Robb and Vanessa

Miracles

2012-01-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I decided to go back to work a couple days earlier than I'd originally planned. I'm hoping going back on a Thursday will make it an easier transition for myself, Robb, Farren, and my students, as well. Beyond that, however, is a need for structure. It's been WONDERFUL having Robb home and available full time, but since he's not in school (and his semester doesn't start until January 30), there's not very much (okay, any) motivation to get up and going, to do household chores or run errands. This might seem nice - and it has been - but after eight weeks it's starting to drive me a little nuts, especially since I look at our current existence and the way things need to be when I go back to work, then how they'll need to change even more when Robb goes back to school, and...yes, it's time for us to start becoming a house of order.

I was worried about this decision, so I decided to keep asking the Lord what I should do. Now, the Bible Dictionary says "[p]rayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other." For me, this sometimes results in knowing what to pray for as I'm praying. In this case, I knelt down and was planning on asking about going back to work on Thursday or Monday, but I never even got that far. It was strange, but as soon as I started praying I knew exactly what I should do - and that was go back to work a few days early, on Thursday. I was so grateful for that prayer, for the knowledge I have of my relationship with my Heavenly Father, and for the reassurance I received - and feel again, every time I start to get a little worried about going back to work.

Actually, I've been worrying about everything. Turns out if I don't get enough sleep, I get very depressed and anxious, very quickly. (As in, I don't want to hold or feed the baby depressed, and I cry every time I think about how we'll make this work. Not good.) So my fabulous (and fabulously observant) husband informed me I was no longer allowed to feed the baby at night, and that he'd take care of Farren all night long, every night, for as long as is necessary. This is difficult (to realize I can't do what breastfeeding superheroine moms do and feed the baby all night long), but so relieving. Getting six or seven hours of sleep a night has been GREAT. However, this was meaning that Robb didn't get much sleep and so would sleep until ten or eleven or noon. Well, that works right now, but what about when I go back to work next week and Robb has to take care of the baby starting at 7:30 am? So I started praying some more, and I have to say God is very, very good.

I decided to be very specific in these prayers, so in at least one prayer every day I asked that the baby would be able to sleep five or six hours at night. He's done four to five hours a couple of times, and I know it's not outside the realm of possibility, as my niece would sleep six to eight hours a night starting at two weeks of age, and we have friends whose children have all been super sleepers from the get-go. Besides, aren't big babies supposed to be better sleepers??? At any rate, this was my prayer.

Well, two nights ago Farren slept from 11:30 until 5:00. I was floored - and immediately added "most nights, if not every night" to my prayer. :-) Last night he slept from 12:00 am until 5:00 am, and then from 6:00 am until 10:00 am. Now this, we can do. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's tender mercies. Miracles really do happen every day!

One Month

2011-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

We survived a month of being parents. This is almost unbelievable to me. Being completely sleep deprived for three days BEFORE the baby even arrived didn't make for an auspicious beginning. I was completely overwhelmed and incredibly depressed and only made it through because of:

Robb, who stayed awake for five days straight in the hospital to make sure I and the baby were okay,
Bethany and Tiffany "mom-and-baby-sitting" in the hospital so Robb would sleep,
Robb, bonding with and constantly watching out for Farren and I,
Heather and Shaine,
Robb, seeing I needed to sleep and making me do so,
Ryan - bless you a thousand times over for driving up and taking care of us for those early days,
Various ward members for delicious dinners,
My mom - you are amazing and I wish you could have stayed forever,
Robb's mom - who, among other things, volunteered to stay up with the baby at night so we could sleep,
Robb, pointing out all the good things and helping me keep perspective,
More ward members and work friends, for visits and dinners,
Lots of family and friend support via in-person visits (Carrie!), telephone, and prayer, and
ROBB, for being a pillar of strength, patience, and calmness. He has kept our little family on its feet this last month and I have never loved him more.

Heavenly Father blessed us with a very mellow baby and I am SO grateful. I can't even imagine what an anxious wreck I would be if he were super fussy. Farren has already grown more than two inches, he's passed the 10 pound mark, and is wearing 3 month clothes. I boxed up his newborn things yesterday - it was so strange! Unfortunately, our little guy has also come down with his first cold, so here's hoping we can get him well quickly and that his second month is even better than his first.

One month - 30 days - a million changes, lessons, and adjustments. I can only imagine what the coming months will bring.

Farren RobertMichael Thurmond

2011-11-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

So after trying to induce labor for two and a half days the doctors told me I could keep trying for 24 hours or go for a C-section. There were various signs that he just wasn't going to come naturally, so we opted for the surgery. (Turns out that was the only choice: his head had been trying to drop into my pelvis but his skull was too big [he actually had a little bruise on his temple when he came out], and HAD his head somehow fit his chest circumference was even bigger, so he most definitely would have gotten stuck.) At any rate, Farren RobertMichael made his entry into this world at 6:45 pm on November 21, 2011. He weighed in at 9 pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches, and we are so happy to have him!

Having a baby

2011-11-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been at the hospital for about 24 hours now and the doctors told the truth: getting induced takes a LONG time. I've been having contractions now for about 18 hours but my body is still not exactly ready for active labor (i.e., minimal dilation is going on.) They're about to try something new, so hopefully it works. We'd love to see our son sooner rather than later!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our latest perinatology appointment/ultrasound. Turns out the baby is big (what a surprise - NOT) and they want to induce me early. They'll do a test on Tuesday, November 22 to see if his lungs are developed and, if all is well, I'll be induced Tuesday evening or Wednesday. Robb thinks I'm a little weird for wanting to wait until after school Wednesday, but it's the last day of school that week and it's a minimum day, so I figure - why not? It's not like I'll be living it up on Thanksgiving either way (at least not in the traditional, eat-till-you-pop way.) At any rate, thirteen days max and we're parents!!!

Work and Pregnancy

2011-11-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

So working while being pregnant hasn't been TOO bad, up until the last few weeks, that is. As a teacher, we don't get normal maternity leave. We don't pay into disability, so I only get paid for as many sick days as I have saved up (in this case, six weeks' worth.) These last two weeks have been very difficult and I imagine the next few will be the same, HOWEVER, there have been some unexpected perks. I don't know if it's because I taught these same students last year or if I just have truly fabulous parents in my classroom, but they are all over their children about treating me well (which they do) AND several of them have given me gifts for the baby. These were all totally unexpected, and I'm touched by their generosity and love. Blessings come in many forms, and these are definitely helping make my last few weeks a bit easier.

Feeling sexy much?

2011-11-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Having a baby brings all sorts of new experiences. The latest would be the acquisition of my first-ever pair of compression knee-highs. Oh yeah, baby - I'm feeling sexier all the time.

Baby Shower

2011-10-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

So Saturday was my baby shower for the "locals." I say that jokingly because the main party planner (who else but the fabulous Shaine Klima Athey?) is only local to San Jose in that she lives in the greater Bay Area. And my sister-in-law came and also helped out a bit too, and she lives 2.5 hours away. At any rate, Shaine and another friend (Tiffany) planned and executed a fabulous Very Hungry Caterpillar-themed shower. It was awesome, and I am increasingly impressed by Shaine's mad baking/decorating skills. Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures, so we'll have to wait and hope Shaine got some good ones. I am greatly blessed with some truly amazing friends!!!!!

One down, a bunch more to go...

2011-10-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

So I had my first non-stress test (NST) today. I get to go in twice a week from now until the baby comes and sit in an armchair for 30 - 60 minutes with sensors strapped to my stomach. One measures the baby's heart rate, and one measures me for contractions.

Turns out Scrapper is great. I, on the other hand, was apparently experiencing very mild but very regular contractions. The nurse (and I) are hoping it was due to the extra hot day today and me being active and on my feet a lot at school. She told me to drink more water and rest up. I'll try, but I'm honestly not sure how much more "rest" I can get while teaching. Here's hoping Thursday's NST is contraction-free!

My Coworkers are Fabulous

2011-10-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

I love working with friends.

There's a committee at our school in charge of showers and parties and TGIFs, etc. They planned a baby shower for me, but a few of my close friends asked if they could order the cake. What did I get? An homage to Cakewrecks.com. Loved it!!!

Because I should probably record this somewhere...

2011-10-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

If you're a reader of Shaine's blog, feel free to skip this one. It's just my version of the Jack in the Box "adventure".

Shaine and I decided to meet up for a brief visit after the general Relief Society broadcast, because we hadn't seen each other in a month or so (which is entirely too long). I'm too tired to do it after work, and her weekends have been absolutely insane, so we made a plan to meet in Fremont, which is halfway between Livermore and San Jose.

We met at a Jack in the Box that's a couple of blocks from the freeway, and had been chatting for at least an hour. It was a little after 10 pm at this time, and there were a few other people in the dining area with us. My back was to the main door, but I heard it open, and some people came in. (This next part all happened REALLY fast.)

Shaine's eyes got wide and she said "They have guns!" I was confused, but at that point the two young men had walked in far enough that I could see them. They were all in black with black hoodies, and one jumped on and over the counter, followed by the other. For a second I thought maybe they were employees and they were messing with their friends who were working, but then the cashier saw them (she'd been facing the drive through window) and she screamed - most likely because they pulled a gun on her. I watched them back her into a corner and then I looked at Shaine and said "What do we do?" I mean, they were armed. It's not like you want to make any sudden movements when someone might actually shoot you.

By that point the other 2 - 4 people in the dining room ran for the side door, so we followed. Shaine got on the phone to 911 the minute we were out the door, and we walked out to the sidewalk on Mission Blvd. I wasn't even sure where we should go. We didn't want to go to our cars, which were quite close to the restaurant, but standing around on the dark sidewalk didn't seem like a great idea, either. While we hovered anxiously Shaine stayed on the phone with the police, describing what had happened as well as their exit and vehicle when they came out a few minutes later. They drove right by us and I yelled out as much of the license plate as I could to Shaine, who passed it on to the dispatcher. Within seconds police cars were chasing them and we saw their SUV head for the freeway.

We had to hang around for a while to give statements, but they let me go since I didn't ever see anyone's face. Since Shaine had seen them, however, they asked her to stay and do an in-field identification. (I guess they caught them a small way down the freeway.) I don't think Shaine got home until 2am or so.

CRAZY! And stupid. I didn't ever really freak out - adrenaline rush once we were out of the restaurant, yet, but falling apart, no. Shaine had a rough time for a couple minutes - she seemed to be a little shocky and couldn't speak clearly to the 911 dispatcher for a minute or two, but she was fine quickly thereafter. I'm thinking my lack of reaction was because I didn't see nearly as much as she did (as in the freaking BIG gun(s) these guys were toting), or maybe I'm just one of those people who gets numb when crazy stuff happens. Either way I'm grateful, because I'm sure getting really worked up would have been too good for Scrapper. I think part of my brain just kept asking if the situation were for real. I mean, what a truly stupid crime. They had to assume no one would call 911, no one would be able to ID them, no one would get their license plate number, and that the police wouldn't catch them. Dumb!

Obviously I'm grateful we were safe. And I'm very grateful for my brave heroine, Shaine. Still, the whole thing is beyond my comprehension. I guess it's like Robb said: If they were somewhat intelligent, they'd most likely have some sort of job and wouldn't be robbing Jack in the Box at 10pm on a Saturday night. Good point honey! ;-)

Woohoo!

2011-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

My mom is going to be able to take a break from her mission and come when I have the baby - HOORAY!!!

Are you serious?

2011-08-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post is all about me venting.

I just found out (at 6:30 pm - I suppose it's a good thing I decided to check my school e-mail on Sunday - something I don't normally do) that since I have a whole THREE fourth grade students in my 3/4 combo I have all sorts of interesting scheduling hassles to jump through and a bunch of extra stuff I need to have ready for the start of school tomorrow at 8:28 am.

I am so upset right now. No one thought to mention any of this earlier??? I guess I should have asked, but I've never taught fourth grade and didn't realize their instructional minutes are so different. Grumble grumble grumble grumble GRUMBLE!

It's not that major (they start 5 minutes early and don't have an afternoon recess - which means I not only have to figure out what to teach them in those 15 minutes, but also means this pregnant lady won't be able to use the restroom at that time) and I need to calm down, but you're telling me NOW - and hoping I see it before Monday morning? Are you serious?

Movement

2011-08-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

So at my ultrasound three weeks ago I was told I have an anterior placenta, which simply means it's in front. The technician said everything looked good, but she also told me it may be acting as a shock absorber and that may be why I hadn't been able to feel the baby move. Well, I think I'm finally starting to feel Scrapper bouncing around in there. Weird - but in a very cool way. :-)

The results are in...

2011-07-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

...and it's a boy!

He's also a little further along than anticipated, so my due date has now been moved up to December 10 - which means December 3, since they told me if I haven't gone into labor by then they'll induce me.

And there you have it - the most up to date news on our newest family member.

5 More Days

2011-07-16T11:53:00.001-07:00

We find out if it's a boy or a girl on Thursday! Check back then for the big reveal. :-)

Sick

2011-07-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

So I had a pretty good day today, especially considering it was the first day back at work after a long weekend. School went fine, and I flew out of work to go to a doctor's appointment, which also went very well. After we were done at the doctor's, Robb and I headed to a nearby pizza place to use a Trubate (and avoid heating up our house cooking dinner.) I was feeling worse and worse. Finally, right as we're in the car with our food, I realized I wasn't going to make it back inside to the bathroom. Maybe now I'll be able to better empathize with drunks throwing up in bushes?

Anyway, we made it home, only to have me run out of the car and straight to the bathroom. Soda wouldn't stay down, nor popsicles, nor lemonade (which usually settles my stomach), nor Vitalyte (an electrolyte drink). After about four hours I called the advice nurse, who pointed out that a) my self-treatment didn't seem to be working, and b) since it was just after 5pm I was pretty much guaranteed to NOT get any better at home. It's like Murphy's law or something. She suggested I go to the E.R. Robb and I talked it over and decided we'd wait to see if I could keep down the latest hydration attempt.

I couldn't.

Busy E.R. + not truly urgent case = a long wait in the lobby. After an hour and a half or so we got into a room, where they ended up giving me an I.V. for saline (three liters) and, eventually, some Zofran (an anti-nausea medication.) After about eight hours or so we got to go home.

Things I am grateful for tonight:

1. Health insurance!
2. ROBB
- He looked up and told me jokes for about an hour straight, just to make me laugh and feel better. As one nurse said "At least he's not grumpy! You got yourself a keeper there; he's trying to make you feel better!"
- He sat in various uncomfortable chairs and amused himself most of the night, while I got to lay down and sleep for a bit.
- He shared interesting information with me (after his game got boring he passed the time by looking up and/or watching various random things.)
- He helped tuck me in every time the nurse had to uncover me to get at my I.V. and/or pressure cuff.
- He took me to get food as soon as we got out of the hospital.
- He didn't complain about anything, not even once. (Me, not so much.) :-)
- He was fabulous, and I'm grateful to have had his company!

Cravings

2011-06-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Top Ramen. Random, I know, especially since it's not a food I normally eat more often then...I don't know, once every four months or so? Nevertheless, when nothing else tastes good and nothing (other than watermelon) is remotely appealing, for whatever reason Top Ramen does the trick. I try and make it "healthier" by adding a bunch of vegetables and an egg...that's not too bad, right? Whatever. Now I want to go make some!

Prove me now herewith...

2011-06-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that school is out and I'm not tutoring and also since Robb hasn't been able to land a summer job yet, this month we will be about $500 short of our typical monthly income. Next month we'll be fine, because I'll be teaching summer school and Robb will - hopefully - be working, so for these 30 days we're broke. Now, we knew this going in to June and we decided one thing we could do to make it through the month was to not spend any money on groceries.

Lest you think we're nuts (I mean, everybody needs food, right?) we have three months of food storage and we actually LIKE rice and beans. However, above and beyond our admittedly-boring food storage options, our ward has gleaners who get massive amounts of groceries from Whole Foods twice a week. So we figured between our storage and what's available at church on Thursdays and Sundays that we'd be able to eat pretty well. With that cleared up, let me get back to the story.

So we knew we were broke and that things would be really tight this month, but we also knew we'd be okay. However, we have been so much more than simply "okay" that I decided I'd better record some of the blessings that have been poured down on us.

1. On the first weekend in June we drove out to Merced to visit with my brothers and their wives and children. We had a great visit, and as we were gathering our things to leave my sister-in-law said "Oh - my dad went out to his friend's farm yesterday and brought home dozens of farm fresh eggs and a massive amount of fresh cherries. Let me give some to you guys, please!" So we got 18 eggs and a few pounds of delicious, tree-ripened Rainier cherries.

2. At the church/gleaner food-give aways we've been able to pick up plenty of milk, bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, and tofu. About every other night or so we look at our truly amazing dinners and are astounded by the quality of what we're eating...especially considering we didn't pay for any of it.

3. I have been craving MEAT, but there's no budget to buy any, so...time for a blessing! Last Saturday I was invited to participate in a photo shoot of a (fake) baby shower (for a craft book). They fed us lunch, which involved a giant tray of wraps, and at the end they begged us to take a bunch home. Ham, beef, turkey...yum. :-)

4. Saturday evening we went to a ward BBQ and a friend handed me a card. When we opened it later that night we discovered a generous present of grocery store gift cards.

I guess I'm just trying to say that my testimony of the truthfulness of Malachi 3:10 has been very strongly renewed over these last few weeks. We are very nearly running out of room for receiving the blessings Heavenly Father keeps sending our way - really!

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Heartbeat

2011-06-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

I know I'm pregnant. I mean, it's a little hard to deny and/or miss with all the weird things going on with my body, but when I can't see or feel the baby it still gives me a little trip each time I go to the doctor and they show me an ultrasound or (in today's case) let me hear Scrapper's heartbeat. At those moments the reality of the little one growing inside me is more fully evident, and it gets me every time.

News to us

2011-06-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hello there faithful blog readers! I figure if you care enough to read this you deserve advance notice that there will be another Thurmond joining our family around December 1. Finding out we are pregnant came as a complete surprise, but we're excited. When I went in a month ago they did some sort of measurement with the ultrasound and told me I was 7 weeks along. The end of this week marks 12 (or 13?) weeks, plus it's the end of school, so I'll be announcing it to the public at large on Thursday or Friday.

So far things are going well - at least as far as I can tell. I am considered a high risk pregnancy but have been doing pretty well at keeping my blood sugar where it's supposed to be, so here's hoping I can do the same for six more months! Our estimated due date is actually December 16, but they won't let me go full term because the baby will be big, so...we'll find out more as we go on.

That's it for now, but advice, product suggestions, etc., are very welcome. I don't have many friends who've done this before, so I'll take what I can get. :-)

Hope you all are well,

Vanessa and Robb...and Scrapper! <-- Result of a random conversation between Robb and I. Yes, we agree it would make a great dog name. ;-)

10 Things I Love About Robb

2011-05-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my husband, so if you don't feel like finding out various ways in which he is AWESOME, my feelings won't be hurt.

10. He's a very talented cook.

9. Robb is willing to change to be a better person and helps me see things I need to work on, too.

8. He puts up with my weirdness (and there's a lot of it!) with equanimity.

7. Robb comes to sing with the ward choir every time we perform and he helps me figure out how to be a better conductor.

6. He hates to see me sad or upset and consequently has made it a continuous quest to cheer me out of the doldrums. He's very good at making me laugh and helps me remember to be silly.

5. Even when he has lots of work to do for school and has to stay up really late (and/or all night) Robb will come lie down with me when I go to bed and stays until I fall asleep.

4. He noticed that my blood sugar was getting really low while we were out running errands and immediately found a place we could eat, took me straight there, figured out what would make me feel better and ordered (all of which made me happy because my brain doesn't work well when I'm low.)

3. When I wake up in the middle of the night with low blood sugar and have to stay awake until it comes up to a reasonable level Robb stays awake with me AND keeps me from eating too much (which is really easy for me to do when I'm half asleep and low-sugar loopy.)

2. He's in the middle of finals and hasn't slept in the last two days, but made time to come outside to our yard sale and talk to a lady who was interested in buying his old desk. (A giant, antique, HEAVY, solid wood monster that we really wanted to get out of our garage.) And she bought it - HOORAY!

1. Our gas was shut off by accident on Monday. Whenever this happens PG&E comes out and relights everything BUT our downstairs furnace because there's some issue with the valve only being accessible from below. Guess they don't like doing crawl spaces. Anyway, after listening to my teeth chattering for six days Robb decided he didn't feel like waiting for our landlord to take care of things and that he would do it himself. So he put on his coverall and a headlamp, crawled under our house, and lit the pilot light. I am warm, I am happy, and I am married to an amazing man!

Easter Surprise

2011-04-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I made a cake for our Easter dinner. I had planned to frost it Sunday morning. Before I crashed in bed I went around the house turning off lights and noticed a crinkled paper towel on top of the cake. Apparently somebody couldn't wait and thought a paper towel would either: a) hide the evidence, or b) seem silly enough to make me laugh. (Which worked. But still...) :-)

Too Much of a Good Thing?

2011-04-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

I was recently blessed (cursed?) with a blinding flash of inspiration regarding cookie dough. Now, if you're not a cookie dough lover, you may as well skip this post, but for the rest of us...prepare to be enlightened.

A few months ago Robb and I bought a quart of cookie dough ice cream and discovered it didn't have NEARLY enough doughy goodness. So I whipped up a half batch of cookie dough to balance the all-important ice cream: dough chunks ratio. Ever since then I've been trying to figure out how to make very small amounts of cookie dough for snacking (as opposed to actually baking.) After several months of messing around with sixteenths of a teaspoon and flaxmeal + water as an egg substitute suddenly the light went on.

It's all about proportions.

Meaning, use a tablespoon (or a teaspoon, if you're really aiming small) as your cup, and go from there. Here's an example using my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (from Cuisine magazine, in case anyone cares), to illustrate:

2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Using my magic idea of proportions, for small-serving snacking purposes this would be translated to:
1 heaping teaspoon softened butter and/or shortening
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
skip the egg
a dash of vanilla
3 teaspoons flour
skip the baking soda
a pinch of salt (if you really want - I usually leave it out)
and a small handful of chocolate chips

(If you want a bit more, use a tablespoon as your base unit instead of a teaspoon.)

This works with PB and oatmeal recipes as well, and makes the dough equivalent of one big or two small cookies. Shaine can testify - it tastes great! Now, let the sane (?) snacking begin! ;-)

Ya think???

2011-03-27T22:11:00.001-07:00

"For many people, an activated carbon filter bearing NSF Standard 53 certification will filter out most pollutants of concern. But if you've got perchlorate, a rocket fuel ingredient, in your water, for example, a simple countertop filter won't do the job."

www.nrdc.org

In a Black mood

2011-02-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

Despite the ominous title, all I meant to imply was that I watched "Groundhog Day" this week in honor and in memory of the Black sisters' tradition. Good times. :-)

"This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather."

Hey Baby, What's Your Sign?

2011-01-31T19:18:00.000-08:00

A link on Cakewrecks led me to a CNN article about the whole zodiac uproar. The following comment - and responses - made my day, mostly because I haven't yet succeeded at becoming a 100% nice person. :-)

razorrozar7
Zodiac is bull anyway. The day I was born controls who I am? Pssh... yeah, right

Katie

Well it's not the day you're born, but the month, for one. Secondly, think of how much things on Earth are affected by astronomical events, such as the tides from the moon. We're 80% water, so to say the rest of the universe has no hold on us is pretty stupid. Sure we can control how we behave, but only to an extent.

Sidvicious03

Katie, what you just said is completely ignorant and is based on no evidence at all. We are in no way affected by the moon phases, mostly because we arent werewolves or a tide. Read a book.

Whisper, whisper

2011-01-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

I have laryngitis and am almost completely unable to speak. The best I can manage is a whisper. At dinner tonight Robb started whispering, too, because he "didn't want me to feel lonely." Most of you know Robb is often silly, but I thought I'd record this so I can remember he can also be very sweet!

Fat Vacuums

2011-01-06T14:43:00.001-08:00

Me to a couple students who helped clean up after school: "You guys are better than a vacuum!"

Student: "That's because fat vacuums can't fit in little spaces. And then you have to use the tube. Or a kindergartener or first grader."

Mixed Bag

2010-12-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

The bad news: the bus's engine blew. (Rather spectacularly, according to Robb).
The good news: The entire vehicle is a collector's item, so we can still get something for it.
Also, Robb's six week break starts Friday, so it makes only having one car a little easier.
Oh, the joys of vehicle shopping - we meet again!

The Wonder of Technology

2010-12-06T22:37:00.001-08:00

Last Friday we went on a field trip to Patchen Christmas Tree farm. It's a 14 year tradition at this point, where we meet up with dozens of Colliers International (commercial real estate company) employees, who take groups of kids off to cut down Christmas trees. This year one of the Collier's guys decided to put his iPhone to work and make this video of my students. I love it!

Patchen Field Trip

Field Trip

2010-12-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

"Teacher! When the bus goes over a bump it feels like giggles!"

Osvaldo

Smarty Pants, or why I sometimes enjoy my job

2010-11-23T20:48:00.001-08:00

Every year I have a few delightful students who manage to wriggle their way into my heart despite their annoying characteristics. One of this year's candidates is Oscar - a leading member of my ADHD contingent. This means he is more often than not NOT paying attention - or at least not appearing to pay attention, playing with stuff in his desk, or thinking about/working on various other projects that are more mentally stimulating than whatever the current academic task may be. Another of my charming munchkins is Zaira, because she's so inherently nice. It's amazing and endearing.

Last week we were working on multiplying a three digit number by a one digit number (i.e. 346 x 5). Oscar, who despite his distractability is very intelligent and particularly good at math, was having difficulty getting down to work. (Surprise!) As he was singing a song of his own creation (and irritating most everyone around him), Zaira looked at me and said "Maestra, I think Oscar is very creative." (Do you see why I love this girl? That's certainly not how I would have phrased it, so she succeeded in inspiring me to be better.)

Once Oscar got down to work and blasted his way (100% correctly, I might add) through various math problems, I told him I was very proud of his hard work and all the effort he was putting in. He said "I'm a smarty RIPPING pants!!!" I must have made a confused (or amused) face, because he said "You know, smarty because I'm smart and ripping because I'm ripping." Um...okay. Zaira, seated nearby, said "See maestra? I told you he was creative!"

Today a similar situation unfolded. After checking Oscar's work I smilingly thanked him again for his effort and told him he was being a smarty ripping pants again. He gave me a very confused look, to which I responded, "You know, like you told me last week? You said you were a smarty ripping pants?" He said "Oh no. Now I'm a smarty PUTTING pants." (???)

Oscar, my little fauxhawk-haired friend, Zaira was right: you ARE creative. :-)

Blessings

2010-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

Today, as I'm lying in bed with a serious head cold, I'm trying to be positive and reflect on the many blessings I enjoy. Such as:

Robb

My awesome parents, siblings, and nieces/nephews

Shaine

Kevin

Tiffany

all my former roommates (and current friends!) from LBC, Provo, and Spain

Blogs, so I can keep up with said friends

Telephones (for the same reason, and)

Facebook (even though it's often a pain)

Prayer (because otherwise I'd go crazy)

Music

Books!

My generally-good health

Health insurance (for sure)

My job...even though it DEFINITELY drives me crazy

Hilda and Liz, who keep me sane at work

My students, because they make me laugh

Craigslist (without it, where would I live and what furniture would I have?) ;-)

Computers

The Internet

Cars that run well

My home

And today in particular, cough drops and cough syrup. And tea with honey.

Which makes me think of Honey the cat, which makes me think of Maggie the dog.

And so much more!!!

My new dream bike

2010-10-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

So when I was growing up we had a few elderly couples living on our street, and they all had those adult tricycles with a basket between the back wheels. I thought those were the COOLEST bikes and I've wanted one ever since. That is, I wanted one until I read my friend's blog and saw THIS:

I've got a golden ticket

2010-09-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really, but the next best thing. I just got a letter from the school district saying I've been moved from probationary to permanent status. Hooray!!!

Coming up for air

2010-09-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

This is the fifth week of school - how did that happen??? What with the fire, recreating/rebuilding my classroom in the three days before school opened, my combination class, and a completely FULL roster of 30 students, I am feeling run ragged almost constantly. I don't have anything fantastic to say, just hello and yes, I'm still alive. Who could have guessed that week of furlough days in October would be such a welcome relief?

How Good is It?

2010-07-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

The school cafeteria served corn dogs today, and most of the munchkins were very excited. When I asked them if it was good, my favorite response came from Fernando: "It's so good, it's ROCK STAR good!" Followed by some air guitar on his half-eaten corn dog. My guess is "Rock Star Good" is pretty amazingly good, indeed.

Misnomer

2010-07-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

I was helping to create a spreadsheet today at school and, as I went through the class rosters I discovered we have a student enrolled whose name is Maybe. Now, I'm sure her parents/family pronounces it MY-bay (which is how you'd say it in Spanish), but still.....maybe that wasn't the best idea. ;-)

Fire Update 2

2010-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Highlights:

SJFD has determined the fire was deliberately set and are conducting an active arson investigation.
Other than the foundation and concrete pillars, the old building is completely demolished and the rubble has been cleared.
The majority of the portable classrooms (all 1st and 2nd grade classes, a library, and a cafeteria) will be across the street, on Hoover Middle School's field.
Three portables (for 3rd grade) will be on the Trace site, along with the resource room, ELD coach room, RSP room, speech room, and another library.
Construction started last week to prepare space for the portables. We are guaranteed to be in by August 14 (though here's hoping it's sooner, since two days before school starts is NOT much!)
Insurance will cover/reimburse "everything". When that actually happens, and whether or not everything actually means EVERYthing, we still don't know. Making the list for the insurance agency is HARD. Every time I work on it I remember more things I held dear and have now lost. Sigh.....I know it will be better in the future, but it's still difficult at present.

Some GOOD news:

One of my former students contacted me and donated 20 or 30 of her own books to help rebuild my classroom library.
Shaine's sister-in-law, Jen, used to teach and gave me a box full of really good teacher books - hooray!
My mother-in-law and husband found a garage sale with a bunch of children's books in Spanish (and they bought all of them, of course.) ;-) Plus, Diane found some sweet book-related fabric and is making a pillow cover for my class.
The Friends of the Library is holding a book sale to raise money for the school, and they let us come through and pick out any books we wanted before the sale.
Various friends have what and how to donate, including Shaine making me into a service project for her former single's ward. Sweeeeet.

And so it goes - onward and upward. Thank you for all of your help and support, and happy rebuilding!

School Fire Update

2010-07-06T14:10:00.001-07:00

I should probably call this "Update #1", as I'm sure there will be more information forthcoming. For the moment, however, this is what I've got for you:

The school is still in the Fire Department's possession and is a crime scene. The FD should complete their investigation within the next two days, at which point the school will be turned over to SJUSD. Once the district is allowed to access the campus, salvage crews will go in to save what they can (most likely nothing), as well as to mitigate any smoke damage in the remaining buildings. We're told the rest of the school - even the six classrooms twenty feet away from the main building - have only very minor smoke and water damage.

At this point I have to interject with a giant HOORAY! for the San Jose Fire Department. They were on-site within five minutes of the first call, and at the peak of the action 30 of the city's 35 engines and 100 firefighters were working to safely put out Building A and keep the surrounding buildings, trees, and homes from burning. They did an amazing job - as you can see, the trees right outside my classroom door are still alive, and this was a six-alarm fire that completely destroyed the 25,000 square foot building and which is, in fact, still smoldering 36 hours after the fire started. Thank you, SJFD, for your efforts on behalf of the Trace/Rose Garden community!

Returning to the timeline as it now stands: after the district's salvage crew goes in we will decide (rapidly, as we only have SIX WEEKS until school starts), the footprint and location of the new building. Once that is determined portable classrooms will be installed. We (the teachers) are all hoping against hope the portables will be in place at least a week before school starts. The school district is dedicated to keeping us on-site, so we'll see where they squeeze 16-20 portable rooms.

We were informed today that insurance will cover furniture, materials, and some of our education-related personal purchases. This means that eventually (hopefully by August 12!) we will have replacement desks, tables, chairs, computers, projectors, document cameras, paper, pencils, etcetera. We may or may not have the money to replace the items we've purchased on our own (classroom library books, literacy kits, science and social studies realia, etc.)

Fortunately, the community is already asking how they can help us, many teachers throughout the district are offering materials and time, and at least one school has volunteered to adopt a classroom. I'm doing okay at the moment, but I know my stress level will go up and up at least until I have a classroom. Once I have a room and an insurance reimbursement I can start to get back on my feet. It should be interesting, going back to how things were when I first started teaching.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP, you can:

a) wait until I find out exactly what I need (six weeks or so), and pitch in then,
b) watch for Donor's Choose posts to go up and then donate online,
c) send Target or Amazon gift cards, and/or
d) any combination of the above.

If you go for option C, you can mail things to our home address or to Robb's work address:

Robb Thurmond

Trace Donations

46269 Warm Springs Blvd.

Fremont, CA 94539

Thank you all for your support. You can't imagine how helpful it is to know you care and are ready and willing to help.

Playtime's Over...

2010-07-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

So I had a fantastic time in Spain and then at the Santa Cruz beach house with the Klima/Davis clan. We tore ourselves away rather reluctantly, and arrived home around 3:00 pm. After ten days away from my laptop and cell phone I settled down to check my school e-mail and listen to my voice mails.

The first message I saw in my school inbox was titled "Trace Fire". My initial thought was there had been a room fire or something of that nature. The reality, however, is that half of my school burned to the ground early this morning. My classroom, along with fifteen others, our school library, four resource rooms, and a mobile laptop classroom (30 laptops) went up in flames.

I didn't have a large collection of personal items in my classroom, but as I try and list what I lost it becomes more and more real to me. Things will be rebuilt and replaced, and in the meantime I'll do my best to remind myself to be grateful most of what was lost can be restored.

Utah has Some Freakish(ly AWESOME) Billboards

2010-06-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently this was a local newscaster who always enjoyed good health but who was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and only had a few weeks to live.

Sad, right?

But if you aren't from the area, the giant

COLONOSCOPY

is a tad...random, to say the least.

This one's the real winner, though.

And I'll leave it at that.

WOOHOO!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-05-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of working at an elementary school!

A Perfectly Proportioned Piece of Paradise

2010-04-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

Did you know actual scientific studies have been conducted on the topic of chocolate and depression? Now, no one had to convince me of a link (I mean, the only thing that made me feel good every day [pre-meds] was - you guessed it - CHOCOLATE), but there's always the guilt factor canceling out a bit of the bliss. Unless, of course, you're like me, and you search for a recipe that can be cut down to guiltless proportions. That's right, folks. I found a triple chocolate brownie recipe that was easily quartered. It takes 20 minutes to make and bake and fits in a loaf pan. (Cue the Hallelujah Chorus.) Here it is:

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1/2 c. sugar, rounded (i.e. heaping)

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

1/3 c. flour, rounded

1/2 c. chocolate chips

(I use mostly semi-sweet with some milk chocolate thrown in for good measure).

Optional: 1/4 c. chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

1) In a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter.

2) Add the sugar, stirring to combine. Remove from heat.

3) Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.

4) Whisk in the egg, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour, chips, and optional nuts, again stirring until smooth.

6) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

7) Bake the brownies for 15 - 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and barely set in the center. (I bake mine for 15 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave them in there for another 5).

Excellent with milk and/or cream cheese frosting. (Cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.) Enjoy!!!

Original recipe: King Arthur Flour Brownie Bites

Yosemite!

2010-04-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night we got a call from Shaine and Kevin, inviting us to join them at a campsite in Yosemite. After much seesawing (Athey/Klimas: we apologize for the drama) we ended up going for it. Five hours later we arrived at Hodgdon Meadows. (And I have to say, I finally get at least one reason for the corkboard up by the campsite entrance, and I'm VERY grateful for it! S&K, thank you for the note/directions.) We had a great time lounging around the campfire, headed to bed around midnight, and slept soundly (ha!) in the freezing temperatures.

Saturday morning chef Kevin supplie

d a delicious breakfast, and we all rolled out to the valley. Having never been to Yosemite, may I just say "WOW."

A glimpse of Yosemite Valley:

Everybody marveling at Yosemite Falls:

Yosemite Falls

(and curious onlookers staring at Robb as he lay on the ground for this shot):

Awwwwww.....aren't they cute??? ;-)

El Capitan...

...and the bus.

(Bottom left corner.)

All in all, a fun, relaxing day of sightseeing, "hiking" (aka walking), and wondering at the masses of people in attendance.

Looking Back: Robb Becomes a Proud Papa

2010-04-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

I mean...owner...of a 1975 VW Bus. A Westfalia, or "Westie", complete with pop-top camper, two fold out beds, a sink, a stove, and an icebox/fridge, he/she/it (a name has yet to be chosen) sleeps four comfortably and puts some major sparkle in the proud papa's eyes. We flew out to Phoenix this past Valentine's weekend, and spent three days driving it back to San Jose. The Grand Canyon was gorgeous (Robb's first visit), Hoover Dam at midnight was movie-set surreal (a first for both of us), and Death Valley was interesting (my first time there).

Miraculously enough, we made it home safely, and I have to say that, while I may not love the bus unequivocally, I do think it's pretty freaking awesome. If Robb hangs onto it long enough to be able to fix it up entirely (we're talking YEARS, mostly because it'll take that long to save the money for the minor body work and major paint job that need to be done), it will be absolutely amazing. For now, I'll just squint and pretend to be able to ignore the green-faded-to-blue curtains clashing with the orange-black-green plaid. :-)

Shaine and Kevin's Wedding

2010-03-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the one and only Shaine Klima married Kevin Athey. It was a beautiful day at the Oakland Temple, and fun times both before and after the ceremony with friends from Long Beach and beyond. All in all, a fantastic time to reconnect with a lot of excellent friends.

And Shaine and Kevin, we all hope you're having a FABULOUS honeymoon.

:-)

The radiantly beautiful bride:

The happy couple:

The happier couple:

The shoes that inspired the outfit:

And the only picture I have of the LB/OC/DC crew.

(Patty and Carrie, I'm trusting you have much better pictures!)

A few more Ecuador pictures

2010-02-24T19:48:00.001-08:00

How to keep Ecuadoran drivers from using a lane under construction:

fill it with rocks and branches.

A couple (out of hundreds) of the orchids in Loja's orchid garden.

Robb's favorite purchase:

a "cabeza del diablo" mask for his brother.

The best thing about Ecuador!

Ecuador, Part 3

2010-02-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

After Christmas Eve in Quito we flew to Loja. (Ahem...well, after a LONG wait in the Quito airport. HINT: If you're ever waiting for a domestic flight in Quito, head over to the International terminal. Waaaaaaaaaay nicer.) It was truly wonderful to see my parents and have the opportunity to see first hand all the things they've told us about.

We went to Parque Jipiro (the coolest city park I've been to in a while - full of replicas of famous buildings in which we had fun playing around), an orchid garden, the city zoo (though we're told it's really not worth it anymore since the giraffe died - random!), and both ends of Parque Nacional Podocarpus - the high altitude end (ridgeline/cloud forest) near Loja and the rainforest-esque low altitude end (near the city of Zamora).

We ate frogs legs and guinea pig and Ecuadoran corn cakes, and we saw a lot of interesting (and random) sights, such as sections of road covered in rocks and small trees, to keep people from driving on them until construction is done. (Driving in Ecuador is only for the fearless. It doesn't matter how many lanes there appear to be - there's always only one lane: the one going your direction. My favorite memory? Passing another car on the left while being passed on the left. Oncoming traffic, schmoncoming traffic!)

After five days with my parents we had to head out, so we took a bus north to Cuenca. The city is full of beautiful colonial-era buildings, most noticeably the "new" cathedral (1800s), which has three blue-tiled domes. We saw some real (and really eerie) shrunken heads at a local museum, bought some cool handicrafts, and listened to some great ethnic music. On December 31 we passed numerous sidewalk stands selling yellow women's underwear (brings good luck if worn on New Year's Eve), and made our way to the airport. It was a fantastic trip!

Me, coming down a cement slide on the miniature Kremlin at Parque Jipiro.

Parks outside the US are so fantastically, dangerously fun! :-)

My mom, with her half-guinea pig (cuy).

Visiting the Sotomayor family with my parents.

The new cathedral in Cuenca.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Ecuador, Part 2: Shall we dance?

2010-02-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

After 4 days in the Amazon we went back to Quito. We spent the night in our hostel and went up to Otavalo and Cotacachi the next day. Otavalo is the site of the longest-running and largest indigenous market in South America (it's been in existence since the Incan era), and Cotacachi is famous for its leather goods. (As we drove up to the town the air smelled like leather - it was pretty cool!)

We spent another night in Quito and found a few cool spots on La Ronda - a colonial era (1600s) street full of shops, galleries, and cafes. My favorite memory from our time in Quito was from our second to last night there. Robb and I were starving and tired (so I was rather grumpy), and we were walking up and down La Ronda, looking for a good place to eat. As it was the 23rd, there was a LOT of loud celebrating (and karaoke, oddly enough) going on. I was not in the mood for a noisy crowd.

We finally settled on a VERY small cafe on a side street (mostly because their sidewalk sign said they had pizza.) ;-) We sat down and ordered, and as we waited for our food the cafe owner very kindly changed the radio to American Christmas music. We started up a conversation with the lady and her husband, drank her amazing, out-of-this-world-delicious hot chocolate, ate our pizza, and talked some more.

Robb had been drumming on the table as we ate (a common occurrence) and we talked about rhythm and then dancing. When the owners found out Robb didn't know how to do any Latin dances they decided to change that. He, of course, protested, but they shoved the other two tables out of the way, cranked up the music, and the señora pulled him out of his seat and started teaching him how to cumbia. All in all, we had a fabulous time dancing with this older couple in their little 10x10 cafe. It was definitely one of my favorite experiences from the trip.

Long-overdue Ecuador Recap

2010-02-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so for Christmas break Robb and I went to Ecuador, ostensibly to visit my parents, who are currently serving as full-time missionaries in the Ecuador Guayaquil (South?) Mission.

Part 1

We started off our trip in Quito, where we found a hostel, crashed into bed (it was a LONG day of flying), and promptly got up the next morning for a 5:30 bus into El Oriente - the Amazon rainforest. We drove to Tena, and ended up in the Shangri La Lodge, above the Anzu River. We stayed there for four days and were able to go hiking through the jungle, white water rafting on the Jatunyacu river, as well as getting to know people from all over the world when the guests came together for dinner each night. We saw bats, river otters, parrots, snakes, and WAY more bugs (particularly ENORMOUS spiders) than I ever wanted - or want - to see. We also saw hundreds of amazingly beautiful flowers, trees, and shrubs, and ate a variety of bananas, plantain, and yucca. Here are some jungle pictures:

Chonta palm - VERY spiky!

The Anzu River

Leaf cutter ants

Pedro, our guide, painting Robb with achiote

Jungle fashion baby - HOT.

PS: I also got the WORST sunburn of my life while rafting. I'm pretty sure it was a serious 2nd degree burn, edging into 3rd degree territory. Thanks to my Mom and her tub of Watson's burn cream, I'm okay - though my legs may have a permanent tan line from the knees down!

Resolutions

2010-01-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

This is a great talk by Elder Joe J. Christensen. I read it every year at New Year's and thought it might be helpful to pass it along. Check it out - it's good!

"Resolutions"

Untimely

2010-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

A little girl from my school passed away on Sunday. She was a student in the grade I teach. Last year her teacher noticed she couldn't hold a pencil and was having difficulty with other motor skills - both fine and gross. The teacher brought this to the parents' attention, and when they took her into the doctor they discovered a brain tumor. She had surgery and chemotherapy, and continued to keep in touch with her class. (The teacher looped with her students, so they all stayed together for another year.) This little girl joined us on Halloween for our costume parade, and came to school the last Friday before Christmas break to decorate Christmas cookies with her classmates. Then, on Sunday, she died.

Our principal requested that each teacher discuss her death in class today. It was exceptionally odd to have a discussion regarding death without the framework of faith to support comprehension. How do you answer questions like: "How did she get cancer?"; "WHY did she get cancer?"; "Can I get cancer?" and "Where is she now?"

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the knowledge it gives me of who I am, where I came from, why I'm here, and, especially today, what happens to me when I die.

Alma 40:11-14

11 Now, concerning the ^astate of the soul between ^bdeath and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are ^ctaken ^dhome to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of ^ahappiness, which is called ^bparadise, a state of rest, a state of ^cpeace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

13 And then shall it come to pass, that the ^aspirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the ^bdevil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer^cdarkness; there shall be ^dweeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

A Great Idea

2009-12-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, I LOVE CAKEWRECKS!

Now, Jen and John (founders of CW) have decided to donate to a different charity each day from now until Christmas. They have a large audience, so the challenge is for each reader to donate $1 a day to each charity - or some other charity of their choosing. If all readers donate daily, each charity could receive $80,000. That's pretty staggering - and worth donating a buck, no? Check it out: www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com.

Sick, then sick with worry

2009-12-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

So after eight days of being sick I think I may be almost entirely well. (I've just got junk in my chest and a persistent hacking cough as a result, but considering the last week, I'm not complaining.) What's getting to me now is that I can't stop stressing out and worrying about various things - and it's making me feel nauseous!

I realize nobody really cares, and I'm writing this more for my own mental relief than anything else, but here's what I'm dealing with:

1. The car situation.

Since we won't be getting back much money (they're paying off my car, but it was a lease, so we get money for Robb's car and whatever is leftover from mine. It will be approximately $4000.), do we get two cars? Do we need two cars? In our current situation I could more than manage with a bike and some cargo baskets. (I live 0.7 miles from work and two grocery stores are equally near.) Do we get a car and a moped or motorcycle? Used, certified pre-owned, or new? The only "new" cars that we could camp out of (as we did with Robb's Volvo) are Subaru Outbacks, and pre-2006 they have some major issues. Which means even if we go used, it's still somewhat pricey.

Oh, and all of this has to resolved before December 18, because that's when we fly to Ecuador.

2. The trip to Ecuador

Between the accident and the flu, planning got completely sidelined. We don't have anything lined up and I'm starting to freak out. Majorly.

3. Money

I know money is just money is just money. And we have enough money - we've got the beginnings of a down payment in the bank. So yes, we could afford a new car and a wild and crazy trip in Ecuador, but there goes the idea of buying property any time in the near future.

It's just all going around in circles in my head and I can't seem to let it go. Anyone have any sage advice?

You know you've been really sick when...

2009-11-30T11:56:00.001-08:00

...a fever of 100.3 feels normal.

Stay well everyone - and do your best to avoid the flu. It's AWFUL!!!

Gratitude

2009-11-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

This song has been on my mind a lot lately. I hope you enjoy it, too - and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

"Gratitude" by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Total Car Annihilation 2009

2009-11-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we've finally got some news. Thursday morning at 7:30 I was fixing my breakfast when a loud knock called me to the door. I opened it to discover three San Jose police officers on our doorstep. (Surprise number 1). I'm thinking, "Holy crap - what kind of a parking ticket IS this???"

Policeman #1 wished me a good morning and asked what kind of car I drove.

"A silver Matrix," I said.

The reply: "Not any more."

He then asked if someone in the household drove a grey Volvo. I responded that my husband had a grey Volvo. The response to that one was a grimace (from all three officers) and the comment "You're going to want to come with us and see this."

I call out to Robb, we grab our coats and walk out to the street with our company of San Jose's finest, where we saw surprise number 2. My car, completely annihilated and smashed up against Robb's, which is also looking somewhat smashed and generally off. Oh, and it was also up on the curb and quite cozy with a tree.

Turns out some guy driving a RAV4 was quite sleepy and ran into my parked car at 35 - 40 mph. My car smashed into Robb's Volvo, which smashed into the tree and a pickup and pushed the pickup forward about 6 - 10 feet. We're talking IMPACT.

The "sleepy" (possible extenuating circumstances, more on that later) driver was okay, just airbag-bruised. Robb and I are okay, just car-less. Right now we're just grateful that:

1. We weren't in or near our cars when this happened.

2. "Sleepy" is insured.

3. I'm free from my lease. Not that I had a problem with it or that I didn't like my car, but I'm trying to find the positive here and I guess it's nice to be free from that contract 18 months ahead of schedule. I guess.

So, we're all well, but I thought I'd share since we finally have some "big" news. Thanks to everyone who sent prayers, good thoughts, and positive energy our way. We love you all!

Halloween '09

2009-11-01T16:22:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Google Image Search I came up with a costume idea, so here are a few pics of myself and my students. Happy Halloween everyone!

I need to come up with a Halloween costume

2009-10-25T19:21:00.001-07:00

Any ideas? I know I should probably just hit up the local thrift store and make it work, but I thought someone out there might have a genius, quick, cheap, easy costume idea. So.....whaddaya got?

(Okay. I admit it. This post is also a necessary step to get the giant, bits-encrusted bear butt from being the first thing you see every time you come to my blog!) :-)

Not so Charmin

2009-10-14T15:41:00.001-07:00

I HATE THESE COMMERCIALS FROM CHARMIN!

Seriously. They're unnecessarily explicit and I wish they'd stop.

For my readers who haven't had the misfortune to see the actual commercial,

I now give you the choice to change that - if you so choose.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Charmin Ultra Strong.

Fun stuff with Shaine WITH pictures

2009-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

So we went wedding dress shopping again; no real pictures of that for (what should be) obvious reasons. If the reasons aren't obvious enough, please read the previous post. ;-)

Post-dress shopping we hit the outlet mall in Folsom for some spending - I mean BONDING - time. We discovered that the 80s are most certainly back, and they're mixed with other odd fashion bits. The result? A bunch of REALLY UGLY shoes. Of course we had to document them, so we took our time finding the ugliest shoes we could, and are generous enough to share the results with the rest of the world. Enjoy!

A multi-purpose

purse?

(Maybe if you're short and/or really like your abs.)

I've always known Shaine is fascinating and multi-faceted;

I just didn't know HOW fascinating.

She truly, sincerely likes these shoes and wouldn't mind owning a pair.

Wow.

These are the ugliest shoes I think I've ever seen. Ever.

Why would you own these? And for what events or moods would you wear them?

Never mind. I don't really want to know.

Me, mystery leg, Shaine.

So we thought these were ugly, then we put them on and decided we liked them.

For, you know, those days when you have the desire to know how it feels to be a hooker.

Ah the joy of guilty pleasures! ;-)

Correction

2009-09-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

As Shaine pointed out, I have been doing many interesting things in her company.

BUT I CAN'T POST PICTURES (you know, the whole wedding dress before the wedding thing), SO IT'S LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED!

Not quite. She's right. We had a great lunch at a roadside diner in Oakdale, and the waitresses were...astounding. The cook/waitress sounded and looked like an anorexic chain smoker in a 50s style waitress outfit, and the lady on the register looked about 70 but had the attitude of a teenager. You couldn't get irritated, though, because it just FIT so perfectly. A sample of her style of customer service:

When Shaine asked what the cheese choices were and needed a repeat, she said (with overly clear enunciation and word spacing): "swiss, american, and pep...per...jack." We also got a look like maybe we needed a keeper.

Ah, the joys of small town American dining. We dare you: visit Snow White Drive In, today!

30 is how much more than 20?

2009-09-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Much, MUCH more than 10, let me tell you!

I have 30 students this year, and they're kicking my butt. I'm constantly exhausted and feel overwhelmed, even though I've taught third grade three of the past four years AND I have the same students. The district and my school have also been pulling me out of class pretty much every week for professional development, which is another contributing factor to my inner chaos.

Anyway, I realize this is boring, but I thought I'd explain why I haven't got anything interesting to share!!! Here's hoping I return to "normality" sooner rather than later.

Does this qualify me as passive aggressive?

2009-08-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm too proud to beg

for your attention and your friendship and your time,

so you can come and get it from now on.

My Song

Brandi Carlile

The Story of My Life,

2009-07-29T18:04:00.001-07:00

OR Why I Will Never Be a Sexy Mama

Yesterday evening Robb and I walked out of our realtor's office (another post for another day). He was kind enough to tell me he thought I looked really good. He liked my outfit, my eyes were so pretty, and my hair looked really nice, etc.

Caught up in the moment, I decided to play along as we each headed to our cars. I slid my hair out of its ponytail and went for the sexy hair shake...

...and my sunglasses went flying to the ground. Noisily.

At which point I started laughing so hard I cried.

Maybe someday I'll get it down, but for now this type of scene is all-too-common for me to consider myself good at pulling off sexy. Guess I'll just have to stick with cute!

Summer School

2009-07-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, I decided to go ahead and teach summer school. My grade level preferences were (in order), 2nd, 1st, and 3rd.

They offered me 4th. Well...okay. It's only for 19 days.

Then they came back and said enrollment was off in the upper grades, but would I like to teach Preschool? Um.....not so sure about that one. So my assistant principal tracked me down and reassured me it would be fun, they'd provide curriculum, I'd have TAs, etc. So I went for it.

Now, let me just say that 24 four year olds is a lot of four year olds. However, it was only three hours a day, I had THREE TAs (one of my official TAs had a daughter who liked volunteering), and - best of all- preschoolers learn through play. Yes indeed, you read that correctly. They paid me to play blocks and play dough and paint with these kids. So we focused on letters and numbers and colors and shapes and had a lot of fun. In the end, they're just too stinkin' cute NOT to love! (Except maybe when they're throwing tantrums...but let's not get into that.)

(More for me than for anybody else:)

Lucia, Maria, Salma, Miriam, Andy, Virginia, Giovanni, Marisol, Sergio, Yenisis, Andre, Benji, Stefanie, Me

Maritza, Brenda, Diara, Karina, Reynaldo, Luis, Isabella, Brian, Viviana

Andre

He kept inviting me over to his house to watch a movie and eat popcorn.

Starting a little young, eh?

Parents - Yes! They still make bristle blocks! ;-)

Diara

(This little girl was SO tiny!!!)

Luis

He has the most beautiful eyes of any person I've ever met. Sigh.....

So long, summer!

Catch up

2009-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

So...at the beginning of June we celebrated Robb's birthday with some of his friends. We had just bought a new game, Quelf, and we decided to try it out. In case you can't tell, we had a good time.

Me, having a "spastic fit" and reciting the alphabet backwards. (Hard to do mid-fit!)

I got a card that said "Act like you're a big shot photographer. Tell everyone to pose, give you their best smile, etc." Here's what I got.

(Tim, you win. Hands down.)

Robb, playing Fido - and doing a frighteningly good job of it!

Long story short: With the right group of friends (NOT shy people), Quelf is a lot of fun.

We recommend playing with two dice, though, since it can drag on.

Get yours today! (Or come visit and we'll play.) :-)

Attention, please

2009-06-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

After lunch my kids lined up to come back into class. While we were waiting for the stragglers, one of my girls showed me her red-stained fingers. I asked "What happened to your fingers?" She responded "I was doing an art project."

Thinking that she had perhaps visited the art teacher or her first grade teacher during recess I asked whose room she'd been working in, and what her art project was. "Oh," she said, "I wasn't working in the art room. I was coloring my eraser while you were teaching us our science lesson.....but I was paying attention!"

Easter

2009-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday Robb and I sang in Sacrament Meeting. Since my life was consumed with the stake musical (more on that later), we didn't have time to work on anything super complicated. We lucked out when we found a "new" hymn in the April Ensign. It's called "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands" (and it's on page 61 of your Ensign!) :-) I just wanted to share it with you, because it's quite beautiful and definitely brought the spirit to our Easter Sunday. Here's a link to listen to (I think) a BYU choir singing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRoy7P9W14Q

Super Green, or My Teacher was Weird on St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

So I decided to indulge my weirdness on St. Patrick's Day. It all started with the $1 display at the front of Target (gets me EVERY time!) I found some sweet shamrock shades - with glitter, thank you very much - and had no intention of going beyond that. Then my mother-in-law sent us a St. Patrick's Day package. What can I say? (Besides "You ROCK, Diane!) No, really. The cool striped socks and green carnations inspired me. Needless to say, it was easy to get my students' attention.

What??? Why are you looking at me like that?

My kids dubbed me Super Green.

Don't ask what my super powers were - it's top secret.

Give me your take on having a Passion, please

2009-03-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Does everyone have to have a Passion?

Am I weird for feeling like I don't?

Some people experience extreme highs and lows. I am not one of those people. Some people seem to devote themselves to a cause with intense singlemindedness. I'm not one of those people, either.

Lately I've been wondering if there's something wrong with me for being somewhat phlegmatic rather than passionate and intense. I don't mean to say that I never feel strongly about anything nor that I'm uninterested in anything and everything around me, but I don't feel any burning desire to focus my time and energy on any specific cause.

It could come from reading the latest installment of "One Day", Teach For America's alumni magazine, which is filled with stories of TFA alums doing amazing and inspiring things, or maybe it's recent conversations with Robb about any of his various projects. All I know is I feel staid and rather boring.

My diabetes does require that I carefully manage my energy expenditures and stress levels, but I hate to think that I'm...well...staid and boring. So I ask you: Is it odd to not have a Passion (yes, with a capital "P"), or am I A-OK? What are your thoughts?

Readers, unite! (And help!)

2009-03-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

The good news:

I have been asked to begin a Book Club in my ward (I think as one of those optional Relief Society Enrichment groups). This is good because it combines reading (something I love and am good at) with the opportunity to get to know other people (something I need to do and am NOT good at).

The bad news:

I have been asked to begin a Book Club in my ward. I've never been in a book club, let alone in charge of one!

Thank goodness for the Internet, because I'm finding all sorts of helpful Book Club (caps? no caps?) information all over the place, HOWEVER (and this is where the call for help comes in):

WHAT BOOK DO WE START WITH?????

I have rather specific preferences and, therefore, no idea of widely-appealing books out there. Therefore, if you have a favorite book and/or one you think a variety of people would enjoy, please share!

For the Black Sisters :-)

2009-02-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this - posted as a sidebar ad in Facebook, no less. What do you think, Sarah? Will Thor need one of these? (Hey Julie and Meredith - you could potentially cement the whole "favorite aunt" thing...) :-) I'll include the link in case there are any serious buyers out there.

http://www.varsitybaby.com/order.html

The Best Valentine's Gift EVER

2009-02-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

Random, and kind of gross, but VERY USEFUL

2009-01-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

Odd tidbit #1

A missionary companion once informed me that your saliva has the enzymes necessary to break down your blood. This is useful to know in case you ever cut yourself and bleed on your clothes. Maybe I'm exceptionally weird, but YES, I've tried this (spitting on a blood spot on a shirt), and was able to completely remove the mark. I know it's a bit gross, but it's strangely fascinating, too.

Odd tidbit #2

If you can't sleep because you're coughing, put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of your feet, put on some socks, and voila! Snooze away! Seriously - got this from my mom's friend who is Hawaiian, and had it corroborated by a friend of mine from Mauritius - plus personal experience. I don't know how it works, but I can tell you that it does!

Odd tidbit #3

WD 40 is REALLY useful when cleaning the bathroom. It works great on metal trim, glass shower doors, and even tile. And it keeps everything looking good for a month or two. Sweeeeet.

What??? No scissors???

2009-01-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas break was great. We visited family, ate LOTS of holiday treats, spent some time at Joshua Tree, and even managed to make an Advent calendar. (More on that later. Perhaps.) Then school started again.

My class has been really good, actually, and I've been enjoying work. But now I have to attend a Professional Development. Not just any PD, but one that lasts FIVE DAYS. And they didn't put any scissors in our table boxes. How am I supposed to entertain myself? So far I've been pretty good and only made a post-it countdown of 10 minute intervals. Hopefully I won't get as crazy as I did last time. Only time will tell, right? (And maybe me. On here. In a few days...) :-)

Inspired by Carrie

2008-12-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's her fault...I mean, inspiration behind the festive color change. That, and maybe a bit too much free time on my hands. Happy Holidays!!! :-)

Newlywed Bliss? aka Shaine, this one's for you

2008-12-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, it happened. Today at church a sister touched my stomach and asked me when I'm due.

Now, I realize I've gained 6 pounds over the last 4 1/2 months, but that's not enough to make me look pregnant, SURELY?!? She was incredibly apologetic when I told her "I'm not.", and commented that so many of the young couples in our ward are expecting.....sure. I'm blaming it on my insulin pump. I clip it to the inside of my waistband, but it still pooches out. And yes, the return to the exercise regime has commenced (2 weeks ago, actually - but apparently it wasn't soon enough!!!)

The Magic of Holidays

2008-12-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's not that people are kinder or more thoughtful, it's that children go on break for a few days and magically lose all of their ability to follow directions. Which makes my job SO much more fun. Really.

In other news, the first married Thanksgiving went well. It definitely didn't feel like a normal TG to me - I mean, it was in the wrong state, with different people and different foods, but it was fun! We spent a lot of time with Robb's mom, sister, and brother in law. And we spent an equal amount of time in the train coming and going. That's another story, but my advice in the meantime: Get a sleeper!!! :-)

English Language Development

2008-11-12T13:44:00.001-08:00

Teacher, why do you smell like the wind?

Hmmm.....perhaps all my communing with nature has paid off and we have now become one! Or maybe not... ;-)

Analogy

2008-11-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

YOU ARE is to WHAT YOU EAT as

YOU ARE is to WHO YOU WORK WITH???

If the above is even remotely true, I'm turning into a 6 year old.

Fact 1: I'm no longer able to pay attention to any one thing for longer than 10 minutes.

Fact 2: I am unable to sit still AT ALL.

Fact 3: I am increasingly impulsive.

Fact 4: I like art projects a lot.

The above character developments came together recently as I attended a professional development session. I spent the day being trained on a method of teaching English Learners, and Fact 1 made itself apparent 10 minutes into the 6 hour day. Usually, I just draw (and color) pictures and/or write silly letters to Robb. This time, as the urge to use the scissors in the materials box overcame me (see Fact 3), my coworker asked me if I knew how to cut out paper doll strings. I quickly demonstrated the art of doll cutting, and we were off.

How was I supposed to know she would get so excited? Seriously - she was bouncing in her seat with joy! Her enthusiasm spread, and throughout the day we cut out enough shapes to create some "art" (see Fact 4).

So yes, it was a great training meeting. And yes, I kept myself occupied (clearly). And this is what we ended up with:

Hey - even the presenter congratulated us on our creativity! (After commenting that we MUST be lower grade teachers.....) ;-)

Way to burst my bubble

2008-10-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of being a teacher is that - if you do even a half-way decent job - your students think you're the most amazing person in the world. Consequently, I get a lot of "I love you, teacher." "You're so nice, teacher." "You're the best teacher in the world." "You're so pretty." etc. Not too shabby, eh?

Yesterday my students wrote a paragraph describing the class. They were supposed to tell me what they see, hear, and smell in our room. (Yeah, I know - I really opened it up for craziness with that last one.) Anyway, I discovered I'm not quite as awesome as I'd like to think when I read one of my student's paragraphs.

She said: "I want to describe my classroom. In my class there's a lot to see, hear, and smell. Every day I see my second favorite teacher, the American flag, colorful baskets, and pretty plants. "

So not only am I the second favorite (which she explained to me in further detail, with much enthusiasm), but I'm also as exciting as the flag, baskets, and plants.

Sigh......oh, hello humility - it's nice to meet you again. ;-)

Sick Discovery

2008-10-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Now, many of you are previously acquainted with strep throat. I somehow managed to avoid it my entire life - including my first three years of teaching - until now. Apparently someone, somewhere decided it's time for me to make up on lost time, and I'm now sick with strep throat for the second time in four weeks. Sucks!!!

Headache, nausea, dizziness, listlessness, body aches, fever...not to mention the intense pain in your throat due to HUGELY swollen glands. Sigh...I guess there is one bit of silver lining: as a coworker who had it five times in one school year said, "If nothing else, it's very effective at making you lose weight!" Yippee. ;-)

Kids are funny

2008-10-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

So a while back my students had to take a test to measure their proficiency in English. (Remember, these kids are in a bilingual school program, and each year they get less Spanish and more English. In second grade it's still 70% Spanish and only 30% English).

The students were shown a picture similar to this:

They then had to describe what they saw in one sentence. Most kids said things like "The puppies are playing with their mom" or "The mom is giving the puppies milk", etc. My favorite, however, came from one little boy who wrote: "The puppies are teaching the true meaning of Christmas."

Um.....if you say so! :-)

And our new calling is...

2008-10-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

...nursery. Yup, we finally received callings today and will be in charge of the nursery every other week. Our bishopric said they felt STRONGLY impressed to put us there, so this could be interesting.

Pray for us. :-)

What everyone really wants from me.....wedding pictures!

2008-10-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

We're alive!

2008-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm now able to understand why my friends who have been married disappear for six months to a year. There's simply SO MUCH to unpack, set up, arrange, rearrange, learn, change, etc. The weirdest thing is scheduling. I live 5 minutes away from my work site, I'm no longer in grad school, I'm not new to teaching, and I don't spend 4+ hours a day on the phone with Robb (thank goodness - that would be odd at this point) ;-) Basically, I should have MORE time, not less - but trying to fit everything in is very difficult. I suppose that's why they call the first year the adjustment period, right?