Expo and more!

Friday, Joee and I went to the Scrapbook Expo. It usually is fantastic - lots of vendors, lots of deals, lots of old product on sale for cheap, some new product that you have to get. Not so much the last few times we've gone. There wasn't a lot that. I only spent $30 - which included the cost of getting in! I had a few things on my mind of what I'd like to get - but nothing was quite inexpensive enough that I couldn't wait for later. I had thought about getting a Cricut finally - something I've been wanting to get for a long time - but never have. If they were a low enough price, I thought I'd get one... Roberts had them, and they were on sale, but still a little more than I thought they'd be.

Joee and I left, and I met my mom, Holly, and JoAnne at Michael's. (We're all taking a community school class - crocheting - and they were getting our yarn and hooks there.) I looked at their Cricut stuff... and kept thinking about it through dinner. After talking about it with my dining partners, I decided that I'd go back and get one. I have saved a bit of money, and have wanted one for a long time... and I went back to the Expo and got one!

Today was spent trying it out and getting a few cartridges (thank goodness for Michael's where they were on sale!). It is so great! Holly thinks I sound like I've heard the infomercial a few too many times - but it really is that fantastic! I think Joee was a little surprised that I went back to get one (I'd told her my original price limit) - but I am positive that she'll benefit from it - not only will she get fantastic cards from me, but I'm thinking that it'll be a vital tool the next time we get together to scrap.

I've got to get back to the Cricut - there's so much paper to cut and so little time!

New Hair...

Before...

After...

But I like this one best...

The picture doesn't show it that well... but I got my hair tinted... Quite shocking for me, but not so much so for everyone else - hardly anyone noticed, which is part of the point of doing drastic things to your hair anyway, right? A few of my more trendy girls noticed, and Ryan-who-teaches-next-door noticed (which is quite the thing, he must be practicing being more observant) - and that's it! So I hope you notice!

My BFF!

I went to Joee's house on Friday night. We haven't seen each other in 10 weeks! We've talked a lot on the phone, but seeing one another in person is quite different. I got to Joee's at 8 and stayed... well... until "plenty-past eleven!" Yeah, it was a long night... Why'd I even come home? It was so fun to talk and blog-stalk and talk and eat Chinese food (well, watermellon, which we had in China!) and 'Better...' cake.

Let's not wait another 10 weeks to see one another in person!

When I grow up...

If I weren't a teacher... I have no idea what I'd have become when I grew up! Truly, all growing up, this is what I always wanted to be. I do tell my kids, though, that I would be a Zamboni driver. I watched every day at the Olympic Oval during the 2002 Olympics, and thought it'd be great fun. (Very coincidentally, the Zamboni driver at the Oval during the Olympics is now the NOVA officer at school!)

10 days down, 170 to go!

Not that I'm counting or anything!

I was really worried about making the change to 5th grade. It was pretty bad at the beginning of the summer (school dreams already?!). Coming back in August didn't help any. It is so overwhelming to come back anyway - let alone learn a new curriculum and get to know a new team (well, two-thirds of a new team anyway), and even being with kids of a new age and not knowing how they act and react to things and what they can handle - ahhhh!

But the first day of school was the best first day I have ever had! Granted, that hasn't been too many - but it really was the best day of the 4 previous first days. And the first week - definitely the best first week ever! And I am keeping up on my curriculum - but I am excited for the day when I am ahead a day or two or three. That'll be great! I also have 6 kids in class this year that I had as 3rd graders two years ago. I'm pretty sure that most of them were excited about that (hopefully no one cried!) - and I'm excited about them. I have a great class - 29 little darlings!

This past Wednesday - 8 days into school - we went on our first field trip! We hiked up the trail to go through the Timpanogos Caves! Wow - try herding 56 10-year-olds up a mountain and back in one piece! (well, 56 pieces) But we made it - 56 kids have nothing on 4 moms and 2 teachers, one of whom is Mr. Grimley! (I guess I did contribute... I made my presence known in not allowing kids to run down the mountain like they wanted to!)

And now the first week is over, and I have a lovely 3 day weekend to look forward to! Can't wait for the last 3 day weekend of the year - let's hear it for Memorial Day!

Back to School goals

It's a new school year. I'm beginning a new grade. What are my goals for the year?

Change files in file drawers to notebooks on a shelf
Create 'flipcharts' for math lessons, make notes for improvements for next year
Give students a challenge
Leave by 4:00 every day! (oh wait - I forgot that goals should be realistic!)

Summer Bests

Best food: dinner at the Pageant, Mark's pizza, Chill & Grill, hot dogs at the National Mall
Best songs: 7 Things, Sneakernight, Apologize, Life is a Highway
Best movie: Kung Foo Panda (midnight showing!)
Best place I visited: (where didn't I visit that wasn't the best?) Palmyra, Kirtland, Indpendence, Washington DC, Hershey, Gettysburg
Best mileage in the car: 36.5 mpg, Little America WY to Cheyenne WY
Best Walmart visited: Canandaigua, NY
Best hotel: Holiday Inn, Washington DC, a block from the Air & Space Museum
Best parade: Midvale Days
Best fireworks: Midvale Days, Niagara Falls
Best laugh: in the car about a song with lyrics that might be "Who's got what it takes to make meatloaf", at the Pageant where James swears he was surrounded by polar bears while visiting Alaska