lead me, guide me, walk beside me

since today was the last day of school before christmas break, many of the kids stayed in their classrooms for parties or other fun activities (depending on their teacher's plans, etc).  for my first grade group, based on emails back from teachers, i was expecting 2-3 kids.  i never heard back about one - she ended up not coming.  another student had already left for mexico.  that left just one who came.

we finished his writing/picture project from yesterday.  then he did an alphabet puzzle (matching letters with pictures/words).  he sorted the vowels to one side, knowing that a, e, i, o, and u had something to do with each other.  he told me all the letters, words, and pictures.  after putting them all together he alphabetized them, singing as he went.  then he counted all the letters.  then we put them away and he played with legos for the last 4 minutes.

the whole time he chatted away happily with me.  we talked about whatever he wanted to tell me, show me, ask me about christmas, the puzzle, etc.  he's very talkative.  he's also genuinely excited about lots of things.  for being an EL student he's got a fairly decent vocabulary, and for words he doesn't know he's pretty good at explaining.  i also just know how he talks, for the most part, by now.  "i think so that........" : )

sometimes he's silly or defiant (or both : ).  sometimes he gets caught up in the "not being so and so's friend" over some silly thing.  but all that aside he's one of my favorites : )  very cute, very sweet, and his two front teeth are starting to poke through.  he loves to talk and doesn't like to be cut off... ha : )

i let him pick a christmas sticker, and remembering they got a mini candy cane and a single hershey's kiss yesterday, and seeing my coworker's bag still on my desk he asked if he could pick another candy.  i said yes... : )  (he ended up getting one of the extra goody bags she had for all of the kids yesterday, which was awesome for him!)  he also asked if he was good today.  i had to laugh a little because he was the only one, so of course he was fine, but i told him yes.

as he was picking his christmas sticker and getting his small bag of surprises, i looked at him and his almost two front teeth and reflected on our half hour together, just the two of us, and the special love i have for him as my student.  i know things aren't always easy for him and his family, and i admire his enthusiasm for learning english and everything else in the world around him.  he is a sweet, sweet child, and i know he is a child of God.  as i looked at him i thought of this talk that Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave this last october in general conference:


















this morning i'd heard there was a shooting in connecticut.  it wasn't until i was home from school that i knew it was at an elementary school, affecting children and families just like the ones i had been with in the morning.  this talk continues to be on my mind as i think of the purity, humility, happiness, generosity, and love of precious children.  i'm very saddened by this tragedy, but i also know that our loving Heavenly Father is over all, and through Jesus Christ and the Atonement all will be made right.  we can be comforted.

we long for children in our family, and recognize that it is a big responsibility and stewardship to care for, guide, and love our children when they come.  i'm grateful for my opportunities to work in jobs with and be with kids each day to love them, serve them, and learn from them as we wait for our own.  may we all look to the example and teachings of our Savior as we nurture and protect the children in our lives.

How Dear to God are Little Children

not san francisco

i don't try to keep it a secret that i left my heart in 2nd grade....

when you've got a while i can tell you everything i miss about it... things i didn't even realize i had at the time...

the other day, though, my 2nd graders (i have, altogether 25 kids at the elementary, just 6-7 at a time), softened things a little.  probably everything falls into the "had to be there" category, but that's ok... : )

diana was singing the Hallelujah Chorus with hand outstretched and giving each hallelujah a definite "h" sound at the beginning.. ha : )  she went on to tell me that her mom sings that all the time, especially in the shower.  "she's a fan," she said.  so then mackenzee said, "i'm a fan of taylor swift!"  (pronounced swith)  she goes on, "and 'solana gomez'!  you can tell because i have two books of taylor swift."  i think i had to stop listening so closely at that point because diego was trying to get lexi to move seats because he wanted diego r to sit there, and he didn't want to sit by a girl.  in protest he decided he would sit on the floor instead... so i had to turn my attention to that.  and all the while vikrum was sitting there being cute as could be, and angelic as usual... not sure what isaac was doing.  diego r ended up not coming.

before all of that i was trying to get the difference between "skinny pants" and "tight pants" out of mackenzee since she had referred to both.  she wears skinny pants and her sister wears tight pants.  she told me they're different sizes (hers and her sisters).  the only other difference i could get out of her was that one was longer and one was shorter.  maybe someone should clue me in??

mackenzee also says "lesterday", meaning the day before today.  it always sounds like some holiday... (baxter day?  haha : )

well lesterday she was spouting off taylor swift facts.  you know, things like "taylor swith's birthday is december [i can't remember the number], 1989." said fast and enthusiastically.  that's out of one of her books.  "that means her birthday is in december!!!!"

i do really enjoy preschool and i love a lot of things about there.... but, boy, do i miss 2nd grade full time.....  still willing, pretty able, cute, fairly good attitudes, not too much sass yet, can still do cute, fun, things, etc, etc, etc...

i tell people i'd be happy to do anything k-3, and that's true.  based on this year's friends i'd rather not go up to third.... though, i've been surprised all this week as all my third grade boys (who make me groan on the inside when they come in each day) have been excitedly talking about getting to bring stuffed animals for their party tomorrow... : )  one can't decide between two of them.  and the others are all equally excited... haha : )

but really, people, 2nd grade is where it's at.

a lost cause?

no one can say i didn't try...

after the time and effort i've put into it, i can say, with some disappointment, that it's just not going to happen.

that's right, my legs were just not made for skinny jeans.  or the jeans not for my legs...  at old navy, at least. (which has been my main pants store for quite some time.)

i've tried on numerous pairs in numerous sizes, and today i'm ready to throw in the towel.  when i can muster up the energy (mostly mental) to keep trying, i will.  i'm not ready to give up the fight completely, but let's face it: shopping for a specific thing is exhausting.  unless, of course, you're lucky right away.  for quite a while i've said i don't enjoy shopping for something specific.  as soon as there are requirements all the fun is gone... (self set or otherwise.. : )  it's just the proportions.  if they fit in one area, then something else is too big or too small.  so much for being trendy... : ) ha

i guess, for now, i'll just keep rockin the 2000s with my bootcuts...

it's the most wonderful time of the year

yesterday i was trying to convey to someone that i was excited for christmas.  this was via text to my neighbor (long story).  i was hesitant to just say i was excited for christmas, because i didn't want her to think that i was excited for presents.....

i think most people recognize that there is more to christmas than gifts, but i've heard plenty of things that indicate that some people think that some people like christmas because they like getting presents.  i know this isn't everybody.

can't i like christmas because i like the music, food, stories, family time, memories, decorations, etc?  most of all, i like to read, hear, learn, and think about and celebrate the birth of Christ, the Lord.  i remember my favorite scripture story video when i was a kid was "the one where baby Jesus was born."

so i told her i was excited for the christmas season.

and i am : )  we're putting out our decorations this weekend!!

good thing tomorrow starts december!!  at preschool they say the next month is "christmas."  it will be easier to talk about that one next week...

maybe you'll be picked next

so, first of all, you have to know that i'm not really a pet person.  if you are, that's totally ok.  i didn't grow up with dogs or cats, and have never really had an interest in them.  (i do, however, to a certain extent, enjoy puppy and kitty calendar pictures... haha : )  i like animals - i'm just more of a zoo, aquarium, nature animals type person.  will grew up with a cat, but he's not really interested in having one now.

so... when we started seeing these commercials, 2 or 3 months ago, with cats in them, sponsored by the shelter pet project i had mixed feelings.    in some ways we didn't care for the commercials because they weren't about something of general interest (cats), but at the same time there was just something about them... one in particular.

have you seen these commercials?!

over time we found ourselves more and more drawn to this one.  will started quoting parts of it to me.  we were enjoying it!  eventually we even looked it up online to watch because we hadn't seen it for a while.... : )

allow me to share it with you now.





maybe it's their voices.  maybe we like saying to each other "we've been caged together too long."  maybe it's other quotes.  maybe it's because it touches on adoption and there's a very real possibility that our family will be blessed by adoption.

whatever it is, we smile every time : )

life's simple pleasures

yesterday as i dove home from preschool i heard the william tell overture.  it reminded me of playing with nieces and nephews.  don't worry, i turned up the volume : )  it was excellent.

then on our way out of the temple will suggested we stop for a "treat" on our way home.  cheeseburgers and shakes at in n out were a perfect fix, of course : )

willy wonka

sooo..... three days ago we found out that we'd committed ourselves to buying 20 pounds of chocolate.  $40, people.


bahahahahahahahahahahaha


i guess bags of chocolate can come in sizes other than 12 oz.... : )





who wants chocolate???!!!!!!!!!!!!!