trying (yet) again

Something inside me said, "Blog."
So, here I am, trying to think of something of worth to put out in the world, but apparently all brain avenues are clogged.
Tomorrow, perhaps, my brain will be jogged.

Living

We had a family discussion.  The question was: What, outside of food/drink and people, could you not bear to live without right now?

Michael:  my job.
This is very telling.  Michael must work, and it's not just because he needs to support me and my shoe-shopping habit. Michael cannot not work.  It's just in him: he has worksomnia.  Even when he comes home from his job, Michael keeps working: he mows the lawn, he prunes the trees, he straightens the garage, he organizes his desk, he washes the windows, he makes us wash the windows. He just doesn't stop.  Once upon a time, when Michael actually didn't have a job for about a 5 week period ('nother story, 'nother day), Evan and Lane both hung their heads in dismay when they heard the news. Lane summed up their fears exactly when he said, "That means Dad's gonna' be here all day to make us work!"  Michael definitely needs his job.

Lane:  my car.
I'm not sure if he was serious about this, or not.  He went on to tell us about the terrible dreams he is having each night, all involving his car.  In one dream, Michael borrowed Lane's car, and broke off all the the dashboard dials.  In another dream, Joshua and his friends cinder-blocked Lane's car and ripped the car doors off.  Poor Lane.  Sounds like what he really needs are some dreamless nights.

I think that there was one point that Lane said he couldn't live without his knee brace.  He had his ACL repaired this past February, and it has been hard for Lane to have his physical prowess somewhat limited.  Still, even with a healing knee, Lane is ever out there and doing: he recently ran a 5K trail running race and took second place in his age division, he goes mountain biking AT NIGHT with his friend Ethan, mountain climbing and hiking, and is looking forward to the upcoming ski season.  Yep.  He is lucky to have his knee brace, and his knee!

Joshua:  soccer.
That about sums up Joshua.  He lives, breathes, and sleeps soccer.  Sometimes he goes to school. It is such an interruption to soccer.

Me:  books.
I really, really, really, really, really enjoy them. I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father for organizing this world such that there are writers, publishers, illustrators, printers, etc. so that I may read books.


Happiness gold star:  my discovery of black licorice ice cream, particularly a black licorice ice cream and mandarin orange soda float! Delish!  I smile and sigh with delight each time I partake.

Still Happy

Michael took our whole family out on the town yesterday.  We went boating, had dinner, and then went moonlight canoeing on the Provo river.  This guy knows how to have fun!

I continue learning and growing at school.  I understand that's what it's for.

Lane started school again this week.  He is quite adept at imitating the teachers he doesn't like, and makes it so funny and real, I feel that maybe I don't like them either, even though I've never met a single one.

Joshua is growing three inches taller as I sit here typing.  He will be another three inches by tomorrow morning.  And his hair is magnificent.  He continues to live solely to play soccer.  On the off chance that he is not at a soccer game or a soccer practice, he does go to school.

Evan and Emily spoke in their church meeting today.  They did a fantastic job.  Emily used excellent scriptural examples of people using their agency wisely.  Evan taught us all well about how to use our agency to apply the Atonement in our lives.  Good stuff.


My gold star for happiness typically involves food and/or family, and this week is no exception:  so glad I got to eat food and see Dana, at the same time!  Bliss.

Happier

My friend introduced me to a great podcast (apparently also a book and a blog and a Facebook page...but I haven't looked into any of those yet) called...

It's pretty great.

Anyway, one of the "gold star" awards given in an episode (#3, maybe?) was for boring family updates.  I thought, "I can do boring."  So, in the pursuit of happiness...here goes boring.

Michael and Lane went camping/hiking with the scouts.  They climbed King's Peak.  Michael and the boys played on a city-block long slip-and-slide.  Michael has to work for two more weeks, and then he is going to Lake Powell.  Michael likes to have fun.

I am back in third grade.  School started Wednesday.  I have 39 students in my class.  That is too big for me to wrap my little brain around, so I have given it up to the Lord. Truly.  So, instead of stressing too much about school, I listen to podcasts, go hiking, and shop.  And so far that seems to be working all right.  

Evan and Emily are happy.  He plays with her hair.  She makes us all laugh.  They have a sweet little apartment filled with newlywed bliss.  

Lane is back from Peru.  Lane is back from hiking King's Peak.  Lane bought a new car.  Lane is looking for work, applying to schools, and hanging out with friends.

Joshua started his junior year in high school.  He asked a girl to the Homecoming dance (still a month away), without even a smidgen of parental encouragement.  Let's not dwell on the fact that he asked the twin sister of the girl who previously took Joshua to a girl's choice dance; their family drama/dynamics are for their own blog update.

And finally...

My happiness gold star of the week:  grabbing from my barrel full of options (yes, my life is that blessed), I'm going to go with my unexpected sister-date with Lindsay.  That was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and her money.

Getting Older

                                  Happy Birthday, Joshua!

Scouting Around

 After months of deliberation, delay, deliquency, and debate...Joshua finally finished his Eagle Project.  Upon completion of the "ordeal," I asked Joshua some questions about the experience.  Here's a small bit of the conversation:Q:  What was your project?A:  Making "phonic phones."Q:  Why would you do that?A:  Because my mom told me to.Q:  I see...And whom, exactly, are the phones supposed to help?A:  Me, to get my license (M told J that he couldn't drive until he had his Eagle...hence the frequent debates about the fairness and necessity of the whole thing).Q:  Ah, well, according to your Plan, who will benefit from your phonic phones?A:  (in a very official sounding voice) 'These devices will be of benefit to students during reading/speaking instruction time and an aid to teachers, as well, in their classroom management."  Ta da!
(This picture collage is an attempt to "scrapbook" with a new app called "Project Life."  I really like the app, but haven't figured out, yet, how to transfer my "creations" here.  I'll have to try again (and again, and again, and again...).

me

I once read that a person can never see their actual face; mirror image, yes, but never the real thing.
I'm not sure why, but that kind of freaks me out.
I've gone cross-eyed trying to prove the statement wrong, and, in fact, have seen the tip of my nose, the tops of my cheeks, and my upper lip when puckered for a big ol' smack-a-roo (SMOOCH!).
I still haven't, however, seen what it is that others view of, or in my face.

I've never really seen my face in pictures, either. Seldom do I recognize that person there in print.

Or, (and this is the really freaky part: freaky in the way that I might not know what my laundry soap smells like to others), maybe pictures do show a perfect representation, and that really is what I look like...

Not that it really matters one way or the other, because either way, this is me.  Still, I wonder.

Just this week, though, I was filming my two-year-old nephew as he sang "Let it Go" while caressing his fake blonde hair, when he told me it was his turn to take pictures of me.  I obliged and diligently smiled through the photo-shoot.  And, funny thing is, although most of the pictures were of my hands, the counter, or the refrigerator, Ben also caught me.  

This actually is how I see myself.

And, just in case you were wondering, this is how Ben sees himself, blonde tresses and all:

hearing things

Though there are some who might argue the point...

to me it just may be that the very best thing ever

is to hear your fourteen-year-old son singing Newsies in the basement.

Next favorite moment is probably

 the joy of walking down to the basement

and finding aforementioned fourteen-year-old son

listening to the scriptures 

while doing a P90X ab workout.

except-ing

We just passed mid-terms.  Grades are coming due. 

Favorite moment of the day?

When a little sweetie of mine came up, sporting the greatest look of pride and joy, and told me, "I just turned in ALL of my assignments!  Except some of them."

antonym-ical

My students have been working on antonyms.

Favorite moment of the day?  

Reading this response:
antonym of cheerful:   grumpy-pants Vance


That child gets an A!

not pretty

Today I had a little girl come up to me and ask:

"Mrs. Vance...I'm just wondering...but did you brush your hair today?"

"No," I replied, "I don't even own a brush."

Then it got really good.

"Well, you should brush your hair.  You don't look very good today."

That, I thought, was worth recording in the blogosphere.  You're welcome.

(take 9)

 The last of my SEP conferences (aka Parent/Teacher Conferences). A rather arduous task as a teacher, but one I'm appreciative of as a mother.
 

 The stack of homework still not graded because of conferences.

 Papers on the floor.  The step just prior to putting them in the tra..er...

circular filing cabinet.  This is the way we clear our stacks,clear our stacks, clear our stacks...

 A lovely late night visit from cute Colin and absolutely adorable Amy. We love it when we get to see them!

My sweet little nephew, Brennan (sorry, I don't know how to rotate my pictures), fast asleep on the way to a soccer game.  Three things: 1) I do not know how his neck did not break. sitting like that! 2) I love that he still has a hold on his toy. 3) Brennan stayed asleep through the entire game, despite his Uncle Michael doing 

such awful things to Brennan, as tapping on his forehead and plugging his nose!

I saw this little gem (someone please tell me how to rotate my pictures!) on the check out counter of a Middle School library.  I hereby commission someone to make me such a delightful reader statue, too!

 

This little darling is Nina.  After 3 and a half years, she has just about decided that she might like me.   It's okay.  Her two oldersisters are going on 5 and 7, respectively, and they still aren't sure they like me, either.  At least their parents do!

(take 7)

The time I woke, and couldn't get back to sleep. 

Joshua went shopping for his Valentine tonight, giving me a lesson or two in love and romance.

Michael surprised me with a box of heart shaped bubble blowers for my school class (enjoy the extra picture this week of the kids blowing their bubbles at our Valentine's Day party).  He teaches me about love and romance all the time.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The prize I found in my car on Thursday morning.  Yum!

The view from a cave called Rick's Spring.  We stopped there on our way to Bear Lake where we got to stay for the weekend (at Bear Lake, not in the cave).

This was taken while standing ON Bear Lake.  It was pretty neat.  So were the ice bowling and chili contests we attended later on in the afternoon in little Montpelier, ID.  Happy Birthday, Michael!

Modeling my oh, so attractive skirt made out of a scarf, since I forgot to bring a dress for church.  

(take 6)

Our Winder Dairy bags, representing what is otherwise known at our house as "Keri's Folly."

No, not a Christmas tree.  A winter wonderland tree.  (See the snowflakes?!)  And winter lasts a long time around our house...

  

Meetings at the Stake building.  Hard to go, but always enjoyable being there.

My little darlings at Wednesday morning dance class.

A date night with Evan (eating the best Pho ever!).

A date night with the Daniels and the hubster (he was parking the car) to the Capitol Theater.

A wonderful evening spent enjoying "Young Women in Excellence," which these young ladies truly define.

(take 5)

 Dinner.  Monday.

 Dinner.  Tuesday.

 Band/Orchestra concert.  Wednesday.  No dinner.

Me, sans the facial hair and purple sweater 

(mine was orange), taking the Praxis exam.

Thursday.  No dinner.

 A date with Linessa.  It wasn't dinner, but we did enjoy
a most delicious Saturday lunch at Blue Lemon.








Superbowl Sunday.  It was all about the dinner!

(take 4)

Family Home Evening.  Look how it's gone techno...for the kids, at least.

(Still paper and pen for me!)

"I have a dream..." papers by my 3rd grade class.

What else do I do besides school?  (Oh, yeah.  I go to soccer.)

These are some of the totem poles the class has made.

Proof that Michael beats our children!

You can't tell this, but our driveway was an ice sheet.  

Michael and Joshua were sliding up and down...

hilarious!

Michael took this.  It's pretty typical of our nights at home:

Joshua in soccer clothes finding something to eat, 

me, grading papers.  Pure excitement, as you can tell.

Not my picture, but it was where Michael and I went for our date.

We happened to run into some very dear friends there

and spent the rest of the evening catching up over appetizers

at Applebees.  We love you, Anderls!

Michael and his true love...Sadie.

We got another snow storm and Michael just HAD to

get the snow plow out; service is his middle name 

(actually, that part really is true about him, and he really does love Sadie).

(take 3)

 After getting stuck in the snow two or three or four 

or maybe more than five times,

it was time for a visit to Discount Tires...

Art based on the works of Karl Momen. He's mostly known around here for his "Tree of Life" (otherwise known as the big tennis balls thingy), but at Morningside Elementary, he's soon to be known as the real live artist who came to our school.

 Pretend the picture is rotated, 

and then see how cute Mr. Snowman is.  At least,

I though it was pretty cute when this is where I found the 

snow shovel (which I needed, after getting stuck in

our cul-de-sac...again)!

 Time for voice lessons.

Everyone should be so lucky.

 Everyone should be so brave.  They were shopping, 

with crowns on, just...because.  That's pretty awesome.

 

Sunday morning selection: it's all about the tights.

(P.S.  I chose the light tan ones with flowers that look like tattoos.)