What on Earth?! Wednesday

Kids really do say and do the funniest things...and I really enjoy telling the stories! In the spirit of fun...and laughing with (and sometimes at) my students, I have decided to start sharing a weekly "funny" with all of you. I have been inspired by the "Wordless/Watching Wednesday" concept, but felt this needed it's own name. "What on Earth?! Wednesday" is the nicest title/way I can possibly describe the look on my face/wanting to pull my hair out/desire to bang my head on my desk feeling that I have at times. :)

Chemistry student: "Mrs. Baker, I'm having a really hard time finding information on lust."

Mrs. Baker: "Hmmm, yeah, that's because the property of matter I assigned you is LUSTER, not LUST. Please don't give us a presentation next week on anything you found in your research on lust."

Well, hello!

Air. There you are. Yes, I finally found a moment of reaching the top of the water and can breathe again! So, I've been in my new job just over a month now, and it is, to say the least, overwhelming. Who knew how difficult it would be to switch mindsets back and forth from Chemistry to Algebra all day long?! That said, I do like it but think I will LOVE it once I really get the swing of things. I only like it right now. ;) I've already had a few of those "teacher moments' where the students make me proud and I feel proud for having taught them! And then there are moments that make me not want to go back tomorrow. Sigh. All in all, I know that I am blessed to be where I am right now, and for that I am grateful! I just wanted to check in to let you all know I am still here and enjoy reading YOUR blogs while attempting to stay afloat!


Completely random, but I feel that I should post something here about a very important event coming up in October. Blaine and I are participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to raise funds for breast cancer research and awareness. Another teacher at my school put together a team, but I, personally, will be running in honor of my Aunt Diana, who is battling breast cancer (which has recently spread to her bones). If you are looking for a great way to give back, donations to the Susan G. Komen foundation can be made here:

http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/RacefortheCure/General?px=10572363&pg=personal&fr_id=2267

...but a simple prayer for my aunt and all the others affected by breast cancer is more than appreciated, too. Thank you.

First Day of School...

My first day of school is tomorrow. Well, I don't have my students for another week, but tomorrow is the first official day for teachers to report to school. I'm feeling all kinds of emotions today...excitement, nervousness, anxiety, joy, fear...you name it! Just when I started to feel down and a little overwhelmed tonight, my neighbor's son brought this to my front door...

He said, "Hope you have a great first day at school, Ms. Jen!". Yeah, cue the tears now!! I am more than thankful for our amazing friends and neighbors, the Knapp family! Y'all are so wonderful, thanks again for starting off my school year just right! :)

Andie's Wedding!

Remember my sister's wedding that we went to back in June?! Well, I finally have some beautiful pictures to share with all of you!

You Might Be A Child Of The 80's...

...if you just celebrated your 30th birthday!
Ahhh, the twenties have come and gone and I have entered into the fourth decade of my life. To commemorate such an occasion, we had an 80's-themed birthday party! We couldn't have done it without the help of our awesome friends and neighbors...we are so blessed to be surrounded by such great people, thank you all so much for your help. :)

We decorated in neon colors and animal prints, had an awesome playlist of 80's hits, and held a cornhole tournament (not 80's, but we can't have a party without cornhole!). The foods and drinks were all named after 80's movies and we all had a good laugh as each guest arrived in their best 80's garb! And, oh, the tight SHORT shorts on the men!! I think we got to see our male guests in a whole different light. ;) The party was RAD, the food was FAR OUT, and the costumes were TOTALLY TUBULAR!

Outdoor table and drinks
Had to include some wine coolers!

We had pictures of me and Steve (my birthday twin) from the 80's!

I made a Pac-Man cake! I think it turned out great for my first try. :)

Jill had a great idea for favors...an 80's candy bar! The bar included Warheads, Fun Dip, Pixy Stix, Tootsie Pops, Airheads, Pop Rocks, and Candy Necklaces!

Jewlee came up with the best food names...thanks, J, you're a genius!!

"Magnum P.I.zza"

"A Wing Called Wanda"

"Die Hard Dip"

"When Harry Met Salad"

"Better Off Bread"
The girls!
The boys...parental discretion advised. ;)
Birthday kids! Gabe also had his birthday this week, so all three of us blew out candles.

Silly string...seemed like a good idea when I bought it...not so good now that I have to pull out the pressure washer to clean it up. :)

Bustin' out some 80's dance moves!

My sweet friend, Christina, asked a great question last night..."What are your goals for your 30's?". I named a few but think I should really set some good ones and put them in writing...

1. Start a family and be an awesome mom.

2. Be a supportive and loving wife to Blaine.

3. Give more than I receive...and teach our children to do the same!

4. Volunteer more.

5. Make a difference in my students' lives while teaching.

6. Take charge of my health, eat well, and exercise often.

7. Be a great daughter, sister, niece, and friend...I want to listen more and talk less...and I want to remember birthdays and send cards less haphazardly! ;)

I'm looking forward to my 30's...I think they'll bring some amazing times and adventures!!

My Poor Little Guy!

If you haven't picked up on this yet ;), our dogs are pretty important to us. We treat them like children and they really do bring us so much joy! So, we were pretty upset when Blaze started to show some symptoms of yet another urinary tract infection. This time, I had X-Rays taken...I was relieved that, otherwise, he is really healthy for an 11-year old and I didn't hear the "C" word...but I was bummed that he had a stone in his bladder the size of a dime! The only option was to undergo surgery to remove it, along with some smaller ones that posed a risk of a blockage.

After the first vet didn't pan out (I'll spare you the details, but, basically, he wanted to tack on an extra procedure at the last minute for more money), I found an excellent vet who was able to do the surgery the next day!! Thank you Honolulu Pet Clinic and Dr. Kondo...I will refer you to whoever will listen! Blaze had to spend one night in the hospital and I was ready in record time the next morning when they called to tell me I could pick him up!

Blaze is recovering well...he has to wear "the cone", which he is not thrilled about at all, and we've had to change his diet to prevent future stones. Instead of processed treats, he gets fruits and vegetables, and we've switched to a dry food that is designed specifically to keep stones at bay. After all is said and done, we have a happy dog recovering well, he is eating a healthier diet now, we paid HALF of what we would have paid with the first quack vet, and we couldn't be more thankful today!

Lesson: Feed your dogs a healthy diet and incorporate fruits and veggies, shop around and get second opinions :), and MAKE SURE to look for a vet with AAHA accreditation!

Hidden Beach

We checked out a new beach yesterday...Hidden Beach. So named because you have to navigate some pretty rough dirt roads to get there and the beach is located on the very Northwestern tip of Oahu. It's not the easiest beach to access so they're aren't many people hanging out there. The boys wanted to check out the spearfishing, while we girls were happy just laying out on the beach. I was ready for a nice, relaxing beach day with beautiful scenery all around. What I DIDN'T expect was to see THIS cute little guy...

A Hawaiian Monk Seal!! I've only seen one other seal on Oahu while we were checking out a rental house on the North Shore over a year ago. They are much more rare than turtle sightings and I didn't have a camera the first time. Thankfully, I had the trusty iPhone this time and snapped away!

I have a thing for monk seals...I think they are among the most adorable animals...perhaps because they have sweet little faces and look so huggable (not allowed by state law, by the way)...

...or perhaps it's the striking resemblance between the monk seal and our dog, Blaze. You have to know Blaze to understand...they have the same facial features and, especially, rotundness to their bodies. I may or may not have had Blaze pose for this picture. ;)

Can't check out a new beach without trying out the fishing!

Looking down South from the Northwest point of Oahu

Enjoying the view from the most western point on Oahu!

By the way, none of these pictures were taken with a zoom lens or altered...I really DID get that close to my new monk seal friend! :)

Degree?

Oh, yeah! I vaguely remember earning a teaching degree...TWO years ago! After a 5,000 mile relocation (in the middle of a school year) and substitute teaching for the last year, I finally get to put my training to the test! I am proud to say that I recently accepted a full-time teaching position! But this is not just any teaching position...it's the perfect teaching position. :)

Top Ten Pros...

1. I'll be teaching in a private school...with 10 students or less per class. Awesome, I know.
2. The school is less than a 10-minute drive from my house (you can see it from the Air Force base). No fighting traffic!
3. I already know the staff and all of the students...and they love me! The feeling is mutual. :)
4. I'm teaching in HAWAII! Which means I get to teach Hawaiian kids and learn more about their culture.
5. In addition to the regular holidays, we also celebrate Hawaiian holidays!
6. The students are so respectful...and they've been begging me to teach there full-time. I can't wait to see their faces on August 17th!
7. I get to teach Chemistry! And Algebra and P.E. But we will focus on the Chemistry part...FUN! ;)
8. I get to make a difference in these kids' lives, which makes me feel like I have purpose and a big responsibility.
9. I have the freedom to choose what and how I teach because the private school does not have to teach to state standards or tests.
10. I will grow personally and professionally...and will always be able to say my first teaching job was in paradise!!

While I'll have to work harder to make time for the beach, I'm looking forward to the challenge of being a teacher in my own classroom. I think this year will be very busy, to say the least, but will bring more ups than downs...and I'm ready for this new adventure!

You can check out my new school here: www.assets-school.net

My Favorite Hawaiian Adventure...

Our time in Hawaii has been quite an adventure, to say the least. We've traveled to different islands, hiked to waterfalls, and swam with WHALES...just to name a few unbelievable things! Last night, however, might just go down in my Hawaiian record book as the most fun, rewarding, and amazing experience here on this island thus far...

I was watching the news a few days ago when a story caught my eye. The Down Syndrome Ohana ("family" in Hawaiian) of Hawaii was featured taking a trip to a local farm to pick vegetables. Before I get into this story, let me give you some background on me...I worked at a preschool and after-school learning center for two years right out of college. The first year, I was a preschool teacher, and the second year, the director of the entire facility! One student there, Sterling, has Down Syndrome and stole my heart from our first meeting. It was such a pleasure for me to hear about his day at school, talk with him, laugh with him, and just become friends over those two years. I let him address the learning center children and staff regularly...he wore a staff shirt with the rest of the adults as he was 20 years old ;), listened to and comforted him as he cried and talked about bullies at school, and smiled as he talked about his sweet girlfriend, whom he is married to today! Sterling taught me many lessons of love, caring, and acceptance...he has and always will hold a special place in my heart!

Naturally, I am now drawn to children with Down Syndrome and think that they have the biggest hearts of all the children I meet. I have been searching for a volunteer opportunity for quite some time, so I thought the DSO of Hawaii would be perfect! I sent an email, asking if they would like extra help, and I got an email back the very next morning! My first opportunity would come in just one day...a luau-style dinner for their guests of honor. I took a look at the flyer they sent me, only to nearly drop my computer when I saw the guests of honor were Lauren Potter (Becky from Glee) and her mother!! Some more background on me...I LOVE GLEE and am a huge GLEEK! :)

Upon arrival at the DSO dinner, I met so many wonderful people (most of them Hawaiian), was greeted with big hugs, smiles, and lots of kisses!! They made me feel like part of the family right away. :) I helped prepare the meal and get everything ready for the evening, it was so much fun! And then Lauren and her mom showed up...and I was star-struck!! I went to say hi to Lauren and, in my nervousness, called her Becky. ;) She was the sweetest girl, I just loved spending time with her! There were about 100 guests, mostly parents with their children who have Down Syndrome. I think my heart was in a state of melting and my eyes on the brink of tears all night long; the children were just amazing. There was a luau dancer, who performed for everyone, at which point a little girl with Down Syndrome joined her and danced, too...totally not planned and made everyone choke back tears. Lauren spoke to everyone, with inspirational words on chasing their dreams, fighting bullying, and also fighting the "R" word. I wish each of you who is reading this could have been there to hear her wise and kind words. She and her mother are using her fame as a platform, speaking all over the country, to bring attention to bullying, education for children with special needs...and they want everyone to eradicate the "R" word, a word we all should know better than to use anyway!

Lauren showing off the "Glee sign"! Can you tell I'm having a great time?!

At the end of the night, Lauren gave me an autographed picture, a big hug, and the DSO of Hawaii thanked me for all my help...at which point I thanked THEM for this amazing experience. I am the one who gained more than I gave last night!

Back Home Again...

I couldn't agree more, Sam Houston! I normally keep my Texas pride suppressed...until we go home for a visit. Then it's game-over. We recently spent 10 days in Texas, primarily visiting for my sister's wedding, but we also made a nice vacation out of our trip!

My sister, Andie, married our new brother-in-law, Josh, on June 11th! After adjusting to the time difference of five hours (I'm not sure we ever adjusted since we slept in until 10 every day!), we jumped right into the wedding activities. The wedding day was wonderful! The weather was gorgeous and Andie looked beautiful!! Everything went off without a hitch and I got to see many friends and family that I haven't seen in quite some time. Congrats to Andie and Josh! We love you!!

After we saw the newlyweds off on their honeymoon, we were ready to relax and enjoy Austin! Growing up just 30 minutes outside of this gorgeous city, you would think I would have seen all there is to see. I guess I took this amazing city for granted while I was there, but I was now ready to be a tourist and show Blaine around, as well.

We checked out the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum...very nicely done! This museum is beautiful and we really enjoyed learning about the history of Texas (no, I didn't pay much attention when learning it in grade school), from the first encounters with Native Americans to Texas' role in WWII. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we didn't finish the entire museum, so I sweet-talked the museum worker into giving us tickets to come back the next day for free!

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum...beautiful!

Original sketch of our flag and seal!

This "Texas" sign once stood outside of an old theater...thankfully, the sign was salvaged before the theater was demolished.

After our second trip to the museum, we also stopped at the LBJ Library, located on the University of Texas campus (right across from one of my favorite landmarks..the Longhorns' stadium!). This university library is unique, having three floors dedicated to President Lyndon Baines Johnson. LBJ actually went to my alma mater, Southwest Texas State University, but UT offered him a better deal to put his name on their library! It was really interesting reading about his life, his presidency, and his wife, Lady Bird, who seems to have been quite the gracious hostess and all-around good person.

LBJ Library...Blaine was really intrigued with the building design. I thought it made for an interesting picture!

After our museum tour, we switched gears and checked out some other Austin gems. Our first stop on this leg of our tour was to check in at the historic and absolutely gorgeous Driskill Hotel! I've always known about The Driskill, but thought it was too expensive based on the appearance and amazing location on 6th Street. But that was before military discounts... :)

The Driskill Hotel...no, this isn't even the front door, although it's pretty enough to be!

Awesome location on the corner of 6th and Brazos! I could see our favorite bar from the hotel!

Front of The Driskill

Is this not the prettiest hotel ever?!? I highly recommend staying here!

Our next stop was my favorite...The Library! This is the cute little bar where Blaine and I met for the first time more than six years ago. The Library will always hold a special place in my heart...and we are living proof that you CAN meet quality people in a bar (depending on your definition of "quality")! ;)

My favorite picture of all time...I think I'll frame this one. Thank you, Hipstamatic App for iPhone!! And Allison, for the recommendation on getting this app!

Another awesome place in Austin is Congress Avenue. Yep, this is just a street that leads to the state Capitol...but if you travel away from the Capitol, you're in for a real treat (not that our gorgeous pink granite and limestone Capitol isn't a treat)! First, the Congress Avenue Bridge, which is just a bridge, holds something underneath that is so unique and special to Austin. Here, you will find the largest urban colony of Mexican free-tail bats in all of North America...1.5 million of them!! And they put on a show every night, flying out at dusk to feed for the evening. Further south down Congress, there's a great area known as SoCo (South Congress)...super cute, with boutiques, antique shops, and yummy restaurants! I could spend a lot more time in this area, and plan to do so on our next trip home.

Looking back at the Capitol from South Congress. Elizabeth, this one's for you...just look at the street sign!

Torchy's Tacos in SoCo...yes, they really ARE damn good tacos. I have to give this one to Blaine; he picked the spot and I wanted to go somewhere else. Glad he won that one!

Another oddity in SoCo...a bunch of gourmet lunch wagons! And some of them made the "top restaurants in Austin" list! I've never seen anything quite like it. I love Austin. ;)

Despite the triple digit temperatures all 10 days we were there, we had such a blast!! Andie and Josh's wedding was wonderful (I hope to have pictures to post soon) and we loved our tour of Austin!