Now Accepting Donations for the "Elizabeth Needs A New Car" Fund

So, my sister is typing this blog post for me, because my arm is currently in a splint. I could type it if I wanted to, but it would take forever and hurt and frustrate me to no end. What a wonderful sister I have.

Here's the story of my accident on December 16, 2010:

It was a dark and stormy morning...Okay, so not really. But it was kind of slippery out. I was on my way to work going a little slower than the speed limit and I came around the curve before the bridge by Brandon. As I approached the bridge, I became confused because there were a pair of headlights facing me and they appeared to be in my lane. I cautiously slowed down and as I got to the bridge, I hit pure ice and started sliding. Trying to slow down and control my car on the ice proved to be a big problem. I spun around almost hitting the side of the bridge and almost hitting the van in front of me that had already spun out. After doing almost a 180, I stopped just inches short of both the bridge and the van. It was a miracle that I had managed to stop in time and not hit a thing. That miraculous feeling lasted only a second and then I saw headlights heading straight for me. "Please don't hit me! Please don't hit me!" I thought in my head. Then CRUNCH! CRASH! SHATTER!

When I opened my eyes I saw that my airbags had deployed and I was covered with glass. Two guys appeared at my window asking if I was all right. "I don't know!!" I yelled as I couldn't stop shaking.

Again, "Are you all right?"

I did a mental body check, felt a couple sore spots, but for the most part I was okay. The next five minutes I spent searching for my phone, which had flown somewhere on the floor amongst the glass and books I was bringing to school that day. As I got out of my car, I realized that the ice had been a problem for several people, and it looked like at least ten cars had been involved in the crash. No one was severely injured. After I found my phone, the first thing I did was call my mom because someone else had already called 911.

Me: "Mom, I was in a pretty bad accident, but I'm okay. My car looks pretty bad though."

Mom: "I'm on my way! I'll be right there!"

Me: "Mom, no."

Mom: "I'm coming. I'm getting my things. I'll be right there."

Me: "Mom, calm down. You shouldn't come out right now. There were like ten cars that crashed. You probably couldn't even get here. It looks like I'll be out here a while before the cops come."

Mom: "Okay, are you sure? Keep me updated."

As I waited outside with some of the other drivers, I quickly realized that today was not a good day to wear my flats without socks. Within minutes, my feet were numb. It was also during this time that I felt a large bump forming on my forehead. My wrist also seemed to be a little sore, but with the way my car looked, it was a blessing to only have these minor injuries.

The cops finally arrived, but they had to process all the other cars before they got to the ones involved in my part of the accident. I waited in my car for a while with a blanket over me since my driver's side window was shattered and my passenger door wouldn't shut. Eventually, the driver of the van said I could wait in his car and hopefully warm up a bit. Then came the Keloland lady wanting an interview with someone. I agreed to do it and even threw in a "Looks like I need a new car for Christmas" line, hoping someone would pity me and help me out. No such luck.

Finally it was my turn to talk to the police officer. I watched my poor little orange car get towed away as I sat in the officer's vehicle. It looked like half of my car was still lying on the road because there were so many little scraps everywhere. My dad came and picked me up and brought me home. My wonderful boss, Sheri, had said that I could take the day off.

I spent the day relaxing, but kept noticing my wrist was starting to hurt more and more. I went to urgent care where they took x-rays, but did not see a break. They sent me home in a splint and told me to come back in a week if it still hurt.

I returned to school the next day and found out just how difficult it was to have to work with only one hand -- my left hand. I received much love from my students and coworkers, so that helped, but I left school that day feeling very tired and very sore.

A week later, I set up an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. He looked at my wrist and the x-rays and concluded that the impact of the airbag must have bruised my bone. Thankfully, it's not broken, but it will still take 4-6 weeks to heal, so that means that I will be going through a lot of Ibuprofen in the next few weeks. And asking for a lot of favors from my family. My dad asked if I was planning on joining the Dairy Association because of how much I was milking my injury. He's so funny...

Overall, I am so thankful that everything turned out okay, because it could have been a lot worse. God was truly protecting me and the other drivers. Although I'm a little bummmmmmed about my car, I'm planning on looking for a new one this week.

I'll leave you with a couple pictures.

My driver's side door was pretty smashed in. It left me with a couple bruises.

Right after the accident.

Poor car.

"Cuz We Make the Hipsters Fall In Love"

So, I'm a little bit addicted. I kind of love Ke$ha. For those of you who are not familiar with Ke$ha, she is a party girl rockstar. I don't really want to be her or anything (because she probably does drugs and all that stuff), but really, I secretly do want to be her. I get way too giddy when I hear a song of hers, and I take on the Ke$ha attitude and belt it out right along with her. (And, yes, her name is spelled with the dollar sign. I'm always a stickler for spelling.)

Anyways, my sister and I decided to have a photo shoot, inspired by Ke$ha, sort of, only a lot more toned down. I did my sister's hair and makeup. It looked pretty rad.

Yeah, that's my sister. She's fierce.

Ke$ha's new album comes out this week! Get rainbow excited! Maybe it will inspire us to have another photo shoot. Get double rainbow excited!

The "Look"

I'm pretty sure I've had a blog with this same title, just referring to a much different look. Hmmmm, read on.

We had Heartland Teacher convention today and yesterday. It's always kind of fun to have a few days off and sit through some interesting sectionals, and some not-so-interesting ones as well. You can definitely tell it's a convention of teachers. Teachers just have this "look," ya know? Even if it's not the denim jumper with the apple pin, there is definitely still a certain way that teachers look, dress, carry themselves, something. I just can't really pinpoint the one thing that it is.

Well, whatever it is, I'm trying to stay far away from it. I rock the skinny jeans, or pants, or whatever. Yes, I still buy my clothes from the juniors' section. Fine. Judge me. Yes, I sometimes get mistaken for an eighth grader when I'm around my students, but I'll take that as a compliment. I think. And, of course, I avoid the "teacher shoes." Those loafer looking things - sometimes worn with printed socks - ones with little pumpkins, or hearts, or snowmen. You know what I'm talking about. Oh, yuck. I'll take a pair of flats that give me horrible blisters way before I'd ever wear those things. I was even rocking the Snookie bump yesterday. Ok, so not really even close to the height that she gets, but someone did ask me if I had a Bump-It in. I think I know what I'm going to be for Halloween. Now if only I can find the right shade of orange to color my skin....

Duke Bobby

So, I don't know if you've heard, but there is a praying mantis in my classroom right now. Yes, a real live praying mantis. It is now our class pet. I even brought in a fish bowl for it to live in. (Bowser's old bowl. Tears.) My students ran outside to gather grass, leaves, and sticks to make a nice little home for it. One morning they even went outside with a cup to catch crickets for Mr. Mantis to eat. (They're carnivorous.)

They also decided its name would be Duke Bobby. It's kind of an inside joke that our class has, although, the joke isn't really that funny, but I suppose we'll go with it.

Anyways, Duke Bobby has been hanging out on his stick a lot. He doesn't move around that much, but the kids make sure to check on him every day.

This morning they got to school and ran to check it out. As soon as I got into the classroom, they quickly told me, "The praying mantis is dead or something! Or maybe dying! It's pooping out foam!" I took a look in its tank, and started getting a little worried. The mantis wasn't moving at all. Then, I noticed it's back end making little thrusting movements and pumping out more of this foamy stuff.

After some quick Googling, I read this: "A female praying mantis will produce a large foam mass, called an ootheca. This ootheca can contain up to 300 eggs, all protected in the foam sack."

My jaw dropped as I read it, and my kids starting shouting, "What!?! What is it!?! Is Duke Bobby going to die?!"

"Well, kids, it looks like Duke Bobby is a female. And that foam is a sack of eggs!"

"It's pregnant!?!?!" A cheer rose up from the class. Our precious Duke Bobby was not dying, rather, it was producing life!

So, we'll see what happens. It can take anywhere from 5 weeks to 5 months to hatch. Then we'll have quite a few little crawlers on our hands. I'll keep you all updated on our praying mantis situation.

****Update*****
Upon arriving at school today, I found little Duke Bobby face down in her tank. It seems that the field trip to Des Moines on Friday, and the weekend away was too much for her little body to handle. She passed away, hopefully peacefully. A funeral is scheduled for tomorrow. My whole class will be wearing black to commemorate this sad event.

Little Boys and Their Little Hearts

So this is the follow-up blog to the post right here. If you missed out on it, you should probably go back and read it.

So about a week after the 19-year-old started texting me, he's still going strong. We aren't talking a couple texts throughout the day. We're talking six o' clock in the morning to ten at night texting. Yeah, it's that bad. Reading "so wat do u want to talk about now?" really gets old.

So here is one of our conversations from a day or two ago. Be prepared to giggle, and to feel sympathy, and to feel just a little bit awkward because you are getting a glance into the depths of my cellular device conversations. Also, he texts like a 19-year-old, so beware.

Ok, so Mr. Lifelight and I were texting a bit after school and he goes:

Lifelight: Lol. so personal question cause i feel like being dumb. how much do you way?

-------and YES! He spelled it like that!!!! There are so many deal-breakers in that one text!!!

Me: Wow. You are not getting an answer to that one.

L: Well shucks lol why not?

-------So then I didn't reply for awhile because I was just annoyed.

L: Sorry. What would you like to talk about? If I didn't tick you off?

M: I don't care what we talk about.

L: so how come you gave me your number?

M: Because I was bored.

L: Nice. Well I'm glad i could keep you entertained.

-------At this point I couldn't tell if he was being bitter or if he was seriously glad he could provide me with some entertainment, and I don't reply for awhile.

L: Well that really sucks

M: What

L: Nothing *Only just a dream*

-------So he made a signature thing, so at the end of all his texts it says that, which is so girly gross.

L: So are you only talking to me because your bored? or are we actually friends?

M: A little of both

L: Wow ok

L: Well if your just gonna use me you could at least pretend to be my friend

-----Um, hello? I was pretending!

M: We are friends.

L: Yeah rite you just said we basically weren't

M: That's not what I said.

L: I'm only talking to you because i'm bored is basically the same thing

M: Well I'm sorry if you thought I meant that.

L: i did. what are you saying now? you were joking and we're friends?

M: Just because I was bored doesn't mean we're not friends.

------What I mean to say here is, "Stop being a girl."

L: Then what does it mean?

M: You're fun to talk to but it's not going to go anywhere.

L: Ok, and how come? do you not want it to or what?

M: don't really want it to. You're probably a little young for me.

------and this is when he changes his attitude...

L: Give it time maybe you'll change your mind. and it's only 4 years. i'm ok with that.

---Yeah, because you're obviously getting the good end of the deal. Oh boy, and now get ready for the longest text he's ever sent me:

L: i think we might make a good match. i know i'm not the smartest guy or the best looking but i'm a Christian and I know that for a fact. I know i'm a little rough around the edges and stuff. and i don't see what it would hurt to get to know each other better and maybe give it a try later if you want to. but if you don't even want to give it a try maybe God will change your mind. who knows.

------This is when i started feeling really bad for breaking that poor boy's heart. My sister is in the background, assuring me that I am a bad person.

M: I know you're a good guy and a Christian and that's great. I just don't feel like we would work together.

L: Why not?

M: I've been in some serious relationships, so I know what I'm looking for.

L: And what type of stuff is that?

------And now I didn't want to go listing stuff because then he would try to prove how he does have all of those qualities.

M: I don't know. I just don't really feel anything.

L: what do you mean?

M: I don't have those kinds of feelings for you.

L: Ok, can we still be friends?

M: definitely

L: Cool :)

------And a short while later......

L: Can I still text you in the mornings?

Maybe I Should Lock My Doors

So my students this year are absolutely great. I love them. And they love me. Like.....maybe a little too much.

I don't allow them to add me on Facebook even though they have asked several times. To show you just how much they want to be a part of my life, I will share with you an anonymous journal entry.

The writing prompt was: Suppose you've been given an invisible camera. You can put it anywhere in the world. Where would you put the camera?

Here is one student's answer to that question:

I would put the camera in my teacher's house. I would want to see what she does when she gets home, what her bedroom looks like, or even what she eats. I would like to see my grades early and when tests would be. I would also enjoy hearing if she says anything bad about people or something funny. I would like to be able to see her pictures on Facebook! Also I would like to see what she does in the summer and the days that she has off. I would enjoy meeting her friends and family. I would really enjoy knowing her deepest, darkest secrets.

This student was really proud of his/her entry, and decided to share it with the rest of the class.

Oh, the fun we have.

The Point in my Life Where I Reach the Level That Goes Beyond Desperation

So Lifelight, right? Three days of bands and music and such. Fun, fun, fun.

My sister and I got to go backstage and hang out with the guys from Remedy Drive, we got to rock out to some violin rock a la Reilly, and we got to "shake it like an earthquake" with Family Force 5. Oh, and I gave my number to a 19-year-old.

What!?! Elizabeth, you are 23 years old! "That's barely legal!!!!"

Yeah, yeah, I know. And I totally did it on a whim because I'm crazy like that. Sitting in my car, trying to get out of the parking lot was taking a long time, (like move four feet in a matter of a half an hour long time), so I was bored. So when a 19-year-old asks for your phone number, you give it to him. Wait, I mean, when a 19-year-old's little brother asks for your phone number for his older brother, you give it to him. It makes sense, right?

Maybe standing outside in the sun all day was getting to me or something. Yes, you are allowed to roll your eyes at my stupidity.

So now there's this kid who lives two hours away who thinks he has this huge crush on me. He possibly even thinks we're going to start dating or something. I will surely put an end to this soon.

But in the mean time, we'll just go with it. Because there's nothing better to do right now.

My life is pathetic.

Tidbits from the Classroom

Science is a tool. It can be used in a good way, or a bad way. For example, you can use a hammer to build a house for a homeless person, OR you can use a hammer to smack someone in the head.

"Those are baller shoes, Miss V.!"

Reconstruction after the Civil War - It's like if you and your brother get into a fight and your brother totally beats you up. You aren't going to automatically love him and be all friendly afterwards. You're going to have to rebuild that friendship and brotherly love again. It might take awhile.

If you have a picture of a friendly-looking snake, and add downward-facing eyebrows, he turns evil.

"I love this chair thing! I love it with a PASSION!"

***Note to the reader: Never joke with middle school students that they will be getting free cookies. They will turn on you immediately.

DISCLAIMER: These things might only be funny to my students and me. Except for the cookie thing. They didn't think that was very funny.

To Catch a Predator

"How's the brownie? Do you know who I am? I'm Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC."

If only Chris Hansen was around when I was hanging out at the beach in Florida a little over a week ago.

After two days in the car and one night in an extremely creepy Motel 6 (and, no, they didn't leave the lights on for us), Bethany and I decided a little relaxation at the beach was a good idea. The sun was shining and the fish were jumping. It was a perfect day at the beach...... Then came the guy on the jetski. At first we had a hard time deciding if he was a lifeguard or not. He came roving over on his red Kawasaki all decked out in red and white. He stopped the engine for awhile not very far from us and pulled out his red and white thermos. The dude snuck looks at us as he floated around.

After awhile, we got to the point where we were creeped out enough to get out of the water, so we went to lie on the beach. Soon, two girls in the water went up to him and asked if they could have a ride. The first girl hopped on, and he took off. After about ten minutes he came back and took the second girl for a ride. Bethany and I were sitting there, thoroughly disgusted, and wondering what would possess these girls to hop on some random stranger's jetski.

"Ok, can you describe him?" Bethany asked me, "Just in case we need to give a description to the police."

The second girl's ride was a little different from the first girl's. After about ten minutes, the guy stopped the engine out in the ocean, and pulled out his cooler. He then, apparently, poured the girl a drink, and sat side-saddle on the jetski so they could have a little conversation out on the ocean. And this wasn't a twenty or even thirty-year-old guy. He was probably about forty or fifty. After about half an hour, he finally dropped the girl off on the beach. Another beach was in his sight now; one with more prey.

Creeper in action

Bethany and I finally felt that it was safe enough to go back in the water, so we headed out to the sandbar. Just then, we saw the little red blob in the distance, and it started getting bigger and bigger. Mr. Jetski was back. When he was about thirty feet from us, he turned off the engine and began to float around. We turned our backs to him because making eye contact was surely the kiss of death. He mosied his way around us, and we proceeded to turn the other way. It was like he was a shark circling it's prey. The predator of the ocean.

We started making our way toward the beach, hoping he would get the hint, but he slowly followed us in. After we made our way across the hot sand, he finally got the point and drove off, leaving us feeling completely creeped out.

The Internet and chat rooms aren't the only place where predators prey on innocent little girls. Ok, I know, it's not like we're twelve or anything, but it was still a yucky feeling. I can just see Chris Hansen riding in on a seahorse, "I'm Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC. You enjoying that ride?" Yeah, that'd be cool.

P.S. It's my half birthday today. Only 6 more months to buy me a present.

"Those great knick-knacks at Target that you just can't say no to"

I figured I should probably blog again before I head off on more summer adventures. Have I mentioned I love being a teacher?

So, let's talk about Target. I'm sure Kayla would be able to tell you much more about Target than I would, but let's talk about it anyways. Ever since Sioux Falls added the new eastside Target, the amount of money in my bank account has been steadily decreasing. Weird.

Let's talk about one section of Target in particular. If you head over to the music section you'll see a little shelf called "Artists on the Verge." I think this is my new favorite section. I love scouring the cds for music that I know or have heard of. I like to check out the bands that few people have heard of because it makes me feel awesome. It's like name-dropping. "Oh, you haven't heard of that band? That's because you're not as awesome as me." I am such a hipster, and that's not a good thing.

And there's this other thing that attracts me to that shelf. Album art. My most recent purchase has about the coolest album cover ever. I love it. Bright colors and rainbows and crazy craft supplies!!! I mean, how could this not make you happy? So horrifyingly pretty! And the music isn't bad either.

And then there's the Passion Pit cd that I love. More bright colors, of course. So geometrical. So fun. How could you not be drawn to this cover?

So, yes, Target is amazing.

But when you leave the music section, you might possibly enter the hair products section, and let me warn you, as amazing as the Goody Spin Pin looks, it doesn't work very well. So when you go to Target to spend all your money on things you didn't plan on buying, you can thank me for saving you six dollars on that purchase.

Also, the first person who can tell me who said the quote in my title gets a dollar.

Currently Listening to: He is We

It's a little more "cupcakey" than I usually like, but still good, and you probably haven't heard of them because you're not as much of a hipster as I am.

I Even Got Up Early to Watch!

So, the World Cup is going on right now. You may have heard of it. A bunch of guys from all over the world get together on a field and kick a ball around. Yes, soccer. Or, as the rest of the world knows it, football.

I have found myself enjoying watching many of the games. Weird, I know. This coming from the girl who avoids ESPN like the plague.

I could explain to you the many reasons I like watching World Cup - the great soccer skills that are exhibited, the overdramatic falls and fake injuries, the intense loyalty of the fans, and on and on.

I'd rather show you why I like watching World Cup.

I think pictures speak louder than words for this one. You're welcome.

Oh, Hey, New Blog Layout!

Change is good.

At least that's what they tell me.

So I like this layout, but I may change my mind and be playing around with it and changing it in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

In other news......I almost hit a fish while riding my bike yesterday. Yes, I'm sure there are many questions circling through your head right now. Let me explain.

So my dad and I decided to go for a bike ride on the trails. It has rained quite a bit so the river has flooded in many areas. One particular area was by Spencer Park (aka the dog park). The river was over the trail quite a ways, but we weren't really sure how deep it was. We decided to take a gamble and keeping going. We're really dedicated bikers. As we were heading through, I saw little fins and scales at the top of the water! Yep, fish were swimming right next to me as I rode. And these weren't just little minnows or something. They were like big carp! There was one spot later on in the ride where it literally looked like we were riding down the middle of the river. The water even came up to my handlebars! Insane? Yes.

River biking! It's a new sport that is going to catch on! Remember, you heard it here first!

Currently....

So guess who's awesome and updating her blog all the time. Yep, you guessed it. Not me.

Here is a little update on my life. We'll start with right now and work our way backwards, just to make it interesting.

I am currently watching a French film with subtitles called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It's actually a little dificult to pay attention to what's happening in the movie while writing a blog entry at the same time. Imagine that.

I am doing this while sitting in the home of my best friend's brother. House-sitting and puppy-sitting. It's nice to feel like I have my own place. At least for a little while. And also nice to get away from my parents for awhile. Hi, Mom!

You know how taking care of other people's kids can be like a form of birth control? Well, doing this is kind of like birth control for puppies. I don't want one. They are smelly. They poop a lot. They aren't very smart. They bite EVERYTHING. Oh, and they bark every morning at 5:15. I'm ok with dogs. Just not puppies.

I went to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this past weekend for a wedding. The highlight of the weekend (besides the wedding, of course) was definitely the Milwaukee Burger Company. Just take a look at the menu! Ironically, it's the only Milwaukee Burger Company, and it's found in Eau Claire, not Milwaukee. But the food is insane! If you look under the appetizers, you will find a basket of bacon. Yes, I said it, but, no, I did not order it. But still! Just the fact that you can order bacon as an appetizer definitely makes this restaurant a stand out! I ordered, in true Wisconsin fashion, the Cheese Curd Cheeseburger. Yep, a cheeseburger with cheese curds on it. I could go on and on, but I'll just let you peruse the menu if you so wish, and you can just sit there and be jealous.

Side note: I really should write food reviews.

Book Nerd

Summer also means time to read! For enjoyment! My roadtrip gave me the opportunity to get a bunch of reading done. It was like finally getting water after spending months in the desert. I'm just going to give a short little review about each book I read. So if you don't care about reading or books, just click the little red X in your top right hand corner. And if you have a Mac......then do whatever it is you do to exit the page. Yeah.

The New York Regional Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

I'd like to thank Laurissa for introducing me to this book and opening the door to memoirs! It's all about a single Mormon girl living in New York while trying to maintain her Mormon religion and morals. Hilarious! Everything from kissing a 12-year-old perv on a trampoline to traveling to Zambia to visit her atheist lover.

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

This book was quite the change from the previous one. Francine Rivers has always been one of my favorite authors, and this is her newest addition to the bookshelf. She takes what she knows about her mother's and grandmother's history and turns it into her own story. A second book is on its way!

Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

Obviously an adolescent lit selection, but a really neat, modern-day version of the Romeo and Juliet story. This version takes a couple - one African American and one Mexican American - and follows their love story as they deal with the hatred of the gang in their school. It was really interesting to compare it to Shakespeare's work. Although, this book's ending isn't as morbid as the original.

The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block

If you happen to ever see this book, turn and run! I love reading warped and changed fairy tales, but this book was not what I was expecting at all. I am so, so, so glad that this didn't end up in my classroom without a read-through first! This book takes every fairy tale you've ever heard and basically ruins it. Snow White is kissed, not by a prince, but by the gardener that is dating her evil mother. Little Red Riding Hood has been sexually abused since she was a child. Sleeping Beauty was not pricked by a needle on a spinning machine, but has experienced a drug needle, which has taken her on a journey to earn the name "Sleeping" Beauty for sleeping around. Incredibly dark and disturbing.



The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Ok, put this on your "must read" list right now. This is officially my new favorite book. It's a story about a German girl living near Munich during World War II. The story is narrated by war's best friend, Death, so that definitely gives an interesting perspective to the story. I can't even put into words how good this story is and how amazing the writing is. Zusak says he likes to put a "little gem" on each page. I could quote line after line that struck me, made me think, made me cry, and made me laugh. Just do yourself a favor and go read it. Please, and thank you.

Three Reasons I Became a Teacher: June, July, August

It's official. It's summer! And summer means roadtrips! Two days after school let out, my sister, her friend, and I hit the open road, and began our journey to Virginia Beach. They went to see her friend's family, and I went to visit Geron. Beach, shopping, and history were the main things on the agenda.

First day at the beach. It was wonderful. Also, I dyed my hair.



Colonial Williamsburg: Governor's Mansion. Thomas Jefferson lived there.

Geron and I in the stocks at Colonial Williamsburg.

The "Lone Soldier" - He wasn't so lonely after he met me though.

The water is so blue in Virginia!

Another sunny day at the beach.


What's a trip to Virginia with out a new pair of shoes?!?

Or maybe two.

Money was spent. Tanlines were developed. Memories were made. And it was only the first week of summer. I think I could get used to this.

Adding to My Hat Collection

As a teacher, I wear a lot of "hats." Obviously, the "teacher," sharing knowledge, giving homework, etc. Another is the "mom," showing love, taking away privileges, and nagging, nagging, nagging. My most recent hat has been "coach," which has been quite a rewarding experience. We won Girls' Class B division at the Dordt Track Meet yesterday. Woop! Go us.

The hat that I put on today was one that I was not ready for. Ump. As in umpire. Of softball. Yep.

I awkwardly stood somewhere between first and second base as I wished that I had brought my sunscreen along. I stood there praying for strikeouts so I wouldn't have to be the one to determine whether a player was safe or out. When I had to make the decision, I awkwardly made the "out" or "safe" sign. I felt so unofficial it was ridiculous.

I only messed up twice. One of those times I called "out" when one of my kids touched second base before the runner got to it. Apparently, he didn't have to run to second base, so he was supposed to have been tagged out to actually be out. So everyone kind of gave me a weird look, and he just stayed on the base while one of my girls explained the rules of softball to me. Awsome. The other time I messed up was when my first baseman apparently dropped the ball. I didn't see that happen, so I called the runner out. Everyone kind of looked at me funny again, so I just kind of paused until the other coach asked me what I thought. I told her I thought that it was out. Later, my student informed me about what really happened.

"Miss V, how many times have you actually played softball?"

"Uhh....does one intramural game at Dordt count? No? Ok, then. Zero."

Oh, and did I mention that I maybe played second base in that game. And maybe I fell over when a ground ball came at me. But maybe that didn't actually happen. Maybe I erased that from my memory....

We ended up losing. Two more softball games tomorrow. Can I just keep the coach hat? The umpire one doesn't fit too well.

The "Look"

So we won the track meet. Like first place. Complete with a folder full of ribbons and a purple trophy. (The trophy wasn't in the folder though.) Must've been the amazing coaching skills.

Have you ever had someone give you that "look?" Like a close friend or a significant other sees you talking to a different friend that they don't know. And they are all curious, and a bit jealous, and then they shoot you that look that says, "Who is that, and why are you talking to him?" Yeah, I was definitely getting that "look" from several of my students yesterday.

All because my former students were at the track meet. Not really my students, but the kids that I got to student teach for two months. Talking to them was quite the experience. Trying to remember all the names was harder than I thought it would be. Also, seventh grade boys don't really have a filter when it comes to talking........to a girl........that is older......and is no longer their teacher. Oh, boys.

Anyways, after I headed back to my kids they kind of gave me the look again. They were definitely curious and asked a couple questions. They aren't used to seeing ten boys they don't know surrounding their teacher. Pretty sure they got a little possessive. Awwww, they love me!

Just Call Me "Coach"

Have I mentioned that I'm the "track coach?" Commence laughter now. Sometimes I don't think that the staff at my school realizes how unathletic I am and how little knowledge I have when it comes to sports.

I did actually participate in track in 7th grade though. And when I say participate, I hardly mean it. I joined track so I could hang out with my athletic friends and get out of school. When we were actually at the track meets, I "wouldn't hear when my events were called." Sorry, Coach. I think I remember getting a stern talking to when our coach found out that I was skipping over half of my events. Although, I was always on the line and ready to go when it came to the sack race. Luckily, my students are a little bit more dedicated than I was. Track meet at Western tomorrow and Dordt next week. Get excited.

Also, I chose this picture because the high jumper looks like he is in so much pain. And look at that body! Is that even normal to bend like that? No sport that involves that position could be healthy.

If You're Happy...

Tonight was the all-school music program. Meaning, I didn't get home til 9:30. Meaning, it's 10:00 right now. Meaning, I am dead tired and I should be getting ready for bed instead of writing this blog. Meaning, I am such a dedicated blogger that I would do anything for the enjoyment of my readers. Yeah......

So the preschoolers started out the progam. They were a huge hit with great songs. How can singing preschoolers that are holding flashlights and singing about lightning bugs not be cute? And I'll have you know, I was that girl that flipped off the lights for that song. Yep, I had a pretty important role in the program tonight, and I must say, I did a pretty good job.

Anyways, the preschoolers are cute.......my kids, not so much. The boys, of course, are struggling with the whole voice change thing, and the girls are kind of at the point where they aren't very confident in their singing abilities and they squeak and strain to reach those high notes. Not that they sound bad, they just have a lot working against them at this age. One of the songs that they sang tonight had the chorus, "If you're happy, say 'Amen.'" Never have I ever seen a bunch of kids so UNhappy to be singing a song like that. Up in front of 150 parents and grandparents looked like it was the LAST place they wanted to be. Of course, once they're done singing, they're giggling and whispering and bouncing around the room with tons of energy. Typical.

Trying to understand junior high kids is a job in itself. Teaching them is at least two more. I should be getting paid overtime.

Big Old Deal

"Hi, I'm Miss Van Egdom. This is my first year at Inwood Christian, and I've really enjoyed getting to know these 7th and 8th graders this year!"

A grandma in the back corner: BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Um, what? I have no clue why that was funny, but one of the grandmas decided to laugh at it. "It wasn't supposed to be a joke! hahahaha!" is what I replied. And that was the beginning of my first Grandparents' Day.

As a teacher, I was freaking out a little bit. How do I entertain two widely-spread generations for and hour and a half? Well, I was able to figure out a way to do it. Here is my advice. (Disclaimer: The advice I'm about to give is only after having one Grandparents' Day as a teacher, so it may not be the best advice ever, but here goes.)

1. Let the grandparents talk about the "Good Ol' Days," or more importantly, the days where things were a lot more difficult for them than it is for students now. It is really interesting to hear about it though. They all laughed when I confessed that I didn't know what Einy-Einy Over (or something like that) was. "Oh, she's so young!"

2. Get the students talking with the grandparents. Some of the kids rarely ever talk to their grandparents one-on-one, but some do all the time, and it's interesting to see the dynamic there. It's also interesting to see which grandparents are like their grandkids.

3. Show off the technology. I introduced the grandparents to the Smartboard. "Our school was nothing like this!" They thought it was pretty neat, and a couple even got the courage to get up and try their hand at dragging things across the screen. And my kids got to show off their smarts when it comes to solids, liquids, and gases.

4. Get messy! Ok, so some grandparents like this, and some.....like to watch. We made Oobleck! (Cornstarch and water mixed together.) Basically we got to play with it for 20 minutes. It was interesting to see which grandparents liked to get dirty, and which preferred to sit back and watch their grandkids.

5. Clean-up - The clean-up took some time too, which is helpful.

Overall, everything went really well. I'm really happy with how everything turned out. We had a really good turnout of grandparents too. Got one under my belt. Cha-ching!

Three Days in a Row!?!

Big deal of the day was definitely the 8th grade Math Bee in Boyden. Woop!

I was a proctor - which meant that I handed out tests, walked around, made sure kids weren't cheating, walked around, collected tests. I was in charge of five tables.

At the beginning of the bee, all the proctors were being introduced and the announcer guy said that I would be proctoring the pink tables. One of the 8th graders at one of the tables goes, "Yesssssssss!" I don't think he knew I heard him though. Then his friend behind him says, "You're lucky! I get the fat lady." bahahahaha - Oh, 8th graders.

Back at school, all I had to worry about this afternoon was PE. And I was able to try high jumping for the first time in my life. My kids took me under their wing and coached me through. I really should've measured how high I was able to jump. I'm sure it was an impressive height. And it was so fun! I may have even practiced a little after everyone left school.

Little Chair, Big Deal

There were several "big deals" today. When I say big deal, I am being completely sarcastic.

My kids were in quite the mood this afternoon. One of the biggest deals was probably that one of my kids got injured, so she was using a little chair from the 1st and 2nd grade room to put her leg on. When she was done with it, one boy used it, then another boy stole it and used it. I told them they had to sit on their own chairs and I was going to take the little chair..........because I wanted to sit on it.

They thought that was hilarious. They cracked up as I took it to my big teacher desk and sat down. They kept giggling about it until I asked if it was a distraction from their work and suggested that I should go back to sitting on my normal chair. "Nope! Not a distraction!" and back to work they went.

Big Deal

So I don't know if you know any middle schoolers, but if you do, like on a personal level, you will discover that little things are big deals.

So I've had this idea to do the "Big Deal of the Day" on my blog, but the problem is that I already know that I won't be diligent in keeping it up. So I'll just give you a couple "big deals" at a time.

For example, one of the big deals today was that the high jump mat was set up in the gym. Woo! Party! Could life get any better? The kids were excited and spent every free moment of the day trying to jump higher than 4 feet.

Oh, and another big deal, at least with the boys, is Call of Duty. They asked me to Google who is ranked number one in the Call of Duty list thing. Yeah, I don't really know what they were talking about. But it is one of the main things they talk about.

I should be thankful that these are the biggest deals in my classroom. A lot of other middle school classrooms, especially at public schools have to deal with actual problems - family problems, bullying, poverty, misbehavior, etc. I am so blessed that I have only the slightest little problems, if any, that even compare with those.

Anyways, I'll try to post some more "big deals." And as the year is coming to a close, everything is getting crazy busy, which means that there is a lot going on, which means that there are going to be a lot of things that the kids get excited about that aren't really all that exciting.

Such is life.

April Fools

So, apparently, April Fool's Day is a huge deal at my school. All the kids get very into it and go way overboard. Here's a pictur of what they did to my room right away in the morning. My desk is back there somewhere. They replaced my whiteboard markers with crayons, and, although it's not shown in this picture, there were about 20 pencils sticking out of the ceiling. They also stuck a cell phone in the ceiling and proceeded to call it over and over throughout the day, leaving me looking everywhere for it. Oh, the hilarity.

FebRuary

Yes, that is how February is spelled. Some of my students were surprised to learn that the other day. Shouldn't they already know that? Some of them even argued with me, saying that February did NOT have that extra 'R' in it. I directed their attention to the calendar on the wall. They were in shock. Their whole world had apparently been turned upside down.

Anyways, not much has been happening lately. Best friend Bethany left the great state of South Dakota. It was a sad, sad day. I still don't understand why you would leave snowy South Dakota for hot, sticky, humid Florida. Silly girl. I miss her...... a lot.

In the meantime, I have been hanging out with Dan and Nate. They are great, except for the fact that they are moving to Mexico in a couple weeks. For a year. Really? All my friends are leaving me? Not cool.

I am planning on replacing my friends though, so it's all good. With who? Rather, with what.... I am planning on buying a Wii with my tax return money. Yes, I am that cool. A little white box can certainly replace human interaction, right? We'll find out.

Blog Resurrected

Yeah, so I haven't written for awhile. I know. And that means that you probably don't even check this blog anymore. Oh well.

Anyways, I'm going to move away from writing about school for a little bit so I can reflect over this past year. And yes, Kayla, I'm totally stealing this idea from you. :)

2009 was definitely an eventful year for me. There seemed to be a lot of death this year, which was hard. But I think that the bad times were definitely outweighed by the good times. So many great things happened to me this past year! I have so much to be thankful for!

So here is my 2009:

January

• Made the big move to Florida
• Spent 30 hours in the car with my BFF Bethany.
• Started my first session of student teaching with the third grade class at Lake Worth Christian school
• Parents came out to visit me.
• Bowser, my beloved goldfish, died. I cried. A lot.
• Met a ton of great, new people.
• Fell in love with my kiddos. They were so great!
• Experienced Chick-Fil-A.

February

• Kept learning throughout my student teaching experience.
• My birthday - got the biggest balloon I have ever seen in my life, and got Chee-burger for supper.
• Got the Twilight series from my parents!
• Chito, our faithful dog of many years, was put to sleep........on my birthday.
• Drove back to South Dakota with my dad. "Well, this is gonna be fun."

March

• Moved back to Dordt.
• Started my second session of student teaching at Sioux Center Christian in a 6th grade classroom
• Decided that a middle school setting is where I belong.
• Got 3 new goldfish - Pearl, Poppy, and Sebastian
• Trip to the Omaha Zoo with the roomies! Great times!

April

• Learned a lot more in my student teaching experience.
• Did a huge unit on writing children's picture books.
• My Grandpa DeBondt died. It was incredibly hard, and he will be missed.
• Interviewed and got a job at Inwood Christian School! Praise the Lord!
• Learned that Katie was prego!

May

• Graduated from Dordt, and DIDN'T get to sit next to Geron like we had been planning on for 2 whole years!
• Said goodbye to a ton of friends.
• Sort of looked for a summer job, but not very hard.

June

• Relaxed.
• Went on the Suleri - family summer bike ride to Missouri - Hot, hot weather, a flat tire, but lots of fun.

July

• Best friend since Kindergarten, Katie, got married.
• 4 weekends in a row of weddings.
• My big trip by myself - drove from Sioux Falls to Oregon for Ryan and Geron's wedding. Stopped in Montana on the way out there to surprise Kari. Mission accomplished. Headed out of Helena, got stuck in Portland during rush hour, made it to Geron's house. It was so special to be there and see where she lives and meet her family. And, of course, to see her get married. So much fun! And I was definitely the best personal attendant ever! Who else would spend hours picking little cocklebur things out of a lace wedding dress? (ok, maybe not hours) Left Oregon, stopped in Helena a SECOND time to surprise Kari again. Mission accomplished. Hung out there for two days. Drove home.

August

• Kept thinking, "I should really start getting ready for school."
• Took a trip to Chicago with Breanna to visit Karla and Todd. Met Boomer! Saw David. Went downtown Chicago and saw the sites. A great time!
• School started. Oh my goodness, I don't know if I have ever been so nervous!
• Started to get to know the kids.......pretty quiet still.
• Bethany moved back to Sioux Falls!

September

• Everything is kind of a blur during school, it goes so fast, and I have no idea what happened when.
• Starting to get to know the kids better. By the end of September, they seem like normal kids - very talkative. But they're good kids.......most of the time.

October

• First time I had to give up my break over Heartland weekend to actually GO to the teachers' conference. Saw a bunch of my old elementary and high school teachers there. Weird.
• School, school school
• Boy problems - this basically happens throughout the whole year, but especially this month. I won't expand on it though. :)

November

• First ever Parent-Teacher conferences. Scary, but they went ok.
• Kayla and Becky came to Sioux Falls and we all went to see New Moon! Jacob takes off his shirt - GASP!
• School, school, school

December

• This month flew by.
• Snow day!
• And, finally, Christmas break! I'm so glad I decided to be a teacher!
• Christmas - got shoes and stuff, gave Breanna her lifesize Jacob/Taylor Lautner cardboard cutout - her reaction = priceless.
• Blizzard of the century
• Shoveled.
• Shoveled.
• Shoveled.
• Saw Geron.
• Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolution - Try to blog more. Ok, not really. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I really will try to do better. :)