time again...

I hate summer.
I know, I should be shot for such ridiculous statements, but it's true.
I'm no good at summer. Yesterday, on my way home from the last day of school, I was thinking about my classroom next year. How would I run Lit. Circles? Should I do a writers workshop? What about this? What about that? I can't stop it. My brain doesn't know how to turn off.
This morning I wanted to sleep in, but Rudy did not want me to sleep in. And now that he's done eating and going potty there is no way I can go back to sleep. So what do I do, sit here at my computer looking at possible jobs for the summer.
Last summer I weeded. 2 hours every day - the dirt was lovely. Now, the weeds are all back, and I can't bear to do it again. So I must find a way to occupy my time. I have no children, no major projects, and no desire to do nothing. I have thought a lot about doing some small classes from my home - things like baking, art, theater, writing, etc. I have a spare bedroom that could be whipped into a cute little classroom in no time. It sounds great in my head. Here are my issues - will the children come? I have access to a lot of kids, but most live in Holladay, and Sandy is a long ways from there. How much do you charge? I don't want to be expensive, clearly I don't work for the money, but what will it cost to do it all? When? I'm kind of processing late (had to see what other summer plans would occur) so when do I do classes, and for how long?
Do you see how this perplexes me? I'm just doing my thinking aloud because I'm hoping that it will make sense when typed up. Hmm, how's that working out?
No solutions yet.
 Well, at least I started my summer with something productive (see there I go needing to be productive again) I updated my blog that has been neglected for two months. Now I'm going to attempt to go rest, as I woke up with a cold - I think it's natures way of saying...JUST RELAX!

Play Week

The costumes are done...

The scenery is created...

The dances are learned...

The T-shirts are here...

The laundry is complete...

The food is prepared...

It's time for play week.

I hate this week - and I love it in the same breath. I feel a bit like I am getting ready to go to into battle.

We perform Thursday 31st and Friday 1st at 6:00 at Olympus High School

Tickets are $2 and will be available at the door (I don't think we can sell out 1200 seats.) Or you can let me know and I can put them in "will-call"....

One week.

23 days

It's that time of year again. You know  the one - the one where I'm stressed - grouchy - and everything gets neglected. Yup, it's play season again. We perform in 23 days. (That makes me a little sick to my stomach) Until April 2nd, I'm sorry I'm neglectful - you should try being married to me - rarely a night exists where I'm not gluing feathers. 23 days.

  

Saying Goodbye

This week I had to say goodbye to an 11 year old. Too young to say goodbye.

We found out on Tuesday afternoon that one of our 6th graders had passed away on Monday. His name was Jeffrey, he was in my class last year.

Last week he told me a silly story and gave me that great smile.

This week, he was missed.

He died in a tragic accident at home. On Wed. we had to tell our students of this tragic loss.

It was a strange week. Yes, strange.

Strange to watch little kids grieve, and cry.

Jeffrey was one of the kids who drove you nuts and made you smile all at once. He had an insatiable love of talking - sharing - experiencing. He loved to move and never actually sat on a chair during math. But no matter the assignment, test, or project he always took it on with a smile. And man did he have a smile.

Dimples that went from ear to ear.

He shared that smile liberally.

He loved little kids, and helping. He was never afraid to go out of his way for someone else. Everyone knew him because he wanted to know everyone. He talked to you like you were best friends catching up after years - even if it was time for recess, or the middle of the math test.

He was a 6th grade boy who wasn't afraid to still say 'hi' to his 5th grade teacher.

He was a trouble maker, who could melt you with his smile.

He was kind hearted.

He was loving with every fiber of his being.

He was a great friend.

He was taken from us at age 11.

To quote one of his good friends, "I will always say "Hi" and never good-bye. I will miss you my friend."

I've Been Blogging A Lot Lately...

...in my head. It doesn't work when you just say what you want to write. It doesn't just type itself and appear here as envisioned. So here's what I've blogged about:

• The play
• Baking
• My new TV stand
• Our secret wood stashes
• A lot of other random nonsense like Laundry, sweeping, dogs, etc.

So, here in the morning hours when I should be putting grades in the computer for midterms, but then I realized I have one more week until midterms, I think I will slack and share a bit of all my randomness.

Christmas! It came - we got spoiled - it went. Art bought my Christmas at Spoons n' Spice, I bought myself a new mixer and pots & pans (thanks to our parents, I didn't actually buy these items, I just did the shopping) - I got spoiled. However, I think the expectations on my frequency of cooking have been raised.

My favorite part of Christmas was the dogs opening their presents. Lulu gets SOOOO excited. I was going to make a cute video of all their presents, but in my slacking I'll just put one of the parts on here. (Ok - no video, it crashed. I will try again when I'm done slacking. Just trust me, it's cute.)

Other randomness - I've been doing some baking (as usual). I made a cake for my friend Judy for her birthday, some Baby Shower cupcakes for another friend, and a birthday cake for M. and Sarah.

On Judy's cake I tried frosting embroidery for the first time. It was kind of like painting on a cake. She's an artsy person so I thought it suited her...

Somewhere in there I baked some delicious french mint cupcakes which I don't think I took pictures of... oh well.

The play! It's coming so fast! (March 31 and April 1). I have never done so much choreography in my whole life. The longest conversation in this play is about 30 seconds - the rest is singing and dancing. yikes! I think we're a little over half way and we've done some big numbers. But the last 6 songs have all 170 kids on stage - that should be fun!

I was going to put a picture up of my new piece of furniture that Art built me - but he said 'no' because the feet are not on it yet. That kid is a perfectionist (not that I'm complaining). I'll attempt to describe. He made a simplistic mission style cherry TV stand (shaped like a buffet) - that he stained a natural color so it will darken up and show all the grain lines that he book matched and framed in his cuts..... Nope. Description doesn't do it justice. It's lovely, and SOOO heavy, and I'll post a pic when it's all the way done.

What else?

- Cupcakes blogs are the ultimate time waster

- French Mint is officially "Heaven in a Spoon" (Think frozen minty Grandmas Andersen pie)

- I can now officially make Italian Meringue Buttercream and Swiss Meringue Buttercream and they are SOOOO good. I think I prefer the swiss.

- I have 13 out of 25 Bird Girl headpieces made.

- I have to figure out how to make a growing feathery tail, on a low budget.

- Rudy believes going to the park is the only important purpose in the day.

- I love my husband

- I love my Mom and Dad and I know the church is true...

ok, that means I should stop. There I did it. Actual - not mind-written - blog post.

I am sOOO not my mother, in some ways.

In other ways, like where we store our fat, our need for a treat after all meals, and our obsession with sprinkles, we are just the same.

However our major difference lie in two of her favorite things, wallpaper and decorating.

She loves wallpaper. From one vantage point in her house you can count 6 different patterns. My walls are all solid lovely colors - not a stitch of the sticky stuff in sight.

As for decorating, this too she does to the 'enth' degree. I remember in my teenage years being on the phone with someone (this is back in the prehistoric years when we had a phone, attached to a wall, with a cord - and at our house it was a very long, stretchy, tangled cord - all surrounded by a decorative phone shelf complete with seasonal tiny knick-knacks)... Anyhow, on the phone one day I walked as far as the cord would stretch counting pumpkins (it was pumpkin season). From one stretch of the phone cord I counted 116 pumpkins!! (All of various forms, materials, sizes and shapes). When I decorate for 'pumpkin season' I hang a fall towel on the front of my stove. (A towel purchased by my mother). But it is the 'holiday season' when you truly see the difference between my mother and I.

She starts about 10 seconds after the Thanksgiving pie is put away, and continues the process until New Years (I say the process continues because she can't stop buying more adorable festive decor and shuffling it into the mix.) She has trimmed down the stuff - it used to be something like 25 giant rubbermaid boxes - and now she's down to 15 (I think she just packs it better). With all the 'stuff' she decorates EVERYTHING. There is not a room that doesn't have some sort of festive garb.

Now, for those of you who don't know my mom you may be envisioning piles upon piles of plastic tackiness. This is not the case. Though hard to admit, her house is beautiful... magical... during Christmas. People come in and smile because they can't help themselves. At night, it sparkles in every room. It truly does embody the Christmas spirit.

Perhaps it was years helping her unpack, unload, mess-up, and then put-together the house; perhaps it was the massive project of putting it all away; perhaps it's the lack of visitors - either way, I am SO not my mother when it comes to Christmas decorations.

Yesterday (half-way through the season) we finally got our two boxes out. We went and picked out a wonderful smelling tree. Art put on the lights - we moved no furniture. I put away my 10 'general' knick knacks. I dusted my shelves and spread out my small little pile. We do gather an ornament each year so we enjoy pulling those out and remembering our choices. So, after 2 hours (including the trip to JoAnn's for more lights, a garland, and our first creche (Art picked it out, it's cute)). Now the house smells lovely, the tree sparkles, and it is beginning to look a bit like Christmas.

If it weren't for the pine tree in the living room, you might not notice it was Christmas at our house. But as I've learned, Christmas is not in the decorations - but it does glitz up the place a bit!

Weekend Escape

This weekend we had the chance to meet our friends that moved to Phoenix, in Zions. We were so excited to see them and have a weekend away!We had such a fun weekend. Marissa (who I used to teach with) and her husband Luke came up from Phoenix and Marissa's sister Laura (who I was friends with in high school) and her husband Tyler (and their two kids) came down from SLC.

Their family 'owns' a cabin at Zions Ponderosa. Well, cabin is not exactly the right word. It was more of a mansion. 6000 sq. feet. 6 bathrooms, beds for everyone you know. It was a beautiful house with a great kitchen and great room and a huge wrap around porch.

To give you an idea of how fun it was... I didn't go to bed until 1:00 in the morning! We stayed up late Friday night chatting and laughing. (There were three educators in the room, there was a whole lot of school talk).

Saturday morning we got up and went on a hike to Cable Mountain. Unfortunately it was chilly and 6 miles, so the whole group didn't quite make it. Only Luke, Marissa, and I made it to the overlook and it was absolutely amazing!
It started snowing while we were hiking. It got colder and windier the closer we got to the cabin, by the time we got back we were freezing and starving. We had a little lunch and then decided it was cake time. It was Marissa's birthday last month but I couldn't exactly make her a cake if she lives in another state. So, I decided I better take a cake to Zions. Which I am proud to say we FINISHED! It took all day, and a late football/Mexican Train game, but we got through it.

One of our funnest moments was when Talmage (Laura's son) convinced us all to play Sardines. 6 adults and 1 5-year old. Needless to say, it was hilarious. Tal didn't quite get the game at first and wanted to shout "I found them!!!" instead of hiding, but he quickly got the hang of it. He even was the winner when he found Art hiding in the cupboard under the sinkt. There was a great deal of giggling, and a bit of groaning.

Sunday morning we woke up to beautiful snow! We laid around and ate some breakfast, then realized the snow wasn't just beautiful but sticking and falling fast. Art and I packed up and got out the door about 11:15. It was a tumultuous drive home. We drove 20 mph a lot of the way and ended up stopped at the top of a pass after the whole mountain became covered in jack knifed semis. Finally we got through and made it home, in 7 hours. But it was worth it! Thanks for the great trip Marissa and Laura!