I feel like an Easter Scrooge this year. I did get my colored eggs and bunnies out, but we didn't have any jelly beans or peeps. The last couple years my family has gotten together and for a spring picnic and an Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones. This year, nobody even mentioned a get-together. I also thought a lot about what we could do for our grandkids. I didn't get anything else done. I just thought about it.
Easter was not dismal though. I thawed out a ham that I didn't cook at Christmas and made a jello salad, a tossed salad and dessert. Bry and Amee, Tanner and Isaac came to visit for a couple hours. They brought us an Easter gift - a beautiful "Blessing" frame. We even got plastic eggs with candy inside. I delivered cupcakes with green coconut and jelly bean eggs with my visiting teaching partner, and we went to church. I love the Easter hymns. I love to see the girls in their Easter dresses. I love it when our ward choir performs. But this year, the very best, was Cody's talk on the atonement. It was touching. It was honest truth. It was humble. It was powerful and memorable. (Even though it was memorable, I want to get a copy of it.) It was a happy Easter.
March 31, 2013
Best of Spring Break
Too many of these involve food, but here's the best:
- Beautiful spring weather
- Loving & funny texts from Ty
- Lunch at 36th St. with Mom & Nan
- Bodies Revealed with Dad & Andrea
- Lunch at Lucky 13 with Pam
- Giant soda and shared tots at Westside with Mary
- Trip to Blue Cow & Idaho Pizza with Terry
- Book Club friends (Walk Two Moons)
- Morning walks with Terry
- Sleeping-in
- Finishing 3 books
- A solo trip to Blue Sky Bagels
- Found a new front mat and planted pansies on the porch
- Shampooed carpets
- Substituted the four year olds in Primary
- Helped with 2 meals, and 2 quilts
- Comments on report cards finished
- Made a free Shutterfly book
- Colored my hair and painted my toenails
March 27, 2013
Mourning
We had to put my pretty kitty Nedee down Monday. She was fine when I went to feed her at 6:30 Sunday night, but when Terry put her to bed at 10:30, something was wrong. She didn't seem to be in pain, but was lame. The vet said that there was a blood clot that lodged in the main artery that separates and goes down each hind leg. This morning she was paralyzed in both legs and had to scoot. Apparently she's always had a heart problem.
It all happened so fast. I'm so happy I wasn't working this week. I was a mess at the vets. I didn't want to be present at the end, and I didn't want to see her one last time. I had to go sit in the car and have Terry handle everything. I helped him dig the hole to bury her. She's in the backyard that she hardly ever left, right under the shed roof where she would hang-out for hours.
I'm surprised at how hard this has been. I cried a lot on Monday. Then when I pulled myself together and let Ty know on Tuesday, I cried again. As I'm writing this, I'm crying again. I'm the only one that really appreciated Nedee. I miss her, but Ty said she's in Kitty Heaven with a bowl overflowing with Temptation kitty treats. That makes me happy.
It all happened so fast. I'm so happy I wasn't working this week. I was a mess at the vets. I didn't want to be present at the end, and I didn't want to see her one last time. I had to go sit in the car and have Terry handle everything. I helped him dig the hole to bury her. She's in the backyard that she hardly ever left, right under the shed roof where she would hang-out for hours.
I'm surprised at how hard this has been. I cried a lot on Monday. Then when I pulled myself together and let Ty know on Tuesday, I cried again. As I'm writing this, I'm crying again. I'm the only one that really appreciated Nedee. I miss her, but Ty said she's in Kitty Heaven with a bowl overflowing with Temptation kitty treats. That makes me happy.
March 26, 2013
Quilting Bee
I got together with some other ladies from church today to work on quilts. We have an ongoing project of making twin size quilts to give to foster children, and now we're trying to get some ready for a tri-stake humanitarian project that will be giving quilts and blankets to refugee families in the area.
I love getting all our fabric scraps together and trying to patch together quilt tops. We tied one BSU quilt, and started cutting squares. We've decided on 6 1/2 inch squares, but really anything goes. We're working on a vibrant animal print, a blue quilt top that is full of stars, and I'm most excited about fabric with pink and powder blue Thunderbirds on it. Right now I'm just a little part of a group effort and it's fun. My excitement will probably fade as I cut out 140 squares and sew them together.
I love getting all our fabric scraps together and trying to patch together quilt tops. We tied one BSU quilt, and started cutting squares. We've decided on 6 1/2 inch squares, but really anything goes. We're working on a vibrant animal print, a blue quilt top that is full of stars, and I'm most excited about fabric with pink and powder blue Thunderbirds on it. Right now I'm just a little part of a group effort and it's fun. My excitement will probably fade as I cut out 140 squares and sew them together.
March 23, 2013
Terry is Missed
Terry went down to SLC with Brent and Bry for a few days. I always like having a little time to myself. It's good that it doesn't happen too often though because I eat junk, stay up late, keep Neds inside, and watch junk TV.
On Thursday evening the power went off for a split second. My computer blinked, but didn't lose power. I had to reset one clock that night. I went to bed at about 9:30 and didn't even look at the clock upstairs. I woke at 5:30 but couldn't talk myself into getting up. I slept for another hour and decided I had to get moving if I was going to be on time. After getting ready, I went to bring in the paper before heading out the door. I was surprised by the snow that covered the lawn! This is the third day of spring. I couldn't believe that our paper hadn't arrived yet. It was 7:45. Then I noticed that it was really dark out. Then I figured out that it was really 4:15! I had gotten up and got ready at 3:00. If Terry had been home, this would never have happened. He pays attention to details, like the clocks.
I ended up putting in 3 hours on my report cards before I went to school. I really needed that. School was easy too because my students were having a read-in, my intern was entering test scores on the report cards for me, it was early release, and the PTO treated us to a Baja Fresh lunch. I still have all my comments to make on the report cards, but that will happen sometime after I get a little more sleep.
On Thursday evening the power went off for a split second. My computer blinked, but didn't lose power. I had to reset one clock that night. I went to bed at about 9:30 and didn't even look at the clock upstairs. I woke at 5:30 but couldn't talk myself into getting up. I slept for another hour and decided I had to get moving if I was going to be on time. After getting ready, I went to bring in the paper before heading out the door. I was surprised by the snow that covered the lawn! This is the third day of spring. I couldn't believe that our paper hadn't arrived yet. It was 7:45. Then I noticed that it was really dark out. Then I figured out that it was really 4:15! I had gotten up and got ready at 3:00. If Terry had been home, this would never have happened. He pays attention to details, like the clocks.
I ended up putting in 3 hours on my report cards before I went to school. I really needed that. School was easy too because my students were having a read-in, my intern was entering test scores on the report cards for me, it was early release, and the PTO treated us to a Baja Fresh lunch. I still have all my comments to make on the report cards, but that will happen sometime after I get a little more sleep.
March 20, 2013
Time Off
I had a workshop on Critical Reading all day today. That means for the second week in a row, I've been out of the classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm sure my class and their parents are wondering what's going on. One of my subs called in unable to sub, so it ended up taking five subs and my intern to cover my class for the four days. Makes me feel pretty valuable and indispensable.
March 19, 2013
Lobbying
I've pulled back from politics this school year. After the referendum and working so hard to get pro-education people in the legislature from our district, I was more than burned out. But, they put out a call for 100 teachers to take a personal day and lobby, and since I'm the BEA (Boise Education Association) rep for our school, I volunteered.
I actually really enjoyed the process. The Capital is a beautiful building. I went first to watch the House Education Committee hearing. It was inspirational to hear teachers speak before the committee. In the end, a tie vote defeated a measure that we didn't want to pass. I was able to speak with our District 18 representative which was really informative. Later I watched the House in session from the galley.
I was glad that I left before the Senate Education Committee hearing. I heard that was ugly. I had a chance to share my good experience with two people before I read an e-mail from my representative that said there was going to be a re-vote, and two members had decided to change their votes - the wrong way. Discouraging. This is not a good time to be in the education field. I've decided to pull back again and focus my energy raising money for the IEA Children's Fund, and gathering donations for a baby shower that they're giving to the Booth Memorial School (for pregnant high school girls).
I actually really enjoyed the process. The Capital is a beautiful building. I went first to watch the House Education Committee hearing. It was inspirational to hear teachers speak before the committee. In the end, a tie vote defeated a measure that we didn't want to pass. I was able to speak with our District 18 representative which was really informative. Later I watched the House in session from the galley.
I was glad that I left before the Senate Education Committee hearing. I heard that was ugly. I had a chance to share my good experience with two people before I read an e-mail from my representative that said there was going to be a re-vote, and two members had decided to change their votes - the wrong way. Discouraging. This is not a good time to be in the education field. I've decided to pull back again and focus my energy raising money for the IEA Children's Fund, and gathering donations for a baby shower that they're giving to the Booth Memorial School (for pregnant high school girls).
March 13, 2013
DWA
For the past several years I've volunteered to help grade the sixth grade Direct Writing Assessments. There are usually about 20 of us and it takes two days. I enjoy rubbing elbows with other teachers from around the district, and it helps to be a better writing teacher. When you read a couple hundred essays, you see what works.
This year they were to write about their favorite place and how it changes from winter to summer. Kids wrote about places from Hawaii, to Chicago, to Lisbon. There were several in each batch about camping spots, Bogus Basin, and the greenbelt. I found out a lot of families from Anser school that have places in McCall. There were also a lot about their own backyards, school, and my favorite, Grandma's house. Two essays had me completely sucked in. I want to spend some time at Flat Campground by Rupert, and in the little town of Superior, Montana.
Another big plus was time to go out to lunch, and a crazy shopping trip at Goodwill with Vonnie. She is a master. When I wear my great deals, I should take pictures and post the price.
This year they were to write about their favorite place and how it changes from winter to summer. Kids wrote about places from Hawaii, to Chicago, to Lisbon. There were several in each batch about camping spots, Bogus Basin, and the greenbelt. I found out a lot of families from Anser school that have places in McCall. There were also a lot about their own backyards, school, and my favorite, Grandma's house. Two essays had me completely sucked in. I want to spend some time at Flat Campground by Rupert, and in the little town of Superior, Montana.
Another big plus was time to go out to lunch, and a crazy shopping trip at Goodwill with Vonnie. She is a master. When I wear my great deals, I should take pictures and post the price.
March 08, 2013
This is Art
Nobody can do carnivals or art nights like Trail Wind. We have art parents that come in and teach lessons two or three times a month. They teach about different artists and come up with amazing projects for the kids. Then they spend a week lining the halls with black butcher paper. This year the PTO spent $450 in duct tape to keep everything on the wall.
I might be biased, but I thought the art from my class was the most impressive. We had four mobiles of origami cranes hanging from the ceiling and a table full of ceramic food that looked good enough to eat. Everyone raved about the yarn wrapped animal sculptures (from Central America), and paper collage self portraits. We also had paintings of the Boise foothills, collages of aspen trees, and a Grandma Moses scene. I took pictures, so I'll post those later.
Besides the explosion of art everywhere, there are musicians in every hallway, and hors d'oeuvres being served on trays carried by students in their Sunday best. I had a student playing the harp, another playing the cello, and one in a little band playing trombone. It was a spectacular!
I might be biased, but I thought the art from my class was the most impressive. We had four mobiles of origami cranes hanging from the ceiling and a table full of ceramic food that looked good enough to eat. Everyone raved about the yarn wrapped animal sculptures (from Central America), and paper collage self portraits. We also had paintings of the Boise foothills, collages of aspen trees, and a Grandma Moses scene. I took pictures, so I'll post those later.
Besides the explosion of art everywhere, there are musicians in every hallway, and hors d'oeuvres being served on trays carried by students in their Sunday best. I had a student playing the harp, another playing the cello, and one in a little band playing trombone. It was a spectacular!
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