Now What?

I didn't get the job.

I'm just beside myself right now not knowing what to do. There's very little out there right now for teaching positions. Not too many schools are hiring in the middle of the school year.

I just feel so lost. Like I'm just hanging out here in limbo somewhere just waiting for something to happen, but nothing does happen. I can't help but feel so lost. Jason and I took a HUGE risk and uprooted everything and left everything that was familiar and comfortable and left it all for something we felt that God was orchestrating. I still feel that we are in the right place at the right time, but I can't help but doubt parts of it. What about me? Wasn't I supposed to get something out of this? What is that one key point or idea that I am missing? Will everything else work out seamlessly if I just get that one main concept God is trying to teach me?

I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz right now. She had the power to go home the entire time while in Oz, but she didn't know it until the end of the story. She had to go through all the other stuff first before she was able to understand the moral that she was to take with her even after her adventure in Oz. Is this how it's going to be with me? Do I have to continue down my yellow brick road and stumble occasionally before defeating the wicked witch? Only to discover that I had the power all along to do what I ultimately wanted to do in the first place?

I know that some people dream of a point in their lives where they find themselves at a crossroads where they are given the opportunity to reinvent themselves, but I am not really diggin' it right now. I already know what I want to do. Or at least I think I do.

I know I can always be a substitute teacher, but the hard thing about that is the issue of daycare. I don't know how consistent things would be with subbing and if my paycheck could offset the cost of daycare. Jason thinks I should go back to school and get my masters in Deaf Education. I'm okay with that, but it's too late to enroll for the Spring semester, so then that takes me to next Fall. Okay, but what do I do for the next six months? I need something to take me that far.

I don't know what I'm going to do or where God is leading me right now. I know that God has a plan for me, but I'm just so deep in the midst of everything right now that I can't see it...and it's so horribly aggravating not knowing where you are going in your own life. I never knew until now how much of a purpose-driven person I am. I desperately need a purpose right now, and I don't feel like I have one and it's got me all out of sorts.

Feeling A Bit Anxious

Okay, here I go. I have my first interview today since quiting my job and moving to the Springs. I am very excited, but definitely a bit anxious. I feel somewhat lacking in the skills department, but I guess it stands to reason that aren't we all lacking in skills with most jobs we start at? Then through learning on the job, we all get better and more versatile with what we can contribute to the job? I guess so. I'm satisfied with that reasoning.

The thing about this job I am interviewing for is that I believe it is THE job God moved us down here for. So what am I worried about??? This being yet another example of God revealing to me the plans He has in store for me, but yet again having to wait for the right timing. This is most definitely THE hardest life lesson that I don't seem to learn well the first time.

I also feel a little pressure (from nobody but myself) to get this job because doing so would open us up financially so that Jason and I can finally buy our house. I am grateful for family that has allowed us to live with them temporarily, but I am just excited to have my own space again.

Where Has The Time Gone?

I can't believe it's already December.

I am sitting here reflecting on how drastically my life has changed since September, and I can't believe all this has happened and that I survived it all. Jason quit and started a new job, the girls started at a new daycare, and I quit my job. Most importantly, we have sold our house and we have moved past that obstacle so quickly it sometimes doesn't even seem real. I didn't get much time to process that part. That's what happens when you sell your house in only 4 days.

I would have to say that the most stressful thing about selling our house was having to deal with the petty demands from our buyers. I don't know if those people had ever purchased a home before, but I was getting really sick of them demanding silly little things and making it sound like such a big deal that it would cost us the sale of our house.

Seriously, there are thousands of houses in the world that are in worse condition than ours was in. The things that needed to be fixed were so minor, they had nothing to do with the integrity of the structure itself which would be a greater concern than making sure there was a carbon monoxide detector by the bedrooms. After we had the inspection, I was very pleased to find out that the things that needed to be taken care of were extremely minor and fairly inexpensive. Especially considering the state of the house when we purchased it as a foreclosure over 5 years ago.

I would have to say that the most frustrating thing we had to fix was putting a cover on our window well that lead to the basement. This was something we looked at purchasing a few years ago, but we soon discovered that there is no standard size for window wells, nor did we have a normal size that would fit just about any cover that could be found at your local home improvement store. We ended up purchasing a cover that was more than we wanted to spend, but it was the ONLY one that would fit our obscure size as the cover was adjustable.

When the buyers did their final walk through, they were very upset with the cover we purchased as they didn't feel it was secure enough. It was strong enough to support the weight of two adult males, but they were concerned their toddler would fall through. Give me a break! They also said that it was too loose. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, first of all, the cover was installed per the installation directions, and you also need to consider that if there is a fire and you are stuck in the basement, you need those little gaps to grab hold of and push the cover out of the way and escape safely. They first asked us to return it, but we refused as all packaging had been disposed of. They then had the nerve to ask us to fork over another additional $500 to have a cover custom made. I don't think so! There were a few other petty demands, but thankfully we were able to get past them and close on our house on the 24th of November.

Here we are living in our new city, but still homeless. We are grateful for wonderful family who have opened up their home and graciously allowed us to invade their home and temporarily call it our own. I have been unemployed for about a month now, and I am definitely feeling the strain of needing to get a job. I adore my girls, but I am not made to be a stay at home mom. I enjoy our summers together, but just about when I am feeling the need to be back at work, the summer is winding down anyways. The girls are also feeling the strain of fewer opportunities for social interaction. The job market isn't really very promising right now. Especially for teachers. Not many teachers leave in the middle of the school year. Except for me.

I do have a job interview set up, but I am feeling somewhat anxious about it. I know in my heart that this is something God had showed to me over a year ago, but I am still struggling with where he is leading me. The job I am interviewing for is basically THE ONLY position available right now, but I am not fully qualified for this position. I had a dream last night that I was basically laughed at during the interview due to my inexperience in this particular field. I know my dream was due to my anxieties and feelings that I am not qualified for the job. I really want this job. I know that if I do get this job, it is yet another confirmation of God's promise for my life and that all we have put our family through in the past few months would all have been for this job and where God is leading me. The other good thing about getting this job is that we would be that much closer to getting our new house. I can't wait to get back into our own place again. Life has been everything but normal for the past few months. I almost forgot what normal looked like.

Caught In A Whirlwind

This past month has been a whirlwind of chaos, survival, tears, loneliness, and anticipation.

We put our house up on the market on Friday, October 9th and got an offer on our house on the 12th. Yes, it took us only one weekend to sell our house. There's no doubting God's plan here. I still have to pinch myself to see if we actually sold our house that fast. Especially in this market. We aren't making any money on our house, but God has definitely made it easy for us to walk away from our house with no extra expenses.

For the past few weeks Jason has been in Colorado Springs with the girls and I have been home alone. It has been quite the adjustment for us all, but we have managed to get by with weekend visits. I hate being the weekend parent. I know Jason hasn't exactly enjoyed being the single parent either. The girls have had their moments of acting out, but that can be expected due to not having mom and dad together and not living in your own house. Living with Jason's aunt and uncle has helped out a lot with the transition. They are such wonderful people and I am grateful to call them family.

Due to getting a contract on our house so quickly, I felt it was necessary for me to make preparations towards quitting my job. Telling my students I was leaving ended up being one of the hardest things I have had to do. There were quite a few students who were pretty upset about my leaving. I guess that can be a good thing. I wouldn't want anyone to be pleased with my departure. Part of me was glad and relieved to be leaving because this year has been so stressful for me. The other part of me was being dragged out kicking and screaming because I felt so bad for leaving my dear friends I had made at my work, and ultimately I was leaving my class. What a great group of kids I was blessed with over the years.

I put in my two week notice on the 20th, and yes, I am now unemployed. Yesterday ended up being my last day due to two snow days last week. I did not have to put in an extra day, but I did. I needed to say goodbye to my kids and my co-workers. I needed that closure, and I'm sure everyone else needed it too. Being there yesterday probably helped the kids with the transition between me and their new teacher, too.

Yesterday was a hard day for me. Although I have had moments where I have been so frustrated and upset with situations and specific people, overall my school had been good to me. There are amazing kids with amazing families in a community that truly did care about what I did as a teacher. This was my first teaching job. I guess every teacher holds a special place in their heart for their first class as well as the first school they taught at. If you haven't guessed it already, I am a very sentimental person.

My dear friend, Erin, had purchased a beautiful scrapbook and put together pictures of each of my students along with wonderful notes from every kid. I nearly cried right then, but I knew that if I were to begin reading the messages, I would most definitely cry. I did eventually cry when I read all the wonderful messages from my students. It amazed me (I don't know why) to see how many students wrote about how I had impacted them and their attitude towards school. I know I am in a position to influence my students in a positive manner, but I never really think about it. Being a teacher is often a thankless job which can be hard for someone like me who needs words of affirmation every once in a while.

Now that this chapter of my life is officially over, I am ready to move on to this new phase in my life. The moving truck arrives on Friday and we are packing up this weekend. That should be interesting. Leaving our first house. I had just found out I was pregnant with Meghan when we bought this house. This is the only home my girls know. Again, I am a very sentimental person and there are TONS of happy memories in this house. This house has suited us very well, but we always knew that it wouldn't last too long. There will most definitely be tears of sadness, but they will also be accompanied with tears of joy and anticipation for when we eventually buy our next new home. Whenever that will be. Hopefully our new house will be better suited to fit us long-term. I don't want to move around often.

Now all I need is a job.

Trusting God

Okay, so I know it's been a while since I last blogged. There has been a TON of new developments in my life recently that have consumed me like no other.

Here's the big news: we are moving. Yes, we are moving. This whole situation seems quite insane, but Jason and I have resolved ourselves to the idea that the crazier it sounds, the more confident we are that we are doing the right thing.

This all started a month ago (yikes! Yes, only a month ago) when we went to Colorado Springs over Labor Day weekend. While there, both Jason and I had gotten a strong sense that we needed to leave Greeley and move back to Colorado Springs. We had kicked around this idea off and on over the years but never felt that it was our time. I remember while on our visit one day I was praying and asking God to give me some sort of sign to let me know that the feelings I was having about moving back to the Springs were real and true and from Him and not just some fabrication of my own.

A couple days later Jason had come to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt if he were to begin perusing the ads looking for a new job. He soon called my mom to get some advice on updating his resume as my mom is definitely the queen of writing good resumes. Not feeling that it was safe to share with her all the information yet, Jason just informed her that he was feeling bored at his job (which he was) and felt that he needed something a little more challenging for him. After offering some suggestions to his resume, my mom then asked Jason if he had ever considered looking in Colorado Springs. Yeah, it still gives me goosebumps just to think about it. This was the sign I was praying for.

My mom said that while she was visiting some friends over Labor Day weekend, she too felt that my little trip to the Springs was going to be pivotal and that we are needed back in Colorado Springs. God is so cool. When I had learned of this, I was overcome with tears and the realization that God had answered my prayer. I know He answers prayers all the time, but I can't recall a time where He had answered it so quickly.

Needless to say, Jason found a job posting and applied for the job just four days after our trip over Labor Day weekend. Within 10 minutes of sending his letter of interest and resume, Jason got a response. This company had been looking for someone for months and were ecstatic at the thought of Jason's qualifications and his willingness to relocate in such a short period of time.

After a lot of phone conversations back and forth with Jason, the company eventually called Jason in for an interview. What made this process so exciting was that once this company heard of Jason and his qualifications, they immediately took the job advertisement off the listing. They only wanted to speak with Jason. Very cool. I know he's a pretty cool guy to work with, but it's neat to hear that others are feeling the same way. Jason went in for his interview, and got offered the job that same evening. God was definitely working here. It sounds like a neat company that has great benefits and are willing to train Jason with the possibility of making him not just the Payroll Director, but eventually the Human Resources Director. Too cool. I am so proud of him. Jason starts his new job next Monday. I know. This has been very quick. He is starting his new job about a month after he applied for the job. The thing that makes this whole situation so amazing is that this position was THE ONLY one open at this time.

These next few weeks are going to be crazy. Jason is taking the girls with him when he starts his new job next week. We are grateful to Jason's aunt and uncle who have graciously opened up their house to us and are allowing us to use their basement temporarily until we find a place of our own.

Jason had taken it upon himself to help me out and find a daycare. I drove down to the Springs yesterday and took a look at the daycare which will work wonderfully. The nice thing is that it is only about 5 minutes away from Jason's new job. WAY better than the 45-minute drive we have been dealing with lately. The reason why Jason has to take the girls with him is because my daycare opens at 6 and I have to leave my house around 6 to get to work by 7. This was not going to work out for me.

Unfortunately, I have to stay in an empty house all by myself. I am going to be so lonely. Thankfully I have gotten offers from a great friend and co-worker as well as my parents to let me stay with them occasionally so I don't get too lonely. The other thing is that we are putting our house on the market soon (today) and the emptier the house, the better. I know that the market isn't looking all that great right now, but Jason and I are both confident that this is our time now and God will take care of it. One thing we have going for us is those last-minute first time home buyers who want to get in on that tax credit which expires December 1st. This house will sell. We have improved on it since the last time we tried to sell the house.

As for me, I am staying at my job until something opens up. Although there are days that I want to just get up and leave out of frustration with my boss, it isn't wise to do so. I have a feeling it won't be much longer for me though. I wouldn't be surprised if I get something that gets me started after Christmas break. That isn't too horrible. That's just 10 weeks of school left. I can handle it...hopefully. I know that there really isn't that much open for me as a teacher, but God is taking care of it. I am hopeful with the only prospect that is out there right now and that means I could possibly be working at the school for the Deaf there in the Springs. I don't know if this is where I will end up, but I am trusting God and doing my part in this crazy puzzle.

The thought of that terrifies me. Not that Deaf people are scary, but I feel so inadequate sometimes. I know I was an interpreter for about 5 years, but for some reason I don't feel good enough. I know I have a lot to offer as someone who grew up with a sibling who had a profound hearing loss. Jason reminds me that it is the times where we feel the most inadequate that God takes us and uses us for His glory. Okay God. I'm ready.

Here we go on this amazing new journey in our lives that has stretched us, grew us in faith, and trusting in God and His plan for our lives.

Audrey

Today is Audrey's 3rd birthday. It's funny how quickly I am able to remember the exact details of the day she entered this world. From the exact time my water broke, to the clothes I wore that day, to the last moments before she was born. She has touched me in such a way that only a parent could understand how a child can affect their life. Forever. I am truly blessed to be her mother. Audrey is such a sweet little girl. I remember what life was like before she was born, and I remember wondering how she would fit into our existing family. It's funny because now I can't imagine what life would be like without her. She is such an important piece in our lives that there would be an Audrey-sized hole in our lives if she were not here with us. There are so many things I love about her, but here are some of the main things that melt my heart:

1. Audrey will melt your heart no matter what she does. It doesn't matter what she is doing--she puts her own flair into the things she does that amaze you and leave you in a puddle of mush on the floor. Like when she takes off her shirt only to the point where the head hole is stuck around the top of her head so that it looks as though her shirt is her new hair. She is then often found prancing around showing off her new hair while flipping it around. It doesn't matter how angry you may be with her at a particular moment because she will just look at you with those big blue eyes and your heart will be hers. Thankfully, she is unaware of this power she has over us because I can definitely see her using it for evil if the situation presents itself. One of my favorite things she does is when she clacks around the tile floor in my heels. Yes, I do get annoyed sometimes at the noise, but it's just so cute how her little feet are swallowed up by my size-10 heels.
   
2. Audrey is super lovable. She is such a bundle of energy and so full of love that you can't help but to fall in love with her. She is ALWAYS willing to give hugs to anyone even if you don't ask for one. I know that after a long day at work, I can always depend on her to make me feel better with an Audrey hug. She just has that way about her that you can't help but to be drawn to her. Another thing she does that just melts my heart is when she calls me "sweetie". She will mimic what I do and how I talk, and then she will talk to me as if our roles had switched and then I am the sweetie. Too cute.
   
3. Audrey is a girlie-girl. She LOVES anything that is deemed "girlie". She is a princess--that is in her own opinion. Audrey will wear a dress everyday if they don't all get dirty first. She will take all her baby dolls everywhere she goes if allowed. Her favorite game to play with Meghan is mommy and baby where Audrey is the mommy most often. She is often found sleeping with her dress-up dresses over her PJ's. She would wear her play heels to daycare if she were allowed to do so. Audrey loves to sit next to me on my bed while I put on my makeup. She likes to play with all my brushes and to "put on" makeup of her own. Audrey got three different types of dress-up clothes for her birthday and couldn't be happier. If only there was a way she could wear everything at once.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of Audrey:

Audrey was born a week early and she was so tiny compared to her sister.

Audrey's first Independence Day Parade. I had too much playing with her to care about the parade.

Audrey's first daycare photo. I just love the look on her face in this picture.

Audrey absolutely LOVED this giraffe costume. She would wear it all day for several days if I let her. She was so upset when she grew out of it.

I adore this picture of Audrey. I took it while on our vacation this past summer. She just looks so grown up here.

Meghan and Audrey will always be the best of friends. It makes me so happy listening to them play together. I hope Audrey knows how lucky she is to have a sister who is her best friend. It's pretty special.

I love my Audrey so much. My birthday prayer for her is that she will continue to grow and learn more about the love God has for each and every one of us. May she continue to be blessed with good health and that she will one day hear God's calling in her life and that she will willingly follow His plan. I love you, Audrey. Happy Birthday, sweetie.

Fastest Isn't Always The Best

One of my favorite activities to do with my students is to give them a particular sentence structure (Adjective, Adjective, Subject Noun, Verb, Adverb, Adverb) and ask them to come up with a certain number of sentences with this structure in the shortest amount of time. I know that to any normal person who doesn't care about grammatical structure in sentences, this might seem like a stupid exercise, but it isn't. I'm not going to go into it too much so as not to bore you non-grammatically minded people.

Anyways, I split the class into small groups and gave the class the labels. I told the class that the group to finish the fastest with all their sentences in this particular structure would get a prize. Well, one group was trying so hard to go so quickly that the quality of their work was compromised...with quite a hilarious result. Take a look for yourself:

I tried to add the part at the bottom where it said that the student who wrote that sentence was trying to write "hungry" instead of what had actually occurred.

Needless to say, I was quite shocked and definitely hunched over laughing to tears. I couldn't contain it. I couldn't even get the words out to share with the kids that I was not laughing at the quality of their work as much as I was laughing at their unintended mistake. Once they discovered what they had said, they too were laughing pretty hard. We didn't discuss much further the remaining questions as that would have been pretty awkward as well as inappropriate.

I'm just wondering one thing: why does it matter how "hung" the hobos were while eating their hamburgers?

There's just some things you should leave alone.

Family Vacation

Here it is. After about two weeks being home, I have finally put together a little video of our trip.

We took a pretty big trip last year, but for some reason this year seemed like a bigger trip. Maybe it was because the girls are one year older and can do more. I think that was because we drove instead of flying. Last year we were able to take advantage of getting two kids on a plane for free. Looks like that isn't going to be happening anymore.

After our trip last year, Jason was desperately wanting to go visit his sister, Kelly, in Appleton, Wisconsin. It was then that I realized that Jason and I have not been out to Minnesota to visit my oldest brother, Ted in almost 10 years. I am pretty sure we had figured out this year's vacation about a year in advance. Luckily Kelly lived only about 5 hours away from Ted, so that made the trip very feasible for us. We also decided to do much of the driving through the night with hopes that the girls would sleep in the car. The longest ride we had been on with the girls had only been about 5 hours long, so we had no clue how they would handle a 16-hour drive to Wisconsin.

On Friday afternoon, I packed up the car and the kids and went to pick up Jason from his work. We left around 4:00pm and didn't arrive at Kelly's house until about 10:30 the next morning. With having to stop for both dinner and breakfast, and stops for gas, it took us about 18 hours to get there. It was a long haul, but we survived. I was impressed with how the girls did.

On the drive out, we ended following this huge thunderstorm all the way from Jason's work to Omaha, Nebraska. For that entire time, the girls were awake. They then woke up again around 3:00am and were wide awake for a few hours. We were concerned with how they would handle it, but they surprised us once again. Jason and I took turns driving while the other napped on the back seat in the van.

We spent our first day in Wisconsin walking around like zombies. The girls were fine; they slept in the car. Kelly and her husband, Jason, took us to Bay Beach in Green Bay on Sunday. That was a blast. It is a small amusement park that is designed for families with VERY reasonable prices. The girls had a lot of fun too. Meghan's favorite ride was the Ferris Wheel. A girl after my own heart.

On Monday, we were on our own. Both Kelly and Jason had to work, so we decided to take the girls to a movie. This was Jason's first experience taking the girls to a movie theater, and it was great. We went to see "Monsters vs. Aliens". We quickly realized that we weren't in Colorado anymore when we went to the concession stand where alcohol was for sale there in addition to the standard concessions. I had never heard of that before.

Tuesday we went to the Children's Museum in Appleton as Kelly and Jason both had to work again. We had a great time. I never had the opportunity to take the girls to a place like this before. I loved how they offered kids rain coats for the kids to wear when playing in the water room. We could have spent all day there if we wanted to.

Kelly was off on Wednesday, and although the weather wasn't cooperating, we decided to go ahead and drive to Lake Michigan anyway. It took us just over an hour to get there, and it sure was beautiful! I wish the weather was nice enough for us to swim! The sand was wonderful and the girls still had fun playing in the sand. We even managed to gather some shells for Nana.

We really enjoyed our time with Kelly and Jason. We ended up playing games nearly every night we were there. My Jason was so excited about the games we played there that he went ahead and ordered a ton of new games for us to play together. Kelly and Jason had a ton of great games that were good for two players. After dinner on Wednesday, we packed up the kids and the car, and we headed off to visit my brother.

It was wonderful visiting my brother and his family. They have come out to Colorado to visit several times, but we never had the opportunity to go visit them until now. What a memorable time it was. The girls LOVED playing with their cousins, Ella and Simon.

On Thursday we took the kids on a little hike before lunch, and then they got to swim after naps. The girls loved swimming in the pool! It was much better than our pool which is a little wading pool. Audrey sat on the ladder for much of the time as she wasn't used to how rough Simon and Ella were playing, but she eventually got over it and jumped around just like everyone else. Jason even got to play softball with Ted and his team that evening.

The cool thing about this trip is that we were able to share Simon's 5th birthday with them. How cool. On Friday we got to go to the Mall of America where Simon and Ella both got to bring a friend with them to share their birthdays with. Ella and her friend went on the rides and Simon took his friend to the underwater adventure. We took that opportunity to take the girls on the giant Ferris Wheel and to Build-A-Bear. The girls each got their own little puppies and named them Charlie and Ruby. After TONS of walking, we took the girls out for some ice cream. I was so proud of how the girls did in the mall. We told them ahead of time that we were not going to bring the stroller, so they had to walk the entire time. And they did.

We were having so much fun that we decided to go with my brother to the fireworks show being held at the High School by their house. Again, the girls did wonderfully. With Minnesota being much further North than Colorado, the sun sets much later than it does here. That meant that the fireworks show didn't start at least until 10:00pm.

I had found some glow sticks at the dollar store earlier that week, so I thought it would be perfect for the kids for the fireworks show. Each kid got a necklace and a bracelet and I only spent $3. Very cool. The fireworks were right in front of us and bigger than ever. The girls had never been to a show before, and I don't think we can ever skip one again. They loved it. There's nothing like being able to feel the pound in your chest as you watch the colors flash across the sky. It totally reminded me of all the years I would go to shows like this as a kid. Especially after being there with my brother. I had forgotten how much I miss being around him. Even though he manages to tease me frequently, I still miss him. That's his way of telling me he loves me.

Saturday we got to spend the 4th of July with my brother's small group from his church at a BBQ. These people totally lived in our dream house. Still within minutes from town, nestled off the road, surrounded by wonderfully large trees, nice large yard, and a beautiful house. Some day we will have something like that. That night my brother and Carolyn grilled some great ribs and put on a fireworks show of our own. That was fun.

It reminded me of "the good ol' days" when my dad and his brother used to put on shows for us when I was little. We could hear the "oohs" and "aahs" from my Nana the entire time. It didn't matter if she had already seen that sort of firecracker before, she would still "ooh" and "aah".

Sunday we went to Ted and Carolyn's church where we got to meet some more of their friends and support group as Ted and Carolyn go off and plant a church of their own. Congratulations guys! We savored our last moments with Ted, Carolyn, and the kids before we had to head home. What a great time we had. It made me miss them so much.

It's not that I didn't enjoy my time with Kelly and Jason, it's just different spending time with someone you grew up with. I know Jason would say he really enjoyed spending time with Kelly. Both parts of our trip were so wonderful and so fun. We had a great time.

We left my brother's house around 6:45pm and arrived home at 7:30am. Again, we were zombies that entire day, but we sure were glad to be sleeping in our own bed again. The cats were glad to see us home too. What a great time we had. There's just one problem...where do we go next year?

Audrey's Turn For Curiousity

I was upstairs on the computer yesterday with Jason researching information for our upcoming family camping trip.

After a few minutes being upstairs, Meghan informed me and Jason of something that had occurred that needed our attention. I quickly ran downstairs to find this:

Audrey had found some scissors that were left on the table and cut her hair. I was definitely less than pleased, but what do you expect? Thankfully she just cut some hair in the front that didn't look TOO horrible and not some hair near the top or the back of her head. The funny thing is that I can't exactly pull more hair from the top to hide it and make it look like she has bangs. Then she would be the only 2-year-old I know with a comb-over. I had a feeling it was going to happen eventually with one of my girls. I just didn't think it would be now. Oh well. At least it will grow back.

Job Update

I got a call back yesterday from Windsor Charter Academy regarding the job teaching sample. I didn't get the job.

It wasn't much of a surprise considering how things went last time. The principal called to tell me that "After viewing the lesson samples, we decided to go with someone who had actually taught 5th grade before." I was totally okay with it. It's amazing to think how far I had come. I did get an opportunity to share with her how I felt about things which was good for me.

I told her that I really appreciated the opportunity they gave me, but I also apologized because I felt like I didn't represent the best "me" there is. She said that they did have some concerns with my classroom management (not a surprise considering I already knew how they felt), but they did appreciate me coming out there. I then shared with her that I may have a more relaxed way I manage my classroom, but it doesn't mean I don't know what is going on. I just address certain things at different times. Some people may have a problem with that. I just do what works for me.

I then continued to explain to her that I didn't appreciate how the Dean was sitting in the back of the class and talking to the lady next to her. I said that it was very rude and quite distracting to both me and the students who were seated by her. The principal told me that the would address that issue, but who knows if it will be addressed. I am just proud that I had stood up for myself. It is something I struggle with from time to time.

So for the time being, I still haven't heard from my first choice school, but I still have a job to go back to in case nothing pans out for this summer. I'm just enjoying my time off with the girls. They are taking swimming lessons and having a blast. That is our big excitement of the day lately.

We are leaving for our big vacation on Friday. We are going to drive overnight to see Jason's sister, Kelly in Wisconsin for about four days, then we are driving to Minnesota to visit my brother, Ted for another four days or so. It should be a great time. We are excited. I will be sure to post bunches of pictures when we get back.

Class Reunion

Here I am 10 years after graduating from High School. I can't believe it has been that long.

My class reunion was this weekend, and I was definitely looking forward to it. I never really kept in contact with my classmates, so I was looking forward to this new opportunity to do better this time around. I was excited to show everyone how different I am and how much of a better person I am (or at least that's how I feel). I truly think I have really grown a lot as a person. I am happy with who I have become.

I know that in High School I was just like every other teenager: feeling pretty awkward most of the time and just wanting so badly for others to accept me for who I was. I find that not much has changed in that area. I'm just 10 years older, and still feeling the strong need for people to accept and like me. I have always been that way. What can I say, I'm a people pleaser. I will be that way until the day I die.

I never had that one true best friend in High School. Yeah, I had friends, but not that one true friend that would be there for me no matter what. That is still something I long for even today. In school I would find myself wandering from one group of friends to another depending on who I felt most comfortable with from one day to another. I think that is why I still don't have that one true friend. It does make me sad to see all my other classmates still hanging out with each other, and here I am still trying to find who I feel the most comfortable around.

I went to the first event last night not knowing what to expect. I arrived to find many familiar faces of people whom I was surprised to remember their names. What surprised me more was that there were many who remembered me. I just thought I was just "some girl" in the midst of our nearly 400-student class. There were a lot of people who I expected to see there, but many who I had hoped to see were not there. Many of the people who I hung out with were not there, and again I found myself wandering around and making small talk to people I knew, but we never hung out in school. I felt just as socially awkward as I did in school. It's funny how I think I have changed in 10 years only to find that I am just the same.

It didn't surprise me to find that the people who were freakishly attractive are still the same, but the only thing different is that they have found an equally attractive spouse with amazingly beautiful children. The token screw-ups are still just as much of screw-ups and already drunk within an hour of the reunion starting. There are the same cliques, and the same group of people who still won't talk to you even after 10 years.

I was encouraged, though by many people who were genuinely interested in finding out what I had been up to and what is going on in my life. That was nice to find. I was also surprised to find those who never took the time to talk to me before, were eager to talk to me. It's funny how things have changed...and how they haven't.

It was good to see some familiar faces, but I left still feeling just as empty and friendless as before. I still hope to find that true friend someday.

Living Life's Journey

Okay, so life lately has been pretty crazy.

School is officially out for summer and I couldn't be happier. I have needed this break. Over the course of this past school year, I have been feeling more and more prompted to leave my school. I love what I am doing and what I am teaching, but I have this strong sense that God is calling me to be elsewhere.

In April I interviewed at this school just about 15 minutes away from home. It was for a position where I would be teaching EXACTLY the same thing I am teaching now. Just a different school. The interview went very well; however, they decided to offer the position to another person. Darn. I was liking the idea of being there. Not so fast. They did say that I was one of the top contenders for that position and that they wanted to keep my information on file because another position may be opening up later. Well, nothing has happened yet, but it's only June.

Just last week I heard about a 5th grade teaching position at a school in Windsor. This is a school I had tried to get into in the past, but nothing had come of it. The thing that makes this story interesting is that this school is the same one I had dreamt about and blogged about here. I have had a few other dreams lately about this same school. I still don't know if God is calling me to this particular school, or if he is using this school as an example for the purpose of His message. My friend e-mailed me, and the next day I was at the school dropping off my application packet.

They called me in for an interview which I had today, and it seemed to go well. I think I was able to show a positive part of me that they seemed to like. It's just so hard when you have interviews. You never truly know what they think of you until you hear whether or not you got the job. The questions that really annoy me are the ones that say, "Describe your classroom management style." Ugh! That is such a vague question that requires such a specific response! I started bumbling over my words, but eventually came up with a reasonable response. I was feeling pretty good about things until they told me that they had already interviewed three other applicants and there will be three more on Thursday, and two more on Monday!!! Things aren't looking too great right now. I don't know. I hate dealing with this sense of uncertainty. I should be hearing something by next Tuesday. If I am one of the primary candidates, then I will go in and teach a mini-lesson to a random group of students. That I don't mind. It's just trying to shine enough and make myself stand out against so many others that are trying to do the same.

It doesn't stop there. I got a call about two hours after my interview from a principal from another school around here who wants to have me in for an interview at their school! Yipee! Yet another opportunity! This is also another Core Knowledge school which I had tried to get into about three years ago when I was pregnant with Audrey. That's another story. You say there isn't pregnancy discrimination, but it is alive and well! Three years later and another principal later, they give me a call. They are looking to fill both a 5th and a 6th grade position. I would love to do 6th grade again and teaching what I already am now, but I'll take what I can get! I have an interview with them on Friday morning. We'll see where that takes me.

I'm excited for the potential that there really is something out there for me and that those dreams I have been having aren't just sub-conscious makings of my own. I know the dreams are from God, but it's always nice when things come back around and I can see the confirmation of His promises. As for now, I'm just living life's journey. Wherever it takes me.

Outdoor Ed

Last week I took my class of 12 students to Outdoor Ed in Winter Park, Colorado.

This is something we had been waiting for all year. At the beginning of the year it seems so far away that we forget that it is happening. Being at a school as small as mine, we have to do some fundraising to earn money for the trip. Typically the trip costs a total of $2,000 to take a whole group of students.

This year I left the fundraising ideas to the class for the first semester, and after no money being raised, I decided that I was going to have to take a more active role. I hate that. I have enough to worry about and to add fundraising on top of that, it gets very stressful. What made this worse was that I had even asked for help from parents with no reply. I guess this is a perfect example of the saying, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

After a brilliant suggestion, we decided to sell breakfast burritos every Tuesday morning starting in February. That was such a blessing! Not only did we raise enough money in three months, but we even had money left over!

We left for our trip last Wednesday, and we stayed until Friday after lunch. What a great time we had. The kids were great, the weather was beautiful, and we all had an awesome time. Thankfully I was able to take a school camera where I took TONS of pictures. Just yesterday I put all the pictures into a movie where I burned DVDs for all my students. Take a look at our trip here!

We took several classes about outdoor living skills, we hiked to an abandoned gold mine, visited a pioneer homestead, learned about beaver ecology, tackled the high ropes course 40-feet in the air, and so much more! I never had the opportunity to do a week-long trip like this when I was this age, but I have been privileged enough to be able to take a group of students every year.

The Curiousity Of A 4-Year-Old

A couple weeks ago we had quite an adventure.

I went to pick up the girls at daycare the other day only to find Meghan in tears when I got there. Her teacher was quick to point out that Meghan's curiosity got the best of her when she ended up getting a little pebble stuck in her ear. Great. Just what I needed. Didn't she learn her lesson this summer when she stuck a bead up her nose??? Not only did she stick the bead up her nose, but we were on vacation at Lake Tahoe!!! Thankfully, with a few nose blows, she was able to get the bead out, but seriously! What is it about little kids and finding strange body openings to stick obscure objects in?

I look in Meghan's ear, and yup. There it was. A nicely shaped square rock that had wedged itself nicely right in Meghan's ear. I had always heard that it isn't always the best idea to stick anything in your ear. Not even a "Q-tip". I called the doctor's office, and just my luck; they just closed the office for the day. Jason was out donating plasma (a nice $30 twice a week), and he isn't able to answer his phone while donating. I call my mom to ask her what to do. I get her on the phone and explain the situation to her, and her response was somewhat surprising, yet quite predictable. "Just use the vacuum hose," she said. Oh my goodness!

This comes from her experience from over 20 years ago when my younger sister got a little people stuck in her forehead from a wipe out on the driveway. My sister would not let my mom use tweezers to get the pebble out, so after a few days of struggling and some beginnings of puss, my mom finally decided that it was time for that rock to come out and the vacuum hose was going to make that happen. Sure enough, the rock popped out with very little effort or pain, so obviously, my mom thought it was a simple answer to use the vacuum hose to get the rock out of Meghan's ear.

The only problem I had with this solution is that I had heard stories that you could even blow out someone's ear drum just by giving them a peck on the ear. Just a little amount of suction can cause some serious damage. I know not everyone loses hearing from a ruptured ear drum, but that is something I didn't exactly want to risk given my sister's profound hearing loss. I would blame myself forever if something like that happened because of some poor decision I had made.


I eventually decided to take Meghan to Urgent Care to get the pesky rock removed. After A LOT of tears and persistence (the rock was the one being persistent), the rock finally came out. The next question from the doctor shocked me almost just as much as what my mom said earlier. "Do you want to keep the rock?" the doctor said. What??? Why would I want to keep something like that? I want to keep any sort of temptation like that as far away from my girls as I can! I did end up taking the rock home, but only for the purpose of my blog. How crazy is that?
I think I'm going to go throw this rock away now.

Disney on Ice

Today Jason and I took the girls to see Disney on Ice with my parents. It was a blast. I love being able to share these moments with our kids. I forgot my camera, but at least I had my phone! These pictures aren't that bad for being taken from a phone.

It really made me want to go to Disneyland really bad. We will go sometime, but we want to wait until a time where the girls are old enough to really enjoy the rides without needing a nap. Here's some pictures of our day.















Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisey, Pluto, and Goofy joined in the parade too!Mr. Incredible plays the drums with Baloo the bear.Cinderella in her carriage in the parade."It's a small world, after all..." My brother Ted's not so favorite ride at Disneyland.Minnie is trapped in one of Syndrome's chambers before the "Incredibles" saved her and Mickey.Audrey was starting to lose patience. She dropped her gum and was VERY upset. The bummer is that this show was totally during nap time.Meghan and I pose for a picture during intermission.Meghan and my mom are having a great time at the show.Once the bad guy was defeated, they had an old school light parade Disneyland style.Audrey was so tired, she didn't make it to the end of the show. Poor baby. She was so tired.The end! What a great show! Both the girls were asking to go back again sometime. Maybe next time Audrey will be able to stay awake the entire time. We'll see.

The Best Practical Joke Ever!

This week I played the best practical joke on my students.

It all started when I was bored last weekend and started playing around on this website called "Face in Hole". You can check it out here. The idea of this website is for people to be able to place their faces into the bodies of athletes, models, celebrities, and various advertisements. When done well, it can be very fun.

While playing around, I made this:

I posted this photo on my Facebook account and one of my co-workers saw this picture and strongly encouraged me to use this picture as a joke. I will do my best to re-play what transpired this week as what I refer to as being one of my favorite weeks at school.

While having my 8th graders in class, we were sharing what things we had done over the weekend. I began to share with them that I had shared something very personal with one of the other teachers, and she encouraged me to share this information with the students. I continued to tell them that this is something I chose not to share with them because I didn't want it to come across as being arrogant or prideful. This was when I showed them this picture. (With the "Face in Hole" label cut off the bottom) "I am this year's Mrs. Colorado," I said.

The astonishment, amazement, and disbelief was almost more than I could handle. For those of you who know me well enough know that I am a HORRIBLE liar. It has always been very difficult for me to keep a straight face whenever playing a joke on someone. Thankfully, I was able to be very serious when speaking about this. Because all my students know that I am a horrible liar, I was quickly met with a lot of "Are you serious?" and "What was your talent?" I couldn't believe I actually pulled it off. We talked for a little longer about some of the questions they had (I was amazed at my ability to make stuff up and it still be believable).

I was so excited about my ability to pull this off, so I decided to share this with my 6th graders too. I used the same approach as before. I thought I did a good job with the humility approach. They were just as easy to fool. Most of their questions were regarding whether or not I have used my power for good. In my opinion, most of their suggestions were for blackmail and totally illogical reasons, but it was pretty entertaining to hear what sorts of things I should be granted just because I have a nice, shiny, crown. (With a sash too, of course).

My 7th graders were a lot less gullible. I think part of that has to do with the group of students in that class, or maybe because they couldn't imagine someone like me could win something like a Mrs. Colorado pageant. After leaving their classroom, I quickly went into the 8th grade class and said, "I am so upset at those 7th graders! I tried to share with them something so personal and they don't even want to believe me! This is exactly why I didn't want to share something like this with you guys!" I was soon met with many sympathetic, "We believe you, Mrs. Gordon!" Way to milk it, Leslie.

The next day I was met by one of my 7th grade students who had actually gone home and researched the current Mrs. Colorado and found me out to be a liar. I got really defensive and upset at him (all an act) and told him that he got the wrong person. He later approached me and apologized about being a jerk about things. That is when I shared with him my secret. He was now going to be one of the people who had to make sure students kept believing my lie.

Later that same day one of my 8th graders told me that he saw the picture that the other student printed off about the real Mrs. Colorado. He said that he didn't believe the other student because I told them with a straight face about me being Mrs. Colorado. "That's how I know you weren't joking," he said. It's funny how even my students know that I am a horrible liar. It was at this point that I knew that I had just successfully pulled off the best practical joke...ever.

The rest of the week continued with everyone believing my story. I was frequently met with comments such as, "Mrs. Gordon...I mean, Mrs. Colorado..." I soon discovered that I needed to tell the truth about the whole thing when one of my students came up to me and said, "Mrs. Gordon, I was at volleyball practice last night. I told my coach and teammates about you being Mrs. Colorado, and they all thought it was so cool!" Uh, oh. Now it's gone a little too far.

I decided that I needed to share the truth, but I was going to do it in a fun way. I put together a bunch of pictures together into a slide show and here's how it went.

"You guys rocked my world this week. You believed in me when I was in the band, "Evanescence."

"When I was in The Bee Movie. "

"When I was Taylor Swift."

"When I was Shakira."

"And when you believed that I was Mrs. Colorado."

It was priceless. I did hear a lot of comments like, "I knew all along. I knew you couldn't be Mrs. Colorado!" Considering how well they had been duped, I think it was all just a cover to act like they weren't hurt that I had actually pulled a good one on them. It was awesome.

Valentine's Day Surprise

Yesterday Jason and I traded in my car for a minivan.

We totally weren't planning on doing that this soon, but the opportunity presented itself and we jumped at the opportunity. My mom called yesterday morning to tell me that one of the car dealerships here in town was offering some special incentives due to the holiday weekend. I was hesitant at first because Jason and I had hurt our credit a little in the past while I was still in school living off of student loans and having to pay for daycare on top of that.

There was a time soon after Audrey was born that we had only one car. Looking back to those days, I sometimes wonder how we were able to make it work. We managed to survive with one car for almost a whole year until I got my current teaching job. That is when we knew that we needed to find a way to get another car without being slammed with an insane interest rate due to our bad credit.

God blessed us with some unexpected inheritance money which Jason's mom was generous to surprise us with. Jason's aunt Karen was also visiting us from California at that time, and she was also very generous to help us with a down payment for our car. We weren't looking for much at the time. We just wanted something to get me to work each day, but something reliable. We ended up with a little Chevrolet Aveo. It looked just like this:

It was a pretty small car, but it did the job. It was a great little car that suited me just fine. That was a great little car. It kinda reminded me of my first car: a 1985 Toyota Corolla hatchback. Our main problem with this car was that we found we were often needing more space than we had, and Jason's little Saturn wasn't offering much more space either. Our funniest experience was when we bought an over-the-stove microwave for our kitchen. In order to get it in my car, the microwave was in the front seat with the seat pushed as far back as it would go (I still don't know how I was able to shift with that box in the way), and Jason was practically sitting on the laps of our girls while they were cramped in their car seats!

Getting a bigger car has been something we had been talking about for quite some time, and I still don't think we aren't done having kids. I couldn't tell you when #3 might be coming, but we definitely didn't want to be putting one of the kids in the trunk just so the baby could have space in the back seat!

Our car buying experience yesterday was almost surreal. We were unsure of how things would go as we had the girls with us, and we didn't know how long they would be okay looking at cars. We were soon greeted by a salesperson who was the most laid-back, no-hassle kind of guy who listened to us so intently it was almost like he already knew EXACTLY what we wanted and needed. If you ask me, God had a hand in this one!

We drove one minivan which was along the lines of what we were looking for, but our salesperson told us to drive the car to one of their other lots because he thought we would like this other one better. He was so right! I drove up to the other car and immediately thought, "This is it!" After only a few seconds in that car, we knew it was the one for us. The girls were even excited too. I think they like being able to see more out their windows.

We like how the back seats fold down and the middle row comes out if we need all the space. We like that it feels safer and that the girls' car seats lock in there MUCH more tightly than they ever did before. Hopefully we won't be needing another car for quite some time. I know that I wasn't originally thrilled about the idea of being a minivan driving soccer mom, but it's not the car that defines me. What other options do I have if I end up having more kids? None. I'm happy with my new car. When does soccer practice start?

Adventure At 6 O'Clock In The Morning

I look forward to Mondays these days.

Part of the reason why I like teaching at my school so much is because I am off on Mondays. I take that time for myself. These days are mostly consumed with piles of papers to grade and planning for the next week's lessons. I also like Mondays because I can sleep in past 4:30 which is my usual wake up time during the week.

This morning started like any other. Jason woke up early (before his alarm clock) and started getting ready for work. He is also known for taking long walks in the mornings before he leaves for work.

I was woken up around 6:15 this morning because the phone was ringing. You know how it is, you are woken from a deep sleep because of a somewhat familiar sound. I was definitely disoriented, and was unable to get to the phone before it stopped ringing. I looked at the Caller ID and was puzzled as to why there would be an 800 number calling me this early in the morning. How strange. I proceeded to go back to bed.

Laying in bed and unable to go back to sleep, I started to think about what my day was going to be like. Suddenly, I heard my front door slam open, and I heard, "POLICE!" WHAT??? Is this really happening? In MY house? Did I really hear what I thought I heard? I raced down the stairs to find a flashlight beaming up my stairs and a police officer standing in the doorway.

"We're here ma'am because we got a call from your alarm company that your front door has been breached, so we came right away."

"Oh my goodness!" I explained to them that it must have been Jason who was leaving to go on his morning walk. Just then I see Jason running down the street towards us. The concern on his face was very evident as he caught the sight of three police cars sitting in front of our house.

We explain to the officers that Jason must have set off the alarm when he went through the front door this morning for his walk. We don't really set the alarm every night, but mainly when we remember. I didn't hear the alarm from all the way upstairs, and I didn't get the phone, so the next step was for the alarm company to call the police.

I felt so bad that the police had to be called so early in the morning for a stupid mistake, but I am thankful that it worked. Since we got our alarm system put in a couple years ago, I have been thankful for that added sense of security, but have always been wondering if it actually works. Well, now I know.

I thanked them as they left and definitely appologized for their waste of time. As they were leaving, one of the officers looked at Jason and said, "We need you to come with us so we can settle things. Why don't you sit in the back of my car, and we can give you some nice silver bracelets too!" He joked. It's funny how they can be so serious one moment, and the next minute they start joking around! We laughed and were very thankful that this was all just a silly mistake.

What makes this even funnier is that the girls slept through this whole incident! They had no idea that just moments before they woke up, there were three police squad cars sitting outside our house with officers prepared to deal with an unwanted intruder!

Whew! What a morning! I appreciate the time the officers took to make sure we were safe, but I hope I won't need their help like that again!

Meghan

Tomorrow is Meghan's 4th birthday. I know she has only been in our lives this short period of time, but every day I thank God for the blessing she has been in our life. It's hard for me to look back and remember what life was like before she was around. Sometimes I find myself just watching her as she plays in her own little world and many times I find myself welling up with tears because I am so grateful that God has blessed me with the privilege of being Meghan's mother. Now I have a better understanding of how my parents felt about me and my siblings and how much they love and adore us. Meghan is an amazing little girl. Here are some of the things I love most about her:

1. Even at 4 years of age, she is considerate and always thinking of others. Whenever Meghan asks for something, she always asks for another one for Audrey. She always remembers to say "please" and "thank you" even without being prompted to do so. When there are times that I am having a hard day, or may be not feeling well, Meghan tries her best to find ways to make me happy. It may be by coloring me a picture, singing me a song, or even playing with Audrey to distract her because "Mommy is a little bit sad," she says. She is so thoughtful.
2. Meghan is full of love. She is always going around telling us that she loves us and that she loves her sister too. It's not just the "I love you, Mom," but it is truly sincere. It's interesting to see that she does know what love means to her and that she knows how to express and show it to those around her. She's one of those kids whose eyes twinkle not out of maliciousness, but out of the love she has to share. Meghan is always looking out for her sister and tries her best to take care of her the best she can. They are great buddies. It's precious to watch the two of them play together and to tell each other that they love each other.
3. Meghan is a great storyteller. She loves to be told stories and she enjoys re-telling stories to anyone who listens. Just the other day she was telling me and Jason the story of "The Three Little Pigs," and she even went so far as making all the little voices for each of the characters. She was hilarious! We couldn't stop laughing.
4. Meghan is my little buddy. We love to go run errands together. Just the two of us. I remember how much I looked forward to having "date night" with my mom, so I know how much Meghan must enjoy spending time with just the two of us. One of my favorite things to do is to sit and cuddle with her. Of course our cuddling sessions quickly turn into "tickle time" instead. She is so irresistibly tickle-able. I can't help myself. That little giggle of hers is so hard for me to resist.
5. Meghan is so smart. She is always coming home from daycare with something new she has learned. It amazes me sometimes when I hear the things she has learned. One time while driving home from daycare, she started singing the song, "Jonah Didn't Listen," in Spanish! I couldn't believe my ears! She had sung that song numerous times at home, but then all of a sudden she started singing it in Spanish. That was totally cool. It is so exciting being able to share with the excitement of learning new things. I think that part of that is because learning is pretty exciting for me already considering the fact that I'm a teacher.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of her:

Meghan was born on her due date. That doesn't happen often. She was so precious.

Meghan's first Halloween. I love this picture of her.

Meghan loves hats. There's something about putting on a hat and feeling like you are a totally different person.

This has to be one of my most favorite pictures of her. I love how the setting sun made her little curls just sparkle. This was one of my favorite trips with the girls and how we had so much fun just relaxing and enjoying our time together as a family.

Meghan and Audrey are great buddies. I hope they learn to appreciate how lucky they are to have a best friend in a sister. I know I do.

Meghan is such a happy little girl. We are so blessed.

I love my Meghan so much. My birthday prayer for her is that she will continue to grow and learn more about the love God has for each and every one of us. May she continue to be blessed with good health and that she will one day hear God's calling in her life and that she will willingly follow His plan. I love you, Meghan and Happy Birthday.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

One of my favorite projects I have come up with for my 7th grade reading class is making a quilt. After reading, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I give my students some squares of fabric I had previously cut out and have them draw a picture that illustrates a scene from the book. I enjoy seeing what sorts of things students are able to come up with that represent the story.

If any of you are familiar with the original story, it is rather violent as Robert Louis Stevenson was inspired to write this story because he was living in London during the time of the well-known serial killer, "Jack the Ripper". I think it's kinda funny that I have asked a bunch of middle school students to illustrate these violent scenes from the story, and then to put it into a nice and pretty quilt.

The nice thing is that we finish reading the book right before Christmas break, so that leaves me two whole weeks to get it done. I don't need all that time, but is sure is nice to have the time if I need it. Once the quilt is completed, I donate it to the school where we auction it off to raise money for these students when they go on their class trip in 8th grade. Thankfully for me, no one stepped forward and bought the quilt last year. Now I have that memento from my first year of teaching. I am pretty proud of the one we have made this year, so hopefully we should be able to make some money off of it. Here's what it looks like:I really like the pictures that have "Bugs Bunny" in them because I was able to find the "Bugs Bunny" version which I showed to the class. Here's an up-close look at a couple of them:

In the midst of all these cute pictures that represent the "Bugs Bunny" version, there is one of the most violent ones like this:Apparently, this is supposed to be Mr. Hyde lying in a pool of his own blood with some nasty blue stuff seeping out of his mouth. When I get pictures like this, it makes me wonder what sorts of things these kids are being exposed to at home. I guess it's not my place to judge, but I can't help it sometimes.

As you can see, all three of these students chose to draw Mr. Hyde with a green face. I find that interesting. Maybe they see him as an early form of the Hulk or something, or maybe the "Bugs Bunny" version had some sort of influence on it as Mr. Hyde is depicted with long arms that drag on the floor with green skin.

What a fun project this has turned out to be. I hope to find a reason to do something like this with my classes each year. I have discovered that students enjoy doing these sorts of things, and they seem to remember the story and the experience better when it is creative and enjoyable.