Yosemite

Today I went with Kyla's 5th grade class to Yosemite. We got to school at 6:45, the kids boarded the bus, the parents (well, the smart ones anyway!) got into their cars, and off we went. The 2 hour drive was pleasant and relaxing, and I enjoyed many beautiful views on the way there....

But of course, they were nothing compared to the beauty inside the park. I wanted to stop at least 10 times to take pictures before I was even to the meeting place, but I restrained myself.

After picking up Kyla and her friend, we boarded a bus and whisked ourselves off to the .8 mile hike to the footbridge where you can see Vernal Falls. We joined up with a few more groups and the girls all took off up the hill like they were running from a fire!! The climb was really steep, and the elevation was high.... I was wheezing so hard I thought I had developed a bad case of asthma!! Luckily they tired out quickly, and we set a more realistic pace. The views from the footbridge were gorgeous, and both Kyla and I took several pictures. One of the Dad chaperones ordered the girls to go off the bridge on the far side for more photos as the teacher had forbidden them to go past the bridge even one step. As he said, "We're here to break the rules!"

Our next stop was lunch then the Pioneer Cemetary and Yosemite Falls. The sheer force of the falling water coming off the falls was so amazing it almost knocked me off my feet... It felt like I was standing in a huge storm!!

Overall, the day was fabulous. It makes me wonder why we don't spend more time going places as a family. Although the obvious answer is that Mark is always exhausted from his current job and I am reluctant to make these excursions alone. Still, after 8 years of living in Tuolumne County, we have only visited Yosemite twice. It seems like quite a waste! I hope and pray that Mark's new job will give us the freedom to be a family who plays together again!!

THE BRUTE

We have this little brute who lives in our house. He came to us by chance one Christmas when Kyla had her heart set on getting a puppy.... a small puppy she could hold in her arms even when he was full grown..... and unfortunately he has stolen each of our hearts and now rules the household! He has a million nicknames.... Brutus, Pep, Pepperoni, Baby, Tweeter, Weiner pup, Pepperoncini, Brute, Baby.... I could go on for days! He barks at every thing that goes by our house... squirrels, cars, cats, people, dogs.... He never gives up. He vigilantly sits on the stairs with a view of the street through the window in the front door and protects our house with his ferocious bark! If he actually ever encounters another living thing, he tucks his tail firmly beneath his long body and runs until he is far enough away to turn and bark again! His bark is so potent the entire front half of his body (including his feet) lifts off the ground with the force of it!

So today our house went on the market, and inevitably our real estate agent put a sign out in front of our house.... How does Pepper feel about this sign? Well, naturally, he sees it as an intruder and has spent the night barking out the window to scare it away! I wonder if I should take him out and let him sniff at it? Maybe then we'll get a little peace around here! HEE HEE!

The job hunt begins.....

As if trying to get rid of 8 years worth of junk and sell a house and plan a vacation half way around the world and get a son ready to graduate from 8th grade and pack up an entire classroom worth of teaching supplies is not enough.....

I am also on the hunt for a new teaching position!!

Some days things are so overwhelming I can hardly function. In fact, most of the last 2 days I have spent in a vegetative state on the couch. I guess I just needed to absorb the fact that we are really moving! Now I must get to work! The only way I will manage is to make a LOT of lists and take it one day at a time. Prioritizing is key.

Today my accomplishments included taking all the student's artwork off the walls of my classroom, spending time with a good friend, making a real dinner for my family, checking my email, and finding my credential (in the process I cleaned out a large cupboard in the computer desk). Boy! Was I sweating that last one!! Not being able to locate the piece of paper that verifies you are, indeed, a real teacher, could be detrimental to the job search!

If you hear of any promising leads, let me know!!

Home is Where you hang your Heart .....

Almost nine years ago the unthinkable happened.... Mark took a job in Sonora, and I had to come to terms with moving away from my childhood home, family, and everything I had ever known. At the time, it was the most difficult dilemma I had ever faced.

But living in these beautiful mountains turned out to be such a blessing! I made more true friends than I ever had in my life. I became a teacher. I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. I raised my children. I found myself here. I became the real me...

So tonight at around 6:00, I found out that Mark has again found a new job. But we will not be moving to Oregon or Washington as I had always feared... We are going home. Home to Humboldt County where I was born. Home to the Redwood forest where I was raised. Home to my family who I have missed so dearly......

I will always miss these beautiful mountains and the sunshine and my friends, but that is what vacations are for!!

We are going home.....

Alivia (age 4)

Madilyn (age 3)

Below you see Alyssa (age 11) with Kyla

Love..... Long Distance

So Mark is up in Humboldt County for the weekend. He'll be spending Mother's Day with his Mom.... what a good son!

My heart has traveled the 400 miles with him. I am really missing my family.... my parents, my in-laws, my sister.... but most especially my nieces. It seems I have been doomed to watch them grow up from afar. I get to see them about 4 times per year. When I am there, we take trips to Target or the mall, hang out at their house, have family get togethers. All of these experiences add up to about 20 hours per year of hands on love. The rest has to travel long distance.... so while I'm there I take rolls and rolls of pictures. Then I come home and create scrapbook pages about these 3 terrific girls. I try to remember all the funny things they say... each of their little quirks.... In this way I feel like a more in touch Aunt...... cause I really miss them.

TV addict?

OK, so when I was a little girl growing up in the thriving metropolis of Pepperwood (population 50), the TV was on all day every day. I can't remember a time when the TV was ever turned off. Our whole lives revolved around that box and the escape it afforded us.

So now, I think I rarely watch TV..... I certainly don't have it on all the time. Usually I watch only if a specific thing is on that I like to watch..... The problem arises there.... I like A LOT of different shows! So here is a list of the shows I currently cannot miss:

Monday- 24, What about Brian (just started watching this 2 weeks ago.... I can't sleep after and hour of edge of your seat excitement, so I needed something to do after 24)
Tuesday- occasionally I watch reruns of Sex and the City
Wednesday- LOST
Thursday- The OC (I know, it's trash, but I like a little trash occasionally) and ER
Friday & Saturday- nothing (Hooray)
Sunday- Desperate Housewives (more trash) and Grey's Anatomy (This is actually my new favorite.... can't make it through the week without it!)

So tell me, does this make me a TV addict? About 8 hours of TV per week? What are your favorites?

Back to K

I found out today I am going to be placed back in Kindergarten next year (per MY request)...... I am currently lamenting all the things I will not be able to do as a K teacher... things a 3rd grade teacher takes for granted..... having students call their own parents to report a good or bad deed they did (dialing the numbers alone and everything!).... discussing complicated concepts like matter or racism or grammar..... being told my new shoes are totally in style...... writing whole paragraphs on one topic.... having pen pals..... being able to check my email while they independently work on a task!! Of course then I remember this LO I made last summer..... I cried every time I read it for a good 6 months...... Loved those 5 year olds! You have to read the journaling.....


I have the best job in the world.
Every morning when I walk into Columbia Elementary, I am greeted with a hug by one or another of last year's students. You see, I am a Kindergarten teacher, and the First Graders like to hang around in the hallway in the morning waiting for the bell to ring. It is the best way to start the day.... these hugs from those who still know you even though they have moved on... I am always amazed at how tall they've grown since the hug before.... MEMORIES.

By the time I make it down to Room 4, there are one or two of my students waiting by the door.... grinning, laughing, panting. They are so excited to get to school each day that they race from the bus.... trading off on who will be the first to grab the doorknob. Their enthusiasm shines from their rosy cheeks.... ENERGY.
During story time I take a brief second between phrases to glance out at their faces.... and if I am doing a really good job of telling the story, I will see enchantment reflected in each pair of eyes.... a mischievious girl eating that sweet, little bear's porridge or a fat caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly, or a mother who holds her full grown son in her lap and rocks him back and forth, back and forth.... MAGIC.
Later, if Nathan remembers the difference between the words "no" and "on" at reading group, he'll grin from ear to ear... pulling on his cheeks to try to erase the smile, but failing.... still beaming over his masterful accomplishment.... PRIDE.
During recess when I arrive with the basket of milk, they all come running, riding, sliding, skipping my way. They are hungering for sustenance after an hour and forty minutes of hard work.... BALANCE.
On the best days I sneak a little time to talk to each one about all the most important things in life... like what we had for breakfast or how that scrape got on that knee or the funny thing that the kitten did last night. I try to steal these little scraps of joy while I am tying a shoe or helping to spell a word or applying a bandage.... MOMENTS.
But lately these moments have been bittersweet. You see, after 7 years of teaching Kindergarten I have been "promoted". I found out last week that next year I will be teaching Third grade.... I am excited but a little apprehensive. After all, there are no bikes up there, no Mary Janes, no toothless grins... They are too tall to grab my leg and say, "I love you, teacher."
But maybe, just maybe, if I really work hard and put in all the love and effort, once in a while I might catch one racing to my door, or glimpse the magic fro a book reflecting from their eyes, or see the pride of a new accomplishment beaming in one of their smiles.....
I will miss my dearest Kinders, and my work may look a little different, but I will still be a teacher, so I will still have the best job in the world.

OK, so I love teaching no matter what the grade!

Just thought I'd add this photo of my little sweetie at her first Relay for Life.

Relay for Life

So Saturday and Sunday were the annual Relay for Life. We have been participating since 2000, about 7 months after Kyla was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. She had lost her hair about 2 months before and was wearing a bonnet to cover her fuzzy little scalp. Each year since then we have been present for the Survivor Lap that kicks off the event. I remember walking around the track at that first event. I held Kyla's hand.... and she squeezed mine tight and looked at the ground the whole time. I remember the cheering people lining the track and the jets flying over..... the balloons and the flowers and the ache in my heart as I looked around at all the adults walking with us..... all adults... mostly middle aged or older... no other children like my precious little 6 year old... no other mothers who understood my plight.

But now, 6 years later, the experience was quite different. Kyla complained about the t-shirt.... It was not in style at all... Did she really have to wear it? I stood on the edge of the track and cheered and clapped while she walked with her friends.... completely nonchalant.... like being a 12 year old cancer survivor was no big deal. The only part of the day that she was enthused about was the costume lap. The whole theme was "Carnival" and our booth was "Gypsy visions for a Cure"... so everyone dressed up as gypsies. I created this page (sorry for the wonky scan..) as a challenge to scrap the last pictures I had developed (www.thescrapbooksite.com) . Here is what the journaling says:

April 29, 2006
The annual Relay for Life
It was really nice to have Kaylee and Annika along for our day....
You were embarrassed to be a part of the Survivor's Lap.....
You thought the Survivor's t-shirt was odd and unfashionable.....
You went around to all the booths.....
You participated in the cake walk....
You did an obstacle course with Kaylee....
The HIGHLIGHT of your day was dressing up like a gypsy for the Costume Lap....

By the way, isn't she beautiful?

Thanks for Looking! :) N