Lately.

So a lot's been happening around here! Let's recap...

Steven, Steven's mom Robin, and I graduated. Woohoo! I was really done in December, but all the hooplah party stuff is only in August and April.

Here we are looking so smart. Steven's parent's actually live in Aruba now, so they came ALL the way from their island paradise for her to graduate. She's been working on her degree for years, it's impressive she finally finished it! And poor Steven is only at the beginning of years of school to come. 

 Here are Robin and Rick, my wonderful in-laws. How many people can really say they have wonderful in-laws they love to spend time with? That is one blessing I am infinitely thankful for!

 Hansen family! They all came to support. Michelle and Justin came all the way from Vegas.

Wentz fam! Yes, we are much smaller in numbers that the Hansen fam. That's ok, some families are bigger than others. :) All I wanted was ONE good picture of me with my fam, and they just couldn't manage a SMILE the bums! My dad looks confused, I think he was telling someone how to work the camera, and Kyle just wants to look tough. He get's that from our brother Steven. Brother Steven doesn't show his teeth or smile in pictures, he just tries to look tough. :)

 I love the waterfalls south of campus.

Anne wants to graduate too! This is Steven's brother Michael's daughter. She is in first grade and toothless!

 

We went and got our toenails done before graduation. 

Also in April, I got a new niece! This is Breanne Lillie Wentz! She was born on April 6th, 7lbs 8 oz, and 20 1/2 inches. Healthy and happy! Sabrinna is loving this, she wishes more than anything to have a baby of her own.

  I made the first quilt I've ever made for little baby girl Wentz. It's not the greatest, but it's my first one and I figure it's not too shabby! Instead of just little cutesy pinks and stuff I went bold and did super bright colors. It's not really baby-ish I guess, but fun!

So school is almost over too! May 25th is our last day.We took some pics outside for them to make a frame thing for mother's day. We got a group shot at the same time. This is my little bunch of munchkins and hoodlums. They stress me out like crazy, but I will totally miss them when the year's over.

 We had an etiquette dinner a few weeks ago. The kids had to come in their very best dress. They brought the utensils, plates, decorations, etc. for their groups table and learned how to eat like a polite real live person and not a baboon.

Ok, biggest of all, we move to Texas in 7 weeks from tomorrow! That's like kind of 2 months, but also kind of like no time at all. I'm scared out of my mind to not know anyone, and to be away from my home, and to have no idea where I'm going to be able to find a job or if I'll be able to. AAAHH! Its kind of making me stressed out.

 But then it's also a fresh new start. We'll have a fresh new apartment for me to decorate my heart out with. I have a pinterest board solely for ideas for our Texas apt. I'm so excited to paint stuff, and put it all together. We'll have a fireplace, mantle, a little balcony, and a pretty good sized laundry room. Since we'll have the whole mantle/fireplace, we decided we wanted to get a really pretty picture of the Timp temple to put up on the wall above the fireplace. We wanted a little taste of home as well an awesome missionary tool as it will be the first thing you see, the clear focal point, of our living room. We looked around at Deseret book and found some pretty great ones. Then we looked around in the mall just to check. One of my favorite stores in the mall is Tai Pan Trading. I usually start hyperventilating going into that store. It's everything I love that could ever been rolled into one store. Oh, so great. We were a little surprised as we walked to the back and they had temple pictures! Steven saw this one of Timp and called me over. Right as I saw it I started crying! What a baby! But what a pretty picture! The tears sealed the deal, and that was "the one"! So this gorgeous sepia/ red floral picture will be the pride and joy of our living room. Do you love it like I do? I know it's not a bright/colorful type one, but it's just gorgeous to me. I love the vintage/sepia look, so that's perfect. The temple looks like a castle and I'm so excited for when people ask what it's a picture of I get to tell them it's where I got married. :)    (sorry, the price tag got in the picture. I didn't notice it till I uploaded it)

So, Texas here we come. Do you know any people in Fort Worth that I can be friends with? I decided I need to make a cowgirl friend that will do cowgirl things with me. But also a teacher friend who can help me know how to get acquainted with the school system down there. And a maybe a friend from Utah. That would be a really comforting friend to have.

Thanks for reading my big ol chapterbook today! Have a nice rest of the week. :)

I have the best idea.

I think that there should be a new college degree available at most major universities.

It should be a major in Fancy-Pantsery. (fancy-pantsery [fan-see-pant-sir-ee], noun. when things are embellished or decorated to become more fancy. She couldn't believe the fancy-pantsery that was present in her new neighbor's kitchen.)


Yes. Fancy-Pantsery. These would be some of the courses:

FP 100- What is Wainscotting, Bunting, and Moroccan tile: A beginners guide to a fancy-pantser's vocabulary.
You'll never look like an idiot at Hobby Lobby or Home Depot again.

FP 232- Reinventing the wheel-so that it color coordinates with your kitchen!
In this course you will learn that the decor or routines in your home are ok, but could have more color, fabric, or sparkles. Final project will be creating a colorful cleaning chart different from any other already online (cleaning chart must include either twine, lace, or chalkboard paint)

FP 275- Machine Lab
Learn to work with Cricuts, Slices, Sillhouettes, Cuttlebugs, Sizzix, and Spellbinders.

FP 300- 20th Century FP Literature
Required Texts: Martha Stewart Living, Pinterest Subscription, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, and Home Depot Catalog

FP 350- Baking Soda and It's Many Uses
From a facial to cleaning your toilets, this one little powder does it all. Required Materials: Costco size box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda

FP 400- Capstone Project
Create a web log and update daily. Must acquire 500 followers to receive full credit.

Pinterest would be the dean of this program, with Google's blog roll as the student support department. Optional Minors that could be earned would be: Mason Jars, Color Specialist, Organization, Embossing, or Lace Inspired Projects.


I told you I had the BEST idea. :)


p.s. This is SO dedicated to Lorren Lemmons. :)

Words of Wisdom

Out of the mouth of 10 year olds this very week:

"Going to the mall is like every girl's dream!"

A boy leaned up to my mic and yelled "butt!" I pulled it away and asked what he was doing. His response was, "teacher, I don't know anyone who doesn't get a good laugh out of hearing the word butt over the loudspeaker".

We were on our way to go ice skating for Valentine's and one boy said on the bus, "Ya I'm really excited for this, I'm pretty good at skating. Last time I went I did like 7 triple axles" (This boy put his skates on backwards when we got there...)

And this was my favorite, so I took a picture for you:

(sorry I can't get it to rotate...you'll have to read sideways...)

Great week so far!

Next week is TEXAS!! Wooo! Were going down to check out apartments, and it will be my first time in Texas!

Fridays are Fabulous

Hello! It's me! So I've been spending my days with ten year old hoodlums for almost a month now, and I just want to tell you about it!

First of all I'm in love with this job. I really really love it. I have had some pretty late nights at the school, but it's all time well spent and enjoyed. I'm kind of maybe addicted. I should probably work on getting a little more balance. I'm just there planning lessons, and copying stuff, and laminated things, and setting up my classroom and grading math or writing-and I'm in love with every second of it. Poor Steve though, I haven't cooked an actual dinner on a weeknight in like two weeks.I think we finally have all the set-up and routines going, which is a HUGE relief. So maybe I'll get home before 8 from now on. :)

So my class-well, they are super crazy. 20 of the 25 kids are hispanic, 1 has hot pink hair-but she's just the sweetest girl ever, they all never stop talking, they are obsessed with hot cheetos and "party rock". And "skrillex", whoever that is? They try to convince you they weren't talking, or someone else was talking to them and made them talk. Or that their homework is done-but they just left it at home. It's really funny. They probably think I'm super mean cause I don't really entertain excuses like that. If they don't have their homework they do it during recess. Is that cruel? They only have math like three days a week though the big whiners! They won't die doing 20 minutes of math a few nights a week. :) Maybe they'll even get smarter!! :)

Our school is awesome. The principal is so invested and involved in the kids' success. It's really refreshing to see the leadership of the school so involved in things and dedicated to make good things happen! It's pretty common to have older leaders that just kinda "monitor" but don't really make the changes that are needed. This school really has it together.

I'll have to add pictures soon!

I am so incredibly lucky to have this class. This seriously is my dream job.

All the painful hours of BYU's Education classes have paid off and I finally get to do what I want to do! Did I tell you that one of my professors told me I wasn't cut out to be a teacher? That I was lazy and unprofessional and no school was going to want to "babysit" me? I dealt with her railing on me incessantly for two semesters. I wanted to change my major so many times- it was a tough road. I felt so strongly about sticking with it though, and had a few incredibly kind teacher friends that kept my spirits up-thank you kim, brittany, and shannon. :) Now it's all paid off. There is seriously nothing else I would rather do all day. I kind of want to flash my shiny diploma in her face and tell her to take a chill pill! Some people...sheesh.

I am so happy to be a real live teacher. :)

Day 6

Well,I have been a fifth grade teacher now for six days. Totally my dream job and I love love it! But today was just too funny. So here's the stats for the day:

4 kids were crying at some point in the day

1 boy spent the last half hour of school hiding from me behind the computer cart because he was really mad at me- I made him take his language arts test just like every one else had to. I'm the meanest.

14 hours I put in today. I got home at ten.

20- there were about twenty times I wanted to kill some kids today. Argh.

50-I gave out like fifty gold star stickers to get kids to work. It started as a joke- at least I meant it to be- I had no idea fifth graders were still so motivated by star stickers.

59- this is the amount of classroom money in our fine jar- we have class money, they get two dollars a day, and it's a dollar fine if you are talking when you shouldn't be. Mind you today is Tuesday- the jar was emptied on Friday. It's only taken them two days to form over 59 dollars. Tough start to the week I would say. Let's pray tomorrow is better. My goal for tomorrow? No more than one person crying, less than$30 in our fine jar,and no one hiding from me cause they hate me. Wish me luck! :)

Oh my goodness, I'm dying here!!

I have had SO many interviews. Oh my goodness, I just want something to work out!

2 were for candidate pools, in case their district ends up needing someone soon.

1 was a little crazy...a charter school where the interviewer basically spent the whole hour telling me why I should not work there, and why he wouldn't want to. I'm 100% serious. I think he was having a bad day, poor fella.

1 was for an awesome aide job, but it only offers about 20 hours a week. I really love the woman who interviewed me, she was so kind, and she offered me the job, but for the sake of being able to pay the bills I think I'm going to have to turn in down to find something with more hours. sad day.

1 was for the Kelly substitute teaching thing so I can sub next semester. I might end up doing that.

1 was for a school who ended up hiring someone else with more experience. They didn't like so much that I finished my degree four days earlier.

1 will be on Monday for another aide position at a school I really really like.

1 is for a super duper school super duper close to my house, and with a faculty that I know from student teaching and REALLY love! It's a really poorer area with a lot of spanish speakers- I love it!! That's what kind of school I want to be in, if that doesn't sound too crazy. The kind where they really really need you to teach them and love them and support them! The kind of school where the kids' home lives might not be so glamorous, but they know when they come to your classroom they are going to be getting down to business and learning, laughing, making friends, and feeling better prepared for their lives as responsible citizens. Oooooh cross your fingers they will hire me!! I would work my little tail feathers off for them, I know I could do a good job! AND, here's the thing, it's 6th grade. 6th grade is my FAVORITE. It would seriously be my dream job. Teaching 6th grade in a title one school with a lot of need and a lot of diversity. And I'm only 23. How awesome would that be to get your dream job a week after graduating and only being 23? oooooh my goodness. SOOOOOOoooo cool.

I guess I'm setting myself up for embarrassment though if I don't get it. Look, now anyone who reads this and finds out I didn't get it will know of my failure to procure my dream position. But maybe you will still respect me since I just used the word "procure" in a sentence correctly. :)

And cause I can name all the phases of the moon! Can you? huh? Ya, probably not many people except those teaching or enrolled in 2nd-6th grade. We are an elite few who can actually name those darn phases that are so confusing!


Anyway. I'm supposed to find out by tomorrow. Let's hope this next post is one with joy, lots of capital letters, and woohoo spelled with lots of o's.

I just want to teach! Is that really so much to ask? Someone out there: Let me teach your children! I'm nice I promise! And they'll learn lots n' lots!

Oh dear. I guess all newly graduated people go through this hiring circus!

I'm bushed.

I am so tired.

Like this kitty.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever stop being tired.

It makes me scared to be a mom someday cause it will probably be this tired times five.

Yesterday I fell asleep on the couch while I was texting kyle. I fell asleep for 4 and 1/2 hours.

Yikes.

I feel like I'm herding caffeinated cats during the day, and exhausting my brain trying to create lessons that are effective once I get home. Yes, I'm whining. but I'm tired!

I like what I'm doing, and it's fun at times, and tough at others, but it's still tiring.

I found out today that my 6th graders thought I was getting paid to teach them. Ha. Ya right. I'm PAYING $2,000 bucks to spend my life planning for them and teaching them. Then when school is over I go to work. So that I can afford to pay to teach them during the day.

I just need like a week long nap.

And seriously HOW MANY times and ways can you go over the phases of the moon before they start to get it. We've done simulations, pictures, videos, drawing, labeling, matching, cutting and pasting, more simulations, rote practice, songs, powerpoints, pnemonics, whiteboards, so much repetition....I'm kinda get stuck here. There are 8 phases. I know it's tricky, but I'm plum out of ideas for trying to teach the names of those stinking 8 phases. Any ideas?

Life is going fast forward. It's seriously wednesday. The week is almost over? How!!? Talking to steve last night I literally could not remember what day it was.

My brain is melting.

Thank goodness I have cool kids. Our class is DEFINITELY the best behaved of the three 6th grade classes right now. That's so so nice.

Anyway. I'm done with my whine fest. I'm so excited to be done. I have seven days left of student teaching. Two of those days are fridays, which are like the end of the loaf of bread that you eat for fun, but it never really does much good for ya and isn't big enough to fit anything substantial inside it. It's just the end cap on the loaf. Friday's are the nice little end cap on the week- a time for testing or whatever else ya gotta finish. So basically five more days of substantial instruction. I can do it. Then I can sleep for like fifty days. wooooo!