Something New For Me

I got a job at the elementary school as a Teacher's Aide.

This week was my first week. I went pretty well.

I had been volunteering a lot and one day I just decided to stop in at the office and ask if they had any job openings...I got a job that day! It's a blessing since Mike is still looking. I won't make that much and won't have a ton of hours, but it will be something, and getting paid to do what I was doing when I volunteered can't be a bad idea. Another bonus is that I'll actually be with Isaac and Anna even more. 

I'm excited for this new opportunity, I know I will learn a lot.
I'm also really happy because when they first hired me I was told that I'd be working with the 3rd grade. Not a big deal, but I don't know any of those teachers and don't have a kid in that grade. I was super happy on my first day when I walked in the doors and ran into Nicole Sperry (one of the 6th grade teachers and Anna's 3rd grade teacher from last year) and she told me that they requested me in the 6th grade and so that's where I will be!

So I will mostly work with the 6th grade, but 3 times a week I will also be in charge of teaching what they call Hawk Time. It's when the kids are given choices of several different classes they can go to. They go to the same class for the 3 days in that week and then choose something different the next week, so you teach the same hawk time all month, just to 3 different groups of kids. The hard part is that I will have to come up with what I want to teach during hawk time. I think I might rope Mike into coming and doing a Chinese one that I can help him with. 

Anyway, I'm sure that this will change the dynamic of things in our lives for a little while, but I think it will be good and hey, my commute is the best ever...I just walk across the street :)

Back to School 2014

Kids started school again yesterday.

I know I am pretty biased because I'm their mom, but dang they are good looking kids :)

Here's hoping that they have a great school year!

Noah 11th grade      Dallin 9th grade      Grace 7th grade      Isaac 6th grade      Anna 4th grade

School's Out!

We had a pretty good school year this year. 

Today was the last day!

(My kids thought it was pretty sweet to end school in May instead of June)

For the elementary kids, I made some cookies for their teachers to thank them.

One nice thing about moving to a new school is reusing ideas.

My cookie monster went over very well at the school in Maryland so I decided to use it again.

Grace with her teacher Mrs. Gagon

Isaac with Mrs. Corey

Anna and Mrs. Sperry

Major Dad Goes to School

Grace, Isaac and Anna's teachers had requested that, if possible, Mike would come in and talk to their classes while he was here on R&R. I prearranged a time that would work for all the classes on the same day and of course made sure it was ok with Mike, which I knew it would be.

On Thursday afternoon we headed over to the school.

First we went to Isaac's class.
some of the kids asked Mike how many pushups he could do and then wanted to see him do some. He did about 60 pushups in 30 seconds. The kids were all very impressed :)

You can see Isaac to the side clapping for Mike :)

Isaac's class also made a nice sign for Mike.

Next we went to Grace's class
while waiting in the hallway to go in, the 6th class across the hall saw Mike in his uniform and the kids came to their door and started clapping for Mike, it was very sweet and touching to see the respect and honor they had for him.

and lastly Anna's class

Other than Mike accidentally accusing a kid of killing his grandfather in Anna's class. All the visits went very well. It was fun to see the different levels of maturity from the 3rd, 5th and 6th graders and to hear some of the questions they had for him. I think they were all interested to here that Mike hadn't had bacon for 7 months because it's against the law over there :)

Anyway, I'm glad that we took the time to do it and I know that Grace, Isaac and Anna loved having Mike come to their classes.

Show and Tell

Anna was so excited when she found out that she would be able to 

take Sasha for show and tell.

 The kids all loved Sasha too.

(she took her on the 20th of September)

First Day of School 2013

We moved into our rental home on Aug 19th and school started for the kids on the 20th.

It was a crazy couple of days!

I did manage to remember to take pictures of them before they headed off in the morning.

Dallin started 8th grade and he leaves first at about 7 am, and he is the only one that rides a bus.

Noah started 10th grade and he leaves next at about 7:25 and he walks

(in good weather, or rides with some neighbors in bad weather)

He enjoys the freedom of being able to come home for lunch too.

Grace is in 6th grade (which is still Elementary school here)

Isaac is in 5th and Anna is in 3rd grade.

They walk to school...in good or bad weather since it is right across the street from our house.

Last day of school

I usually try to give a little thank you to the kids teachers at the end of the year, I really wanted to make sure I did it this year since we are

moving and the kids won't be at the same school. 

I found the idea from my friend here and then made a few changes.

Here's how they turned out.

On the inside was a baggie filled with Yummy Cereal Snack! 

It was inexpensive and a huge hit with all the teachers.

After school, for a last day of school treat, I took the kids to Dairy Queen :)

Teacher Appreciation

Last week was teacher appreciation week. On Friday Grace, Isaac and Anna wanted to take a treat/gift to their teachers.

I decided to make cookies for them because it's pretty inexpensive

and it's not something that will clutter up their desk either.

Here's what I came up with.

 They each got a chocolate chip cookie, a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and a chocolate chip m&m cookie. 

Grace and Mrs. Barricklow

Grace and Mr. Amore (her math teacher)

Isaac and Mrs. Dutton

I couldn't get a picture of Isaac with Mrs. Dooley (his math teacher)

Anna and Mrs. McGuire

They all have really great teachers this year

and that is something that I am extremely thankful for!

First Day of School 2012

I wasn't here for the kids' first day of school this year,

I was in NYC (blog post to come soon)

Mike was awesome and took care of everything.

I even have pictures :)

Noah is in 9th grade this year.

He started High school and early morning seminary.

My good friend Linda is his seminary teacher and she snapped

this picture of him on his first day :) 

Here is one that Mike snapped of him walking into school
...Mike took a picture of him at home too, but it seems to have disappeared :(

Dallin is in 7th grade

Grace is in 5th grade

Isaac is in 4th grade

and Anna started 2nd grade

Here's hoping for a great school year!

What Isaac learned yesterday

Do not take your brother's pocket knife to school

Do not take said pocket knife out during recess to show it to your friends

Because if you do

you will go to the principal's office

he will call your mom

and you will be suspended

What he learned today...

that being suspended from school is not fun

I don't think I ever thought one of my kids would be suspended from school...on the positive side, I have to be thankful that he didn't get suspended for being mean or bad, or hurting anyone or anything like that. The principal said that is why he is only getting 2 days because he knows that Isaac wasn't trying to use it or hurt anyone, but still it's a weapon and he has to take some action.


I have to say though that Isaac was so cute in the principal's office and his apology was very sweet. 


Today he had a hard time not being able to do anything fun...At one point he even asked why he was my slave! I'm sure that tomorrow will be just as un-fun for him!
...it's not so fun for me either :(

Read Across America Week

Last week Anna's class at school had a Read Across America Week.
Each day they had something fun to do.
Some of the things they did...

Bring in a book to exchange with a friend

Hat day

Dallin let her wear the hat he got from Grandma and Grandpa Bush

Bring in your favorite Dr. Suess book to share with the class

Dress like a book character

I steered her away from dressing like a princess (not that there is necessarily anything wrong with princesses, I just had a feeling that there would already be plenty of girls dressed like that) and got her to agree to be Laura Ingalls. She loved it. She even took her lunch in a lunch pail :)

Here she is when I dropped her off for school...I guess the sun was in her eyes, but she still looks so cute! 

At first she was worried that no one would know who she was. I told her that if they didn't know then she could tell them, and that I was sure that her teacher had heard of Laura Ingalls and Little House on the Prairie. 

"But Mom, what if my teacher doesn't know who that is?"
I told her that if her teacher had never heard of it then I'd give her five dollars.

...after school I asked her how it went and if her teacher knew about Little House on the Prairie. She gave me a sly look and said, "no she never heard of it." I smiled at her and she broke..."ok, she heard of it, but can I still have five dollars?" Nice try sweetie :)

I did ask her what other people were dressed as, and as I suspected, the answer was...Jasmine, Cinderella, Snow White, etc. 

My Cool School Kids!

School was supposed to start on Monday August 29th, but Hurricane Irene (more on that later) granted the kids an epic (their words) day off.

So...Tuesday August 30th became the first day of school, or as Grace called it, the 2nd first day of school :)

This year we have kids in 8th, 6th, 4th, 3rd and 1st grades. Two in middle school, hard to believe...but it just makes me think about how crazy it will be next year when I have one in high school...Yikes!

Anyway, back to this year.
Here are my middle schoolers heading out the door. A couple of good lookin' boys, if I do say so myself.

When my good friend Tevia posted on her blog about school starting up, she put pictures of herself and her husband at about the same age as each of their kids. I thought that was a pretty fun idea...until I started looking back at the old pictures of myself and oh boy...
I really didn't want to post some of them, but I figured I might as well. The kids really got a kick out of looking at them :) I'm sure you will too!

Noah our 8th grader with Mike and I at about the same age.

*Some of the pictures weren't labeled so I tried to do my best matching them up. 

Dallin our 6th grader

I think it's hilarious that Mike and I had the same hairdo, and he's rockin' the members only jacket...I win the ugly shirt award though!

Grace, 4th grade

Isaac, 3rd grade

Anna, 1st grade

Here are some other pics from the first day.

I love watching my kids learn and grow...even if it does make me feel old :)
I hope that they have a great year in school!

Our Kindergarten Graduate

We attended Anna's Kindergarten program and promotion ceremony on Friday. She was so cute and fun to watch. Our last Kindergartner...she sure is growing up!

Her class did a song and a poem.

She helped introduce the song

"Simming in the Sea"

"The Elephant Goes"

Here she is getting her certificate.

What a cutie.

Enjoying her class cake

She loves her teacher Ms. Sine

After the program she got to pick a place for lunch. She chose Chick-fil-A.

Right before we left she traded in her prize for an ice cream, I love that they do that...and so does she!

She got some new shoes for the occasion (thanks to clearance at Target) She loves them!

Maybe something is wrong with me but I didn't cry like some of the other moms. It is a little weird to think that this is my last Kindergartner, but I'm just excited to watch her continue to learn and grow.

...but she'll always be my baby :)