Britni danced at the Stadium of Fire so we got tickets mostly to see her, which was a challenge out of 1300 dancers. We also saw the Blue Man Group and Miley Syrus. Britni had tons of fun, Heather was exhausted, and I loved the fireworks. It was quite an interesting gathering. This was the seating order: Sadi, Drew, Kortni, Autumn, Courtney (Sammy's friend), Sammy, Grandma, Grandpa, Chris, and Darin. It was warm but there was a breeze so that helped. Chris, Tammy and their group had dinner with us before the event.
Chris finished up his last class for his masters' degree. We celebrated and Ruby River with them. He still has two classes and his internship to get his administrative endorsement but he will get his raise with what he had now and that is great! They have their house up for sale. They are hoping to sell it before too long. It is really too small for their family.
Heather is busily going to school. She is doing really well and is learning so many new things. She will be done the end of August. I am benefiting by having microderm abrasion each week, manicures, pedicures, my eyebrows waxed, shaped and dyed. It is very relaxing. Braidon went to Page, Arizona with his stepmom and stepbrother. He is having fun and will be home tonight. Drew took the little girls this weekend. They stayed in a motel and went to the zoo on Saturday. Britni stayed with her dad this weekend so Heather got some much earned rest.
Summer has been busy with her garden. It is flourishing under her watchful care. They tried the potty-training activity this weekend but Cameron says he is still a baby and wears diapers. They'll try again in a couple of weeks.
Stormi and Rick are doing well in Pennsylvania. Stormi is trying her hand at gardening also. They have a huge property so she mows their lawn on a riding lawnmower. We are leaving on Friday to go visit them for the first time. We are so excited to see them and love on those babies.
School has been out for a month and I have gone to school every week day except one since it let out. This week I am teaching an inservice class called Reading To, With, and By 4-6 Graders. I have 15 students so it should be a nice group. The class is from 8-12 each morning Mon-Thurs. The district is paying much better for inservice classes this year. It is nice. I have gotten the guided reading library in tip-top shape. I want to make sure everything is ready for someone new to take over. That has been my baby for many years. I also got all the testing run off for the DRA (developmental reading assessment) we administer in the fall. My room is ready to start school too so I won't have to go back until August 11, the first teacher day.
Skip was released as High Priest group leader today. It is just too much for him. He is in pain most of the time and sleeps alot. He's been awake about 4 hours today. He was sad about the release but he felt like he couldn't do the job justice. I hope he will get lots of rest this week so he can enjoy our trip to see Stormi.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
School is Over--Sort of
School has been out for one month but I have still gone to Forbes every day. Call me a devoted teacher or a nut. Kortni, my granddaughter, went to summer school at Forbes each day in June from 8:30 to 11:30. Heather had to be at school in American Fork at 8:00 so I met them at my school and did reading recovery with Kortni each morning before she went to school. While she was in class I worked in my room or the guided reading library, taught at the literacy conference, went to Professional Development training and taught a professional development entitled Creating Writing Units. Then I usually took Kortni home to Herriman. Most days I have gone back to school to work. Kortni did really well in Summer School. She is now reading at a second grade level. Yesterday, her last day, Heather, Britni, Kortni, Sadi and I went to Applebees for lunch to celebrate her success.
My mom and dad celebrated their 62 wedding anniversary last weekend. I went up to the Spruces and had dinner with them and Holly and Dirk and their friends and Josh and Patty. It was very relaxing. I love the mountains.
I have been painting every chance I get. I finished a picture of a country cottage in the summer time. I am going to do one of the same cottage for each season. I also finished one of a house with sunflowers. It turned out well. My last class was waves at sunset. I haven't finished that one yet. It's hard. I am working on a picture of Hogwarts. I want to have it to hang in my classroom for my last year of teaching.
I turned in my retirement papers the first week of summer. I officially retire May 29, 2009. They told me I turned my papers in the earliest of any teacher in the past 26 years. I'm not too anxious. I'm really not all that anxious, I just know it is what I am supposed to do. My tentative plans after retirement are to teach reading recovery half days at my neighborhood school. I plan to volunteer until I have been retired long enough to get paid. This week I have received two calls from Utah Valley University. They need teachers with doctoral degrees. I just think that might be more work than I really want to do. I have been teaching for 33 years.
Skip isn't doing too great. He sleeps a lot and is in pain most of the time. I'm grateful for my painting and my job as Relief Society President. Between those activities and school I keep busy. I've also done some gardening. We are thinking about redoing the front yard. Our walkway is quite steep and difficult for Skip to climb especially in the winter.
We are so looking forward to visiting Stormi and Rick in July. Counting the days!
My mom and dad celebrated their 62 wedding anniversary last weekend. I went up to the Spruces and had dinner with them and Holly and Dirk and their friends and Josh and Patty. It was very relaxing. I love the mountains.
I have been painting every chance I get. I finished a picture of a country cottage in the summer time. I am going to do one of the same cottage for each season. I also finished one of a house with sunflowers. It turned out well. My last class was waves at sunset. I haven't finished that one yet. It's hard. I am working on a picture of Hogwarts. I want to have it to hang in my classroom for my last year of teaching.
I turned in my retirement papers the first week of summer. I officially retire May 29, 2009. They told me I turned my papers in the earliest of any teacher in the past 26 years. I'm not too anxious. I'm really not all that anxious, I just know it is what I am supposed to do. My tentative plans after retirement are to teach reading recovery half days at my neighborhood school. I plan to volunteer until I have been retired long enough to get paid. This week I have received two calls from Utah Valley University. They need teachers with doctoral degrees. I just think that might be more work than I really want to do. I have been teaching for 33 years.
Skip isn't doing too great. He sleeps a lot and is in pain most of the time. I'm grateful for my painting and my job as Relief Society President. Between those activities and school I keep busy. I've also done some gardening. We are thinking about redoing the front yard. Our walkway is quite steep and difficult for Skip to climb especially in the winter.
We are so looking forward to visiting Stormi and Rick in July. Counting the days!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
ALMOST OVER
May 22, 2008
Only 4 days of school left. What a year this has been! I have had the most challenging classes I have taught in a long, long time. But the year ended out OK thanks to a Clocklight I bought from Utah State. It stays lit as long as the students are one task. I turn it off with a remote control when they are not. They have a daily goal of so many minutes on task and it increases weekly. Of course I had to invest in treats but it was worth it. Today we have dance practice, 2 talent shows, and the kids have to type their mysteries. Tomorrow is the Dance Festival and Field Day and it is about 50 degrees outside with a good prospect of rain. Tuesday is the awards assembly and Wednesday is the 6th Grade VS Faculty Softball Game. Thursday, we clean up and Friday, they are only here for 30 minutes. So I only have 185 1/2 days until retirement!
I went to my painting class last night. I was really disappointed because the painting we are doing is very similar to one I painted last year. But it is getting easier. The art teachers at Forbes (my school) asked me to display my artwork in the art fair. That was kind of fun.
Skip is still pretty much stuck at home. He has a diabetic ulcer on his foot. I doctor it almost every night. He has a boot he is to wear when he goes out but he can't drive with it so he just stays home. The Dr. said it is getting smaller in diameter but it is still as deep. If it goes down to the bone, he will have to have his foot amputated. He still suffers pain almost constantly. Life is grand.
Only 4 days of school left. What a year this has been! I have had the most challenging classes I have taught in a long, long time. But the year ended out OK thanks to a Clocklight I bought from Utah State. It stays lit as long as the students are one task. I turn it off with a remote control when they are not. They have a daily goal of so many minutes on task and it increases weekly. Of course I had to invest in treats but it was worth it. Today we have dance practice, 2 talent shows, and the kids have to type their mysteries. Tomorrow is the Dance Festival and Field Day and it is about 50 degrees outside with a good prospect of rain. Tuesday is the awards assembly and Wednesday is the 6th Grade VS Faculty Softball Game. Thursday, we clean up and Friday, they are only here for 30 minutes. So I only have 185 1/2 days until retirement!
I went to my painting class last night. I was really disappointed because the painting we are doing is very similar to one I painted last year. But it is getting easier. The art teachers at Forbes (my school) asked me to display my artwork in the art fair. That was kind of fun.
Skip is still pretty much stuck at home. He has a diabetic ulcer on his foot. I doctor it almost every night. He has a boot he is to wear when he goes out but he can't drive with it so he just stays home. The Dr. said it is getting smaller in diameter but it is still as deep. If it goes down to the bone, he will have to have his foot amputated. He still suffers pain almost constantly. Life is grand.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Initial Post
Well, since all my kids are doing this I thought I might as well joint the group. I think it will be a good way to keep a journal. If I learn to insert pictures, you'll know I've arrived.
Yesterday was Mother's Day. It was one of the nicest days we have had in a long time. Saturday Mom, Holly, Heather, Tammy, Summer, Cameron and I met at the Olive Garden. The food was delicious but the service was terrible. Mom gave each of us some hand cream and I gave the girls a little momento. We had a really nice visit.
Sunday, Chris gave a talk in Sacrament meeting in his ward so I went to listen and sit with this children. Of course, he did a wonderful job. After church, all the kids except Stormi's family came for a pot luck dinner. We all provided our own meat and brought another contribution. It was delicious. We had cucumber salad, pasta salad, funeral potatoes, rolls and strawberry shortcake.
After dinner, Heather began a marathon of beauty treatments. She gave me a perm, dyed Tammy's hair, waxed eyebrows on Chris, me, Summer, and Skip. Shaved Chris's head and trimmed Skip's beard. He has quite a nice goatee. It wasn't a very restful Mother's Day for Heather. She just started estitician school and she loves it. She will be really good at it.
Skip has a diabetic ulcer on the ball of his right foot. I have been doctoring him daily and it is getting some better. The podiatrist gave him a black removable cast so he could go to church because he isn't supposed to walk on it. It is just one more rock in our backpack.
Yesterday was Mother's Day. It was one of the nicest days we have had in a long time. Saturday Mom, Holly, Heather, Tammy, Summer, Cameron and I met at the Olive Garden. The food was delicious but the service was terrible. Mom gave each of us some hand cream and I gave the girls a little momento. We had a really nice visit.
Sunday, Chris gave a talk in Sacrament meeting in his ward so I went to listen and sit with this children. Of course, he did a wonderful job. After church, all the kids except Stormi's family came for a pot luck dinner. We all provided our own meat and brought another contribution. It was delicious. We had cucumber salad, pasta salad, funeral potatoes, rolls and strawberry shortcake.
After dinner, Heather began a marathon of beauty treatments. She gave me a perm, dyed Tammy's hair, waxed eyebrows on Chris, me, Summer, and Skip. Shaved Chris's head and trimmed Skip's beard. He has quite a nice goatee. It wasn't a very restful Mother's Day for Heather. She just started estitician school and she loves it. She will be really good at it.
Skip has a diabetic ulcer on the ball of his right foot. I have been doctoring him daily and it is getting some better. The podiatrist gave him a black removable cast so he could go to church because he isn't supposed to walk on it. It is just one more rock in our backpack.
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