You can just call me Mrs. Fernandez. :)

Finals are over, and while I have no idea how I did on one of them, I have a general idea of how I did in my classes and it was almost worth the blood, sweat, and tears. Except EAS. I just hate that class, period. But, no matter, for exams are in, I can do nothing more about my grades, and I passed everything. On to the next challenge...student teaching!

I visited my classroom again today. I had prepared a list of 25-30 questions, and my teacher was gracious enough to let me steal her from the kids for a while (they were taking tests all day, poor kids, but yay me!). We got through about half of them, which ain't bad, kiddos--but now I've got a bajillion things to process and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed already! I seriously think I have an panic issue or something, I just can't seem to enjoy a moment, without the distractions of anxiety and my ever-increasing to-do list running through my mind, not to save my life.

But even so, I must admit that I'm stoked. I have a lot to learn from this cooperating teacher, and I think I have a lot to offer the kiddos in her classroom, too. I have so many things I want to try that I don't even know where to start, and in a way I wish student teaching was longer so we could really sink our teeth into everything more fully. But we'll see. Maybe in a few months I won't be saying that.

Anywho, regardless, I am a semester away from FINALLY graduating in a career path I love, and with a 3.9 something GPA and a TON of work/volunteer experience already under my belt before I even begin, I think I'm on my way to doing well. You can just call me Mrs. Fernandez. :)

First Christmas

Our quiet little soldier, standing vigilant by our door. :) This is our first Christmas as a new family together, and Paul & I spent all night putting up the decorations as our FHE activity. Of course, we realized after we'd put up the tree that we had no ornament hangers so we had to run to WalMart at like 9:30 pm to get the ball rolling again. :) And I have a major sinus infection that kinda killed the fun of it...mostly. There was still just enough fun left for a memory. Let me take you on a little tour:


This is our small dining room table. :) And here's a close-up of the centerpiece (which I arranged myself, and I love the simplicity of it!):

This is the mistletoe ball I made:

and here's how it looks over our doorway, with our wreath:

We decked out our piano (where the nutcracker stands watch over the tiny nativity):

And here's us putting the finishing touches on--and then admiring--our tree:

I LOVE our tree, and our home. Walking into my living room this morning and seeing our new tree lit up against the darkness and coldness of the last few days just brightened my whole spirit a little. Which I really just kinda need once in a while. :) I was also able to get a blessing from Paul--the first one since we've been married--and I'm SO grateful to have a husband who holds the priesthood just an arm's length away. I love you, Paul!!!

ALSO...

I have a trial version of Adobe Photoshop, as I mentioned before. I want the real thing! I've only begun to discover all the wonderful things you can do with it. But here are some cool things I discovered (and am using for a handful of Christmas gifts...), and I'm also going to show you examples using this picture:

1. You can make any photo you have into a coloring page (Great for kids!). Just open the photo up in Photoshop, click on the "filter" tab, then "sketch" and then "photocopy." Adjust the details and the darkness (usually less detail and a little darker) until you have a basic coloring page! Here's the coloring page of the same picture from above:

2. For one of my gifts, I made a little desk calendar...and I knew I wanted to make the too-familiar photos a little more artistic for this project, so under the "filter" tab I clicked on "artistic" and then "poster edges." P.S. This is probably how I'm going to do illustrations for the picture books on Bookemon!!! Here's the same photo as a "poster":

3. I'm a huge fan of Fresco. Here's what the picture looks like with that filter (also under "artistic") (and I'll probably use that for some illustrations, too!):

I can't wait to discover more!

Ten things I really LOVE...

Because I promised...and these are not in any particular order other than the order they popped into my head. I must say, without a doubt, that Paul is NUMERO UNO on my list! These are just some other perks of life.

10. Excedrin. With all the headaches I get, excedrin sometimes feels like my best friend.
9. Learning something new. It's a rush!
8. The temple. Not only are they beautiful, but going inside and feeling the Spirit always gives me a better perspective on everything else that goes on in my world.
7. Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa. I ship a small box out every winter, and I'm blessed to have a husband that totally supports me in that tradition!
6. Books. Reading 'em, writing 'em, listening to 'em...I love a good story, and I love the feel and smell and weight of a real book in my hands--especially if it's new! I don't understand the appeal of Kindle.
5. Music. I haven't listened to it much this year, or played it, either...but last night I listened to some instrumental Christmas music to come off the rant and MAN ALIVE I LOVE MUSIC!!!
4. Ebay. It's the reason we're poor...but everything we have, we got at discount! :)
3. Feeling competent. For all my imperfections, sometimes I surprise myself with how much I CAN do. Especially when those moments happen in front of others whose opinions matter to me (for whatever reason), I really love the feeling of knowing I am capable.
2. Planning with Paul. We are in the planning stages for the next semester's FHEs, and I love planning things with Paul--he always has a fresh perspective on things, and crazy ideas, and sometimes we get a little carried away with all the activities we want to do. We have so much fun trying to figure out how to do everything we want to do on a budget. It's like a game. Planning for the wedding was a blast! We're also starting to plan our trip to Utah this summer, and that's a TON of fun, too.
1. My student teaching placement. I've only visited the 3rd grade classroom once so far, but I've already got SOOOO many ideas of things I want to try and I can't wait to get to know my students better!!!

Five things I really HATE...

I promise I will write a more positive post to counteract this sometime in the immediate future, but I'm not in a very chipper mood so I want to write about the five things I hate most in the world right now.

5. My upstairs neighbors. Even the kids. Maybe especially the kids.
4. The smell of smoke...especially if it is from something illegal that I choose NOT to smell and it is flowing through the vents of our apartment building!!!
3. People who snap at you for no good reason.
2. Christmas shopping.
1. Feeling lonely. Especially if it is on top of feeling sick.

Basically, I hate today.
But the sun'll come out tomorrow...right? :)

Yay for 3rd Grade!

I got to visit my student teaching placement for the first time today. I'm SOOOOOO ridiculously excited! Here's why:

1) I have only 17 students.

2) The principal is anti-textbook.

3) My coordinating teacher is allowing me near-total freedom in what I try.

4) It's a small school--as a teacher, I will have more input and a better chance of becoming part of a small community.

5) They focus on math and language arts, so I get to find creative ways to integrate other subjects into them and thus become the "fun" teacher.

6) I love intermediate grades (2-4), period.

7) My coordinating teacher calls her students "dude."

Dude!

I love what I do. :)

33 Things

Because I am procrastinating my last two weeks' worth of projects, papers, lessons, and more, I thought I would blog for fun. I don't have many, if any, real secrets in my life, and even if you don't know everything about me, not much will surprise you. I'm nevertheless going to try to find 33 things about me that you may or may not know about me:

1. I used to really love television, and part of me still does--which is one of the reasons I'm grateful we don't have cable, or I'd waste even more time than I already do. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love "Psych" and "Monk." I'm a little ashamed to admit that I love "The Office."

2. I'm not technologically savvy. While I love blogging upon occasion and facebooking, checking email, etc., and I LOVE Microsoft Office 2010, I would have no idea what to do if my computer didn't do what I wanted it to do, except to cry. I've learned a lot in my last seven or so years of college, enough to put me at an advantage in the workplace, but that's about it.

3. I love teaching. It's not just something I do, it's a part of who I am, and I enjoy every minute of my schooling and my job, even if I have no idea what I'm doing half the time. I'm finally seeing myself in that position, as a professional equal to other teachers I work with.

4. My favorite cocoa is Stephen's, which we faithfully ship out here once a year in mass quantities. I love the Orange Creme and the Mint Chocolate Truffle the best.

5. I'm terrified about finding a teaching job around here...I don't know how to get the job, just how to do it!

6. I hated the color pink growing up. My parents painted my bedroom a bright pepto-bismol pink and I covered almost all of it up with New Era posters and comic strips. I also hated flowers. Anything girly at all pretty much I hated. Now I'm pretty darn girly. I want to have a flower business on the side and I had pink as one of my wedding colors. Go figure. :)

7. I want to learn lots of languages in my lifetime, but especially Japanese, Spanish, and French.

8. I never liked video games growing up, but I played sports and outdoor games a lot. I now LOVE the Wii that Paul bought me because it's something I can do, injury and all, to relive my childhood.

9. I'm a pretty good speller. I didn't know how valuable a commodity this was, especially in education, until last year when we had a spelling bee in my literacy class. Wow.

10. I really do love to write, and wish I had more time to do it for fun. I have dreams of being published someday. (Another side business, on top of the flowers...yeah, I'm gonna be a busy woman!)

11. I want at least 5 kids. So does Paul, so that's lucky. :) But I'm terrified of the kind of mom I'll be...I only recently came to the conclusion that I would be happy if I got a surprise pregnancy right now. But I'm NOT, and I'm okay with that for now. :)

12. I love puppets.

13. I love karaoke!!! A lot a lot. I love that I have a karaoke machine so that I can host karaoke parties to my heart's content.

14. I'm not an awful singer, but I don't have a pretty voice. I've got a great sense of pitch, but I'm more of a choir girl than a soloist. :)

15. Before I ever dated my husband, I tried setting him up constantly with a good friend of mine who was in love with him.

16. Actually, long before that, I was supposed to go on a date with Paul as part of a ward activity--but because I was the activity chair and our activity involved a scavenger hunt, I had to be at the church so I passed him off to the friend mentioned above, which started the whole crazy thing off. Guess the Lord works in mysterious ways! If you had told me then that I was passing off my husband to another woman, I'd have never believed you!

17. The three countries I want to visit most in this world are Japan, France, and the Philippines. Other countries are cool, too. :)

18. I really, really want to go on a cruise before I die. Something about paying a flat rate for all-you-can-eat buffets and entertainment, plus getting to see the OCEAN!

19. I can't wait to serve a mission with Paul.

20. I need light like I need air. Being in rooms that are half-dark or dimly lit gives me headaches and makes me kinda crabby.

21. I was taught how to play chess this semester by some first and second graders, and now it's one of my favorite games to play! I get really excited when I beat the computer. Paul & I bought a small hand-carved set at the Feast this year that will be traveling with us on all our adventures together. :)

22. I love to read, and while I've always been a realistic fiction kinda girl, I've lately been really into historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. I feel my horizons broadening even as we speak!

23. I love Oldies music the best, followed by instrumental and then some Asian pop. There will always be a special place in my heart for John Denver.

24. I love planning events, especially if I don't have to be a big part of it. I could be an event planner professionally. I love themed birthday parties and I get really into the planning stages of almost everything.

25. I am learning how to play the guitar (slowly but surely), and I have enough chords down to play 5 folk songs, 3 J-pop songs, 1 John Denver hit, and about 25 Christmas songs. :)

26. If I were a car part, I'd be the steering wheel. If I were the button on a keyboard, I'd be the "control." If I were a button on a remote control, I'd be "power." Get the point? :)

27. I have an intense fear of failure, which keeps me from doing lots of things I would love to do. I'm working on that. I don't know that I ever learned how to fail gracefully. It's something I try to help my students learn early so that they have a better life.

28. I haven't thrown up since I was 9 years old.

29. I don't particularly like roller coasters, but I'd be willing to give them a second chance.

30. There are LOTS of things I want to learn how to do in life--I just love to learn and I really love the creative process. The four things I want to explore more in the immediate future are ModPodge, stained glass, glass etching, and woodburning. Someday I want to learn how to do cakes, photography, quilting, and paper making, too. People I know are going to get sick of all the handmade presents, but oh well. :)

31. I really like my in-laws. They're as crazy as my own family, and they have been nothing but kind to me. I could've had it SO much worse, and I'm grateful that they have let me into their small, tight-knit world.

32. If I had to describe myself as an animal, I'd want to say a horse because they're beautiful, strong, majestic, wild...but I'd probably, if forced to be honest, say something like a platypus...kinda odd and funny-looking and average but still interesting enough to want around.

33. I'm addicted to chocolate milk. Dean's. It literally flows through my veins.

Okay, that's all, folks. For now, anyway. I spent long enough trying to think of those, I've gotta go rest my brain now. :)

Gobble Gobble Taco Day!

Yes, you read that right. It is a Darland family tradition to have tacos on Thanksgiving, and this year will be no exception! We're stoked. And I'm still making pumpkin pie, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. So there. :)

I actually really love this tradition of ours. I don't know if I love it enough to carry it on when we have kids--is depriving them of memories of turkey and stuffing un-American? We'll decide on that later. For now, though, since Paul's allergic to turkey, Charissa's a vegetarian, Mom hates to cook (even though she's great at it), and I'm not too huge on cranberry sauce or yams with marshmallows, we're all pretty happy with a huge and filling taco bar. Plus, it makes a great conversation topic. :)

In other news, we saw "New Moon" this past weekend and loved it...can't wait for "Eclipse" to come out in June! I'm not a Twilight junkie or anything, I've only read the books once through and I didn't see either movie on opening night--in fact, I didn't see Twilight until it was out on DVD. But I like the series well enough, and I like that Paul likes it well enough, too. So we're excited that the third "installation" is coming out in a mere seven months! I also learned today that they change the director for every movie to give each its own distinctive feel, and now that I've seen the trailer for "Eclipse" I'm pretty stoked about the direction it's going to take. I am always amazed, mesmerized, even, how two people can look at the same thing so differently, or start with the same material and create two completely different visions and products. People are fascinating if nothing else.

FHE--Similes and Home Desserts

I like to pass on fun activities, especially family-related ones, to pretty much anyone who will listen.

Paul & I have recently started planning FHEs again (his work schedule and my school schedule just didn't coincide enough to have real activities, so we read a chapter out of a church book on Monday mornings before rushing me off to my classes...now that he has Mondays off, we are doing it "right" again!). Last night we had a simple little activity that we found out of a book I love, FHE for Newlyweds, and I thought I'd share.

There are 10 categories (cars, food, shoes, animal, color, season, cartoon character, sport, place, and movie star are what are in the book, but I think you could easily adapt the categories to fit the interests or age levels of your family). You basically make up a simile for your spouse in each category, stating the reason behind it--for example, in the car category, you might write, "You're like an SUV because you're adventurous and you love the great outdoors". It was a challenge, but a fun one, and we got a few giggles. And now I can scrapbook the little notes. :)

I won't bore you with everything we wrote, but here are my three favorites Paul wrote about me:

"You are like a pizza, well-rounded with a little bit of everything, and, of course, my favorite."

"You are like ballet shoes, pretty and seemingly delicate but strong enough to support whatever is needed."

"You are like Chicago because I smile whenever I see you."

And here are my three favorite things I wrote about him:

"You are like a puppy because you're friendly, loyal, cuddly, and fuzzy--a best friend to the end."

"You are like your military boots because you always look so polished."

"You are like the winter because you make me want to curl up and stay in bed all day."

For dessert, we made these little house-shaped pastries--basically, you use a thinly-rolled pie crust and cut it into shapes (we used a house), then sprinkle on some chocolate and peanut butter chips and cover with another of the shapes. Bake it in a 375 degree oven on a parchment-covered cookie sheet for about 12 minutes, or just 'til the edges start to brown. Simple(ish) and tasty! And I've got a ton of chocolate and peanut butter chips left over for next time.

It was a good night. Especially since his new shift started today so we'll see even less of each other most days, it's nice to know that I have him all to myself on Sunday and Monday.

Student Teaching

I finally found out my placement for student teaching! I'll be teaching third graders in a small rural community some forty-five minutes away. I'm excited! And terrified. For those of you not familiar with how education works, even though I've had classroom experience teaching and observing each semester here at Purdue, student teaching is a time in which you gradually get control of the entire classroom all day, every day--you essentially become the teacher for a few weeks or months, and then you gradually hand the reins back to your mentor teacher as the year draws to an end. This means that I get to navigate the students through their first-ever ISTEP testing experience, as well as try to help all the students learn enough to meet the Annual Yearly Progress for the Title I school. I get to do the whole parent-teacher conferences thing, and I get to plan lessons day in and day out for a fourteen-week roller coaster ride. Pressure! But I'm still elated. I want to teach third or fourth grade, and I feel blessed to learn from a teacher who has taught at a few different levels. So I say--bring it on!

We Heart Primary

Paul and I have one of the best callings ever: Primary teachers! We teach the 7-8 and 8-9 year-olds in our ward, and we have a blast. They are SO inquisitive at this age, and they are finally starting to "get it" in terms of the gospel--partially because biologically their brains are developing the ability to reason and empathize, partially because they all come from warm, loving families who teach them the gospel at home every moment they can, and partially because they have been baptized and have the gift of the Holy Ghost with them.

Regardless of the reasons, it is SO fun to see them grow in their testimonies, listen to the CRAZY-deep questions they come up with, and do our best to answer them as we teach them about the gospel. It is even more fun to help them recognize the Spirit as it influences them in their lives! Just last week one of our kids was talking about how there's an apostle that speaks so powerfully to him that he just can't hardly talk afterwards, it's like there's nothing you can do or say to deny the truth of what he says. I said, "Do you know what that is?! That's the SPIRIT!" And even though this is a very precocious child, a new connection was made and he understands now a little bit better that the Spirit speaks to us all in many different ways. Moments like that happen nearly every week, and between that and trying to answer their incredibly vast range of questions, Paul and I feel like sometimes we get to learn SOOOO much more than our kids ever do.

It's also been a blessing for us as a couple, because Paul and I do not get to see much of each other these days. It is HEAVEN to spend all day Sunday with him and with our kids. :) And a good trial-run for when we ever have our own...

Well, in just under two weeks we are having our Primary Program, and Paul and I have desperately tried to learn some of the new songs--"My Eternal Family" and "The Family Is of God." Any of you with children or callings in Primary know how adorable these songs are. It is even more adorable to hear an entire choir of 3-6 year-olds screaming out the chorus because that's all they really know! But, it turns out, they are better than us. We have been spending our FHMs (Family Home Mornings! :) ) and a little time in the evenings lately trying to nail down the words to these two songs--I don't know why it is so difficult for us to master them, but it is what it is. We're trying. We can't let a few 8-year-olds show us up. ;)

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Paul's 25th Birthday

This has been a rigorous and rough semester for me, and for Paul, as well, and happy moments have been too few and far between lately. But the highlight of the semester so far was DEFINITELY Paul's 25th birthday on October 18th. I had been planning it pretty much since the summer, and all that planning sure paid off!

Since I chose to go with a LEGO theme, for birthday week Paul had to search the house each morning for a giant LEGO (made with a kleenex box and milk jug lids spray painted red, thank you very much!); in the LEGO was a candy bar and small toy, along with a short message tied to the candy...he had a lot of fun finding the toys, and we both are STILL eating all the candy!

Since his birthday was on a Sunday, we went up to Chicago Saturday to kidnap his sister and visit the LEGOLand Discovery Center in Shaumburg. It was a lot of fun, even if we were a little old to be there! We got to play with LEGOs, go on a dragon ride, walk through a LEGO jungle, visit the "hall of fame" with famous LEGO-made artwork reproductions and famous figures, and visit the mini factory (did you know only 18 out of every MILLION LEGOs is discarded from a factory? Talk about quality!). We also got to see a miniature Chicago--very detailed and realistic looking, except for a Batman figure on top of the Sear's tower!

If you have any sort of LEGOland or its discovery centers nearby, GO!  It's worth it!

Then we went back to his folks' place and Paul visited, opened presents (like the Enterprise cufflinks and LEGO mp3 player from Emilie shown below!), and ate some Filipino food before heading home.

(P.S. There are a million and one different LEGO-themed gifts and prizes to buy if you go to the LEGO store HERE.)

That night, we started our "Happy Birthday, Moon" on birthday eve tradition--Paul found the birthday top hat, beneath which was about 10 pounds of LEGOs for him to play with! (And for us to use in the party the next day!)

On Sunday, we threw a party after church with some of our wonderful friends. I learned how to make vegetable pancit, and we fried up some lumpia (two of my favorite Filipino foods), and after everyone was well-fed we played some games. We had "Guess How Many Legos are in the Jar?" and had a super-difficult LEGO quiz.  Some bold primary and green colored birthday decorations helped round out the table.Then we had LEGO team building relays.  This was everyone's favorite part!  I made three stacks of identical "challenges," which included objects they had to build and the inches high it had to be (for example, in the picture below, the word "Paul" at least 3 inches tall...we also had planes, giraffes, tables and chairs, etc., at varying heights).  I backed each set of challenges in a different color, with a ruler to match, for each of the 3 teams, then shuffled them.  So, everyone's building the same things, but not necessarily at the same time.  One person from each team started off, and when they finished they had to take a picture of their creations with the rulers and then tag the next person to go build.

Then I split up the rest of the challenges into three different rooms.  We had LEGO tower races (build the tallest free-standing tower you can in 2 minutes), LEGO chopsticks (transfer LEGOs from one bowl to the other in 1 minute), and a LEGO toss into bathroom-sized cups, with points at the bottom for you to add up. At each "station" was a paper to record your name and stats, like the height of your tower or how many chopsticks or the points you got.  It made finding the "winner" of each category super easy, and let them know what they had to beat, while still giving them time to have fun wandering around a bit and socializing in more intimate settings.  :)  We had a "closing ceremonies" and I awarded the winners for each game and the quiz and guessing game earlier with prizes--like the LEGO salt/pepper shaker, or LEGO post-it notes, or keychain, or magnetic frame (I made that one myself), etc.

Then we had cake--and with 25 relighting candles spread out over the entire table, it took the entire party to put out the flames!  (Excuse the crazy melty appearance, I'm not a cake decorator by any means and I'm afraid of fondant!)

For this cake, I basically baked two 9x13" cakes and cut them into different sized rectangles (half the cake was the 2x3 LEGO).  I used mini muffins/cupcakes for the knobby parts.  Add some brightly colored icing, a green plastic tablecloth to put everything on, and voila!  Instant, easy (though time-consuming), affordable cake!

We ate, chatted, and played some more, with Paul opening gifts and having an all around grand time. The favors were some LEGO-like building block candy and some paper with crayons. People seemed to have a lot of fun reverting back to their childhood, as did we--it was nice to go back to the good old days of creative play. I had a blast putting the whole thing together, and now I'm looking through my birthday binder to try to figure out how to top it next year!

I don't know why I love birthdays so much...we celebrated them now and again at home, but growing up we didn't really make a huge deal out of 'em. But whatever the reason, I love them now, and I wish that we didn't always feel like the "fun" parties are just for little kids--as the LEGO party proved, you're only as young as you feel, and we all have a little child tucked deep inside of us.

If you want to see more pictures from the party, visit my facebook album!

Blessings, anyone?

Today I am grateful that I have some really amazing professors and TAs. I'm in school for 8 hours straight on Wednesdays, but because I have instructors that are engaging and who have wonderful experiences and insights, and who are all around interesting people with pleasant dispositions, those 8 hours fly by...at least compared to the alternative. I am grateful to be studying at a great university where I am learning so much from such fantastic people...honestly, the social life at BYU was a wonderful daydream, but the academic life usually wasn't engaging or challenging enough for me. Or perhaps it's just that with a few more years under my belt, I've changed and have a better approach now...either way, I am truly blessed to have the particular stresses and demands that being a full-time student at Purdue has given me.

Week of Firsts...

Paul & I had a busy week last week--and really in the last month. Last week was both of our first weeks at our new jobs, and it was the first week of school for me, as well. And I had two papers assigned on my first day! So much for "syllabus week." I got to talk to the head placement director about my student teaching placement for January and he was actually incredibly nice to me, which apparently is a first from the way my friends have talked about him. Paul & I also bought our first car. (Pictures to follow...)

I know that I am very blessed, and that there are wonderful things ahead of us, but to be honest, I am more than a little overwhelmed right now and wishing that I were someone better than me. I feel exhausted all the time, and I never get to see my husband during the week (he works late afternoons and evenings and I work/take classes EARLY mornings). We also haven't had enough time to go grocery shopping for real, so we stop by and pick up a few things that only end up making me hungrier and cost more money in the long run. So I'm tired, hungry, cranky from not seeing my husband, stressed about a $300 licensing test next week that I HAVE to pass, and overwhelmed ALREADY with school assignments and planning for student teaching...and no real end in sight. And it's only the second week. And that's only the stuff I'm choosing to tell you. *Sigh.*

Because of this, I am trying to count my blessings more (as hard as it is sometimes). So one new thing every day...today, I am grateful because on Sunday, Paul & I are going to be sustained in a totally rad new calling, in which we get to work together! So even though I may not see him for 5 days out of the week, our weekends are totally linked and I'll get to see him pretty much all the time. I think I'm going to like Sundays way better now. Also, I am grateful because my sister bought us unlimited texting, so Paul & I can send a few random messages throughout the day without actually having to coordinate our time. So at least that's something. I so totally could not have been one of those women who let her husband leave for months or years at a time, even for so noble a cause as to serve a mission. I am a very independent person, but I have become incredibly dependent on Paul for so many things, especially emotionally. I'm lucky that we get to spend as much time together as we do, and that even when we can't, there are other ways to stay close.

The shop is FINALLY set up!

Check it out...of course, I have no products up yet. But I WILL. :) And it will be glorious. I set up the account two months ago, but just finally got the money to set it up (yes, it's only a dollar, but that's a lot these days!). Anywho, without further ado...

http://celestesbestbuds.etsy.com

Check back frequently as I have some flowers here that I'm hoping to make into masterpieces soon! :) But even if you don't want to buy anything, oh well. :) Just enjoy the flowers themselves.

Countdowns...

I have recently been amusing myself with countdowns. A friend of mine (a few, actually) are leaving for their missions next month and are counting down the days on Facebook. I laughed, remembering "only yesterday" when they were trying to mentally calculate exactly when their mission calls would even come in the mail. Then I remembered my own countdown to our wedding, and the various countdowns of friends' babies, birthdays, and other big events. When I was a little girl, we had a Christmas Countdown calendar every year (often of our own making).

What is our obsession with time, with looking forward? And what do we do in the meantime? The few countdowns I remember, on a personal note, were not all that pleasant. Time stretched out the more I looked forward to something, and especially when those somethings involved a lot of planning on my part I became easily overwhelmed...my excitement only made me more irritable. I know you know what I mean. It's an almost universal phenomenon, I see it all the time, and sometimes I wonder why we torture ourselves with all the anticipation. Either we are all of us masochists, or there is something about looking forward to "better days" that we need like we need air. Or maybe both. Without a dream, and without an almost tangible timeline to follow as we realize it, maybe something in our cosmic DNA withers and dies. Even though I know better, I countdown to many things.

My question is, what are you looking forward to right now? What is on your countdown?

I really just love my job.

Life is full of surprises. :)

Kinda sorta work...it's money, anyway

I didn't quite get the job that I applied for at the Daycare, but I am going to work there part-time for the next few weeks until school starts and their regular teachers come back. I'll be a sub, so to speak, filling in wherever they need me, whenever they do. It's long and tiring work, playing with a classroom of 2 year olds, but it'll be SO fun, and, hey, it's money. We could use some of that right now. So even though it's just for a while, I'm grateful. It'll do for now.

I'm still looking around, though. I've gotta work in the fall, or we won't be able to pay bills! :)

Picture Books & New Traditions

Paul & I thought up a few fun traditions related to picture books, and I thought I'd put them down in writing so we don't forget.

The first one has to do with birthdays. When I was little, one of my favorite books was "Happy Birthday, Moon". Imagine my surprise when I found out that Paul's favorite book was the same thing! So we've decided that on the evening before our birthdays, and our kids', we're going to read the book to them as we tuck them in, and we're going to have a top hat just like Bear has in the book, hidden somewhere in a fairly conspicuous place to find around the house, with one small "first and best" gift under it to open on Birthday Eve. I'm stoked.

The second is a Christmas tradition. I love Christmas, and I love picture books. So I've compiled a list of my 25 favorite Christmas picture books, and each night of the 25 days of Christmas I want to read a different one aloud as a family. Want to know my list?

1. Polar Express (Chris Van Allsburg)
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dr. Seuss)
3. The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry & P.J. Lynch)
4. Christmas Oranges (Linda Bethers)
5. The Little Match Girl (Hans Christian Anderson)
6. Children Around the World Celebrate Christmas (Susan T. Osborn & Tangvald)
7. Brown Paper Teddy Bear (Catherine Allison/Scholastic)
8. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree (Colleen Monroe, ill. Michael Monroe)
9. The Crippled Lamb (Max Lucado)
10. Wenceslas: The Eternal Christmas Story (Geraldine McCaughrean)
11. The Nutcracker: A Young Reader’s Edition of the Holiday Classic (E.T.A. Hoffman)
12. The Littlest Angel (Charles Tazewell)
13. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Robert L. May; ill. David Wenzel)
14. The Little Drummer Boy (ill. Ezra Jack Keats)
15. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Kellogg/ Coots & Gillespie)
16. Silent Night: The Song and its Story (Margaret Hodges; Ladwig)
17. St. Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend (Julie Steigemeyer; Ellison)
18. The Legend of the Christmas Stocking (Rick Osborne)
19. The Legend of the Christmas Tree (Rick Osborne)
20. The Legend of the Candy Cane (Lori Walburg)
21. The Night of Las Posadas (Tomie dePaola)
22. The Legend of the Poinsettia (Tomie dePaola)
23. “B” is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet (Isabel Wilner; ill. Elisa Kleven)
24. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Clement C. Moore)
25. The Christmas Story: From the King James Version (Gennady Spirin) (OR Christmas Story by Val Chadwick Bailey...I haven't decided yet)

NOW, I just have to buy them all!

The 5 things on my mind right at this exact moment:

(1) I just finished my sister's birthday present! Unfortunately, since there's a slim chance she'll see it if I post anything about it right now, I can't. I'll show you and tell you all about it in 2 days. But suffice it to say, for having zero dollars to my name, this present pretty much rocks.

(2) I am already planning Paul's birthday party (and it's not until October 18th). This shows you how *sick* I really am. I love party planning, especially parties for OTHER people. I love making homemade gifts that you can't get anywhere else and I love surprising people. I also love familyfun.go.com, where I get a lot of ideas from. Moms, check it out! That's what I've been doing all week!

(3) I am waiting to hear tomorrow about a job I interviewed with on Thursday...I'd be working with another "teacher" and 8 or 9 2-year-olds for 10 1/2 hours on Fridays at a Christian Child Care. I really want this job, and if not this one, something like it. Mostly, though, I just want A job!

(4) I am really hungry. I might have to eat some chips 'n' salsa after this. We got the cheap brand of the black bean & white corn salsa, and it is scrumptious. Just sayin'.

(5) Today, and really all week, has been an emotional roller coaster in the private places of my heart. I think I am ready for something...I don't know what. I just got a new calling in our new ward, one that I wasn't really planning on, and maybe that's the first step. I probably just need a new challenge. Usually when things seem hard it's because (a) they are, (b) you're not doing something you should be, or (c) you're ready for new challenges. I feel pretty good overall about what I've been able to do and to be lately, so I think I pick (c). :)

Yearbookyourself.com

If you have a few minutes to spare, check out this website! (http://www.yearbookyourself.com/) It's hilarious! You upload a pic of you (or whomever you wish) and stick their faces onto yearbook photos from decades past. If you have a Facebook account, you can send them directly to your photos. If not, you can either save them to your computer or email them to yourself or someone else. Anywho, here is a sampling of some of my favorites. :) My friends Shean & Audrey.

My BFF Lindsey, rockin' it out!

Almost all the Watson clan.

My dear husband...

And me!

Attention All Moms! (or teachers of young children...)

I recently discovered a neat up-and-coming website that features short (5 minutes or less) virtual field trips for kids, by kids. There are interviews with authors/illustrators, field trips to observatories, museums, and music halls, and contest winners for things like poetry month, holidays, hobbies, and "the most interesting person I know". Even cooler, you can have your own kids make and send in a video to be put on the site! It's still new so there are a lot of features under development, but under each video is at least one link to another website related to that subject, recommended books, and questions/links written by educators for extended learning. I'd STRONGLY recommend checking it out when you get the chance:

http://meetmeatthecorner.org/

Have fun!

Our New Pride and Joy :)

This is the piano that Paul & I won on ebay for $25. I have to admit, it was an amazingly SWEET deal. The previous owner was just some guy who happened to have a piano lying around in his garage for the last 5 years, and he was going to just leave it on the side of the road, but he figured if he put it up on ebay he'd make a few bucks off of it. Unfortunately for him, that's ALL he got. But WE WIN! On Saturday, our good friend Nathan Utt drove Paul up to the Chicago temple (he had to work there for 5 hours), and then the two of them drove Nutt's truck down an hour or so south of town and wound up in a surprisingly nice neighborhood, where they exerted their superhuman strength and moved the piano all by themselves. A big shout-out, too, to the guy in the apartment above us who helped get it from the truck to the inside of our apartment.
This is the small centerpiece I made for it, mostly to cover up the book that we're using as a weight for the lamp until we can find something better. I used the leftover wedding flowers (and STILL have more to go!).

So now the quaint old piano is in our apartment and we look at it much the same way new parents admire their children--part wonder, part shock, part amusement, part love. It feels like a little miracle in the midst of a lot of hard times, and holds the promise of progress and happiness ahead. And while there's a low B key that buzzes and a high C key that's sharp, for the freedom it gives us to explore and express ourselves and the independence from the "someday" promises of BOTH our parents' pianos, this beauty'll do. :)

Caida's Update

Caida is back at home as of yesterday, and is doing much better. Time will tell as far as the medicine she's on, but Cerene feels that she's in good hands with the doctor there. We'll see about the neurologist appointment getting moved up or not...but either way, the immediate danger is gone for now and I am so grateful! Thanks for any good thoughts or prayers sent our way.

This is why I'm glad to be a school teacher NOW.

1905 teaching contract rules from Story County, Iowa:
1. Teachers are expected to live in the community in which they are employed and to take residence with local citizens for room and board. (Many teachers lived with the students and their parents going from one house to another).
2. Teachers will be required to spend weekends in the community unless permission is granted by the Chairman of the Board.
3. It is understood that teachers will attend church each Sunday and take an active part, particularly in choir and Sunday School work.
4. Dancing, card playing and the theatre are works of the Devil that lead to gambling, immoral climate, and influence and will not be tolerated.
5. Community plays are given annually. Teachers are expected to participate.
6. When laundering petticoats and unmentionables it is best to dry them in a flour sack or pillow case. (So no one sees them hanging on the line to dry).
7. Any teacher who smokes cigarettes, uses liquor in any form, frequents a pool or public hall, or (for men) gets shaved in a barber shop, (or for women) bobbs (cuts) her hair, has dyed hair, wears short skirts (could not be any shorter than 2 inches above the ankles) and has undue use of cosmetics will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
8. Teachers will not marry or keep company with a man friend during the week except as an escort to church services. (The only man a woman teacher could be seen with was her father or her brother).
9. Loitering in ice cream parlors, drug stores, etc., is prohibited.
10. Purchasing or reading the Sunday Supplement on the Sabbath will not be tolerated.
11. Discussing political views or party choice is not advisable.
12. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.
13. After 10 hours in school, the teacher should spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.
14. Women teachers who marry or engage in other unseemly conduct will be dismissed.
15. Every teacher should lay aside from his pay a goodly sum for his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.
16. The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents a week in his pay providing the Board of Education approves.
http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/contract.htm


1915 teaching contract rules from New Hampshire (notice the similarities and the differences):
1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM
unless at a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream
stores.
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you
have permission of the chairman of the chairman of the
school board.
6. You may not ride in carriages or automobiles with any
man except your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least 2 petticoats.
11. Your dresses may not be any shorter than 2 inches above
the ankles.
12. To keep the classroom neat and clean you must sweep the
floor once a day, scrub the floor with hot soapy water
once a week, clean the blackboards once a day and start
the fire at 7 AM to have the school warm by 8 AM when
the scholars arrive.
http://www.nhhistory.org/edu/support/nhgrowingup/teacherrules.pdf