First Week of School

The first week of school is an exciting time. At least I think it is. I love meeting the new students and seeing the old students from the previous year.

The first day is pretty exciting. Of course, it's a day of disclosures. The kids think it's boring and, frankly, it kind of is. By the last hour, I gloss over the disclosure, the rules, and procedures, because I see the same students three times.

The second and third days are dedicated to the proposition that all students must be tested. We need to know where they are functioning academically and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

The fourth day. Ahh, the fourth day. Now we're rollin'.

I have rules. All good teachers have rules. I'm pretty darn consistent about enforcing the rules. I even obey my rules myself. It is never surprising or shocking when students push the limits. Frustrating, yes. Thankfully, I have only one student who is really engaged in boundary testing.

Now, tomorrow...tomorrow will be a most excellent day.

Oh, one more thing, thank goodness it's a three day weekend!

August Already

Here it is August already and I've been back to work several times to get things set up. My classroom is ready to go and I've spent today making plans for the year. I'm taking on a couple of Math classes and so I want to be ready.

I always feel a sense of excitement as a new year begins. Very rarely do I feel any kind of a sense of doom in the air. I think this is going to be an exciting year and I know it will never be dull. It never is.

Below is a picture of my classroom. The view is from my desk area. I love my classroom. It's a cozy and welcoming place. I don't know if my students love it as much as I do, but then again, that really doesn't matter, does it?

Lodi

I just got back from my California vacation. It was a very nice time, completely relaxing, just what I needed. I spent the first part of the trip with my brother and his family. The last part of the trip I spent in Lodi. There were days by the pool, great company, visits to the beach, good food...a really, really nice time. The temperature was mild. It was even cool at times. My shoulder did not hurt me at all. There's something about that California air. Nothing could have been better than being greeted each morning with, "Good morning, Kirsten. How did you sleep? I love you." Thank you, Colter.

Cow Town, CA

I had a great time with my sister, Karin, in Vacaville where we visited family. We made a trip to Stinson Beach, and Petaluma, and Sonoma. We saw our brother, his wife and son and also our cousin and her husband. We also visited the grounds and visitors' center of the Oakland Temple. It was a beautiful night. The pictures are of my brother and his family, the temple, at the beach with my sister, and together with our cousin.

Mission Memory Monday: Capitalism?

When I lived in Ploiesti, Romania as a missionary, while serving with Sora Parent, we had a funny experience. We had gone to a little shop where we found some canned peaches. We were greeted with the typical, "Spuneti!" It means, speak. We had spotted the peaches and decided to purchase them. We told the woman at the cash register what we wanted. Her reply, "That's our last can of peaches." We again asked to purchase the peaches. Our second request was met with the aforementioned response. We may even have asked for them a third time only to be met with the same response as before.

These were the thoughts running through my head:

If you sell us your last can of peaches, you can order more. We will come back and buy them, too. You will make money. That's good. 

I don't think she would have appreciated that little lesson on capitalism.

Did we get the peaches? You bet!

Oh, by the way, every missionary I ever served with, the missionaries before me and the missionaries who served right after me have stories just like this.

iPhone 3G

Two o'clock in the morning, July 11, 2008: I wake up excited about the Big Day! The new iPhone 3G comes out today and I am determined to get one. I back up my systems, I get dressed, and drive the five minutes to the AT&T store closest to my house. I am seventh in line. I chat some with the guys just ahead of me in line. They have an entire set up: air mattresses, blankets, pillows, and a computer propped up on a blow up chair. They claim they have never done this before. 

At about 5 AM, the line starts to get bigger. Every subsequent hour the line grows. No one knows how many phones have been made available. As the line gets longer, we start guessing where the cutoff will be. Who will have to go  home disappointed? 

At 6 AM, employees start showing up to monitor the line. 

By 7 AM the excitement is tangible. A commotion starts up when the mother-in-law of one of the guys behind me shows up and then his wife. The people behind them aren't too happy. I can't blame them. Store managers come out and simmer  people down. A happy compromise is reached. It's a good thing because most of the people behind me have been in line since 5 or so and tempers can quickly reach hot temperatures.

A little before 7:30 AM the employees come and get a listing of who wants what...black, 16G, white 8G, etc. I put down my order...black 16GB.  We find out there are only 25 phones that have been allocated to that particular location. A lot of people will go home without an iPhone 3G. The line wraps around three sides of the building. 

Finally, 8AM. It is the hour of anticipation. The first people go in the store. They are only letting 4 or 5 people in at a time to avoid confusion. When they come out they hold up their purchase like a trophy. I feel victorious when I enter. The guy at the counter gives me a high five (we had spoken the day before as I was feeling out the possibilities) and he's glad that I made it. I get my black 16 GB iPhone 3G and stumble out of the store dizzy with accomplishment thanking those who congratulate me and offering my own congratulations to them in return. The drive home is quiet. Despite the fact that myriad people are having trouble finishing the set up, as do I, I manage to complete the set up for my phone. 

This is going to be awesome!

Picnic in the Park

Last week, I believe, I had the chance to get together with a couple dear friends from my mission. We met at a park in Bountiful and had ourselves a lovely picnic. Dee Anne and her family came. They are all so darn cute! We all had fun catching up.

Kim and Dee Anne, thanks for the good time!