Alayna's decorated pumpkin

100 decorated cupcakes

Ty- native American Project

October 26, 2008 Update

It’s been a month since I wrote the last newsletter. I hardly know where to begin! I apologize if I repeat anything from last month.

Bob: Bob has jury duty in November. He gets to go in the newly renovated courthouse which had been completely wiped out by the flood. He has also started his own taxi service called “Where the heck are my kids going today?”

Kris: It is been horribly busy. I am on the secondary reading committee and we had a meeting this month. It is a lot more involved than anyone said it would be. I am also on the Battle of the Books team. The kids read all 20-something books and I help run the competitions. Kayla and her team just entered. The competitions start in February. The mentor program from new teachers here is very grueling. If I survive, it will be a miracle. I get observed this week again.

I have become a crazed “Twilight” fan. I absolutely LOVE the series and already have the date planned to go see the movie. With the amount of people planning to go with us, I assume we could fill a whole theater! Marisa and Kayla just started reading the series. Working hard trying to get Bob to start reading it before the movie. I figure he can start when he is on jury duty! I am so tempted to get that t-shirt that has the apple on it and says “Bite me”, but figured it may not go over well as a staff member- haha! But, I am definitely in the “cool” category at school for being a teacher that reads them. As they say, I “rock”.

I had parent conferences both for my own kids and then for my students at school. My kids are all doing great! I could go on for many paragraphs bragging, but I shall refrain.
However, I will say that Tyler, Alayna and Kayla have earned several Pride awards this month!!

The conferences for my students was another story. It is quite nerve-racking to be on the other side of the table. I had to do several hours of paperwork to prepare their folders, and then we were there for 2 nights, 5 hours each, doing conferences every 15 minutes. So grateful we only do that 2 times a year!!

I finally got to go see a chiropractor who confirmed my suspicions. I wont go in to detail here, but its nice to know it wasn’t all in my head. Stupid snow-tubing accident!!

Marisa: I think seminary is catching up to her. It is getting harder each morning for her to get up- especially when its cold and dark outside. She is busy with orchestra, YW, and her clubs. She is really enjoying high school.

Kayla: Volleyball season ended at the beginning of October. Basketball season starts up as soon as she gets back from Thanksgiving break and then she will be back to that tough practice schedule.
She is my official assistant at school. She is so awesome about doing piles of stuff for my classroom. I just couldn’t do it without her!

Tyler: He earned his Bear award at cub scouts and will get it at next months pack meeting.
Football season is over. A lot of it was rained out, both games and practices.
He also made OPUS (vocal competition). This is huge honor!!! Over 5,000 audition tapes were sent in. Less than 200 through the whole state of Iowa were chosen and Tyler was one of them. Isn’t that awesome? We will travel to the concert in Ames in November.

Alayna: Alayna got a horrible ear infection (of course the night I had conferences) so Bob took her to the doctor. It took them 2 ½ hours to drain her ear and clean it out. She is on anti-biotics and doing better.
Alayna lost a tooth at school! It was so exciting. She got a neat tooth necklace to bring it home in. She looks so much like I did when I was her age. I need to scan a picture to show you.
For school, She had to decorate a pumpkin. She glued jewels on it, drew on a face, and put it in a wig and tutu! Will post pics.

EVENTS:

October 4: Marisa was able to attend the University of Iowa all state clinic. It was a great experience for her.

October 11: The girls were able to participate in our new Stake Center open house. They tied baby blankets and colored ABC books while investigators were able to walk through and look around.

October 17: I had to make 100 cupcakes for a primary activity (don’t ask- it wasn’t my idea!) So, Marisa and Kayla’s friends were gracious enough to come help. Even Tyler and Alayna helped decorate. I bet you didn’t know that it takes 6 hours to make and decorate 100 cupcakes!!! I will post a picture so you can see how beautiful they turned out.

October 18: We had the huge Primary Quarterly Activity at the park. Kids played kickball, raced around the track, made hearts to “heart-attack” the bishops house, and we had a BBQ. It was a HUGE success and everyone had a great time.
That evening was the Stake Halloween Youth Dance in Manchester. Marisa went with our HUGE group of youth. She went as bacon and her friend went as an egg. The dance was outside and freezing, but they had a great time.

October 21: Marisa had her Chamber performance at Coe College. Afterwards, they had gourmet desserts at a fancy reception.

October 24: Marisa had an all-state dinner at her director’s home.
Tyler had a big slumber party with 3 of his friends to celebrate his 10th Birthday. Happy Birthday Tyler!!! He has entered double digits- whoo-hoo! They played games, we made a giant birthday cookie, and they watched “ratatouille”, but didn’t get to bed until 2AM. The girls had friends over too. It was like a zoo here!! The girls did “makeovers”- I will include the results. I am extremely grateful that I wasn’t blessed with 4 boys- it would have killed me!!

October 25: The girls went with the youth group to Nauvoo for a temple trip. Afterwards, they got to stop at the fudge shop for caramel apples. Then they came home and went for a movie night. We have some FANTASTIC strong youth in our ward!! I am so glad they are all friends.


Upcoming Events:

October 28: Marisa orchestra concert.
October 29: Trunk or Treat at the church
October 30: Exciting night at Coe College
October 31: Halloween party

Do I LOOK that old?

September 28, 2008

This week, one of my students asked me if I had lived during the Revolutionary War and if so, what was it like for me? Boy did I laugh hard at that one! I would hate to think I look about 240 years old- yikes!! I also had another student this week- when asked what country he lives in, his reply was Iowa. A little hard to dispute that as I can see the logic in his answer! Needless to say, my job is very entertaining and I do enjoy it very much!

Kayla had a good game in volleyball. It was the last minute of the game, her team was losing and it was her turn to serve. She scored 6 points and won the game for her team! It was so exciting!

Tyler was accepted into Lego league. He can tell you more about it, but basically they work with some engineers from Rockwell and build robots. He has done well in his football games too. He is home sick today. I swear we have had every kind of yucky thing come here. I have been sick several times and I guarantee it has to do with my students. I need to walk around with a Lysol bubble around me! Alayna is home sick too. Sheesh!

We had an Open House at Linn Grove this week. We went for the family spaghetti dinner and to see the kids classrooms and what they have been working on. I took some pics of Alayna in her classroom and with her teacher. Tyler’s teacher wasn’t there because her daughter was in the hospital.

We have had several new families with teenagers move into the ward. Marisa has become friends with them and they have been hanging out. Marisa even went to the football game with them. This week we also had our annual Survivor kick-off party!

Well, I think that’s it for now...

YW in Excellence

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. (Kung Fu Panda)

September 14, 2008

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. (Kung Fu Panda)

Another week has gone swooshing by. It has been a flurry of activity. Yesterday, we spent several hours making all of our garden produce into 11 jars of homemade salsa and it tastes awesome!! I smelt like garlic all day and my wedding ring was covered in tomato junk, but it was worth it. Marisa was at a Stake Youth Activity from 2:30-9:00, which included a stake dance. She said she had a great time and she came home exhausted. Maybe I can talk her into writing about it?

Marisa: Marisa auditioned for all-state. Our school can only send 28 kids to audition for All-state and there are over 100 in orchestra. So they hold a special audition to see who will go. Rarely do freshmen make it and she is an alternate!!!! She is thrilled. So, she gets to participate in all the rehearsals and she is absolutely thrilled!
She also auditioned and actually made the chamber orchestra!!! VERY few freshmen ever make it. This year only six did and I am so excited for her. The chamber orchestra does all the music for the HS musicals. So, Marisa will be playing in the pit orchestra for Les Miserable’s! Isn’t that so awesome?
She is also LOVING seminary (but I think the seminary is killing me. Oh so early!) She is enjoying the school clubs, but has a heavy homework load.

Kayla: She had her first game this week. Her team won every game but one, but she wasn’t in the actual game for very long. She has another home game tomorrow.
On Wednesday, the girls had their YW in Excellence program. Marisa and Kayla did their display on France. They made a cute poster and we made French crepes that we stuffed in chocolate and vanilla pudding. During the program, we learned to salsa dance, and the girls were able to hit a giant piñata that they had made. It was a very fun and enjoyable evening.

Tyler: Tyler is one very busy guy this year! His vocal teacher called and asked for him to try out for OPUS (kind of like all-state for HS). So, he has been practicing for that every day after school. He sends his audition tape in on Friday.
His football practice and first football game were cancelled this week because of the constant rain. He has also been working very hard on his Bear book so he can complete it before he moves to WEBELOS next month.
He also got the exciting news that he got accepted into the Lego League! He is so excited. He told me that someday he will build me a robot that will cook all the family meals (not sure what that means: that he knows I stress about it? Or that I am such a bad cook that a robot would be a good alternative!) Anyway, he starts this week.

Alayna: Nothing new happened for Alayna this week. She is learning to deal with homework and trying to be responsible, which at 6 is a bit of a challenge. But we have noticed her trying to make a better effort in good eating habits!

I made it through another great week of teaching. I also had my first meeting with the principal and I think he went really well. Some days I feel overwhelmed, but I am doing my best and that’s what counts. I have to take Thursday off and attend a training conference in Tipton (an hour from here). I am not looking forward to that, but always happy to mark off the training I am required to do.
Enjoy your week!