Stress!

WOW!! February has been a stressful month! Actually I have been stressed out since October! This economy has been a nagging fear and stressor since the beginning of the school year. I have joked with my coworkers calling the economic situation a big fiery asteroid that is headed toward earth, that just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I have noticed a difference in my students behavior due to the stress that their parents must be feeling! Lately that stress has gotten much worse, more than a few of my students have told me that their fathers have "left", not specifying where or why, even more students have told me that one of their parents have been laid off, and the state has cut the amount of money they were giving the school district twice since December. Our district has already cut more than $18 million and then this month we were told they were going to cut even more! The Governor basically told the states teachers that it was our responsibility to work for free for at least a week (in some districts more) to make sure that days weren't going to get cut off the end of the year. Those "free" days would have cost me more than half a paycheck. It looked like we were going to have to lose that much money whether we worked those days or not! I was beginning to strategieze about how we would pay our bills if that was the case. Today we got some tentative good news...It looks like the state legislature is planning on passing a bill that will give the schools more money this year to avoid cutting school days... so it looks like I will get a normal pay check for the rest of this year! Whooooo hoooooo! (but we are waiting for the legislature to pass the bill) Next year the district has to operate with a 25% lower budget than this year so we are still looking at more cuts over the summer but because I have been in the district for four years I think I am safe from those cuts! I am hopeful that the economic situation will improve but I know it will take time. I will keep my fingers crossed! I really appreciated Obama's address to congress. "We are not a nation of quiters" Now is a time to look out for your friends and neighbors and try to help them emotionally through this tough economic time! A coworker and I have started a wellness challenge at the school to encourage our staff to take better care of themselves in these rough times! It is fun to listen to people encourage each other to do something for their mental health or their social emotional health! I am starting to ramble a little, I thought getting this all out might make me feel better! Thanks for listening!

Valentines Day!

"This one goes out to the one I love" In the spirit of being more economical Aaron and I decided not to go out to a fancy Valentines Day dinner. My birthday was last weekend and we did a fancy dinner then. We couldn't really decide what we wanted to do, but it came to us when we were at the grocery store. We rarely go to grocery store together so it must have been a perfect storm (brainstorming that is). We make such a great pair! We were getting the things on our list and we decided that we could make a nice breakfast together, we thought it sounded romantical enough for the holiday! It turned out great! So here is our Valentines Day breakfast: Asparagus and mushroom omelets and mimosas with fruit cups! It was such a fun and "fancy" breakfast, who needs to go out for dinner? Happy Valentines Day!

It's not so bad to be like your mom...

My mom spent a week on the Oregon Coast with her sewing friends and I went to pick her up last weekend so we could spend some time together. The weather on the day I picked her up was fantastic, it was about 65 degrees with almost no wind AND the sun was shining, these are things that don't usually happen at the same time here in Oregon so we felt pretty lucky. We went for a walk on the beach and then just sat out on the patio soaking in the sun and talking. She came to my house and we spent a day running errands and walking along the river in down town Portland. It was so nice to see her and hang out with her, she always makes me laugh! Spending time with my mom makes me think about how people always say the hope they are not like their mothers but then they end up like them anyway. I used to say that a lot when I was younger, but now I am thinking it is not that bad. Actually, in many ways I am glad I am like my mom. She is funny, outgoing, kookie and crafty! I've got some of my moms crazy traits too, I worry about the most random things, even when there is nothing to worry about I will find something, and sometimes we don't really know what we are talking about! We even have the same laugh (you should hear it when Keri joins in, it's a little scary) I am not all like my mom, I got some things from my dad too, but I didn't give my dad as hard of time in my teenage years as I did my mom. I guess I just wanted to thank my mom for being who she is, and not being afraid to! I hope I am as good of a mom as mine is and I hope my kids are nicer to me than I was to her in my teenage years!

Thanks for being such a good mom, mom!

WHITE Christmas 2008!

Well, after the "Great Storm of 2008" Aaron and I were worried about getting out of the airport to get to Idaho to see my family for the holidays! We only packed carry-on luggage and were so glad we did, the airport was a mess! The line to reschedule cancelled flights wrapped around the whole terminal! We kept our fingers crossed all the way up to the time we boarded the plane. We made it out! My parents and brother Troy picked us up from the airport in Salt Lake, we stopped to see my sister-in-law, Natalie, and some of my super cute nieces and nephews before we hit the road back to Pocatello! Once we made it to Pocatello, I had lunch (at BUDDY'S) with my old friend from college, Trish, and her beautiful girls!

We were laughing that maybe we had brought the snow with us from Oregon because Pocatello had a blizzard warning on Christmas Eve, and must have gotten at least 20 inches while we were there! This is what the snow at my parents house looked like!

Ginger, my parents dog was not liking the snow so much, but she sure liked sitting on my lap!

My mom and I made a ginger bread house that Natalie gave us on Christmas Eve!

I think we did a pretty good job!

On Christmas day we woke up and opened presents and then decided we should go Cross Country Skiing! Especially since we got 12 more inches of snow that night! So we drove down to the Riverside Golf Course and tried to ski. It was so deep that it wasn't the most fun, it felt more like we were snow shoeing with long skinny snow shoes! But we did it! It was Aaron's first time skiing (of any kind)!

Since the skiing at the golf course was not so hot, we went back to my parents house and skied around their complex... my mom decided that she wanted to ski down the steep hill and Aaron and I thought we'd rather not, but after she was gone a while we worried that she fell. We followed her tracks to find that she skied all around the Condos not only down but up the hill as well! We found a lot of deep snow as we trudged through it to find her! My mom is a trooper! She must be related to the energizer bunny!

That was Aaron doing somersaults!

Once we dug our way back to my parents house we sat in the hot tub and then got ready to eat dinner with Troy, his wife Dawn, and her mom Jean!
The next day we woke up and went down hill skiing at Pebble Creek! Aaron has wanted to go skiing for a few years, and every year I day eeehhhh.... maybe next year! So this was the year. Aaron had a private lesson and the rest of us spent the day on the bunny hill (the aspen run)! It was fun, I think it has been more than 12 years since I have been skiing!

Aaron did an awesome job! He only fell 3 times, and that is saying something! We are looking forward to skiing again sometime!

After our fun day of skiing we went home, showered, and drove back to Salt Lake so we could catch our flight the next day! We got the chance to visit with my brothers' (Mike and Shawn)families before we took off! It was so fun to see the kids and amazing how much they have all grown! It is a little sad that we live so far away and we can't see them more often, but fun to see them never the less! ANYWAY! It was a whirlwind trip, but we were so glad to make it! It is always fun to spend time with family and try new things!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MORE snow!

Okay I am sure you are tired of hearing about the snow, but this is C-R-A-Z-Y!!! Yesterday I shoveled the deck and the table in the back was completely dry, now there are almost 7 inches from today alone! And it is not over yet. I bet we have 10 inches before the freezing rain comes tomorrow! What a weird freak storm! Today I made pumpkin bread and took it around to all the neighbors houses. I met some very nice people! I also bought a winter coat yesterday! Maybe some snow pants would have helped too!

5 SNOW DAYS!!!!!!!!

This is really funny! We actually got five snow days out of this storm and it isn't over yet! We are looking to get 6 more inches by Sunday! The news channels keep coming up with new names for the storm: "The Deep Freeze", "The Dangerous Storm" "2008 Winter Storm Watch" they have all been broadcasting the local news and "storm coverage" from 4 am to 11am every day this week! I have had the opportunity to shovel the driveway, sidewalk, deck and patio! yay me! Teachers are always wishing for snow days as much as the kids are, and boy did we get them. The funny part is that I was getting so bored being couped up in the house that I was actually looking forward to going in for one last day today before winter break. I guess now I will clean the house (again) and start packing for our trip to mom and dads for Christmas. The funniest part is that the snow we got was nothing compared to what we got as kids in Pocatello! I guess you really get what you wish for! I am going to have to finish my statistics unit when we get back from break, I hope the kids still have their projects, and remember what we have learned so we don't have to spend ANOTHER week on statistics! I am hoping that a day or two of review will be sufficient! blah blah blah, teacher talk! It is really wonderful to see snow on the ground for more than one day! It would be better if the roads were clear enough to venture out and get some stuff done! Here is a picture of "Winter Storm 2008" I tried to capture how big the flakes are today but you can't really see them in the picture! At least I won't have to DREAM of a white Christmas!

SNOW UPDATE!

Just thought I would add that so far we have "earned" 2 snow days from the snow in my last blog!!! Very exciting not to have to go to work, but not so much fun just hangin' out in the house for 3 days! We have rented movies, put a puzzle together, I have been baking, and cleaning! I am starting to get bored! But I am still happy not to have to work! The last week before a break is rough anyway, the kids always act out more. Now they can act up at home instead of school! I'll keep you posted if we get any more snow days. It is supposed to start snowing again tomorrow!