had my summer planned out to perfection...for the purpose of avoiding this time of waiting and boredom. Here was my ideal plan.

School got out on May 22. May 23 I was to leave for Disney and San Diego and come back four or five days later. Then, on June 9th, I was to fly to PA to hang with my sister until July 3rd. Sometime after July 10th my Mom would come and visit and we would go to New Mexico to see her family. She would leave and I would report back to work on July 28th. That would leave me some free time but there would not be a lot of days where I would be bored.

Then I got a phone call...from Tony (my realtor). He told me that I got the house that I had bid on and that we would close on the house on June 18th...RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TRIP TO PA!!!!!!!!!!!

Which means that all of my plans have changed and I am stuck waiting until I close on my house.

I went to Disney as planned and had a blast, came home and changed my plane ticket. Now I fly to PA on June 30th and the rest of the summer stays the same except I now have 2 consecutive weeks of nothing to do. AND I"M BORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But on the up-side...
1. I have a beautiful 4 bedroom house that will soon be mine
2. I get to paint this house whatever colors I want
3. I get to move out of my apt
4. When I move, I might be taking a cat with me
5. I get a free haircut today
6. I still get to see my mom this summer
7. My dad is coming out this summer too!
8. I get to see my uncle shoot off fireworks for the 4th of July!
9. We might have found a good home for our hamsters
10. I get a much better drive to work next year!

I know, I know....

2009-04-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm thankful for...
1. My mom and the ability that she has to make me feel ridiculous when i rant and rave about things
2. My glasses...who knew glasses could stop the "burning eyes"?
3. Brendan and the thousands of ways he makes me giggle every time I talk to him
4. Books...I wouldn't survive without the printed word that allows me to escape people!
5. Gillis who always has a story to trump mine any day of the week
6. Wikipedia without which I still wouldn't know what the Parvo Virus was
7. dreams...everyone needs a dream and some of mine are awesome!

I know that I need to post more...

2009-04-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

I know that I've pretty much fallen off of the face of the Earth. I regularly check the blogs of my friends to see if they've posted something new but I don't really think about posting something new on my own blog. One of my favorite blogs to check happens to belong to one of my old college friends. She posts all the time and one of my favorite posts that she does is Thankful Thursdays. Every Thursday she posts several things she is thankful for. In honor of my love of her posts, I'm going to do the same. So here it goes...

I am thankful for
-My job. I have the most irritating, exasperating, wonderful job on the face of the Earth.
-My BFF. She drives me nuts but I wouldn't trade her in for anything in the world.
-Jay. He's my favorite 2 year old computer geek
-My cell phone. Without that phone I wouldn't be able to call my family every single day of my life.
-Charlie. Even though he is 11 years old, he still gets me where I need to go.
-Facebook. Need I say more?

Wish me luck with my future posting habits!

I know that my students drive me nuts sometimes

2009-01-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

There are moments in a teachers life when they should just walk away. Those moments when they just need to look at the person they are talking to and smile, nod and think happy thoughts.

I had one of those moments today.

One of my 8th graders came into my room after school and proceeded to tell me about all of the relationships going on in the middle school. In my head I keep thinking, "I don't care" but I keep finding myself saying..."that's a dumb relationship". Why do I listen? Anyone? The million dollar answer is...i don't know...

I know I don't know how to tag even when I've been tagged by others...

2008-12-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

8 Shows I watch:

Heroes
30 Rock
M*A*S*H
Biography
Biggest Loser
House
Food Network
Discovery

8 things I did yesterday:

Went to the mall
Wrapped presents
Bickered with my dad
Talked to Lisa
Finally ate Christmas Eve Dinner with the grown-ups
Watched the Dark Knight
Got crushed by an overly enthusiastic puppy
Watched Martha Stewart with my mom at 12 AM

8 places I like to eat:

RA
Olive Garden
Outback
Black Angus
IHOP
Macaroni Grill
Cracker Barrel
My mom's house

8 things I am looking forward to:

My shower in AZ
Seeing my friends from high school
Sleep
Being with my family
New dress pants for work
Reading (like always)
My big, comfy bed-no more air mattresses for me!
Going back to work

8 things on my wish list:

(these are in no particular order)
A puppy I can name Atticus
A trip to Ireland
A house closer to work
A husband
No more lesson plans
A trip to Australia
Money to go on my trips
A bigger kitchen

8 people I tag:

Lisa
Jay
Jennie Dean
Drina
Tanya
Nichol
Amber S
Auds S

I know what I want to say

2008-12-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

I want to say
Merry Christmas!
That is all...

I know that someday my family will actually update their blogs

2008-12-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

I know that someday my family will update their blogs...eventually. I know that they will realize that my niece and nephew aren't 4 months old anymore. They will realize that there are people in the world who check their blog sites in the hopes that something new will be there...or that all three of their children are listed in the "Friends and Family" section, not just the two. I'm not going to hold my breath because I know that someday these things will change but I don't want to pass out or die before then...someday...someday...someday things will change.

I know that I have changed...

2008-10-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

I know that I have changed a lot since I was in college...or even high school for that matter. I used to be so naive about so many things. I used to try to help everyone and end up hurting myself most of all. Actually, that may not have changed at all. I know that I used to be carefree. College was a time for friends, a time to study hard and play a little harder. A time for making friends that last. Sadly, I have also learned that those friends fade into memories after you part. Faded photographs of once shiny memories and experiences.

It's interesting how often I take those faded photographs out and look at them. Remembering all of the great times I had with friends that no longer are active members in my life.

Or, when you think that you have totally forgotten a person, you suddenly remember everything about them and all you want to do is talk to them, see them, to know how their life has turned out. And then I wonder, how often do I cross their thoughts? Do they look at their time with me as a time of regret? That I have done something, anything, to offend them and they prefer not to remember me at all?

It is memories like that that pain me the most. I have learned a lot in my most recent friendships. I have grown as a person in ways that I would have never imagined. I can look back on the faded photographs with nothing but love for all who inhabit them. My one wish is that I could talk to those people, laugh and cry over our pasts together. Comment on the present and once again share our hopes for the future.

These last couple of days I have been walking down Memory Lane more and more. I find myself wondering if I have been forgiven for the wrongs I have done. Wondering if I could still be friends with people I don't talk to anymore.

I guess my question is...Can I?

I know that people in Arizona are strange

2008-10-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

I guess I should never be surprised at the little conversations I have sometimes...
Background information...
I was wearing a knee length skirt, argyle sweater-vest, white collared shirt and stiletto knee-high boots today...got that? Good

Me- Hello. How are you today?
Random boy leaning against a car by my apt stairs-Good. And you?
Me- I'm doing well, thank you.
Random Boy- I can see that.
Me- (smile and start walking up the stairs)
Random Boy- (stumbling over himself) I mean, no disrespect or anything...um...
Me- (one last smile and before I reach the top of the stairs)

Boys are odd creatures.

I know that posts of pictures are super fun!

2008-09-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

The cutest babies on the face of the Earth! Courtney and Nathan...

They like carrots...hee hee hee

Scotte and I at Sea World

The hat I should have bought

Yes, I am petting this dolphin

And this Budweiser Clydesdale...

Jay's eating my birthday ribs...

Lisa and Jay made baseball tee's for my 25th birthday!

BBQing in the rain

I know that I've been busy...

2008-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while since my last post. Lots of things have happened. Let me list them for you...since I know you've been DYING to read about it...

1. I spent a blissful month on the east coast taking care of my adorable niece and nephew. I would go to bed around midnight, get up to feed a baby at 3, 6 and then 9. (they were eating every 3 hours for the most part) Then of course there was the laundry, cleaning the house and...the bottles. So many bottles...you'd wash them all and it seemed that 20 minutes later, you'd have to wash all 16 bottles again. Of course they were worth it.
2. I planted a vegetable garden. I will never see the fruits of my labor because the garden is in PA..."that's not fair"...that's what you're thinking. I agree but it was fun. Sweating, digging in the dirt and dealing with TONS of gnats...it was worth it.
3. I learned to feed 2 babies and play with the dog at the same time. What can I say...I've got talent :)
4. I survived my first summer without work...barely. I think I read 100 books in 3 weeks. Maybe more...I can't be too sure.
5. I've acquired a new pet...or 3. I have adequately mourned Wadsworth the hamster. He died in May and Lisa, Kellen and I buried him in Kellen's mom's backyard. It was a beautiful funeral and Lisa made sure to give him a headstone as well. When I got back from the NJ/PA area, I went to the pet store and purchased Wadsworth the Second and his brother. I presented the brother to Lisa for her birthday with the promise of free room and board for the duration of his life. He hasn't died yet...She named him Winston. So we have Winston and Wadsworth. Then came Weston. He ran away from his home in Queen Creek and ended up in a friends house. She was terrified of him so he ended up in my house. We love him...stink and all.
6. School has started again and this year is easier than last in the aspect of teaching. I now know what I'm doing so that's good. The kids will be the death of me. This I can already tell.

And that's my life so far...see you next time...

Oh yeah...and i turned 25.

I know that my family is...super cool

2008-04-20T19:06:00.001-07:00

It finally happened. I am an aunt. Let me repeat that...maybe with the proper emotion I truly feel...I AM AN AUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In case you were wondering, I'm really excited about it. My sister gave birth to Nathan and Courtney on April 16, 2008. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this event and, don't you worry, I'm going to write all about it.

School began as unassumingly as possible on the 16th. I decided, for the first time in ages, that I would actually turn my phone on silent. This would prove to be part of my demise. 6th hour began and I decided to check my phone. To my surprise there was a missed call and a new voice mail message. I looked at the number and I didn't recognize it. My first guess was that it was my dad's car phone, not his cell phone but the one that really belongs to the car and only the car. Pure logic would have it that I should check my messages, so I did. I was my dad and this is essentially what he said...

Since you seem to think that you are forgotten and remain outside of the loop I am informing you that your mother and I are on our way to Allentown because your sister is being prepped for a C-section. You will be an aunt tonight so consider yourself informed.

At this point I ran out of my classroom, amid whispers of "I've never seen her move that fast" from my students, to the social studies room next door. I announced, very loudly, that i was going to be an aunt TONIGHT! not listening to the murmurs of congrats and excitement, i bolted to tell Gillis my news...don't worry, at this point i started to tear...ok...maybe you could use the word cry if you want...

I wish that was the only excitement that I had that day, but alas, it was not to be. My dad informed me that I needed to get an update on my cell phone. I, being the good and obedient daughter, the one who ALWAYS listens, went and got an upgrade. 2 1/2 hours later my new phone was working and I got to find out about the twins. Words cannot describe them so I think I'll show you...enjoy.

Courtney is in the white cap, Nathan the blue...

I know that April 1st is a great holiday...

2008-04-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

I must tell you that the 7th grade is full of suckers...small, impressionable minds that will believe anything a teacher tells them. OK, at least whatever I tell them. I'm not so sure about the rest of the teachers but they generally believe me.

Example-
The social studies teacher fractures her ankle and tears some ligaments. Which story do you believe?
1. I fell off a sidewalk and my ankle landed funny.
OR
2. I was on the bottom of a cheer-leading pyramid, at the cheer-leading conference of course, and the girl on top sneezed and the pyramid fell on top of me and i hurt my ankle.

Lets just say that my answer was #2 and the entire 7th grade believed me over the story that the social studies teacher told. (Did I mention that she was the Cheer coach?)

So today I get into school and I made copies of a literacy test I have. Me, being the gracious teacher I am, completely ignore my students and rip up their test papers if they talk to me in any way, shape or form. When peer correcting the tests, I told them that if an answer is wrong to rip it up (don't worry, they loved this part). Of course, by the end of the 30 questions, not one test was whole and I then took the indescribable pleasure of informing everyone that they just got 0's on the test. Yes, some of them cried. I took great satisfaction in letting them sweat it out before whispering...April Fools...

Things you might not know...

2008-03-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

10 years ago...
I was ending my formative years in middle school and beginning the uneventful ones in high school. I graduated 8th grade in June of '97 and began high school in Sept of '97. So i guess i could say i was in high school 10 years ago.

5 things on my list to do today....

1. Watch Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
2. Eat some chocolate
3. Play with Wadsworth
4. Make fun of Freckles for something (i'm not sure what for but I'm sure he'll do something)
5. Go to sleep

Snacks I enjoy...
I'm a sucker for fruit, chips and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire?
I would open a savings account, buy my mom a house and pay off her debt...and i would go to Australia.

3 of my bad habits...
1. I tend to ignore people sometimes
2. I'm extremely stubborn
3. I don't like to listen to reason half of the time

5 places I have lived...
1. Stirling, NJ
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Provo, UT
5. Chandler, AZ

5 jobs I have had
1. BYU-I Caterer
2. Swim Suit Salesperson
3. MEDCO CSR
4. Ice Cream Parlor Worker
5. 7th Grade English teacher

5 things people don't know about me.
1. I hate being tricked or guilted into doing things
2. I don't really remember much of my childhood
3. When I tan, I get a white line across my nose
4. I've never been in a hot air balloon
5. I have never gotten a ticket.

I know that ostriches are ugly.

2008-03-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was awesome! Friday began with school getting done without any hitches...until lunch. A bunch of teachers and I went to Sushi Creek for, oddly enough, sushi. Service was EXTREMELY slow and lunch ended up being around an hour and a half with the Kindergarten teacher being called 3 times on his cell phone because the Assistant Principal has been paging him at the school. Let's just say that the day went downhill from there. The AP chewed out some teachers and hurt a lot of feelings. The afternoon remained uneventful until Casey came over and we went the the Ostrich Festival. You see, Collin Raye was playing that night and we all went to see him. It was amazing! We were front row and we were able to sing along to our favorite songs. The last thing we did was visit the petting zoo. I got to pet an ostrich, a kangaroo, a baby zebra and a baby camel. There were also some other odd creatures from Africa and other such places that I was able to pet as well.
Saturday morning brought a lot of sunshine and another beautiful day. Lisa, Jay, Gillis and I went again to the festival. This time we ate ostrich burgers, funnel cakes, french fries and cotton candy. That's right, I said OSTRICH BURGER!!!! One of the highlights was the ostrich races. Not only did they race ostriches, there were llamas, emu's chickens and camels that raced as well. The llamas did not want to race and half the time the riders fell off the ostriches or the ostriches left the gate without the chariot. Lots of laughter and cheers of "Go Ostrich, Go!" We finished our time at the festival with some shaved ice. We left with a lot of sunburn and butterflies air-brushed on our shoulders. It was a great time!