The First Day Jitters!

So, in 3rd grade at the beginning of year in our Reading textbook called, "The First Day Jitters." It is about a person who will not get out of bed on the first day of school. This person refuses and comes up with every excuse not to get out of bed on the first day. Well, at the end of the book, it turns out that the person is actually a teacher! This shocks the kids so much in my class. They can't believe a teacher wouldn't want to get out of bed. Well, I was that teacher today...

I didn't want to wake up at 5:30 a.m., but I rolled out of bed anyway. I got ready, left the house around 6:40, and on the way to school I was thinking about how I wasn't ready to go back to work yet. It's weird because all summer I actually missed work. I missed getting "ready" every day, my morning coffee at 6:30 a.m., and having a plan for the day. I was anxious to come back to work because I needed adult time again, and I felt like I would be a better mommy if I wasn't with Ava all day. Well, this week has been long and busy for me! I have missed Ava so much and today I just didn't want to meet my kids yet. I thought I would feel excited and great about a new class, but I found myself missing my last year's class.=(

Needless to say, I have a great class this year! I have a few that are already on my nerves, but most of them are very good kids! They are cute as can be and want to hug me all the time. Third graders are so different than fourth and fifth graders...I love it!

My biggest challenge it seems with be with a student who has Mitochrondrial Disease. I have an assistant with him who is great, but he is challenging. He is mentally retarded and has tendency of autism. He made clacking noises and shouted out some this morning, but he didn't do it for long periods of time. He will usually only spend an hour in my classroom, but today he was here the whole time. He did better than we thought. Mrs. Wilkerson, my assistant, is amazing. When she wasn't tending to him, she was working on everything else. She passed out papers, organized my supplies, and ran errands for me. I am so thankful for her!

That's all for now, I better get my desk organized now!

Updates on Ava=)

This is a picture of Ava and her friend, Judson at church. They are so cute together! They share food, share toys, and even try and go potty together! It's really fun watching them interact. Amanda, Judson's mommy, always takes great pictures of them on Sundays. Here's just a few she took.

Ava is growing up so fast! This summer, she learned to use the potty! She is doing great with telling us and going. She still has accidents every now and then if she is really invovled in playing or in something she's watching on T.V. Last night Paul was reading her a book around 8:00p.m. right before she took a bath and while they are sitting there, she just peed on him! He was so upset, but he stayed calm and ran up stairs to get her some clean panties. Of course, she wanted "the Elmo ones" like always.

She has learned most of her colors and even counted 1-13 the other day pointing at people in a book she likes. It was really precious! She also likes reading this "little" book that I used to have in my room, it's a quote book about love, and she calls it her Bible. She was looking at it the other day and said "God's Word" and I said, "Ava what is 'God's word'?" and she said, "The Bible." I just stood there with my mouth open! I couldn't believe she said that. Her new school Lighthouse Christian is very serious when it comes to the Bible and scriptures. I thought that was really neat!

Lindi's wedding!

Ok, so most of you know that Ava was the flower girl in my best friend, Lindi's wedding, and I was the matron of honor. It was in Kansas City. I flew up the Wednesday before the wedding to help Lindi and her mom with wedding stuff. It was fun, but stressful. I am SO glad I never have to be a bride again! I loved my wedding, but I was stressed! So, Wednesday night we hung out at an awesome restaurant called "Blue Koi" in Kansas City. We got China Moon to eat, of course, because it's the best thing on the menu. Then we went over to on of the other Bride's maid's houses to learn the "lip sync" for the wedding. Now, I have never, ever heard of doing this, but aparently it's the new thing to do at weddings...Lindi sings a song to Nate while we dance behind her. Then Nate sings a song to Lindi while the groom's men dance behind it. It was fun learning it that night, but all of us bride's maids were nervous. (it actually turned out really cute, though). Well, Thursday night was Lindi's Bachalorette Party. We ate at Elephant Bar and then went to sing some kareoke! It was so fun!!! The next day we did wedding stuff, had the rehearsal (which I cried during), then the rehersal dinner. I gave a speech at the rehearsal dinner, which was awesome if you don't mind me bragging. I even got people to laugh because I was witty. I'm usually goofy, but I made some witty comments. It was great!! (paul taped it if you ever want to see it!) THen the day of the wedding went very smoothly. Ava walked down the aisle and my mom got her at the end of the aisle since she wouldn't stand still. Lindi was a dashing bride, of course. I cried the whole wedding, but they were tears of joy, don't worry! There was one really funny thing that happened during the wedding-Lindi and Nate couldn't get the unity candle lit. They tried and tried, but couldn't get it, so they just left it.

The dinner after was great and the dancing was a blast! Ava took the dance floor like a super star, everyone loved watching her steal the show!

All in all, it was a great time! Lindi is a very dear friend to me. I never had a sister, but she was like my sister. I have known her since I was four and we share a very special bond. Her getting married felt like my sister was growing up. It was a big deal for me! I am so incredibly happy for Lindi and Nate!!

The Bach. Party....

Rehearsal...Ava and the ring bearer, Joel...

The wedding dance and the lip sync...

Prepare yourself for more post soon...=)

Trips, test, summer

Update

I just wanted to update my "subscribers" that I lost two lbs. this week even with all the events we had over the weekend! I am so proud of ME!!=)

Here's also a super cute picture from my friend Amanda (Judson's mom) from Sunday School. Ava gets really sleepy on Sunday mornings and always wants a "blankie" to hold.

Lose the weight Part II

So, I am not losing weight....why? Because I like to eat. I mostly like to eat sweet things like cookies, icecream, and any other form of chocolate. I also like to sit and read or watch T.V. when all my daily chores are finished. I get Ava to bed, finish the dishes, and then veg-out!

I am commiting to losing weight now...I walked yesterday for 30 min. and plan to do it again today. Here is my new theory on why I'm not losing weight....and this has been confirmed by a few of my close friends...I am dealing really well with certain things in my life such as being a good mom and wife, my family situation with my parents, and my new love of couponing. I am doing really well in those areas which has been very difficult as many of you know! I am saving so much money with couponing now and am really proud of myself. So, losing weight has taken the back burner...

So, that is my theory, but it is not going to stop me. I am going to fight my weight and let all my anger turn into good calorie burn! I'm probably crazy for blogging this, but I have been super depressed this week over all of the above, and my lack of weight loss has made me feel even worse. So, I thought this blog might just help to encourage me a little bit!

Most of you know I love cats, and this picture was too funny not to post with this blog. It goes along with how I feel!

Have you read this yet?!? You need to!!!

So, I just wanted to give a shout out to my new favorite series. First of all, if you haven't read the Twilight series, you are missing out! I thought I wouldn't like it because it's all about "vampires" but it's so much more than that. The focus is on Bella and Edward and their strong connection to each other. It is really well written, easy to read, and really entertaining. I highly recommend it! I really love Harry Potter, as many of you know, but this reading is a little more mature and I think I actually enjoyed it more. I can't believe I'm saying that because I feel like I'm cheating on Harry with Edward, but I've got to be honest.

I'm now reading another pretty good book called In The Woods. It was recommended to me by my friend, Julia. It is really great, too, but I miss reading the Twilight series.

The answers!

Just so you know....none of you are smarter than a 3rd grader! None of you got a 100%!!! Here are the real answers:
1. declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory
2. articles in speech are "a,an, and the"
3. stratus, cumulus, altostratus, and cirrus
4. sedimentary (formed by rivers), metamorphic (formed by heat or other variables), igneous (formed by volcanoes)
5. Photosynthesis-good job Brigid, I'm impressed!
6. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto( scientist are still 50/50 on this topic, it is being debated, we still have to teach it!)

Good try people, but I want to know-how do you feel a/b the fact that 8 yr. olds are required to learn this stuff?

TCAP review week

I am so sick of reviewing for TCAP that I decided to post again! So, I have some major concepts I've been reviewing this week and I was just wondering if any of you can answer these questions. I mean, for some reason it is really important for 8 and 9 year old to know the answers to these....so let's see if adults know the answers...

1. What are the four types of sentences?

2. What is an article in speech?

3. What are the four types of clouds and what kind of weather will you see with each type?

4. What are the 3 main types of rocks and how are each formed?

5. What is the process called where plants make their own food?

6. What are all nine planets starting with the closest to the sun?

Now, if 8 and 9 year olds are suppose to know this, you need to know this! Can you answer these?

**Ok, so I've posted three on the blog this week, does this make up for me not blogging for almost a year?

Lose the weight

I'm at work and already itching to write a new post...this is pretty addicting I must say...
So, I am dying here....I woke up this morning and could barely zip up one of my favorite pairs of work pants. These pants use to be loss on me! So, I got to work and while drinking my coffee, all I could think about was eating cookies. See, when I feel fat, I eat. Isn't it weird that it doesn't motivate me when I feel fat, instead I just eat. So, I decided to join back on weight watchers online. My goal since Jan. has been to lose weight for my best friend, Lindi's, wedding. Now I am realizing how very close May 30th is, so I am going to get serious!
Today I have eaten really well so far. The hardest thing for me is the sweets that people bring into work. I eat like a pig here because people are always baking sweets! So, I have said no to everything today and have just eaten healthy.
I am going to workout today at Urban Active where I have a membership (which hasn't been used much). Wish me luck and I will update you on my progress. I hope this will motivate me!!!!

Ok, ok already...

Here is my first post in close to a year. Another hard year to get through, but not near as hard as last year! Janna, my favorite sister-in-law, (and my only one) will be so proud that I am finally back into the blog world! So...here we go...Ava is doing really well. She is talking like crazy, she has hair, and she can brush her own teeth! It is amazing to watch her grow! Here are a few pictures of Ava from Christmas! She is so silly!

This is Ava with her two favorite things in the whole world...Elmo and "Kitty"!

This is from the snow we had in December!This is a picture of one of Ava's favorite gifts from Christmas from Ben and Jeana! This next picture is of Ava and Paul making cookies at Christmas.

I also thought I should add a new picture of our first baby, Mei Mei...this year she was the keeper of the Christmas Village in our house. Here's the proof...