Gearing up

Well... yes, I do suck at blogging!
Since I decided not to post my lessons and assignments here I really haven't much to say. I mean I do, teenage driver drama, job drama, family drama, school drama, on and on.. but I am choosing to just live through the drama not add to it.. so... what I am doing now is obsessing about the prospect that I may be so lucky to have my own classroom by the end of the year. In my head I think if I can get some basic/personal classroom stuff ready, I can focus on grade specific content when I find out my grade level.. so experienced teachers what would you add to these lists? Thank you in advance, and husband would like the world to know he agrees with you that I am nuts!

Tool kit: hot glue gun, glue sticks, hex wrench, screw drivers, small hammer, nails, duct take, super glue

Personal kit: pain reliever, tampons, Band-Aids, lotion, sweater, gloves, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, umbrella, chap stick, snacks, tea/fake sugar, sewing kit,

Desk set up: take, magnets, post its, glue, glue sticks, thumbtacks, pencils, stickers, pens, grading pens, good scissors, folders, paper clips, rubber bands, white out, ruler, whistle, stapler (me and them), stamp list, note cards, business cards, staple remover,

Classroom: book holders, listening center, sick/out folders, new student packets, pencils, composition books, word box with index cards, math words poster, zip lock bags,

Things to make: Teacher is reading poster, chair pockets, daily objective/vocabulary chart, where are we, common core charts/I can standards, welcome sign, schedule pieces, lesson planner, day start, day end checklist, desk understanding cards, all about me, birthdays thing, free choices incentives, classroom management, Group poster, I’m done/now what, puzzle rewards, champ cards, what is needed/what to do lists, brain breaks, pencil bin,

2012 in review

2011 review:

• Jan: Cheer competitions, cookies, Sirj working, Kim subbing. 
• Feb: Taylor's 14th birthday major room makeover, cheer competitions, Sirj working, Kim subbing, both girls in NJHS. 
• Mar: Cheer competitions, Kim travel/subbing, Sirj working, selling cookies on street corners.
• Apr: T1 makes RHS cheer, Vegas cheer comp.. grandma took T1 and T2, Kim subbing, Sirj travel and working.
• May: Sirj Lego birthday, both girls get high honors for school, Kim subbing, Sirj working. Girls went to Disneyland with dads family.
• June: Sweet Ruth (MIL) passes away. Lots of family visits. Sirj working, Kim school, girls taking online summer classes. 
• July: T1 RHS cheer camp, MIB3 half birthday party, Sirj working. T1 gets her driving permit.
• Aug: T1 starts Roy High. T2 a Freshmen at SRJH. Kim travels and had a birthday, Sirj working. T1 buys a car. I started working part time at KK.
• Sept: Kim travel, Kim subbing, family anniversary, Sirj work/travel.
• Oct: Kim subbing, Kim travel, Sirj working/travel, Halloween fun! T1 starts drivers ed.
• Nov: Kim subbing, Sirj working, went to Wendover for Thanksgiving, I went for a quick visit to Ohio.
• Dec: T1 awesome SUPER surprise 16th birthday , cheer competitions, Christmas fun, Kim subbing, Sirj working, Kim continues to hold a 4.0 for the year.

Another busy year... so very busy! Also very emotional with changes, on top of changes. Such is life.
My resolution for 2012 was for the most part.. a success. It was: Focus; School, family, relationships, budget, weight, and goals. With family dynamics changed, one kid soon to have a licence, the other taking drivers ed later this year, and me student teaching in August, this year I pledge again to try and maintain. Maintain some amount of sanity, with the ever changing life around me. I know I need to do, and I will do it.

Sweet 16.

The last time I posted this photo stream she was turning 12 and I thought I was loosing it then. Today I added 4 years worth of images and I am so proud, and upset all at the same time.
I have been avoiding signing her card, or even doing anything but busy work for her surprise party, or her car, just so I don't have to aknowledge that this here.
My baby, my first born, my little doll, is 16.
She is waiting to do her road and test for her license, she is learning gas, clothes, and hanging out are all costly. High school is hard, RHS cheer is fun, tiring, disappointing, and a rush. Boys are dumb, but smell nice. Friends come and go. One minute life is the best it could be, the next, non stop crying. I can't stop what is happening, I just stand to the side and offer suggestions, enforce (stupid I am told) rules, and try to be there every second I can.
Next month she wont need me to drive her around, and honestly isn't that most of my job? We are already talking college and ACT and shes signed up for WSU concurrent enrolment for next year. I love every second of this, and it hurts at the same time.
She is stunning, quite, annoying, emotional, witty, well written, charming, an amazing fashion sense, hard worker, compassionate, clean, picky, and mine. I am so proud to be her mom, and so honored to have part in her growth to the wonderful woman she is becoming.
Happy Birthday monster!

Thankful for 2012

     This year I have watched my friends do the daily thankful for posts on Facebook. Normally I do this post every year and I feel really good about it.. BUT this year Kim D. has been putting a lot thoughts and more detail into the thanks and it got me thinking that maybe just saying the word is not enough. I also never include my family because it seems like it should be a no brainer how I feel about them, but I do think its nice to put into words sometimes.. so here goes.

1. Vic: My rock, my sanity. We are on our 13th year of being together and 9th year married. How the hell anyone puts up with my controlling, schedule oriented, picky ass is beyond me. A bad day melts away from being in his arms. He is the only person I have ever met that I do not get sick of.  He sacrifices so much of himself for the wellbeing and happiness for our family. He has allowed me to follow my dreams and always pushes for the best in the girls. Not to mention how I melt at the smell of his cologne.
2. Jessi: Oh my hell… this child. Her style, her drive, the amount of time she spends on her cheer/tumbling.. I am in awe of her. She is fun, determined, and impossible to keep up with. Watching her grow, making bad choices, learning, and making strong adult choices, all I can do is watch in amazement that I had anything to do with her. We are counting the days till she turns 16, and with each passing milestone my heart breaks a little more.
3. Taylor: My sunshine. Unlike her sister, Taylor is more close to home, so the time I get with her is plentiful. Her strong, unapologetic personality is wonderful. Watching her morph in this beautiful, unique, vintage, girly girl has been so fun.  She listens, she offers help, and she is still innocent and youthful which adds to her charm. I know she is only 14 months behind her sister, but I am ignoring that fact as much as I possibly can! And I can’t forget how entertaining she makes family meals.. Really, you should stop by sometime for dinner!
4. Mom: What can you say about the woman who gave birth to you, who has spent her whole life protecting you and putting your (and your families) happiness above all. She is kind (to a fault), she is giving, and she is always there when it’s really important.  She is one of my best friends.
5. Dad: I don’t see him very often; he loves that hellhole called Wendover. But, I know with a phone call he goes into fix it mode and tries his best to do anything he can. He loves my mom and always puts her first, he adores his granddaughters and wow.. they have him wrapped. I don’t think I have ever known a man that works harder. I just hope he takes a break while he can to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
6. Inlaws: This has been an especially trying year for my second family. I couldn’t have picked a better family to marry into. Eloween is always there to listen and offer her support, and her children are about the sweetest people I have ever met. Neale is strong and decisive, something in hard times we need so badly.  Greg has the strongest character I have ever seen. His lot in life isn’t one anyone would choose, but he is so optimistic and passive you can’t help but cheer for his happiness.
7. Family: Those that know me know I have a very small circle. In the last couple of years my circle has grown and I couldn’t be happier! My uncle Rick, my Grandpa Smith, Richard, Katie, and especially Mike have enriched my life for that piece of family that most people know, and I am just now understanding.
8. Team: School is not easy, its right down time consuming, hard work, and I am afraid my daughters are going to look back at their teenage years only remember me sitting at this kitchen table at my computer. I would not be able to do it without my team. Alysia is my rock, I complain to her about everything and work through assignments with excitement and experienced understanding. Michelle pushes the assignments to be better than could be with any one mind alone; she is so kind and tender. I lost one of the team earlier this month, and hope the best for her. But these two… we are going to walk together, or I might have to break their legs!
9. Besties: Laurel… ohhh Dahhhhhllllliiiinnnngggg.. where would I be without you! I don’t know what I did right in this world to deserve you, but my sanity depends on you. Just hearing your voice makes it all better. As much as we disagree in life, the respect we hold for one another is immense and not situation, time, or disagreement has ever kept us apart.  Alese: Raising teenage daughters is a beast! It makes perfect sense that our daughters are besties, and for the shear sanity of the matter, you make my life better. Our long talks, our husbands, our desire for crappy, impropriate movies, I wouldn’t want to do this without you.
10. Animals: Syd.. my clumpy furred old man. Each year I worry it will be your last. I know we bitch about the vomit and the shedding, but the house would be so different without your talkative personality. Cleo.. my princess, she’s become quite needy for attention in her old age.  Missy.. damn cat. She is just so weird, and for that she is a perfect fit for our family. And the dog… Tori.. I can’t stand how needy she can be, but one look from that vapid face and you can’t help but melt. She looks really cute in the clothes she lets me dress her in too! I will add, I think the dog is broke; there is nothing better in the world than a purring cat!
11. School: I know I just mentioned how hard school is, but at the same time it’s so wonderful. I enjoy every professor and what he or she brings to my experience. I enjoy giving 110% to every assignment, knowing that this is pertinent to my experience, and each experience will hopefully bring me closer to being a teacher.
12. Teaching: The amount of trust other teachers place in me is astounding. I am so grateful for the faith of Sharlie, Michelle, Cami, Sundee, Kim, Patty, and many other teachers who request for me to take their precious classes while they are away from their students. I LOVE teaching, every day in a classroom is a great experience, adding to the journey of someday getting my own room.
13. Support: Along with the teachers listed above, my family, my team, and some perfect strangers, I could not get through my schooling, or craziness that is my life. From the cheer moms that help with carpool, to the principles and librarians that let me interview them, my daughter’s teachers that offer real help when they are struggling and I don’t know how to help them, to my Maggie friends who act eager to hear about my life the couple of times of year I see them. I have an amazing support group that make each day that much easier.
14. Life’s luxury’s: Airplanes, skinny vanilla latté (no foam, no whip), IPhones, Target, Winco, DVR, Pintrist, cameras, a steady income, see’s chocolates, two safe/working cars, scrapbooking, dishwashers, washer/dryers, text messages, facetime, my very lived in home, and of course, laptops.
15. Girl Scouts: For 11 years I have helped lead a small group of girls that includes my two. My co-leaders Laura and Cathy help in the insanity. We have watched the girls laugh, travel, grow, give, create, and make the world better place. This last year I helped Jessi do her Gold project; we are starting to work on Taylors. I have helped in some way all but 1 member of our troop earn their bronze and silver awards, this year I hope to see the other create beautiful change and move toward their gold projects. Ohhh.. and cookies will be on pre-sale mid-January!
16: Hot guys: Don’t get me wrong… my husband is tall, dark, and handsome, but I feel the need to give a shout out to the mothers and fathers of the following men, who make my life just a little bit brighter: Johnny Depp, Joe Manganiello, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cusack, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Alexander Skarsgard, Davis Boreanaz, Robert Downey Jr, Hugh Jackman, and Jake Gyllenhall.
17. Marriage: One of the hardest things we as humans do to one another. The roller-coaster that is asking two people to compromise on everything. My parents celebrated their 40th this year. A feat many didn’t think could or would ever happen. We celebrated our 8th. I am thankful for the experience and the example marriage brings to life, and to my daughters.
18. Parenting: Dear God why would anyone agree to do this?!?!?! I’m only kind of kidding. The sheer cost aside, the time commitment, the emotional turmoil, and aging children cause, why do we do this? But it’s not just what they do to us; it’s what we do to them. I wonder sometimes if I should be saving for counseling instead of college. Beyond all of the obvious, I wouldn’t trade a minute, or a single experience I have had being a mom. And it kills me to look at the days passing so quickly. The talks being had about their lives away from me. I cherish just driving them somewhere, because soon I will be obsolete for that. The more they push the more I want to hold on screaming.  Sounds delightful huh… but I know few who want this torture pleasure, and cannot. I am so thankful for my monsters, and the ability to laugh more than I cry while we all get older.
19. Emotions: Uncontrollable laughter, a powerful/needed hug, a good cry for no reason. Yea, I know, most people think I have the emotional range of teaspoon. I think the older I get, the more I am cherishing life, and with that comes more feelings. That’s a good thing… right?!?!
20. Music: Energizes, motivates, causes laughter, and tears. Brings old friends together, recalls memories, and bridges generations. Music creates new memories, and endless topics of discussion. There is nothing quite like the feeling of a good song.
21. Seasons: The crisp nip of autumn, the “smell” of spring that I wish could be bottled, the beauty of the first snow fall, the joyful feeling of the warm sun on my skin. I love the seasons. I wish spring, fall, and summer were longer with just a dab of winter.. but I can’t control it, so I’ll continue to look for the beauty in all of it.
22. Books:  Oh my addiction. My life passion. And most recently the subject I have decided to get my masters in. Authors are my hero’s. The written word is my journey. Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Stephen King, Laura K Hamilton, Anne Rice, JK Rawlings, and so many more. I am proud to say I passed this obsession to my daughters, and I hope to pass it along to every child I teach.

Melted Crayon Art project

I have been working this project out in my head for months. And yes, I should have started with something much smaller, but who has time for that? I wanted something I made that shows beauty in reading and all of my favorite story characters. So... Here is my project.

4 boxes of crayons $2.00, foam board from Michaels $1.00. Unlimited resizing of letters and characters, free from UofP. I traced the letters and images on the board, laid out the crayons in the order I thought I wanted.

Traced everything in sharpie.

Colored with sharpie. PAIN in the hand!! 6 sharpies to rotate through.

This was the part I knew would be iffy. I covered everything I wanted the crayon not to stick to. Post it notes, maybe not the best idea, but I didn't know how I would have done it.

Gluing down all the crayons. In the correct order, I was instructed my was wrong by T2.

Ready for heat.

Set up in my room with newspaper for spray over, my embossing heat gun and a blow dryer.

Starting to heat is a little scary.

I only used the embossing gun, the heat was consistent, it was easy to hold. I found starting about 1/4 way up the crayon till things got really drippy, then moving up a little and holding the heat created a flood on some of the colors. Colors do melt differently.

Once things ran, I would go back over them to even out the colors the way I wanted, I would also apply heat in the run off to get it smoother. I wanted for it to be completely cool before I tried to remove the post its.

This is it. I am debating on leaving it alone or picking off some of the crayon that got behind the post its. On one hand I like the original art of it, on the other... it's not perfect. But... I think for my first project for my someday class room I love it.

Scribd.com

So I have finished another class in school. edu320 Classroom Management. I feel like this was the best work I have done so far in school for something directly related to my future job goal. Normal at this point I would do a post and list the classwork and brag about how great I think I did. BUT...
I will not be posting my classroom work any longer, at least not a scribd.com where I have been putting everything. I know there is a way I can use google doc's, but I don't know enough about it yet.
Anyway.. the reason for this is that scribd has contacted me and advised me that MY work was taken down because I plagiarized it. Now.. I have proof, a grade, a plagiarism report I had to turn into my professor, but yet because someone else stole MY work, and posted it as their own, I got the red flag. This has happened to me once before, and I was able to prove the person that reported me was in fact the liar. But this time scribd is not open to me proving I did not plagiarize. I can not take the risk of my own schooling for others to steal my school work as their own and blame me. That is a big deal in college and the consequences are anything from failing the class, to being kicked out of your program. So.. as wonderful as the work I did in this class, and honestly.. the rest of my schooling (because its now getting good) I will not be sharing my work until I have secured a job.
Scribd needs to work on this process, and people need to do their damn school work.. I mean why are you going to school if you don't want to learn?

40 year wedding anniversary

Jeanette L Underwood and Michael B Conant were married forty years ago today. Yes, that is their wedding photo. My mom was 23 and my dad 18. The one wedding gift they got was stolen. My dad was heading back to CA from training in VA when he told my mom she was coming with him. They went to Germany shortly after, where I was born. After 18 months in Germany we went to Ft Bragg, then my dad got out of the army and we moved to Utah for the wondrous mountains. My dad tried civilian life and eventually reenlisted. We lived in apartments and rental houses till I was in 6th grade. They then built our home in Murray where they stayed till 8 years ago. My dad retired from the Army with 27 years 19th Special Forces, my mom worked many years for Murray City and United Cerebral Palsy. Today my dad is a reserve fire fighter at the airport in Wendover. My mom takes care of everyone.
Forty years. I can't imagine. It hasn't all been pretty. I have watched them fight to the point I begged for them to divorce. I know a few times I thought it was the point of no return. And yet, they always made it. I was thinking about this last night and realized it's really been my dad that wont give up. Not that my mom doesn't love my dad to death, but she is more a gypsy in spirit. I've always had a soft spot for my dad, even though my mom and I are closer.
I am so proud of them. I wish they were doing something big for this milestone. For their 30th they renewed their wedding vows, mom got a nice dress, dad in his dress blues and whole deal. It was really great for my parents to have that pitcure perfect wedding. For this anniversary, they are coming out to have dinner with us and mom is leaving to Ohio in the moring. There's always a 50th right?!?!
Through moves, family issues, family living with them, fights, job changes, deaths, separations (work mostly), money issues, fun, trips, raising kids, grand kids, asthma, long hair, short hair, breast cancer, midlife crisis, crazy hobbies, building homes, on and on... forty years later here they are... heading to my house and dinner out with the family...
I can only hope to so forturnate.
Congratulations mom and dad, I love you!