Living in a Musical

Happy Birthday Grami!!

2012-02-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

In honor of Grami's birthday, we decided to take pictures of Ezra holding a happy birthday sign. As you can tell, Ezra had other plans.

Regardless, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST MOM AND GRAMI IN THE WORLD!!!!
We love you!

Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart...

2012-02-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 6 MONTH BIRTHDAY, EZRA!!!!

Aquarium

2012-01-01T23:32:00.001-07:00

Jordan and I love going to aquariums. We have held a membership to at least 1 aquarium every year since we have been married. For Christmas, I gave Jordan a membership to the (only!) aquarium in Utah- Living Planet Aquarium.

Since Miqui has been staying with us for a few days before she heads up to school, we decided it was time to take Ezra for his first aquarium visit. The aquarium is small but for a state that is completely land locked, it wasn't too bad. We all had our own favorite species. Miqui's loved the penguins, Jordan enjoyed watching the moray eel, I wanted to bring home the caiman or a sting ray and Ezra was fascinated by the sharks. Perhaps we have a future elasmobranchologist on our hands? :)

I forgot that I had my phone in my purse until after we got back to the car (duh Jessica!) so most of these pictures are from my phone.

Miq and Ez looking at fresh water fish found in the Amazon river.

Miqui making a silly face.

My 4 month old is already taller than a full grown rock penguin!

Aunt Miq thought that Ez needed a stuff animal to celebrate his first trip to an aquarium. Meet Splotch.. Ezra's newest best friend.

The Big Sister

2011-10-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

Gwen was an only child for over a year and was used to being the center of our world. Then we had the nerve to bring home Ezra. At first Gwen wasn't too sure. She didn't know what this new addition meant or when it was going to go away. I think she has figured out that he is here to stay and that she might as well get used to it.

For the first time last Saturday we took Ezra with us to the dog park. I thought that once we got to the park Gwen would forget us completely, like she usually does. Instead, she would play with whatever dogs were closest to us. She would play for a few minutes and then come check in, checking to make sure Ezra was still in his stroller. We walked around the inside perimeter of the dog park (there is a cement path) for about an hour. Gwen continued to check in. After a while we sat down and I took Ezra out of the stroller. Several dogs (including a baby Great Dane) came by to say hello. Gwen continued to play but stuck fairly close by. A husky come over and began to smell Ezra and me. Apparently Gwen thought the Husky was smelling for too long because she came and very calmly, but with a definite "this is my baby" attitude, put her self between Ezra and the husky. Once the husky turned and left, Gwen trotted away and continued playing with the dogs. As much as she may miss being an only child, I think that as Ezra gets older they are going to be best of friends .

Snuggle Bug

2011-10-06T11:05:00.000-06:00

Ezra is a little cuddle bug. He loves to sleep on Mommy or Daddy's chest.

The Many Faces of Ezra

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-06:00

This is what Ezra looks like most of the time.

If he isn't grinning, he is usually still pretty happy.

Unless, he's not.

But those moments are fleeting and then he is back to happy. (I've seen this smirk before... anyone else think that half smile looks like his Gramps'?)

Sometimes he is unsure...

Sometimes he is TOTALLY not impressed...

And sometimes he is hungry.

Surprised

Incredulous...

There is that smirk again...

Annoyed...

Feelin' gansta... (Anyone else see the WTF in his face?)

But most of all, Ezra is a happy boy.

Still Alive

2011-09-08T14:20:00.000-06:00

I keep promising that I will blog, and I will, just not today. But here is a picture or two to tide you over.

Some things never change :)

I swear I did not teach him that...

My little family

Gwen thinks taking care of a baby is exhausting!

Memorial Park

2011-08-03T15:12:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago, while Miqui was visiting us on her way home from school, we headed up to Memorial Park in Salt Lake City. There are very few dog parks in the state of Utah so I was excited to find this off leash trail on the internet. It was actually even better than I imagined. Gwen had a blast playing in the water and having the freedom to run where ever she wanted and we had fun watching her.

Playing with some new doggie friends


Letting Dad check out the water first


Following Dad's lead

Gwen having the zoomies through the water

Playing with her new friends

2011-07-28T16:35:00.000-06:00

One advantage of sitting around waiting for Ezra is that I have a lot of extra time on my hands. I happened to stumble upon this devotional talk through one of the blogs that I read. It is probably one of the best and most uplifting talks I have heard in a long time. It is long, about 30 minutes, but totally worth it.

Bro. Wilcox July 12th Devotional Talk

Update

2011-07-13T19:08:00.000-06:00

Netty complains that I don't update my blog so here ya go Netty...

*We moved to a new state; I miss the old one.
*We have a back yard; Gwen likes that.
* Jordan started at BYU; Go UTES!
*Jordan got a job; Yay!
*Jordan has already earned a "Perfect Score" on the monitor leaving the testing center; it took me close to two years to get one!
*Ezra is still cooking; Boo!

That is about the extent of what is going on in our lives- now you see why I don't update on a more frequent basis :)

Using the broiler: a cautionary tale

2011-05-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

So on Monday night Jessi was feeling under the weather, meaning that dinner was going to be my domain for the evening. After some deliberation and feeding her the instant mac n cheese she asked for, I decided to make myself some delicious nachos! I spread the chips out on a pan and spread grated cheese over the top. I even fried up some chorizo to liven it up. As I prepare my meal, I start to day dream...

Ezra is a toddler, and for undefined reasons, Mom is out for the night. So I, being the super cool Dad I am going to become, decide to make a fun, not especially nutritionally balanced meal. Ezra is naturally amazed at my cooking prowess and is very proud of himself as he helps to spread cheese over the nachos to be...

Outside of dreamworld, I slide the nachos under the broiler to melt the cheesy goodness. After a minute and a half I decide to check on my much anticipated masterpiece. I open the oven door and see the the edges of the chips are browning, but the cheese is melted. In that same instant, fresh oxygen is rushing into the oven. Apparently that was all that was needed to turn a culinary master piece into this:

My dreams literally went up in smoke as I tried to blow out the flames, setting off the fire alarm and running with the pan out to the porch to keep the smoke out of the house. Gwen, who had watched the whole procedure, looked at me as if to say "Dad, you REALLY messed up." By the looks of things, I think she was right:

In other news, the Jack in the Box crew really brought their "A game" that night.

Happy Birthday

2011-03-16T14:21:00.000-06:00

http://blueberriescrapbook.blogspot.com/2011/03/guardian-angel.html

Razmatazz Meraz's Blog

2011-02-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Razmatazz is going to have his/her very own blog! Yay. If you are interested...

http://blueberriescrapbook.blogspot.com/

Recently Learned Life Lessons...

2011-02-02T19:03:00.001-07:00

1. Cinnabon cereal does NOT taste like a real cinnabon. (Is it a normal reaction to cry about something like that?)
2. El Pollo Loco actually makes a kickin' fish taco. This is huge considering I hate fish.
3. Target has AWESOME clearance sales on baby clothes.
4. Even kids you were sure didn't have a soul are well behaved after watching their teacher have projectile vomit in front of the class.
5. Strawberry gum is great for cleaning one's breath after throwing up, especially when mint makes you throw up.
6. Nutella is better going down than going up.
7. Taxes suck.
8. Tax returns rock.
9. It is possible to shower, do your hair, put on your make up and be ready for work in less than 20 minutes.
10. Getting your Great Dane up in the morning takes much longer than 20 minutes.
11. Staying home from work to just lay on the couch all day is actually incredibly boring.
12. Having an awesome husband like Jordan makes life a million, gazillion times easier.

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum...

2011-01-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Life changes and it often changes unexpectedly. Things you take as truth or "that's the way it is going to be" sometimes change right before your eyes. Sometimes change is bad, sometimes it is neutral, and other times it leaves you so happy and bewildered you can't believe it is your life. We've had a lot of that recently, the "so happy and bewildered" type of change.

Let me back up a little bit.

I was in college when I found out that parts of my body hated me and might make it difficult for me to ever get pregnant. Doctors weren't optimistic about my chances so I wasn't going to hold my breath for it to happen.

Fast forward to November 8th, 2008. Jordan and I got married. :) Happy day. We made our life plans and figured that we would start the adoption process after Jordan graduated from college. Jordan and I were content and happy with the idea of adoption (more than happy, adoption is fabulous!) . We prayed about it and life was good. I had a plan and I like plans- preferably a 10 year plan with each month carefully planned out. (I think it might be genetic.)

As life continued for the next two years we made small adjustments to the plan, mostly related to schooling but one thing staying constant. We would start the long, hard, often heartbreaking (but oh so worth it!) process of adopting a child when Jordan was done with school.

Fast forward again to the beginning of November. Remember this blog post? Jordan and I just laughed thinking if that lady only knew that we were infertile she might change her tune a little. Maybe she was sent to help us get ready for the upcoming news...

Thanksgiving 2010. Jordan and I just stared at the little white stick as we tried to wrap our minds around what the little + meant. Our life had just been turned on its head. Every plan suddenly went flying out the window. To be honest I was more scared than I have ever been in my entire life. Both Jordan and I were terrified that we would lose the baby and it would turn out to be a some sick joke of God's.

Even though I had become pregnant my body wasn't sure what it was supposed to do next so it had to be helped along by doctors and medications. I had about a 50/50 chance of making it to 10 weeks.
Thankfully, modern medicine (and God) has kept this pregnancy going. I have had more ultrasounds already than most people have after having had multiple children. I know all of the phlebotomist's names at quest diagnostics. They call me a "frequent flier" and know my name when I walk in the door. (Here's a hint: ALWAYS make friends with your nurses, front desk staff and phlebotomist's - they are the ones that really run the show!)

Now, after 14 weeks my body has started taking over the pregnancy. For the time being my pregnancy is just like everyone else's. Yesterday, Jordan and I saw our little one's arms and legs. She (we think it is a girl) was twirling and dancing and waving at us. We got to hear her heartbeat- 167 beats per minute. It sounds a lot like a choo choo train. It was the most surreal moment of my life.

I don't know why God decided to change the game plan for us. Maybe he didn't. Some woman with PCOS have no problem getting pregnant the first time but are never able to again. Maybe I will beat the odds and be a fertile myrtle. Who knows. I guess this was his plan all along. I'd be lying to say I wasn't worried anymore. I still am. Something could go horribly wrong tomorrow.But regardless of what happens I know a few things. 1) God loves us. 2) He has a plan for us. 3) If I have Jordan by my side everything will be okay. It may not be easy, but it will be okay.

For now, all I can do is sit back, enjoy the ride and make some minor adjustments (okay, MAJOR adjustments) to my 10 year plan.

Oh, and happy 24th birthday to me!!! :)

Netty, this is for you.

Dear slightly crazy lady from our ward,
It has come to our attention that you are only slightly crazy and we apologize for thinking you were completely and totally off your rocker crazy.
Please accept our apologizes.
Thank you,
Jordan and Jessica

Something we all need to hear...

2011-01-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

“In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation.”

Elder Holland
October GC address

Weekly Menu

2011-01-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Monday: Chicken Cordon Blue, Rice and Salad

Tuesday: Crock Pot Chili and rolls

Wednesday: Crock Pot Garlic Chicken, mashed potatoes, jello, green beans and baked apples for dessert.
(With left over chicken make taquitos to freeze for next week)

Thursday: Pork Chops, Rice-a-roni, salad

Friday: Super duper burgers, potato chips, carrot sticks and celery.

Saturday:, Seafood Alfredo (chicken for Jessica), breadsticks, salad

Sunday (Last day of vacation...sad day): Daddy's Meatloaf

Gwenevere's First Snow

2011-01-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

This Week's Menu

2010-12-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have tried this before and failed but this time I am determined to make it work. I am going to be planning out our families meals every week and so that I have some sort of accountability I will be posting them here. Feel free to leave me some of your favorite recipes... :)

Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tuesday: Grilled Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Roasted Garlic and Ancho Chile Butter, Rice, Jello, Green beans (maybe asparagus)

Wednesday: Pasta Salad with artichoke and fresh mozzarella

Thursday: American Tacos with green salad.

Friday: Stuffed Pizza Rolls, chicken wings and left over green salad

Saturday: Chicken Ceasar Wraps, potato chips and fruit

Sunday: Zuppa Tuscana and Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

My new theme song...

2010-11-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

You can never be sure...

2010-11-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

So this morning Jessi and I woke up early. Having a little bit of free time before church, my gorgeous bride threw in a load of white laundry. We showered, and Jessi found that she all of her garment tops managed to make it into the washing machine, were now soaking wet and soapy, and we needed to leave in 10 minutes. We decided that I would just tell everyone that she was sick today and find someone to help me teach primary while she stayed home.

Walking across the church parking lot a sister (who I don't remember having seen before) asks

"Where's your wife?"

"Oh, she's out sick today."

"Does she have the flu?"

hm... last thing I need is for them to think I have been exposed to the flu and am spreading it to all of primary. Better go with food poisoning.

"No, she doesn't have the flu, she was nauseous this morning."

"She's PREGNANT!!!"

"No, no, she isn't pregnant, just sick."

"If she is nauseous, she must be pregnant."

"I'm sure she isn't pregnant"

"How can you be sure?"

um... because she isn't really sick...

"I know she isn't pregnant"

"You can never be sure..."

How can this woman be sure that I can't be sure? Jessi could be on her period, or the pill, we could use condoms, we might be infertile, maybe we don't even have sex; all things this strange woman knows nothing about, but are distinctly within the realm of possible reasons that a person could confidently say that his wife isn't preggers.

"I am sure she isn't pregnant"

"What is your name?"

After the conversation we just had, do I really want to give her my name...?

"I'm Jordan..."

"Well it must be such an exciting time for you with your wife expecting, good bye now." and she was off to take her hard earned gossip and spread it like dandelion seeds in the wind.

Growin' Like a Weed

2010-09-20T18:10:00.001-06:00

A little over a week ago Gwen weighed in at 61 lbs (she probably weighs more than that now). 3 months ago today we brought Gwenevere home- she weighed 17 lbs. My baby is growin' up so fast!

Taken June 20th

Taken August 28th

It won't be long before Jordan can't hold her anymore!

And they called it puppy love...

2010-08-18T22:35:00.001-06:00

I am not sure who liked who more...

Great Dane Meet Up

2010-08-14T21:59:00.000-06:00

Today we took Gwen down to Long Beach to meet some new Great Danes. Gwen seemed to have a blast!

Does it make us weird that we drove for more than an hour just so our baby could make new friends?

2010-07-22T14:41:00.000-06:00

Gwenevere

2010-06-20T21:15:00.000-06:00

So, I am sure most of you know Oso's unfortunate ending but for those of you who don't...Oso is in a much happier place now where he doesn't have to be afraid or hurt or remember all of the horrible experiences of his life.
Oso was my baby and I was devastated but knew it was the right thing to do. It's been a rough week...Jordan must really love me because today we brought home a new puppy!
It is a long story but basically we got her from a breeder through a large dog rescue. (If you want particulars I will fill you in.) She is an almost 10 week old Fawn Great Dane. Her father was 180 lb. and about 35 in at the withers and her mom was 120 lbs. and about 30 in. Gwenevere has a fairly dainty bone structure so she will probably be a smaller Great Dane around 120 lb. when she is fully grown.
Isn't she beautiful?

Picking Gwen up :)

This is what I found when I got home.

Going for a walk.

Weekly Menu

2010-06-06T21:41:00.001-06:00

Summer is officially here! Yay! That means I will finally be able to cook every night.

My plans for this week:

Monday: Retirement Party at BJ's. Jordan is on his own.
Tuesday: Chicken Marsala with Angel Hair Pasta, Garlic Bread and Salad
Wednesday: Stuffed Quesadillas with homemade tortillas.
Thursday: Marinated Pork Chops, spanish rice and corn on the cob with lime and chili butter.
Friday: Pizza Bites with spinach salad.
Saturday: Netty is going to be here.. probably will be at my parents house.
Sunday: Parents house (?)

Thoughts? Suggestions?

And baby makes 3...

2010-05-06T21:01:00.000-06:00

Meet Oso, the newest member of our family! Oso is a5 year old, Great Dane/German Shepherd mix that we adopted from the pound. When we got him he was only 108 pounds, you could see all of his ribs, he had wounds all over his body and a tail that had obviously been broken.

He wormed himself into my heart...

and Jordan's!

He looks so little in his pictures but he is definitely a big boy. He loves his mom and dad more than anything and would rather be loved on than play- silly boy.

Ever wonder?

2009-10-13T20:04:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what the inside of cell looks like? Well, my students have been studying that very idea for the past few weeks. As our culminating project the students were required to use everyday household items to represent the various organelles in the cells.

Given my clientele...these weren't half bad. Only half of the groups presented today so I will post more tomorrow.

Hahaha... a remote control for the nucleus... get it? These kids are geniuses!

If you only knew the story on these kids- you would be proud of them too!

That gel/vomit looking stuff in the bottom is actually hair gel...lots and lots of hair gel... my class smells like a salon.

I have yet to take a picture of my favorite one...3 students forgot that their project was due today (we have only been working on it in class for 3 days) and improvised. Did you know you can actually represent every single organelle using the parts of a calculator and some makeup? Yup, its true.

Oh, funny moment. My 8th graders have been learning about atoms. Today I taught them the "Atom's Family" song (totally awesome by the way and I would be happy to sing it for anyone interested... "Their tiny and their teeny, much smaller than a beany, they never can be seeny, the atom's family...). One of my class clowns raised his hand and asked, "Can I sing it in Oprah?" Huh?? I was so lost. I asked him, "You want to go on Oprah and sing this song?" "No," he responds, "I want to sing it in Oprah... you know, lalalalalala." "Oh! You mean OPERA!!!" (I couldn't help but chuckle) "Yeah, sure, if you want you can sing it however you'd like." It is those little giggle moments that help me keep my sanity.

Moments like these

2009-09-16T19:20:00.000-06:00

There are days when I seriously question my sanity. I chose to be a teacher?!? What was I thinking? Then, there are moments like today when a student runs up to you at brunch and hands you a card that says "ples tac the card. You are the Best thecher in the worold. Your stodend" There was also a piece of paper inside with a drawing of the girl- above it it said "mrs. Maraez". On the girls shirt it says, "Blank's (she wrote her name) firend."

They may drive me crazy but they definitely know how to make me cry. It's those moments that I live for- the one's that let me know I am making a difference. They may not know how to spell, or what a cell is but they know that I believe in them.

Stigmata

2009-08-25T20:49:00.000-06:00

Stigmata...it ain't just for Catholics anymore. So, over the past 3 days I have heard the following from supposed medical "professionals":

"You're bleeding where?"
"Are you sure it's blood?"
"Wow, it looks like something from a horror film."
"I have never seen anything like it." (If one more person says that I may hit them)
"That's weird." (Are doctors allowed to say things like that to their patients?)
"I have no idea what it could be" (Way to instill faith)
"I can't wait to see the diagnosis on this one." (Triage nurse at ER)
"Why are you on the phone with me, you should be at the ER"
"Let me refer you to a specialist"
"Did you scratch it?"
"Now we just wait for it to start bleeding again."

So, if you are one of the few that Grandma hasn't told (just kidding Grandma), I started bleeding from my belly button on Sunday. Yep, like bloody nose style. No one can find where it is coming from (no, I didn't scratch it) and no one knows the cause. My ER doctor referred me to my gyno, my gyno referred me to a doctor of internal medicine, and my dr. of IM said, "I have never seen this before and don't know what is causing it."

So, that is where we are at. Jordan is convinced I may be the newest case of stigmata. Maybe I could market myself as a miracle...too bad the blood didn't dry in the form of some saint- then I could really pull in the dough.

Oh well...maybe next time.

A thought for the day...

2009-08-10T07:56:00.000-06:00

As I head back to school this week I would like to leave you with a thought...

'Some people are like Slinkys. They aren't really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when they're pushed down the stairs.'

Have a good day and try to avoid the stairs...

Bargain Huntress

2009-07-28T11:31:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you but I LOVE a bargain. I especially love shoe bargains. I just bought 4 pairs of Sofft shoes for less than the usual price of 1. Yeah, I am pretty stoked. The great thing is that I was considering paying full price for these shoes...that is how awesome they are. :) Now I just need to wait for the mailman to come...

Our Ever Extending Family

2009-06-28T13:36:00.001-06:00

It all started with the fish tank...our first tank. It is a freshwater tank and contains some of my favorite "kiddos". We have a bumble bee gobie named Bubbles that has to be fed by hand. He will only eat brine shrimp and I have to direct feed him or his feelings get hurt and he won't eat. We also have a pleco that I have trained to sit and wait for me in the morning. He knows where I will feed him and when. Yesterday I overslept and Platy (the pleco) was sitting, rather impatiently, waiting to be fed. After receiving his sinking pellets he gobbled them up, gave me a dirty look and rushed into his cave where he spends most of his time. Overall, we have 21 kids in that tank.

Our next kid that we welcomed into our home is a hamster named Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is a black dwarf hamster with white little feet. She loves sunflower seeds and when we walk into the room she climbs up her cage and waits for us to hand her some. She is also an escape artist. She is fine in her cage but once you put her in her rolling ball she can get out of that thing in no time flat. Jordan and I were once eating dinner when I suddenly saw Kaitlyn running underneath the table.

Then we got another tank. This time a much bigger tank. Jordan planned on using it to house large fresh water fish but I convinced him that marine fish are cooler. So, we started making plans for a large salt water aquarium. Then, one of my past students needed to get rid of her turtle. I couldn't say no... so speedy joined our family. She spent most of her time at school in a 40 gallon aquarium and then summer came and she had to come home. We had no choice but to fill the 100 gallon and plop her in there. She is as happy as a clam but will soon be moving back to her old home as we are planning on using the 100 gallon as a salt water aquarium once we move into the house.

Speedy, the turtle, currently has 8 goldfish friends that we can't seem to get rid of. They are like those neighborhood kids that just won't go home...no matter how many times you tell them that they should. They eat our food and let me clean up their messes. They have grown from smallish goldfish to rather large goldfish and are too big to even be afraid of the turtle. We gave up hoping she would eat them (as she has done in the past) and have resigned ourselves to having 8 pet goldfish.

The next kiddo is my favorite and the bane of Jordan's existence. Scat, the bunny. She looks up at me with those big brown eyes and I just can't tell her no. Jordan, only tolerates her because I like her so much. She loves to chew on walls and carpet but is trained to only "relieve" herself in one spot in her cage. I can let her roam free in the house without worrying about having to clean up a mess. Now if I could only teach her to clean out her own cage...

Last, but definitely not least, is our newest addition, our 34 gallon all-in-one Red Sea salt water aquarium. We got the aquarium for a steal from a guy who was selling his aquarium store. It was used, but only slightly. For a while all we had in there was live rock, sand and algae. Then we added Rupert our hermit crab and a snail that turned out to be on its last leg. Rupert loved having all of the space to himself but then last Saturday we added Shim Shim the yellow tailed damsel. Shim Shim has already proved herself to be rather entertaining as she likes to end up back where the protein skimmer belongs. After an hour long rescue mission she is back where she belongs. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go an incredibly discounted fish store and got AMAZING deals. We got 5 chromis (still waiting to be named), a Sri Lankan cleaner shrimp named Lanka the Shrimp, a Red Banded shrimp gobie, a Clown fish (like Nemo) named Rufus, a green flower pot coral, a mixed rock with some kickin' things growing on it (not sure of what they are called) and an bubble tipped anemone named Picky Peter.

With all of these kiddos it takes me longer to take care of them, than it does for me to do my hair and makeup in the morning. I love my kiddos and everyday when I get home from work the first thing I do is say hello to everyone. It is great and I am already planning our next addition. Can anyone say Great Dane named Oso? :)

Why

2009-06-23T22:54:00.000-06:00

would any one willingly choose to teach high school? I just don't understand it.

Apparently something mysterious happens to kids between the summer of 8th grade and 9th grade...because they go from sweet little awkward junior highers to giant pains in the neck. This summer teaching high schoolers has definitely cemented my decision that I will be sending my own children to boarding school (in Switzerland) after their 8th grade year.

The best plans of mice and men...

2009-06-16T23:44:00.001-06:00

I had AWESOME plans for this summer. For the first time (in a long time) I was going to have absolutely nothing I had to do. It was going to be kickin'. Then the district office called TODAY...I start summer school TOMORROW. Hm...this should be interesting. I am teaching 2 subjects I have never taught before, and I have no idea what books they are using. This is going to be an interesting summer... Heaven help me and the kiddos.

To Do List

2009-06-08T09:09:00.000-06:00

My Summer To Do List
*Buy a house
*Pack apartment
*Get rid of 3/4 of my books
*Move into new house
*Pack my old classroom
*Unpack in my new (portable)classroom
*Lesson plan for the 3 subjects I will be teaching next year
*Finish Wedding Album
*Finish Mission Album
*Finish Jordan's crocheted blanket
*Create 6 months of meal plans (my goal is to post them here)including the grocery lists
*Read a non-school related book
*Relax and get a tan!

Graduation

2009-05-26T15:54:00.001-06:00

I have officially received my Master's. Yippee.

Help a sister out...

2009-05-18T18:11:00.001-06:00

Iknow that not many people read my blog but I am hoping that someone that reads my blog may know someone (anyone) that would be interested. I am trying to get a SMART board for my classroom. So, spread the love...

Click
for more info

The end is in sight...

2009-05-18T17:14:00.000-06:00

The end is in sight. It is a good thing because I need a vacation. School is out in 12 more days. Hallelujah! I love my job but there are some 8th graders that are driving me crazy...

Banana's

2009-04-21T20:46:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe it is the bargain huntress in me. Or maybe I am cheap but yesterday when I saw almost over ripe banana's on clearance (I am talking less than 5 cents a lb!) I couldn't help myself. The whole time I was thinking, "Oh, my husband LOVES banana bread." So, the grocery trip meant only for green chilies and tortillas ended with um...a few more items in my basket. Back off, Raisin Bran and mini wheats were on sale! (They are favorites around these parts)...

Anywho, long story short I have over 15 CUPS of mashed banana's currently freezing in my freezer. (Nevermind the fact that my freezer already has to be taped shut- I have this phobia that people might leave the dinner table hungry. I blame my mom. I get it from her!)

As you can guess, we will be eating banana everything. The only problem is I that I have a VERY limited supply of banana recipes. So, I am begging- hook me up with your favorite recipe that uses bananas. Preferably recipes that use A LOT of bananas.

Oh, side notes:
1) Jordan and I found out that we have been preapproved for a home loan!!!!!
2) Some of the individuals I work with are crazy. FLAT OUT BANANAS (hahaha...get the theme?) . One of the downsides of my job is I can't talk about my "clientele"... To sum it up the Sheriff was involved. Yup... it was an interesting day.

A day like no other...

2009-04-19T21:09:00.000-06:00

Sometimes bad things really do come in threes. I had no idea early Thursday morning that it would become a day I would never forget. I woke up like usual, showered and got dressed. Did my hair and makeup, told my husband I loved him and walked out the door for work. That is where "normal" ended. I hopped into the truck, turned the key and... nothing happened. Not even the slightest of noises. At first I thought maybe I had put the wrong key in...nope. I tried again this time pleading with the car to start. I continued the half beg/plead/demand for several more attempts until I knew I was in trouble. So I went back upstairs and hesitantly told my husband what had happened. I knew it was my fault because I didn't shut the door all of the way the night before.

He didn't rant, he didn't rave, he just helped me (with the help of a few neighbors) push the truck out of the garage (yes, we had a tandem garage) and into a parking spot to get to the car. He drove me to work never once yelling, or saying it was my fault. In fact we laughed about how sometimes stuff like this just happens. I said " I hope this isn't a sign of things to come today" (If only I had known.) He dropped me off at work, gave me a kiss and told me he loved me. Off he went back home to shower and to call his boss to explain why he was going to be so late to work.

The day went on. I had to deal with some real stinkers at work. Then, last period of the day, after giving two students what for, I checked my email. There it was. "There is a bomb threat on my building." I almost threw up. There I am with a class full of rambunctious 7th and 8th graders working on velocity and speed and I burst into tears. Never has my class been so silent. I couldn't say a word. I just looked at my IA, looked back at the screen, and fell into my chair. My students has no idea what was wrong or which one of them has finally sent me over the edge.From that point until the bell rang the moments simply dragged. I excused them with a wave of my hand. Many of my students came rushing to my desk to make sure I was okay. I even had students that heard I started to cry come and check on my after school. I could only wave them out of my classroom.

For over an hour I sent messages to Jordan's phone- no response. I was in shear panic. I have never felt so sick in my entire life. I didn't know what to do. I get teary thinking of it even now. I am sure you can imagine all of the horrible things that went through my head. All of the possible outcomes.

When I finally got through to him and I heard his voice I couldn't stop sobbing. I was overcome with relief. It is amazing how you can go from absolute despair to indescribable joy in seconds. He was okay. Everything was okay.

We spent that evening jump starting the truck- not the way anyone has planned spending the evening. In the process finding out that my cell phone refuses to charge (bad thing #3). But, it didn't matter. The little things like cars and cell phones it don't matter. It is the people that we love and care about that matter. Everything else isn't worth getting upset about.

Today's Sacrament meeting was about being grateful. I have so many things to be grateful for. My family, my friends, rice-a-roni (one of my favorites), my Savior and most of all my husband.

hahahahahaha!

2009-04-09T20:18:00.000-06:00

I

2009-03-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

have a set of used, defective ovaries for sale if anyone wants them. I sure as heck don't.

One word of caution: they will make you bleed to death. Okay, probably not to death but it sure as heck will feel like it.

2009-03-28T10:10:00.000-06:00

I finally figured out why Los Angeles burns to the ground every year...

You have got to be kidding me...

2009-03-25T20:22:00.000-06:00

At work I recently had a co-worker tell me about how she and her husband want to take a week off for a special health related get-away. What is this far off land and what kind of exciting adventures lie on the horizon for them? A big fat ENEMA, only the trendy word for it is Colon Cleansing. Isn't that an oxymoron? There is no such thing as a clean colon. Colon is almost a synonym for dirty. Even a week long enema isn't going to make that thing smell like roses.

Not wanting to be unfair and go off my gut reaction to this, I did a little research. What are the main arguments for Colon Cleansing? It will clean your body of toxins (which toxins?) and will remove years of accumulated fecal matter from your gastro-intestinal tract. That one made me think. If we are accumulating all this fecal matter, why can people in their 40s and 50s poop with no problem never having undergone this procedure? Shouldn't they be stopped up with fecal build up?

Several testimonials say that once the process is complete you feel light and carefree. I think anyone would feel great once a week long enema is over.

Remember kids. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Need a laugh?

2009-03-11T19:06:00.000-06:00

Some days you just need a giggle. Today (and yesterday) were one of those days. My IA shared this with me.

Maybe it is time to revamp my scarf collection!

A Teachers Worst Nightmare

2009-03-08T23:13:00.000-06:00

A teachers worst nightmare is losing her gradebook. I am living that nightmare as we speak. I have not lost my gradebook but rather the flashdrive that had all of my grades entered into the grade program. With 6th grade matriculation meetings starting tomorrow I need this like I need a hole in my head. It looks like I will be spending the next couple of days re-entering all of the grades from the last quarter. Someone shoot me now. Oh, and if you find a black flashdrive somewhere between here and my school let me know- it may just be my saving grace!

Thought for the day...

2009-03-03T21:40:00.000-07:00

As an American citizen I have the right to detain you until the authorities arrive.
I also have the right to kick your butt, which is obvious your father failed to do.

Some more...

2009-03-02T23:08:00.001-07:00

I guess I am just in a scrapbooking type of mood.

From the wedding

Deer Farm

Kensley's Sealing

I used 2 quick pages and lots of other resources. This is my new favorite scrapbooking resource- she creates BEAUTIFUL works of art.

For Netty

2009-03-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hope you like it.

It has been a while...

2009-03-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have scrapped. In fact, I don't think I have done any scrapbooking since I got married. Well, here is my first attempt after being away from my hobby for a while. (Almost 4 months!)

I don't typically have my pages this cluttered but I decided to try and break out of my typical mold. I am trying to psych myself up to scrap my wedding pages. I guess I am like my mom in that way- I don't want to mess them up. Oh well, I guess that is the beauty of digital scrapbooking- if I don't like it I just delete it.

I'm Posting

2009-03-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

So, my lovely wife has been bothering me because I don't post enough. "You don't even read our blog do you?!" yeah. So today I am posting. What about? I might as well update you all to this very second in my life. I was just reading about sumps. What are sumps? Good question, one I had asked myself and have been researching for the last few hours. I will save you the trouble of typing "What is an aquarium sump?" into Google by telling you what I learned. A sump is essentially a tank beneath your display tank. You then have your display tank overflow into a tube that runs down into the sump. Inside the sump you place your heater, filter and protein skimmer, as well as a pump to run the water back up to the display tank. This way the equipment isn't showing in your display tank. You can also use some of the space in your sump as a Refugium, which is a fancy way to say a place you let things grow where they won't get eaten. Things to grow there would be shrimp or crabs that you would let get bigger and propagate so that you can then feed it to the fish in the display tank. Any further questions? Here is a link to the articles I read. So I do post. Occasionally.

Baby Time!!!

2009-03-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

Jordan and I had a baby! Okay, actually one of our zebra danios had fry. Most were eaten before being able to hatch but we found one lucky guy swimming around. We have no idea if he will live but here's hoping!

Oh, but today someone at church asked me if I was pregnant. I didn't know that coughing and not feeling well meant you were pregnant. Who knew right?

You just never know...

2009-03-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

You just never know what you will find in my classroom. The other day a student service from the office about had a heart attack when Kaitlyn scurried under her foot. (Don't worry- Kaitlyn was in her plastic ball). In the last week I have had 2 new additions to my classroom- a red eared slider turtle and a dwarf bunny. Speedy and Scat love to explore my class.

Speedy and Scat happily exploring the classroom.

Speedy and Mom

Speedy wasn't too sure about being out of her tank...

Scat at home with her dad

I really have to wonder what the administration is going to say when they finally walk into my class and see all of my animals. Hm... oh well.

Kaitlyn, The Seizing...

2009-02-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hamster? Yes, Hamster. My hamster has seizures. I was not aware, until this morning, that hamsters can have seizures. I guess if I had ever stopped to think about it I would have figured out that it was possible. I mean people have seizures, cats and dogs have seizures, why not hamsters?

Working in a Special Education classroom I am mentally prepared to deal with students seizing. I get it- it is part of my job. But to have one of your class pets up and seize in your hand, that is just scary!

Thankfully, Kaitlyn is okay. After about 5 minutes of me hyperventilating and my students freaking out she snapped out of it and promptly pooped on a student's paper. The boy asked, "Did her seizure make her poop?"

Of course, my class being what it is one of my students asked another one of my students that suffers from epilepsy, "Do you poop when you have seizures?" I just shook my head but the sweet little boy responded, " I did once!" Thankfully the bell rang or I can only imagine what might have been asked or said.

Ah, the life of a teacher. You really never know what will happen.

A random sampling...

2009-02-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

In a few pictures here is what we have been up to lately...

We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific. (Jordan and I are now annual pass holders!)

We bought a big ol' fish tank for the house...

Sierra Vista celebrated Spirit Week. (Yes, I was the most hard core teacher)

Jordan bought my class a hamster- Kaitlyn. (Jordan may love her more than he loves me...)

We finally put some pictures on the wall!

That basically catches you up until about last week. I promised Jordan that he could blog about this past weekend so, toodles for now!

Pizza

2009-02-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, Reese's Puffs reminded me of pizza (don't ask) which reminds me... the Champions won the can collecting competition! We blew the other teams out of the water. I love my students dearly but we are usually school spirit flunkies. We are the Special Ed team - by far the smallest team and often either get left in the dust or left out completely with regards to school team competitions. I guess the incentive of a pizza party supplied by the science teacher if we won actually worked. Of course I doubt Jordan is going to be as happy when I break the news that he will be buying pizza for 100 junior high kids... :)

Yum...

2009-02-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Reese's Puffs should be their own food group. I would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if Jordan would let me. I don't know why he protests; they are a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D- says so right on the box! They are the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolaty goodness. Go get yourself a box and spread the love.

Job Security

2009-02-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

With all of the talk of budget cuts here in California a lot of teachers are worried about losing their jobs. I'm not. Want to know why? I have job security- I teach Special Ed. Don't believe me? Check these stories from other people and tell me if I am wrong.

'Millionaire' Contestant Makes Worst Use Of Lifelines Ever NEW YORK - Idaho resident, Kathy Evans, brought humiliation to her friends and family Tuesday when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show, 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.'It seems that Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question and proceeded to make wh at fans of the show are dubbing 'the absolute worst use of lifelines ever.'After being introduced to the show's host, Meredith Vieira, Evans assured her that she was ready to play, whereupon she was posed with an extremely easy $100 question. The question was: 'Which of the following is the largest?'A) A PeanutB) An ElephantC) The MoonD) Hey, who you calling large?Immediately, Mrs. Evans was struck with an all- consuming panic as she realized that this was a question to which she did not readily know the answer.'Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie,' said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief and disgust. 'I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be.'Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50. Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure.'Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!' exclaimed Evans. 'Darn. I think I better phone a friend.'Using the second of her two lifelines on the first question, Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant.'Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!' said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. 'Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun.'Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds. 'Come on Betsy, are you sure?' said Evans. 'How sure are you? Duh, that can't be it.' To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice and pick 'The Moon.' 'I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright. So I think I'd like to ask the audience,' said Evans. Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life.'Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking,' said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. 'But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut. So, let's see. For which is larger, an elephant or the moon, I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant. Final answer.' Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath, and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.' This one is actually better! (No comments needed!)

One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone shouted....'Look at that dead bird!' Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?

While looking at a house, my brother asked the estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?' When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, 'Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff.'

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach. She drove down in a convertible, but 'didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.

I told the girl at the steakhouse register that I wanted the half-kilogram sirloin. She informed me they only had a 500 g. sirloin. Not wanting to make a scene, I told her I would take the 500 g. steak inste ad of the half-kilogram.***They walk among us!

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car. It's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk ...

My friends and I were on a lager run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bough t 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount.... (This one isn't funny- I am still trying to explain to my students that this is not how discounts work)

I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, 'Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?' I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned...
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'

While working at a pizza parlor, I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.

Sadly, not only do people like this walk among us, they also reproduce!!!! And so, I will always be employed :)

Spoiled...

2009-01-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Really, I prefer the term "well taken care of". Spoiled has such a bad connotation to it. Regardless, I have been called spoiled a time or two in the past. Really, it isn't my fault- I blame Daddy. (He always seems to get blamed for everything doesn't he?) And really, I am not spoiled. I promise!

Case in point: Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving was my very first away from home. I was able to spend it with Jordan and his family which was nice but it is never the same. Each family has their own traditions and ways of doing things. Anyways, Dad felt bad for me so this Sunday he recreated Thanksgiving for ME! :) Yup...all the way down to the homemade stuffing. He even put the stuffing in a cupcake pan so it would be nice and crunchy-just the way I like it. He also made homemade rolls that basically melted in your mouth. (Yea, they were THAT good!) And he did this all for me! Aren't I lucky? Okay...maybe I am a little spoiled...

Swedish Jerks

2009-01-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

OK, raise of hands, who has gone to IKEA? I am usually satisfied by their prefabricated mass produced furniture. Like our table. We love our table. When I needed a desk that was a little less of a hand-me-down than the last one I... um... scavenged; so, we went to IKEA. There were some desks for $200, some for $160 and $75. and then the complete do-it-yourself (design and all) for $40. It in and of itself works very well. 4 Legs and a black table top very conveniently sized for our office. To make it more computer friendly, we went ahead and bought their keyboard drawer. All went fine till I noticed something very different between America and Sweden. That the Swede's definition of "anchor" is a little more lax than our own. Don't believe me? Take a gander ladies and gentlemen:

Alright, so I may not have the most expensive level ever, But I am pretty sure that this one isn't that far off. If you click on the photos you can see an enlarged version and will notice that I have outlined the offending pansy anchors in red.

Well, it looks like I'll be heading to the hardware store to pick up some expanding anchors to correct this issue. I really can't even begin to express to you all how thoroughly disappointed I was with the lack of quality I found in these parts. Damn penny-pinching Swedes.

Bad Wife

2009-01-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

So, married for two months and I am already a bad wife. I don't mind cooking or even cleaning but laundry. Ew...laundry is the bane of my existence. Of course, this isn't new. Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that I am more than content to buy new clothes rather than wash the ones I own. Now, my loathing of laundry has not changed since I got married but since Jordan and I have a deal, I do it. Well, I throw it in the washer and dryer.

For some reason folding clothes is lower then getting a root canal without novacaine on my list of favorite things to do. That is why folding clothes is Jordan's domain. Nice system huh? I wash (the easy part) and Jordan folds. I am good with that. And anything that needs to be ironed gets sent to the dry cleaner. Paying a buck for someone else to wash and iron a shirt is SO worth it to me. That is why I have even allocated part of the budget for drycleaning.

So does that make me a bad wife? Even if it does...I am okay with it.

My Darling Husband

2009-01-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a lucky gal. I have a wonderful husband. The most recent piece of evidence is the rather large fish tank sitting in my classroom. My DH decided after my last class pet died of "unknown" causes that it was time to get a REALLY cool class pet. After spending quite a bit of time at various pet stores he became very excited about the prospect of a fish tank. He spent hours and hours of time on the internet researching the best types of fish for classrooms and every piece of information imaginable such as their scientific names and where they come from for a display board.

After much anticipation, yesterday was the big day. The tank had been running for a day and now it was time to get the fish. I am not sure I have ever seen my DH this excited. After an hour of just watching the fish I finally pried him away from the tank. And this morning as he left for work he actually said "If you stop by work today please tell the fish 'hello' for me. The sad part? He wasn't joking. I have my theories about him living out a childhood fantasy but whatever it is I am happy that he is so happy. I can't wait to see my student's reactions on Monday!

Introducing the newest members of Room 101...Copernicus, Pasteur, Bohr, Edison, Aristotle, Curie, Hubble, Hawking, Watson, Leeuvenhoek, Socrates, and Fahrenheit

The pictures aren't the best but they will do for now. Jordan is already planning the fish we will add after this nitrogen cycle and has informed me that when we are wealthy we will have a 1000 gallon tank taking up one wall...

Everything is better with bacon...

2009-01-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Don't believe me? Try it. I can't think of anything that isn't improved by a little bit of bacon. I even have a bacon ice cream recipe!!! World's best toast? After frying your bacon, throw some bread into the grease and let sit until browned. As Rachel Ray would say "yum-o!"

Well, in the spirit of "everything is better with bacon", Sunday I set out to use some of the stuff in my freezer. Result? Bacon wrapped roasted chicken. Let me repeat myself, bacon wrapped roasted chicken. Do I really need to elaborate? It was SOOO good and sooo moist. It probably isn't Weight Watcher's approved but dang!

These pictures do not even come close to doing it justice...

The bird waiting for the oven

The bird out of the oven...right before it was devoured.

So, tonight we are having carnitas with homemade tomatillo salsa. YUM! I have yet to get the hang of cooking for two so if you are ever in the neighborhood come on over for dinner. There is always extra...

New Year's Weekend

2009-01-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

Since Jordan and I have been married we have been incredibly busy with well, life. School, work and everything in between. This past weekend was our first real vacation from everything. This weekend was even longer than our "honeymoon" weekend. It was all sorts of fun.

It started Wednesday night (New Year's Eve) at my parent's house playing Rummikub and eating all sorts of yummy-but-not-very-good-for-you treats.

Then Thursday we headed off to Bass Pro Shops to use Jordan's Christmas gift from my parents. We got there at1:30 and didn't leave until the sun was going down... I even got my own fishing pole!
Friday we went, or tried to go, to the Griffith Observatory. Tickets to the planetarium show go on sale at 12 noon. We were there at 12:08 and out of luck! So...we improvised. It was cold outside so we had an indoor picnic.

Then Saturday we went up to our new fishing spot "Frenchman's Landing". I caught a "jelly fish" (it was actually a plastic bag.) That was all we caught but we sure had fun.

Playing with our new toys...

Our new friend..Jack the squirrel!!!