Sick day

 I am home today.  Sick.  So much for bragging about my immune system and the benefits of Wellness Formula.

I'm out of Wellness Formula, by the way, but I've ordered more from Amazon.

My voice was no better yesterday than it was the day before plus I felt worse.  It was the kind of day that was easier to go to school than create lesson plans.  Sometimes lesson plans aren't that daunting on the fly, but the second day back from break, they seemed hard.

School was also hard.

I wrote a note on the board for them to start on their math review that we do every morning and they were all silent.  They think they can't talk when I don't talk and it is kind of a beautiful thing.

We got through our day pretty well.  We have been reading a story about the Solar System so I had them go on Epic and read books about planets.  They loved that and some of them took copious notes.

They also loved Pictionary spelling.  Every day we practice their spelling words and then the actual test is on Friday.

Usually I say the word, they write it on their white boards then hold them up and I say either yes or no and they look around and correct their spelling as needed.

Yesterday I drew the words on the board.  They are all vowel r words and we had already practiced them one day so they were pretty good at guessing.  Stairs.  Large. Thirst.  (I drew a dramatic stick figure crawling toward a glass of water.)

They worried about me.  One of them asked, "Do you think you should get checked out?"

I said, "Yes.  Maybe I'll call my mom to come and pick me up."

At lunch I went in the office to ask Matt if I should get a sub for today or just see how I felt later.  He wasn't there, having gone outside for recess duty to relieve the aides because it was so cold.  What a guy!

I asked my question and all three secretaries said, "Yes!  Get a sub!  Now!"

So I did.

They asked if I was leaving then.  (My voice made me sound like my days and maybe hours were numbered.). But I said no.  The afternoons aren't that hard because they have specialties.

For writing I got a Henri Matisse print from the library and had them use adjectives to describe it.  Not wanting to talk made me a more creative teacher, I think.

During P.E., I wrote sub plans and made copies and left early.  

Today my plan is to do nothing.  My mom told me to get a good book and stay warm.  I can do that.

Off to a start

I wouldn't call it a great start, but it was a start.

I couldn't find my mittens.  I considered maybe they were in my classroom.  They weren't.  Maybe they're in Nevada?  How could I lose my mittens?!?

It was 54 degrees in my classroom.  Bless the hearts of the voters who opposed the bond.  The wind chill made it 6 degrees outside.  I donned my gloves (usually I would wear gloves inside of mittens, but alas) and took a stop sign and went out to my post.  Matt was there.  He said, "Give me the stop sign and you go back inside."

The award for world's best principal goes to....

I was so grateful!

My computer was completely dead.  It was plugged in but I guess that plug wasn't working because it was dead.  Also I got a text from a parent that she wanted a meeting.  That's always a great way to start a morning when you are disoriented from trying to remember how to be a teacher again.

I also had morning recess duty, but since it was a balmy 14 by then, we had inside recess.

Riley did something to the heat and it started working with a vengeance.  By the afternoon it was 80 in my classroom and my students, wearing hoodies and sweaters, had lolling tongues and flushed faces.  

I talked to Riley again.  He explained that the system associated with my classroom (lucky me!) is worn out and it doesn't open when the heat is supposed to go on and it doesn't close once you open it. 

I had a student worriedly ask me when the next election is.  "November.  We will elect a new president then."

He said, "I'm afraid of Trump.  He wants to attack Mexicans."

I said I didn't think that was true (but the most recent thing I read about him was that he was once again making fun of John McCain's POW injuries so what do I know?).

Another student said, "I like Trump."

I said that no matter who we wanted or didn't want for president, the important thing was to be kind to each other about it.

A girl said, "Talking about Trump reminds me of a joke. Can I tell it to you?"

I said, "Is it appropriate for school?"  You never know.

She said, "Yes.  What do you get when you cross an elephant and a fish?"

I said, "What?"

"Swimming trunks!"

I like third graders.

Also, mid-day, I lost my voice.  My students would look at me askance and one of them said, "Teacher! It keeps getting worse!"

Then they tried to describe it to me, like I didn't know.  "Sometimes it goes really high and sometimes it goes really low and sometimes I can't even hear it."

We skipped read aloud time and I didn't participate in singing time.

Guess who needs a voice?  The teacher.

Weekend

I told Marianne that Wellness Formula let me down.  I hadn't taken it consistently when I first started getting sick because of my migraine and feeling nauseous.  

Marianne said it sounded more like I had let Wellness Formula down.  

I still believe!  I started taking it like it was my job yesterday and I have high hopes.

But I've been sick with a cold all weekend.  And since I started using Wellness Formula (and started teaching which kind of armed my immune system against everything) I haven't had a full fledged cold.

I could do an ad for Wellness Formula, but no one is asking.  

Besides trying to keep a cold at bay, I enjoyed the weekend with Adam.  We are back to being real empty nesters and we like it.  We took one of Emma's chairs to her Saturday afternoon and it was fun to see her apartment and have her show us all her projects and arranging.  It is as neat as a pin and I can tell she's happy having her own little nest.  

Otherwise I mostly laid low.  I rested and studied for my talk and watched the snow fall.

I'm back to school today.  I'm ready, but not ready.  Last night when I set my alarm and started thinking about things, I felt this cascading feeling of I'm not ready.  Then I remembered the third grade teachers have before school traffic duty.  With the wind chill it is currently 8 degrees in Orem, UT.  

That doesn't do much to boost morale.

I'm taking Wellness Formula in my bag.

Grateful Friday

Yesterday I woke up with a headache.  So many plans to get stuff done.  So many plans.

Mark told me that usually our bodies wait until we have a break to shut down.  He is not wrong.  I felt worse than I have felt in a very long time.  Barely functioning.  I dragged myself downstairs for some applesauce and then slept on the couch for an hour.  I dragged myself back upstairs and back to my bed and turned on a podcast and slept right through it.  I basically slept from 10:00 PM to noon with a few dragging around breaks in between.

My poor neglected list of projects just sat in the corner.

I was very grateful when I started to feel better.  I was grateful that I didn't have anywhere to go.  I was grateful for my warm and safe and comfortable home.

Things don't always turn out how I may want them to, but it still isn't a bad life.

I'm grateful we got a dusting of snow.  Welcome winter!  

I'm grateful that Adam is returning from Phoenix today.  

Here's this though:  I was asked to speak in stake conference and if Adam can't shield me from these kinds of situations, what is he even doing going to all those meetings?

I didn't cry the day I took the tree down

I have very little of interest to report, but I come here out of habit.

Yesterday was mostly consumed with taking down the Christmas decorations and trying to right the house.   There is a whole song written about the melancholy of taking down a Christmas tree and I don't feel melancholy; I am usually very happy to be moving to a new season and making our house quieter.

As I was taking all the ornaments off the tree alone yesterday, I did feel an emotion and it was rage.

Someone had wrapped the wire hooks on some of the ornaments (those really flexible long hooks that I hate) enthusiastically around the branches.  It took both hands and a lot of effort to disengage them.

So far Mark and Adam have pled innocent so that leaves Emma.

She will blame Braeden because she always does even when he lives a few states away.

I went to physical therapy yesterday and they had me do a new exercise that was really hard both physically (strength and range of motion-wise) and mentally (I lacked the coordination).

Nothing like feeling like a clumsy weakling and then heading home to rage at a Christmas tree....

I feel good about today.  I have errands and need to drop by my school, but I am also looking forward to feathering our nest a little around here.

And sitting in my chair and reading.

Holiday brunch

Yesterday we were lucky enough to go to Olivia's for her holiday brunch.  I don't think when she started it she knew it would be such a cryfest, but it is.  And it is wonderful.

We go around the circle and talk about our past year and our upcoming year and it starts to get real really fast.  We talk about hard things in our lives and it is vulnerable but the safest place ever.  Inevitably talking of trials we've faced or are facing turns to talking about our reliance on the Savior and the Gospel.  Cue more tears.

I think the younger girls are often mystified by it all, but it occurred to me that it is a blessing for them to hear, especially their older cousins who they admire, admit to not so perfect lives.  We're all in this together.  Also it is a blessing for them to hear those same older cousins testify of Christ.  

That sisterhood is a tether in my life and I'm so grateful for those women and girls who mean so much to me and who help me remember who I am and where I belong.

We packed up and headed home, but didn't fully winterize because Adam and I decided to head back for Martin Luther King weekend in a few weeks.  

Being there makes me happy.

Being here makes me happy.

If my remaining week can live up to my very ambitious to do list before going back to school, I will be very, very happy.

(And surprised.)

Weekend + happy new year

I am beginning this post on a Sunday afternoon at the Home Place.  The winter sunlight is low and fading.  Mark has quiet jazz playing on the speaker and Adam and Mark are making gf Chex Mix for our New Year's Eve party. 

We came here Saturday.  We brought our Christmas gifts that Adam and I bought each other for here.  One of my gifts was a bookshelf.  I told Mark that I'd make a deal with him:  if he built the shelf, I would make his bed.

Emma helped me and it took less than 3 minutes to make his bed.

The bookshelf was a little wonky (which happens sometimes with IKEA stuff) and Mark struggled for about an hour, which is not normal for that kid who is a whiz with an Allen wrench and IKEA instructions.

I said, "Thank you for making my bookshelf!"

He said, "Well, you made my bed...."

I love the bookshelf.  It is mostly empty but it lends a homey feeling I didn't know was missing.

Emma built some IKEA chairs.  We are giving her the chairs that we have here which were my grandma's.  They will look good in her new apartment.

Emma said, "Why am I doing this and I also made beds?"

I said, "Because you are getting two free chairs."

She realized that was a good trade.

We went visiting after dinner at my parents' house.  Ammon's family, Olivia and Edgar and Marianne and Robert and some of their family were all there.  

Location, location, location.

***

I am back early in the New Year.  I'm the only one awake, which is kind of my favorite.  Except I didn't get enough sleep, which isn't anyone's favorite.

Back to my recap of events:  Lili spoke in church and it was wonderful.  She's always been as good as gold and I love to see the growth and conversion she experienced.  She is not a loud talker and the microphone was a little low.  My dad got up towards the beginning of the talk and adjusted the microphone to the delight of all of his grandchildren.  Lili didn't miss a beat, she said, "Thank you Grandpa," and went right on speaking.

We had Costa Rican food at Olivia and Edgar's after church.  It was good food and fun to sit around visiting with everyone.

We came back to the Home Place and some napped and Mark read and we played a few games.  Mark is a binge reader.  He rarely reads, but then he decides to read and it is about all he does. 

Around 8:00 we went over to Marianne's for the New Year's Eve party.  That is 9:00 mountain time and I never go anywhere at 9:00 PM except to bed.

I was having enough fun that I didn't notice how tired I was for awhile.

We had an abundance of delicious food and we played the bowl game which was delightful and at one point I thought maybe would send me into the next life because I was laughing so hard.

Also, it turns out Hyrum and Carolina thought I was younger than Olivia.  Olivia said, "She's a grandma!" I said they just noticed the pecking order.  I would have zero success bossing her around, but she can boss me around.

After the bowl game we played the game where you write a sentence, pass it on, the next person illustrates your sentence, folds over the original sentence, passes it on, the next person writes a caption of your picture, etc.

That also ended up very entertaining with lots of statements about who loves who, Thelma and Olivia wishing they were as curvy as Marianne, and Tabor being maligned.

I'm convinced any time you get that many family members in the same room, you're going to have a wild time.

I hit my wall about thirty minutes before we actually left.  Emma tried to convince me to stay, it was 11:30, but I was tired and beyond.

Also, once you stop staying up for the New Year, you realize it really isn't that important to your life.  At least that is my experience.

Today we have our ladies' holiday brunch at Olivia's which is always a highlight.  Then we will have to pack up and leave which I never want to do.  I want to stay here forever.  I mean, I have a bookshelf and everything now.