benefits

when i taught 2nd grade, i was getting health insurance benefits. it was great.

now that i'm teaching preschool, two states away, luckily i'm still getting benefits.

sing "it's august, it's august" to the tune of "a tisket, a tasket" to yourself. now sing it again. now sing it again. and again. and again. and about 352 more times. good. now you're starting to benefit from my benefits... : ) that line of a song, and several others have been stuck in my head for a while! that's right, i get the benefit of singing myself preschool songs all day long. i usually spare will...

i also get the benefit of hearing the cute and funny things they say. well, let's clear up one thing right now: 2nd graders are funnier than preschoolers... BY FAR : ) i didn't say 3 and 4 year olds can't be funny... just not as readily or often. i did get the benefit of hearing this yesterday, though:

while i'm working on painting someone's foot for their "about me" book, the other kids are playing. a little girl playing with doctor toys had found two spring-loaded toys (for "shots"?). she had one in each fist and was pounding them on my back, alternating. i was enjoying my little massage and, just looking to amuse myself i said something like, "thank you kylie, that's just what the doctor ordered." as i said it i was thinking to myself that it was maybe silly to have said anything because i didn't think she'd hear me (facing the other way and above all the other noise). well i don't think she understood my comment, but did hear and understand the "thank you." i know she did because then i hear "don't mention it, partner." i laughed out loud. coming from a 4 year old, it was pretty funny. i'm about to ask her if that's what she really said, and i hear, "haha, i just called miss ashley 'partner'... haha." she was cracking herself up over it... so i laughed out loud again.

there are a few other benefits, too...

preschool benefits aside, i miss 2nd grade. i miss amelia earhart. on monday i went to help clean the house of a family who is moving from the ward. i met one or two new people there. one of them didn't ask me if i had kids, she asked me how many kids i had. the first thing that came to mind to say was "zero," so i did. later, back at home i wished that instead i had told her, "24, and they're all starting 3rd grade today!" that afternoon at 2:30 (3:30 utah) i realized they were all getting out of their first day back at school. i was pretty sad. i also wore my school tshirt earlier this week... : ) i miss my little kiddies.

i learned so much in that one year and i wish i could have had another chance at it all. after a year i knew things that i loved and would do again, and i knew things that i would never do again. i'm a little jealous that ali gets that chance. maybe someday....

i went to get a zucchini from my friend the other day and saw her daughter's school papers. i saw a "book" (one sheet folded in half) called "counting with the ducks." i know that book! her daughter is in 2nd grade. that's the first book/corresponds with the first unit of the exact same math program amelia started (k-3) last year... : ) i'd recognize it anywhere. so i told her and she said, oh yeah, they have these colored papers that she brings home. i know.... : ) she was trying to find it in the stack, and i could easily spot it only seeing the corner. i found myself even missing envisions math!! : ) so as soon as all this silly subbing/credentials stuff is sorted out i'm going to make sure i can sub at banta so i can do more envisions math.... : ) woohoo

yes, we went to discovery kingdom (formerly known as marine world africa usa) last saturday. yes, we celebrated our 3rd anniversary on tuesday. and yes, we currently have a long-term scrabble game going on (free app : ) .................. so I KNOW that we need to "catch up" and post some more.. maybe even put up some pictures?! (woah, i know... : )

ps.. i ran 5.3 miles on monday, then have been prevented from running this week since (boo : ( (thanks a lot water maintenance and car woes..... and preschool? : ) well, it's really mainly because i dont' want to run when it's 90 degrees. there goes my half marathon down the drain..... just joking... hopefully back on that a sap.

that's life... : )

AND where we're going on saturday.... : )

i'm looking forward to seeing what's the same and what's different from how it used to be. though, i really doubt i remember much of how it really was back in the 90's. i only have faint, though very fond : ), memories of the good old "marine world africa usa." i love that there will be animals and shows.... and rides : )

i guess what i mostly remember is the shows... elephant, lion and tiger, seal and sea lion, dolphin, whale, water skier, chinese acrobat... wow, they had a variety! i also remember elephant rides and playing tug of war with the elephants. they always won... : )

so excited for the best kind of day with my best friend : )

pinterest confession

after "hearing" about pinterest several times i finally decided to check it out (a few weeks ago)... well, i'm a little bit hooked now : )

here's the thing... i'm not exactly doing my part contributing new ideas, i really just take from other people. fair? i have not pinned a single thing up for the first time. i only ever repin.

i like to think that by repinning i've at least passed it on... : )

i must have over 50 pins (at least) by now. how many of those things have i made/used/done? one : ) but really, i've done one! i made the strawberry lemonade bars. they were pretty good. a little on the sour side first, but then we either got used to them, or they balanced out? we took a plateful to our friends, and then put some in the freezer. they are pretty good alone, but a dob of whipped topping was pretty good with them, too.... : )

i try to limit my pinterest visits, otherwise i'd spend far too much time there.... (it's a website if you've never heard of it, no gas needed!) that's kinda why i couldn't look up exactly how many pins i have because i already was there this morning... and i can't go back for at least a few days... : )

time to pick a new pinterest project. because what's the use if i never DO any of it?!