New Year's Eve

Good morning from The Home Place.  It makes me happy to be here.

After we arrived yesterday we did all the cleaning.  We didn't have any mice in traps (I told Omar he's the best trapper this side of where ever we are the side of).  I put a bunch of bait stations outside in October and I'm going to check/refill them today because I have a side quest in my life and it is getting rid of mice!

When we came here in October, we turned on the electricity and forgot about the fact that the water heater was empty.  It snap crackle popped and Adam hurried to shut off the electricity, but the damage was done and we had no hot water in the kitchen.

Adam went to town for new elements.  I texted my mom and sisters to see if I could have a playdate.  None of them answered!  Which is shocking, because who wouldn't want me?!?

Finally Olivia said I could come over, but she was busy cleaning and as soon as Ruben got home, she needed to help him.

We saw Ruben passing by so Adam took me to my parents' house instead.  I told my dad, "You are my parents so you have to take me."

My mom said, "Of course you're always welcome and you don't have to ask."

I had a nice visit with my parents and Olivia and Lili walked over and then we decided to all reconvene at my parents' to visit. We went home (Adam had returned from town by then) to quickly grab some dinner.  Adam asked me how much time we had and I said 4 minutes and then he started draining the water heater.

So we were a little late for the gathering.

It was nice to be there though.  Marianne, Liberty and Robert, Olivia, Lili and Omar and my parents all sat around the living room and visited. 

Gatherings like that make me happy and that is all.

Adam finished with the water heater and I set up a new mouse trap we bought that is going to be the answer to everything (possibly...just let me have this).

When the water was all restored, I told Adam I was impressed that he could fix it and he said, "Well, the first step is to break it..."

Tonight we'll celebrate the New Year at Marianne's because there's really no other place that throws that kind of party.  Emma and Mark are coming and Tabor and Ammon are coming with their families.  I am looking forward to the party! I already know that I will leave early.  I like my sleep more than arbitrarily staying up late on a cold winter night.

Besides, I really like waking up early and sitting here.

Weekend

Birth Order

One of my friends blew my mind one time when she said that Heavenly Father knew what order our kids should be in so that was the order He sent them.

I'd always thought of it the other way, like they became a certain way because of their birth order.

It really doesn't matter, but I like my friend's idea.

Mark was who I needed for a youngest.  (Also, he's really good at being spoiled, so there's that.)

Friday I wanted to take down Christmas decorations, but I felt sick still and it's kind of a big task.  We're going to Nevada next week and then Adam's in Phoenix for a few weeks and I wanted to get it done.

Then Mark's team was told not to come in to work (it's a very slow time of year, apparently).  I was very happy to have Mark home!

He hauled boxes for me and chided me to take breaks and drinks of water.  I don't have everything sorted, but all the big stuff is done and it's a great feeling!

He is very patient with me and knows from long experience what matters to me.

I winnowed the stuff down by one bin.  When I used to help my grandma decorate for Christmas, there was a lot of stuff that she didn't use, but still kept.  I determined then that I was going to get rid of stuff I don't use (with a few exceptions, like my grandma's ornaments that I'm too afraid to put on the tree because I don't want to break them).

Mark always hangs up the quilted wallhanging above the mantle by climbing up on a ladder and putting a thumb tack in each corner.

Before he moved the ladder over to retrieve the wall hanging, he said, "I want to try something," and he went and got the pizza peel.  Much like his namesake, he likes to figure out creative solutions.

Much like his namesake, he is pretty good at it.  He gently slid the beveled pizza peel under each thumbtack and they popped right out of the wall, but stayed in the quilt.  He handed it to me and I took out the tacks.

Braeden and Anna gave me darling Swedish angel chimes which I love!  It's the kind of thing that rotates when you light a candle under it.  It came in a sturdy little box that I set aside to store it in after Christmas.  When I was sick on Thursday, Mark cleaned up the downstairs and I couldn't find the box.  I was sad because it was such a perfect box to keep it safe and compact, but I was also grateful that Mark had cleaned up.

I asked him about it and he told me where it was.  He said, "I knew it was a nifty box and you would want it."

I'm grateful for that kid!  I'm grateful Heavenly Father gifted me with my very own Mark.

Most Bizarre Winco Experience to Date

Braeden calls it The People's Costco.  It's kind of like a grittier version of Walmart or the DMV.  It's often a wild ride.  The most bizarre thing we encountered there on Saturday was not even the man with two small dogs stuffed inside his coat walking inside the store.

We were in line and as we were standing there, I whispered to Adam that we had the world's crankiest checker.  She always has the most miserable bored look on her face and she never exchanges pleasantries (which I'm OK with--I am not really a small talk kind of person).

I am an everyone asks me advice kind of person.   I get stopped often in stores with queries and I don't think I look all that friendly, but I must.  

I was fishing out my debit card and Adam was starting to bag groceries and the checker said, "What's it called when a family owns land and they can use it for a specific purpose?"

I said, "A trust?"

She said, "I don't know if that's it.  What's it called?  Like they can use the land to cut trees for shipbuilding, but that is all."

"An ordinance?"

Adam said, "An easement?"

We didn't know.

She looked at Adam kind of derisively and said, "Don't you have a phone?  Look it up."

She handed me a piece of paper and a pen (sorry everyone in line behind me, I guess) and had me write down all the words we'd said.  She said she'd never remember.  

I don't think we answered her question, but we will never think she's the crankiest checker again.  I mean, the woman has depth.

Sick of Being Sick

My eye infection flared up again, which I hate.  My eye hurts and it waters and stings and itches all at the same time.  Oh, and everyone keeps telling me that I could go blind.  There's that too.  The medicine I have to take for it makes me feel kind of sick so I quit taking it sooner than I should have last week because I thought my eye was doing better.  I'm determined now that I am going to take the full dose for the full time.  

Adam and I were intending to go to Starr Valley on Sunday afternoon, but we both still felt under the weather.  I think if one of us had felt fine, the other would have rallied and ridden on the other's coattails, but both of us were droopy.  We rested and had a clean the fridge sort of dinner and are ready to go to Nevada this morning.

Oh, grow up

When Mark was sick, Emma, who can be a little subversive at times, would tell him to grow up every time he coughed or sneezed.  She thought it was funny and pretty soon it did become funny.

Yesterday, whenever I coughed or sneezed, I would think, "Oh, grow up." Then I would smile a little.

I'm really glad she's my daughter.  I loved having her home for a few Christmas holiday days.  She's gone back to her apartment, but we'll see her again in Nevada next week.

Between reading and coughing and sneezing (and telling myself to grow up), I worked on the puzzle that Emma gave me.  It's The World of Jane Austen.  It is delightful.

Just like Emma.

I spent a pretty quiet day.  When Adam and Mark came home we ate leftovers for dinner and played some games.  Everyone went to bed early.

Being sick during Christmas vacation seems like how we roll.

Merry making

 We had a lovely Christmas!  

I tried to make gluten free cinnamon rolls and they were a complete fail.  They tasted awful.  I am not going to attempt them again.  I'll figure something else out.

Mark is very gracious about it.  I told him he could throw them away and he did.  I told him I would find something better.  

Speaking of Mark, he was super sick on Tuesday with a cold.  When he gets sick, he gets very sick.  He slept all afternoon and went to bed early.

Besides the failed cinnamon rolls, I also delivered Christmas gifts to neighbors with Adam.  We had a fun time.  We chatted with some people and left things on the doorstep of others who were not home.  When we were dropping at one house, the Schelins were dropping off across the street.  Cortney waved for me to stop and she handed me a treat out the car window and I handed her one back.  A serendipitous meeting.  It was fun to say Merry Christmas to everyone.  It's a really great thing about Utah County wards that you know EVERYONE in your neighborhood.

We had a smorgasbord of appetizers for dinner and watched Charlie Brown Christmas before Mark went back to sleep.  He and Emma decided 9:00 would be the time we'd wake up on Christmas morning.  (I woke up closer to 6:00 but I very happily read).  

Mark happily felt better Christmas morning and while he still had cold symptoms, he was less miserable.  We opened our gifts and I love that.  Every package under the tree is a representation of love.  We all liked our gifts and we FaceTimed with Braeden and Anna and QE and opened our gifts from each other.  More love!  QE was perfectly happy looking at a new book she got and not all that interested in opening more presents.  Anna said it goes against everything you would normally want to say, "No, ignore that and want something more!"

She liked her gifts from us though so that made me happy.

Adam gave me a book nook kit and I spent most of the afternoon building it.  It was fun and I'm very pleased with how it looks on the shelf.

(Adam helped me with the electricity and I called on Mark to decipher the instructions at times.)

Adam said I might want to take it to school, but I don't.  It is very delicate and 3rd graders aren't.

We had ham and scalloped potatoes and Brussels sprouts for dinner and felt like kings.

I love Christmas!

This morning I woke up with the terrible horrible no good very bad sore throat Mark had.  I had high hopes to clean up the house and the like, but I'm taking a sick day instead.  It is lame to be sick during vacation, but easier than writing sub plans.

Christmas Eve

 On my to do list today:

• gluten free cinnamon rolls (they were kind of a fail last year and I'm going to try again!)
• deliver treats to neighbors (everyone I didn't intercept at our door)
• figure out when we are going to Nevada (we were going to go Thursday and now we are not sure)

In dramatic Scarlett O'Hara fashion last night I told Adam I was too tired to think about it and I would think about it tomorrow.

Yesterday my high hopes of a peaceful and productive day at home were slightly waylaid.  I ended up getting a migraine.  I took my medicine (I'm so grateful for that stuff!) and slept for two hours.  Later in the day I had a check up with my doctor and since I also had a flair up of my herpes simplex in my eye, I was a sight.

I explained my situation as if to say, "Despite all appearances, I really am fine."

She said, "That is serious!  You could go blind from that."

Everyone tells me that and it is extremely...helpful...especially since I've also been told that stress makes it worse.

She also told me that the migraine was probably triggered by the flair up which was weirdly comforting because I always blame my treacherous neck and back, but maybe there's more treachery afoot.

After I got home, Mark and I took his car to get the oil changed, dropped off some returns at the UPS store and dropped off some stuff at DI.  We decided that errands like that deserve a gold star.  They are neither exciting nor urgent, but you feel like you're being a responsible citizen when you do them.

We met up with Adam and Emma for dinner to celebrate Mark's birthday at Red Robin.  My children thought that maybe I have some subconscious reason I don't want to go to Red Robin because I had a migraine last time we were supposed to go too.

I was feeling better though and we enjoyed our time.

We came home and watched While You Were Sleeping, which was my holiday movie pick.

It ended up being a good day, despite the treachery.

I am feeling very grateful this Christmas season.  I have an expanding list of people I love who I am concerned about and praying for.  I feel comforted in the hope of Jesus Christ's atonement.  I am grateful for the invitation Moroni gives in the Book of Mormon to "come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift."

We all need good gifts. We all have public or private struggles.  God is good.  His personalized curriculum for each of us is what we need to return to Him.  And we are not left alone in any of it.

...the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.

Merry Christmas!

Weekend

 Saturday Adam and I had a great experience going to the temple for the first time with a woman in our ward who is in her 80s.  A lot of people from our ward were there too and why is it so wonderful to see people you know at the temple?  I don't know, but it is.

I saw Jamie, who was there as an ordinance worker, and we hugged and greeted each other like we hadn't just seen each other the day before.

Time in the temple always feels worth it.

In the chapel, before the session, I was thinking about my grandma.  I feel close to her at the temple and I love wearing her pearl earrings whenever I go.  I thought, I miss her! Quickly on the heels of that thought, I looked up and saw a picture of Jesus.  Christmas music was being played by the organist.  I thought for the millionth time how devastating it would be when someone we love dies if we did not know that we could see them again.  I felt grateful for temple covenants and grateful for the Savior of the world.  I'm grateful for everything He did so that I can someday be reunited with people I love.

Joy to the world!

We met up with Mark for lunch and went to Trader Joe's and Winco and toured Mark's office (he's been wanting to show us).

We parted ways and Adam and I stopped by at the PG library for the holiday book sale.  I was grateful to have Adam there to carry books.  I filled a box paper comes in (they had empty ones stashed under the tables for people like me) and then some.  Holiday library book sales are my love language.

It was great to have Emma and Mark Saturday night.  We see them at least weekly, but it felt different for them to be staying.  

We had a weird dinner of whatever was in the fridge and some random food Emma brought that needed to be eaten.  Mark heated up some gluten free mac and cheese from Trader Joe's.  We talked over each other and laughed a lot and then Emma and I watched a movie.

Every year, we decide on the worst sounding Christmas movie on Netflix to watch.  This year's was so bad.  I tried to get Adam and Mark to watch it with us, but they politely and firmly declined.

We watched Hot Frosty.

Let me sum it up for you (believe me, you don't want to watch it unless you have someone like Emma to watch it with).

A young widowed woman, Kathy, lived in a broken down little house.  A few days before Christmas, her friend gave her a scarf which she immediately (like right outside the door of her friend's shop, which felt kind of ungrateful/rude) put on a snowman.  The town was having an ice sculpture contest and this particular snowman was a lifelike very muscular man.

Overnight he came to life, broke a huge plate glassed window in the friend's shop and stole some clothes.  The clothes were these overalls that were sleeveless (to better show off his muscles) with the name Jack embroidered on them.  So that became his name.

He knew nothing about life and had zero memory of anything.  Kathy took him in (of course she did) and he watched TV all day at her house while she was at work.

In the space of a few days, because he'd watched TV, he learned how to cook and learned how to repair her roof (complete with repairing the drywall where water was leaking).  She had a broken stair that he also flawlessly repaired.  (Emma noticed she had two different sets of stairs in this tiny house because they kept showing them from different angles--she said there must be servants quarters.) He went around fixing electrical work for older women in town who were gaga over how handsome he (apparently?) was.  Then he got a job as a maintenance man at the middle school and created this amazing scene for the school dance and befriended all the middle schoolers.

Again, in the space of a few days.

He asked Kathy to the middle school dance (because that is what adults do, obviously) and they had a romantic dance scene until he had to go outside because he was too hot.  (He is a snowman after all.)

I am not making this up!

He ended up getting arrested by the overzealous sheriff for streaking (before he found clothes) and breaking the window.

The store owner said it was Christmas so she didn't mind the broken window (?!?), but the sheriff persisted.

The town's people rallied and passed around a hat to raise the bail to get Jack out of jail. (It was Christmas Eve!)  The sheriff wouldn't budge because they were $10 short, until his son (one of the middle school kids Jack had befriended and had even encouraged to ask a girl to dance) convinced him.

The sheriff was so overcome with sudden Christmas spirit, he gave everyone back their money.  

Except Jack died (?) in the jail cell because it was too hot for him.

They hauled him out and lay him in the snow and Kathy kissed him and said she loved him. Then they all walked away, leaving the apparent snowman carcass just lying there in the middle of the town square.

BUT, Jack came alive and for the first time in his life, he was cold which meant he was an actual man.

A Christmas miracle!

We are also having a holiday film festival with actual good Christmas movies.  Everyone gets to pick one and Covid rules apply.  Just like during Covid, everyone has to watch the movie.

Which won't be a problem, because we like all the Christmas movies everyone else will pick.

I loved church.  I think the Sunday before Christmas is my favorite Sunday of the year.  I love the music and festive clothes and grown children home.  Everyone is cheery and wishing each other Merry Christmas.  

Our doorbell rang intermittently all afternoon with people dropping by treats.  I had reciprocal treats beribboned and ready to go, which I handed over at our doorstep.  A lazy girl's way to deliver neighborhood Christmas gifts.

The youth came over for a fireside Sunday evening.  It was fun to have their laughter and chatter fill our home.

Today I'm home from school on vacation and was awake earlier than my alarm usually goes off.  I think I'm afraid of success on some level....

An extra post

 I only have two careers to compare around here at Christmas time, mine and Adam's. 

Adam comes home with a lot of really nice Christmas presents from his boss and coworkers.

I have Ugly Sweater Day, which is Jamie's favorite day of the school year.  She created a rubric for judging and sent it to us last week.

There were prizes.

Participating is not optional.

Here I am with my team.  I am the shortest and don't know to look at the camera.  This is my life.  This has always been my life.

I didn't even come close to winning the contest.  

The students who came, came to school in pajamas and with frenzied energy.  Many didn't come, which makes sense when the day is short.  A few more gave me presents which were very sweet.  

We went to the Jingle Jam.

It was utter bedlam!  Matt knows how to rile them up, but thankfully he also knows how to settle them back down. 

The students performed their grade level songs for each other by standing up in the spot where they were sitting.  I crossed the room to take a picture of the third graders and realized they absolutely didn't know the song, so I stayed there and led them and did the actions from across the room.

Between numbers, the teachers did lip sync performances or a jib jab/elf yourself kind of situation.  The third grade team was the only one who did a video instead of a lip sync.  Miriam said, "Are we the old team?"

If we are, it is because I bring the average age up.

(I also didn't mind that we didn't do a lip sync.)  

The second grade teachers did a Christmas version of "Raining Tacos."  If you don't know what that song is, you probably aren't an elementary teacher.

And then they threw tortillas at the crowd.  If I could figure out how to make it work, I would add the video I took.  It was a scene.  Over 500 hyped up children in pajamas losing their ever loving minds.

It took several minutes to get everyone settled down.

It was further proof that elementary teachers are not like regular people and we absolutely deserve the bedlam that happens to us because we cause a lot of it.

Back at our classroom we played games and passed out papers and all the things.  I told them they were not to open their gifts from me until they got home.  They were books and some of them were thick above grade level books and some of them were 1st grade level because I wanted to give them books they could read.  I didn't need them comparing.

My little English learner is moving.  It was his last day.  He brought treats for everyone and a present for me.  We told him we love him and would miss him and he said, "Teacher, I'm sad!" and he burst into tears.

We all hugged it out and he just clung to me, the little sweetie.

He kept saying, "I'm sad, Teacher!  I love you so much, Teacher!"  I told him that when he started school here, he didn't know anyone and now he has so many friends and everyone loves him.  

I said, "Everyone at your new school will love you!  You are going to make many new friends."

He solemnly said, "OK, Teacher." (He said it the same way he always said OK Teacher when I told him to sit down or stop talking or no, he couldn't have a piece of candy.)

His gift was a Lego Ninjago book with a mini figure too.  (Another reason I didn't want them to open gifts in the classroom--he's the only one that got a mini figure.)

Ten seconds after he left for the day, he came hurtling back and hugged me again.  He had opened his gift.

"Thank you, Teacher!  I love it, Teacher! Oh, thank you!"  It made me wish I'd given him a Lego set the size of him.

All the introvert teachers sped around their classrooms, getting ready to leave.  I took down my decorations and switched everything to January and took several loads to the car.  A gaggle of extroverted teachers were in the hall laughing and talking.  They were recharging in their way and I was hurrying home to recharge in mine.

I felt such warmth and love as I left the school.  Fellow teachers, my friends, called to me to have a Merry Christmas and a good vacation.  It is so wonderful to work with people I like so much.

I don't need expensive Christmas presents from work.  I'd pick this job any day.

Grateful Friday

 Well, Christmas time is the best when gifts are your love language.  I love thinking about and shopping for gifts.  I love gift idea lists (although I usually don't use anything on them--I still like looking).  I love getting gifts!  I love knowing someone thought of me.

When Emma and I were decorating the tree, the song, "All I Want for Christmas is You" was playing.

I don't care about the presents 

Underneath the Christmas tree

She said, "I guess you can't relate to this song."

No indeed.

It can also be a fraught time when gifts are your love language and you overthink everything.  (Also me.)

Yesterday I took gifts for my teammates and also for Jamie.  I went into her office to give her gift to her and the other coach, who shares an office with Jamie, was also there.  I couldn't exactly back out and pretend it never happened, or pretend I didn't have a gift for Jamie and not the other coach.

It was super awkward.

I think the other coach is great!  I really like her.  But Jamie is my she's been to my house several times and I've been to hers friend. She gave me some of her soup yesterday so I could try out the new recipe she discovered. (It was pickle soup! It was surprisingly good!)

Anyway.  I felt weird about it.  I didn't think about the whole sharing an office thing....

Then there are the gifts from my students.  They make my heart sing.  So sweet.  

Something like this:  a Diet Coke with a handwritten card is pretty much peak present for me from a student.  I don't want anything expensive, but their thinking of me makes me feel loved.

This was inside another card (she had also painted me a picture of a snowman).

I try to strike the balance between my appreciation and celebration of their efforts and not making the other kids feel bad.

They don't need to bring me a gift!  I cringe a little inside when they ask me what I want for Christmas.  

Yesterday a few students brought things to my desk and I thanked them and I noticed one girl looking over, kind of downhearted.  It was early morning when they were doing brain bins and she and another girl were playing with dominoes.  She came over to my desk and asked, "Teacher, what is your favorite color?"

I said, "Red."

They went back to their table and started speaking Spanish, which is the best way to be stealthy around me.

A few minutes later, they came back to my desk, all smiles.  "Teacher!  We made something for you!"

First they proudly showed me the T.

Then this, which confused me at first until I realized it was Mis Davis written backward (I don't know why it is backward).

They hugged me and I hugged them right back because I loved their gift.

It was a Little Drummer Boy kind of moment.  We all have gifts to bring when we give love.

Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum.

To quote Ferdinand from the movie Babe....

 Yesterday morning I had four students sobbing uncontrollably at different times.  Full on weeping.

One girl's dad came to the Christmas sing, but just as we were finished singing. So she cried.

We were working on a group project (the Santa village using area...I'll never do it again) and the group didn't share one student's vision and went in a different direction. So she cried.

Another group put away their project and one of the girls wasn't finished.  So she cried.  I suggested she go retrieve the project and keep working on it and she did.  She also refused to sit by her group for the rest of the day.

Two boys got in a tussle because one was holding a crayon and the other grabbed the crayon and the crayon broke.  You never saw so much accusation and incrimination.  I said, "They're my crayons!  I don't care if it breaks!  You're fine!"

During writing time we were having a discussion and I was taking answers from the class.  One of the boys didn't get called on so he put his head down on his desk and...cried.

We took a five minute break and I showed them a Lucas the Spider video.  We all needed it.

Alissa had had a lot of crying in the morning too.  She sighed and said, "They have big emotions."

After lunch, I had gathered my strength and had a solid and structured plan, but things were still a bit rough.  One student gave his best pouting face (and you've never seen such a great pouter) when I told him in no uncertain terms that he was not to further discuss the existence of Santa Claus.

"Stop," I said.  "No more. I've asked you to stop and you're being unkind."

After the afternoon performance we had about 15+ minutes until the end of the day.  Parents could come and check their students out right then and there.  I considered offering $5 to any parent who would take their kids early.

What a day.

We had an hour of professional development after school (of course we did) and then I went to the chiropractor.

When I was finally home, I took a bath and changed into my pajamas.

When Adam was heading off to young mens where they were delivering goodies to people, he said, "If you weren't in your pajamas, I would have invited you to come with us."

To borrow a phrase from Mark I said, "That would have been a negativo Stevo."

I was done.

This morning after a good night's sleep and another hot bath (the best way to start the day, especially in December), I feel ready for another day.  I really do love those knuckleheads and I'm going to do my festive best these last two days.

Joy to the world

 Every year at school about this time, I remember a teacher who was a guest presenter at my multicultural education class at BYU.  He was a Jewish man teaching at an elementary school in Salt Lake City.  He talked to us about his culture a bit and then he told us that his classroom was the only one that was calm in December.

I do it to myself, in other words.  

I have an advent calendar and Christmas activities and Christmas read alouds and Christmas school work.  For example, yesterday they were drawing Santa's village based on the different given areas of the buildings.  We did a word search for Christmas words of different syllable types.  We did a Christmas song mad libs.

And they are all acting like insane lunatics.

I can't be like the Jewish teacher who visited my class, though.  I am grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ and I think that it is worth celebrating.  Even though my desire for sharing love and joy and light with them usually results in chaos, I can't not do it.

And, when you think about it, maybe feeling deliriously, hysterically happy is the appropriate reaction.

Unto us a Son is given!

In the bleak midwinter

Yesterday a student came back from WIN time with a box that was some kind of project he had worked on there.  He asked, "What do I do with this?"

I said, "You can put it on the counter."

He paused a moment, distracted by something.  Then he said, "What should I put on the counter?"

I didn't even know what to say.

We've been trying (not succeeding) at figuring out area of irregular shapes.

This was one student's quiz:

We got this email from the office:

There was a report made today in the office during lunch that XXX and XXX were drawing pictures of XXX and XXX holding hands.

XXX let me know that she doesn' t like it and that it is annoying. 

She said that XXX drew a picture of an air quote "I love you" character as XXX.

XXX drew the picture of XXX and XXX holding hands.

I asked XXX where the picture was and he said he thinks he threw it away. I asked why the drawing was created and he said that he wanted to make XXX happy. I asked XXX why he wanted to make XXX happy he replied so that she wouldn't be sad.

The office is turning this over to your team.

Such a fun age....

The energy at school among students is accelerating at the same rate energy is flagging among teachers.

I was gathering up my things to go home and the sky was low and gray and I still had a frustrating pile on my desk of things that needed doing, but I was going home anyway.

The sky reflected my mood.

I talked to my parents to check in on my mom and my dad asked me how many more days I had school until Christmas break and I said, "Until Friday."

He said, "That's a lot of days!  You can't quit now."

Rats.

I was told yesterday that I need to keep my classroom door locked at all times.  If a student needs to go to the bathroom or get a drink or go anywhere, when they come back, they're going to have to knock and be let inside.  That feels like such an enormous pain!  There are going to be so many extra interruptions!

Another teacher said, "These are the times we are living in."

And then there was a school shooting yesterday to put an exclamation point on that for emphasis.

It felt very much like bleak midwinter.

Despite the bleak feeling day, the house was warm and I told Alexa to turn on the Christmas lights.  I know I have many many things to be grateful for.  I am grateful for Christmas songs that are beautiful and also give me comfort and hope and reminders of what it all means.   Even bleak midwinters have an uplifting message.  Here's the last stanza, by Christina Rossetti:

I will keep trying to give my heart.

Weekend

Much like Marley was dead: to begin with, we went to the grocery store: to begin with.

Then I decided to make pumpkin bread.  Adam was deep into his church email so I went alone to Walmart (on a December Saturday because I am insane) because it is closer than Winco for pumpkin and cloves.  I don't know the last time I used regular flour, so I picked up a 5 lb bag of flour in case I didn't have enough.

I don't bake much anymore, which is a little sad because I like to bake.

I had the pumpkin in the mixer, I had the eggs on the counter, coming to room temperature, I had the butter softened.  

Friends, I didn't have any sugar.  I had like 1/3 cup.  I looked in the pantry thoroughly.  I used to buy my flour and sugar at Costco because I used it that often.  It was amazing to me that I had run out of sugar.  I didn't even have any brown sugar.  I had honey, so I contemplated using that, but it seemed to invite new complications.  

I announced to Adam I was going back to Walmart.  I think he heard the despondency in my voice and he said, "I'll go for you!"

I said he didn't need to and he said, "I need to wash my car anyway."

I said, "I'll come with you, but are you going to vacuum your car?"  (Sometimes going to the carwash with Adam where he has to vacuum every nook and cranny you never knew existed in a car is like going to a museum with him where he reads every printed word available.)

He said he wouldn't vacuum, so I put my shoes on.

My frustration was high when I contemplated all the things that weren't happening at home thanks to me going to my third grocery store of the day.  As he was parking, I said, "It is discouraging to know I'll be the dumbest person in Walmart."

Adam texted our kids because he said that was the funniest thing I'd ever said.  

I wasn't trying to be funny.

We got the sugar and it wasn't all that painless.  I made my pumpkin bread and tried to triage the rest of my to do list.  Adam made dinner while I folded laundry.

He told me dinner was ready and I came downstairs to this:

Probably the most consistent aspect of my parenting is that my children set the table correctly.  That doesn't say a lot about my parenting, but the table always looked nice.

After dinner we watched Wolf Hall on PBS and I painted my nails and then sat next to Adam on the couch and he tucked a blanket around me so that I wouldn't ruin my nails.

I love Saturdays with that guy.

Sunday was a busy and good day, marred only by Mark getting sick.

We went to our church and then went to Emma's.  She was singing a duet with a friend and then her choir (she's the director) was also performing.  I love going to her ward.  They meet in a beautiful old building in the Avenues with big arched windows in the chapel complete with wavy old glass and some stained glass. Everything from the talks to the prayers were edifying.  Also, those kids can sing.

We hightailed it from there back to PG for our ward choir practice.  My best contribution to the choir was bringing my kids.  Mark started getting sick during choir practice and I don't know if it was gluten or food poisoning, but he was not doing well, poor kid.  I hate that he has to deal with everything that he has to deal with.

The bumps and bruises of mortal life abound, but I'm grateful for this Christmas season and the Savior whose Atonement lessens the sting of all things mortal.  Because of Him all pains and sickness and loneliness and sorrow have an expiration date.

What a wonderful thing!
 

Grateful Friday

 1) My sweet boy from last year stopped by my classroom yesterday to give me a cookie because it was his birthday.

I love him so much!

2) Speaking of love, Adam got to see QE yesterday and I was jealous, but also happy for him.  The called over FaceTime and Adam read a story to her and then I did.  I told her to hug Papa goodnight for me and she sunk into him blissfully.  

Adam sent some pictures and the one of Braeden sitting on the floor at a bookstore, reading to QE, is my everything.  I heard that when you have grandchildren, you get to love your own children again and it is true and why grandchildren are so magical.

3) I'm grateful for prayer.  I have a whole list of people I am praying for.  I'm helpless to do much else, and  even though I wish I could do more, I feel united with them through my prayers.

4) I'm grateful for my siblings.  My mom has pneumonia and is in the hospital.  They all sprung into action and I was the last to know because my phone was silenced.  I had 47 unread messages in the group chat at the end of yesterday's school day.  I'm grateful for the love that unites us and for their sturdy capable selves.

And also we're all praying together.

5) I'm grateful Adam is coming home today.

6) I'm grateful to be a teacher.  It knocks me all the way flat sometimes and can be so hard, but it can also be wonderful and exhilarating.  We didn't have a nines skip counting song, because I thought the nines trick makes it unnecessary.  They wanted one though, so I made up one to jingle bells.  Yesterday I gave children jingle bells and they rang them in chaos and we sang the nines skip counting song for all we were worth and it was fun.  Later, we read a story about people getting ideas from nature and they were shocked by the story of someone getting an idea from shipworms for building a tunnel under a river.  It led to all kinds of discussions about why you would want to build a tunnel under a river.  We talked about the Chunnel and I ended up showing them pictures and we were miles off track, but it was a lot of fun.

Yesterday during "Brain Bins" time, a student was building with magna tiles on my desk.  She likes to be close.  I gave her an idea and she said, "I know you're trying, but that won't work."

I appreciated her compassion.

Lost and found

Every day, multiple times a day, I am approached by a student looking for a lost item.  Often, I know where it is.  "It's on the floor, under your desk" is usually the answer.  Or, I'll have them bring me the box that fits inside their desk and I'll sift through the detritus and hand them whatever it is that had been supposedly irretrievably lost. 

Sometimes, it is a prized trinket that has gone missing and if I can't find it, I'll usually offer a piece of candy for whoever can find it.  It almost always works.  They fan out on their hands and knees, searching and they find whatever it was.

Yesterday, it was one of the girl's turn to open the advent calendar.  She got her mini brand, it was a teeny tiny Rugrat doll, and everyone oohed and ahhed and she placed it on her desk and within the hour it disappeared.  I looked around and didn't see it.  We were on our way to PE and I said that no one was leaving until we found the mini brand.

One boy found it, miraculously, in his pocket.

(He didn't get a piece of candy.)

Wicked headache

 Yesterday I had a headache and it was a doozy.  It just kept getting worse as the day went on and being a teacher in December is not the best way to ride out a headache.

I 100% bribed them the last half hour of the day that I would give them a piece of candy if they were quiet.  I turned off the lights and they got on their computers and they were silent.  It helped me survive that last part of the day.

We went to Wicked, which I would have dipped out of except Mark was going to meet me there after and we were going to meet Adam and Emma at Red Robin.  Also, we were gifted fleece blankets (the Pendleton ones from Costco) and we were in a theater with recliners so I would at least be comfy and cozy.  We all took our blankets and everyone was convivial and happy and I just wanted to die.

I slept the first hour of the movie.  I woke up occasionally because it was loud.  That little nap helped me survive the rest, but a migraine and Dolby surround sound and a brightly colored screen aren't exactly a winning combination.  I didn't know how I was going to do Red Robin.

After the theater, I had a text from Adam that they had changed the plans (because of me).  He was bringing pizza and we were all meeting at our house.  I cried I was so relieved.

When Mark got here, he tidied the kitchen and lit some candles for the table.  We were going to meet at Red Robin in Murray so Emma wouldn't have to drive as much and since Adam had a late flight.  I was so grateful to them for changing plans for me.  Mark opened his gifts and we talked about when he was born and how Emma cried when she found out she was getting a brother instead of a sister.  "But I'm happy now!" she assured him.

Adam tucked me in at 8:00 and I slept well.  At some point I checked my phone and I had a text at 1:15 that he was in San Francisco.

I'm moving around a little gingerly today and don't really have an appetite yet, but I'm feeling a lot better.  Sometimes (often) I feel frustrated and sorry for myself that I get these terrible horrible no good very bad headaches, but then I remember that this is the mortal journey I signed up for.  Things are hard sometimes.  Not just for me.  It's OK.

Just keep swimming

 I would be a very wealthy woman if I had a nickel for every time I asked them to stop yelling.  They are excited and that is all.

Yesterday was freezing cold so we played penguin at recess.  Basically we take turns having one of them stand in the middle and the rest of us crowd around and then it's someone else's turn.  It passes the time.

I read How to Catch Santa Claus to them and one student in 100% seriousness told me there were some good ideas in there he wants to try.

We celebrated a half birthday and the student brought cupcakes and a box of gluten free cookies for my student who has celiac.  He has gluten free treats in a little bin his mom supplied and I have back up gluten free treats also, but it still was just so kind and made me a little bit want to cry.

I texted both moms.  I told the birthday mom that was incredibly kind and I told the mom of the celiac what happened and that I understand that it was huge.

The mom of the birthday boy is a Haitian immigrant and sent back a very formal and gracious reply similar to every communication I have with her.  The other mom also has a diabetic son (who I also taught) so we are autoimmune disease besties and she was as touched by it all as I was.

We did our first in the gym rehearsal for the Christmas sing and I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but it went pretty well.

Today is our faculty Christmas party (we're going to see Wicked in a theater with a popcorn allowance) and it's Mark's birthday so we're going to Red Robin later.

Life seems to be humming along pretty well.  (I just need to get them to stop yelling.)

Weekend

 It was a wonderful December weekend.  

Adam brought home pizza Friday night and we finished watching Howard's End on PBS.  Adam didn't like the ending as much as I did.  Snuggled on the couch next to Adam eating pizza is all I want on a Friday night.  Throw in a period drama and that's bliss.

Saturday we both had long to do lists so we decided to start early with our errands.  On the way to Costco, Marianne called because she had two extra tickets to Christmas Around the World at BYU.  I asked Adam if he wanted to go and he said, "I don't see why not."

He's up for anything.  It is a defining characteristic.

We did our errands, had lunch at Marley's and came home to get a bit done.  At 2:00 we were at the Marriott Center to watch Christmas Around the World.  I loved it!  It was uplifting and entertaining.  I love seeing live performances by talented people.  And I loved sitting next to Marianne.

We came home and squeezed in a little more work then went to our ward Christmas party.  It was wonderful!  We gathered in the chapel and in groups of about 20 at a time, we had to pay our taxes (canned food) and then were led through the church to different vignettes about the Christmas story.  

Our friend Rick was the tax collector and almost everyone handed him a bag of cans.  Adam and I each had one can.  Rick jokingly said, "That's a pretty light tax."

Adam had more cans he had bought for the occasion, but I asked if I could take them to my school canned food drive instead.  He said, "I want to be generous." 

I said, "The school needs our generosity more than the ward does."

He said, "These cans aren't going to our ward.  They're being donated."

I said, "The student council has a goal of 500 cans and they only have about 100 so far.  I want to take more cans."

Adam agreed.

Then he said, "If you want we can give cans to your students for rewards and they can donate them to the school."

Being generous is another of Adam's defining characteristics.

Our friends Shannon and Chris sat with us and I love that my mom and Chris's mom were college roommates and now we are friends.  

Church was good with thoughts of hope and peace filling my heart.

At home I prepped for Pikkujoulu 2.0.  We enjoyed our pikkujoulu in Washington, but never got around to the program portion, which is really my favorite part.

That and setting the table.

We enjoyed our dinner and then sang a few Christmas songs and read some Christmas stories. Adam read to us from the Book of Mormon and Bible about Christ being born.  Mark's birthday is tomorrow so we were also celebrating him.

He is laughing in this picture because Emma was running around in the background and being goofy.  My only explanation to the nieces and nephews was that they were homeschooled.  Emma countered that wasn't it; they have personalities.  They do have...personalities.

I made a chocolate cherry cake.  For a gluten free cake, it was pretty good.

And I love that birthday boy.

Grateful Friday

 I really love the Christmas season and I am grateful it is here.  I love Christmas at school and I love Christmas at home.  It will be GREAT to have a Christmas vacation and 2/3 of my children here.

I love the traditions at school.  Yesterday some of my students finished up their paper dolls.  When we were cleaning up, I said, "If there are any pieces that still seem usable, put them on the table."

So they did.

I mean, I guess these pieces would be usable if we were going to make confetti....

As usual, the paper dolls are turning out very cute and I love them.

Other things I'm grateful about:

Yesterday we were singing our skip counting songs, like we do daily.  I had them pick how to sing them and someone picked opera and picture me leading 27 extremely off key and over the top dramatic children singing 8,16, 24, 32 and 40, 48, 56, 64, 72 and 80 to the tune of This Old Man in an opera style.  It is a party.

Also, my heat was blasting when I walked in the room and I 1) located Riley and 2) convinced him my cheerful disposition couldn't last another day in the mid 80s.  

He said he would do what he could.

He was able to get it working!

I saw him later in the day and told him as much.  He shushed me and told me not to jinx it.  We are running on superstition I guess, which may be part of the problem....

Oh what...fun

 It was 84 degrees in my classroom yesterday.  They came in from afternoon recess with their tongues lolling.  We're all wearing sweaters like you're supposed to do in December and the HVAC is not cooperating.

(It's really hard to stay patient and friendly in those circumstances, especially when it's CHRISTMAS and everyone is EXCITED and bouncing off the walls.)

I decided to just go for it.

We started making the paper dolls for Christmas Around the World (they each have a different country).  I love making paper dolls so I love helping them, but it was hot and they were demanding and I was cranky.  

We also made their ornaments.  I just handed out plastic cups and permanent markers and turned on Christmas music and we made a day of it.

At the end of the day I read them The Trouble With Trolls and seeing their little faces with rapt attention gathered around me on the floor so they could see the pictures softened my heart.

So it's 84 degrees.  

We can pretend it's Christmas in Florida.

I'm wearing a t-shirt today.

Caned Food Drive

 The student council at school enthusiastically makes posters that no one spell checks.  Hence, the caned food drive.

There is a goal to collect 500 cans of food.  You know what that means; I know what that means.  Not everyone knows what that means.

On Monday, a 4th grader, one of my former students, told me, "I don't understand why they want us to bring 500 cans of food."

I said, "Well, they don't want everyone to bring 500.  The goal is to collect 500 cans so if everyone brought one, they would reach the goal."

"But why?" he wondered.

I didn't say it, but his family may just be a recipient of some of the cans.  What I did say was, "They will find someone who could use the food."

He walked away looking wholly unconvinced.

Yesterday, I was walking into the school and a 5th grader, one of my former students, was gazing at one of the signs.  She asked me, "What do they even give you if you bring in 500 cans?"

I said, "You don't need to bring 500 cans.  Just one can.  They want to collect 500 cans altogether."

She squinted her eyes at me like she was assessing if I were for real.

I don't know.  It's a caned food drive.  Maybe it isn't supposed to make sense.

Christmas Halloween! Christmas Halloween!

 My little English learner sings "Christmas Halloween" (loudly) and he means "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas and I don't really want anyone to ever correct him, because I like it.

They were enamored by my decoration efforts (Mark's decoration efforts).  They loved the village and chided each other to not touch it.

My same English learner, who switched to belting out Feliz Navidad partway through the day,
wondered if the fluffy fake snow base was real.

I keep thinking actual winter snow is going to blow his mind when/if we get it.

I had set out my Christmas books and they immediately claimed them during silent reading time.  I have The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza and I told them Mark hates that book and would leave the room when I read it aloud when he was little.

Nothing could possibly make a book more enticing.  They wanted me to read it aloud and then all had conjectures about why Mark hates it.

Christmas needs children and I'm glad I have 27 to call my own.

Especially since my actual children are spending their energy on stuff like this:

Weekend

 We are home.  I am happy to be here and very happy that the Christmas season is upon us!

It was kind of a wild trip sleep wise and I am tired, but as trips like that are, it was worth it.

We had a kind of pikkujoulu on Friday night and decorated the Christmas tree. (I think we're going to still have a pikkujoulu 2.0.)  My favorite part was how excited QE was about the tree.  She loved to finger all the ornaments and ask questions about them.  She would tell whoever was listening that she was being VERY gentle.  She said, reverently, "I love Christmas!"

She repeatedly said, "Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad."  She is most definitely the gift that keeps giving.

Saturday we visited with Geri and Megan and then met up with the Johnsons and Jorgensens for lunch.

You can see the contents of my purse on the table next to me because I was keeping QE occupied.

When we were leaving her house, Geri handed me a sandwich bag with a few gingerbread cookies inside.  She said, "You may need these."

And I did.

They kept QE patient so her parents could visit with Dillon and his wife Haley and I could visit with my friends.

I told them that Geri was the master and I was trying to learn everything I could from her.

Stephanie agreed, "You are the padawan."

Janet and Stephanie mean the world to me.  We've been friends for over 20 years and we love each other and we love each others' children and I love that they are in the world.  They teach me about love and grit and grace under fire.

I need all the Jedi masters I can get.

We enjoyed some Thanksgiving leftovers back at Geri's before heading to the airport for our late flight.  We got home at 1:30 AM and I was happy to see my bed.

Yesterday was a very low key day.  Mark wasn't feeling well so he stayed in Provo, but Emma came and we decorated the little tree and part of the big tree.  Mark's coming over tonight to help us finish.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!