Funny

Since I work at the junior high, I serve as a 2nd mom to many of the kids there, especially the ones from my ward. If they miss the bus the usually come to ask me for a ride home (which means they have to hang out at school for another 40 minutes until I leave). But last week one of the kids (who has never asked me for anything before) came into the office and asked if I would take his bag home from school for him!

 I said, "for real?!". It turns out he comes to school at 5:45am for basketball practice so in addition to his school backpack he has a big sports bag for clothes. He was going to a friend's house to work on a project after school and didn't want to lug his basketball bag too so he asked me to take it home for him. This struck me as rather funny and I said, "What's in it for me?" He said, "A McDonald's Coke", of course this sealed the deal.

So I drove his bag home (he lives 3 houses away from me) and his mom pulled into the driveway at the same time and saw the bag and started laughing and turned red from embarrassment. She couldn't believe he asked me to bring it home for him.

Fast forward to Sunday evening, Mason showed up on my porch with this 12 pack of Coke and sweet note attached. I think he overpaid me though so now whenever I see him I offer to take his bag for him.

First Day of School...Again!

It's kind of freaking me out how quickly these "first day of school" posts roll around. The saying, "The days are long but the years are short" comes to mind with all of this.

Landon was a tad reluctant to pose for me this morning, but no one was watching and I wasn't taking no for an answer so here you have it.

The boy is in 10th grade at the high school and the girl is in 7th grade at the junior high...how did that happen?!

It feels like 10 minutes ago, but really it was 3 years ago that Landon started 7th grade!! I can't even deal with the fact that he'll be done with high school and heading on a mission in 3 more years!!

And Whitney was starting 4th!!

 

It was my first official first day of school too even though I worked last week and was there for 7th grade day yesterday. This is my 3rd year in the front office and my 4th year at the school (time warp anyone?!) They had to reduce the hours of all the hourly employees so I will only be working 3 days a week this year (woohoo). It's weird to think of not being there all the time but this will be so much better for my sanity level. I'll be working Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (cushy right?!). 

I worked 3 hours this morning since we're training two new secretaries, but then was able to go to Costco, pick up Cafe Rio for lunch, clean out the fridge, vacuum the house, do some laundry, put dinner in the crock pot, bake cookies and read in the cozy.

Miscellaneous Monday

1. The lunch art Randy did for Whitney on Halloween.

2. A student I've known since 7th grade (FYI--today is my 2 year anniversary working at the junior high!) who is now in 9th grade gave me this nice note the other day. I don't know what prompted it, but I appreciated it.

3. Whitney outlined our Sunday for us.
 

4. We went to my parents' new place for dinner yesterday, not surprisingly Whitney was the first one at the table.

Landon and Randy were fine with waiting until it was ready. Is it just me or Landon morphing into a man on a daily basis??

5. Landon warmed up my car for me this morning (it was glorious having the sun up for a change) and left me this message on the windshield.

What Life Looks Like These Days

Landon is a big 9th grader this year and is more social than in years past (he now has a Facebook account--I finally caved). He has always been good at stopping by the office at lunch time to give me a hug and say "hi", but this year he has forgotten a couple times...ouch!

We've been having some weird weather lately but it has produced some pretty evenings.

 

Whitney has decided to play the flute as part of Elementary Band! This means on Tuesdays and Thursdays I leave work at 3:30 in order to pick her up at school only to bring her back to the junior high! Aargh! We're giving her one semester to show us she's commited (i.e., will practice) otherwise she'll have to quit in December (remember we did this runaround with viola last year and it was awful). 

During the first day of band last week I went and got some frozen yogurt (I had a coupon) and read my book in the car, it wasn't too bad but I can't get yogurt 2 times a week or I'll have to get another job! The really maddening thing about the yogurt run was that I'd planned to hang out in the yogurt place to read, but ended up fleeing because there were some super obnoxious junior high kids (not from our school) dominating the place with their noise. The acoustics are so bad in there that it was painfully loud; I commiserated with the teenager working there (he wasn't keen on the kids either).

Landon's 2nd football game was last Saturday, here he is on the ground making a tackle, woohoo! It's amazing how much football has become part of our lives. He has practice from 6-8 Monday-Friday and then games on Saturday, this is a whole new world for us.

Whitney has decided to run for student council! The school requires 8 hours of service (4 at school and 4 outside of school) just to apply! I'm impressed with this and truly amazed Whitney is willing to do this. She came home Thursday afternoon and got busy picking up trash along the street for 45 minutes, then helped Randy with a car repair for 15. She also spent 2 hours helping Lori pack (she bought her first place and is moving soon) yesterday and has been going early to school and staying late as well. Who is this girl?!

Last Friday was Landon's first ever school dance! I took him back to the junior high after football practice (making my 3rd trip to the school for the day) and gave him a head start before going in to take pictures of the kids (for school bulletin board purposes). He got lost in the crowd, but lots of the other kids came running over to me to take their pictures. It was so fun! It kind of made me want to volunteer to chaperone next time except that then I'd have to be hot and sweaty and stay for a long time. My 10 minute visit was fun enough...oh those were the days weren't they?!

Miscellaneous Monday

This post is really a review of last Saturday, but since I'm posting on Monday I'm going with the miscellaneous angle.

We had a bunch of stuff on our calendar for Saturday so I knew I needed to get up early to maximize my day and accomplish the things I wanted to do. I was super happy and shocked that I got out of bed at 6:15! I was showered, ready and in the temple parking lot by 7:49am! No one was more shocked than I was. I was finally able to do initiatories for the 5 names I'd had hanging on my fridge for 3 weeks! I was there so early (by my standards, though the parking lot was full when I got there)  that the sun hadn't even peeked out over the mountains yet.

But it was shining and beautiful when I came out just over an hour later.

I totally cracked up when I saw what Whitney had done with the little travel bag I'd given her earlier in the week...only Whitney!

It's a good thing I was home by 9:00 because I ended up needing the next 3 freakin hours to make a schload of cookies for Lori's birthday party (I made ice cream sandwiches) and our ward's Linger Longer. I tried the recipe Holly had linked to on her blog (there's vanilla pudding in the recipe) and then managed to put my poor math skills (despite my months of 7th grade math refreshing last year) to use to double the recipe in my head. I should know by now that I need to add my fractions on paper, not in my head because I ended up thinking I miscalculated the amount of butter I needed so then I increased everything else to compensate for it and then realized I hadn't originally miscalculated the butter but in trying to correct my nonmistake I made a new mistake (aargh!). I feared the worst but somehow the cookies turned out fine. It must have been Divine intervention because I really needed these to turn out that day.

By 1:00 we were at Whitney's soccer game watching her team annihilate the other team (which is sad because her team really isn't that good).

She was happy because she scored 2 goals!

Landon had a game on the next field over at 2:00 (mighty convenient) and ended up making us scream our guts out because it was so intense. His team played the best they've ever played but they were missing 4 guys and last 2-1.

We spent the evening at Adam and Amy's house celebrating Lori's 35th birthday (though she still looks like she's 22). Lori really wanted a cake from Cold Stone so she ended up buying one for herself...the rest of us had the ice cream sandwiches I made. I'm still itching for a white Costco cake with cream filling since that's what I really wanted for my birthday...dang it. I may just have to buy myself one some day and have them write "Happy Birthday Beautiful" on it like my hilarious blogging friend Ashley did.

It was a super busy day but we managed to get everything done that we needed to do. I have caught the vision of early to bed, early to rise but I must say it's seriously messing with my love of TV.

**What did you do on Saturday?

What do you think of Whitney's pet frog?

Do you have recipe math issues?

Have you ever bought yourself a cake?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm so glad so many of you commented on my Saturday post to let me know that you're out there, but it's baffling to me that you don't comment more often. What's up with that?

Last Day of School

Tomorrow is officially the last day of school, but it's only an hour and they did everything but tell us all not to come so that means today was the last day of school for Landon and I (Whitney will be attending her last hour and a half tomorrow). 

Randy made me a last-day of school lunch sack.

This the math trailer where I spent the majority of my time.

Today was all about signing yearbooks; I was surprised by how many kids wanted me to sign their books. I had to dust off my "have a great summer" comments while trying to spell their names correctly (there are so many funky spellings these days) and try to say something personal as well.

The kids didn't really have to sneak to use their phones today; I swear this generation is absolutely obsessed with cell phones.

I ducked out of signing yearbooks to go see Whitney in the dance festival at the elementary school, and then ended up going to lunch with my mom and Whitney before heading back to school. (I only ended up "working" 3 hours today.)

Some of the kids used their bodies for a yearbook...yikes! I ended up signing my name on this girl's elbow.

Our final self-portrait of the school year!

The back of Whitney ended up in the local newspaper today (she's in the bottom right corner in the blue shorts).

**When is your last day of school?
What age do you think kids should get a cell phone?
When was the last time you signed a yearbook?
Have you ever been in the newspaper?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I have more to say about work coming to an end for this school year, but I hate my make-shift computer set up so much that I can't stand spending time composing my thoughts. This is just wrong.

Smarter Than a 7th Grader?

Just when I was finally feeling confident about my 7th grade math skills,  my mind was blown by this story problem. Can you solve it??

There are three times as many ducks as sheep on a farm. 

All the ducks and sheep have 2400 feet altogether. 

How many more ducks than sheep are there?

I will send a prize to the first person to get the correct answer. I will give you extra credit if you send me an email attachment showing your work, ha.

Comment Window Tidbit:  I'm learning to enjoy story problems, it's kind of like a game to figure them out...unless I can't figure them out of course.

Five for Friday

1. The kids went back to school Tuesday armed with tissues, hand sanitizer and strict instructions to cover their mouths well (it's amazing and disgusting how many kids just cough out into the open, it gives me the shivers), but I got pulled out of the end of 2nd period to come down to the office where I found Landon choking back tears and looking weak. The poor kid gave it a good try, but even though he had a note to sit out of P.E. he said he wanted to lie down on the gym floor (ew!). I was able to run him home and get back in 20 minutes.


2. I had my last scheduled Iron I.V. treatment. I will go to the lab for another blood test in a couple weeks to see how my iron levels are doing. I've been feeling pretty good but still haven't been able to sleep without Ambien and don't feel completely normal yet. I never realized how wonderful "normal" could be.


3. When I got home from my treatment, both Adam and Robyn were at my house. Adam had come over to kill time for a half hour before a meeting in Orem, and Robyn was dropping off her kids (we babysit them every Tuesday). It was too bad that they were both leaving as soon as I got there, but I like they we live close enough to see each other often.


4. Whitney left this note on the counter the other night around 8:00 (weird timing just before bed). We had been hanging out together, so I thought it was funny that she was putting more suggestions out there AND felt the need to do so with a note.


5. Landon actually needed my help with math homework!!! I think this is the first time he has ever needed help, and it's only because he missed so many days of school and wasn't there for the teacher's explanation. I was relieved that I could help thanks to my current stint in the 7th grade...where math is concerned he's definitely smarter than me dang it.


6. Randy's latest lunch sack creation for Whitney.


7. I am made banana bread in memory of Michelle's wonderful grandmother Charlotte. She was always baking amazing things and serving others, so her family members are baking today and giving the items to someone. This is only the 2nd time I've ever made banana bread (what the?) and it didn't go so well because the outside is done and the inside isn't. I turned the oven down and covered the top in foil, but I don't think these are good enough to give away...oh dear, my best efforts for Charlotte have failed.

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: General Conference Weekend kind of snuck up on me so I don't have anything ready to give my visiting teaching people, bummer.

Five for Friday

1. Whitney wrote this note for Randy (since she'd already been denied by me) hoping he would give her a $46 loan so she could buy a Play Mobil toy set. Of course I have informed her that she is welcome to work to earn the money, but she has no interest in that.


2. This sign on my office door has been mocking me this week as I've been mentally wrestling with my current life situation.


3. Speaking of signs, this one has been hanging on our front door all week as the count down to Youth Conference (7 days away now!) is upon us. I am very sad to report that I have only received about 5 release forms in this handy dandy envelope (I've gathered more at church, but many of them are late and still haven't been returned to me).


4. It turns out that Whitney has a book report due on Monday and had over 200 pages left to read in her Fablehaven book. Landon has been reading it to every night before bed (she says she reads too slowly to finish any time soon and I agree). To help her out some more we all took a shift reading to her yesterday (there are a ton of hard words in that book, I think it's above her level). I was up first, so of course we read in the cozy and I managed to become extremely drowsy. I had Whitney read out loud to me while I made dinner, then Randy read to her later and then Landon did when they went to bed...we'll have to do this again until "she" finishes.


5. Report cards came out today and Landon got straight A's! We knew this was coming, but seeing it in real life is awesome, especially since I had just been in a classroom full of kids who were comparing the number of Ds and Fs on their report cards!


We went to JCW's for a celebratory shake (Chocolate Peanut Butter with Oreos--this is the small!) and discussed the blessing of him choosing to be self-motivated and to work hard to do well because the choices he is making now will effect him in the future--he totally gets that and I am so thankful for that.

Comment Window Tidbit: I ended up getting in bed at 9:00 last night, read like 2 pages and then slept through the night.

Successful but Sweaty

I'm happy to report that today was a better day, but I was robbed of last night because I had to put myself to bed around 5:30. I was reading (luckily it was the kind of headache that I was still able to read) so I read for awhile and then fell asleep, but then ended up having a fitful night's sleep since it's normal to go to bed so early. Aargh! The only upside to killer headaches is the blissful contrast when they're gone; I end up feeling like a whole new person!


We ended up getting several inches of snow this morning (after school had started) so my car was covered by the time I went out there for lunch. I felt like I was in my own little lunch cocoon or something.


Also strange, was that I ended up doing much of the teaching for the two Math 7 classes I help with in the afternoon, because there was a substitute in there today and she felt like I knew the material better than she does (which makes sense because I'm in there every other day). It was crazy to be the one in front writing on the dry erase board and commanding the attention. Of course, the kids were still rather crazy but had moments of attention, so I felt successful but was sweaty by the end of it.

**Thoughts??**

Good Mail For Me and You Winners
5--Quelly
13--Jessie
4--Mayasmom
1--Linda
19--Courtney

Comment Window Tidbit: Oh that dinner would just appear!