Year 5

I've taught fourth grade for two weeks.

I'm not sure if it's the magical fifth year but somehow EVERYHING is smoother.

I feel more effective. Like some teacher switch went off and I am on the top of my game.

It's a good feeling.  It's fun to be able to fit in fun things because my students can control themselves through the content teaching.

Oh and I started my master's degree

and Mr. H started another year of pharmacy school.

....and I'm excited to take my favorite 5th grader to hang out on Saturday.  I'm thinking some video games and a movie are in order!

Sinking in

It's Sunday. The Sunday before I start my first full week of school. It's finally hitting me...summer is over.  While I was ready to go back, it still makes me sad.  I feel like I'm saying goodbye to the last summer Trevor and I would both be "off". I feel like we made the most of it. We traveled, relaxed, and enjoyed each other.  So my classroom is ready.  I've had two days with my students.  I'm ready to start this year focused. 

If that isn't love...

A husband agrees to drive cross country with his in-laws on his 4th anniversary

Tire blows 2 hours into the trip

A calm husband fixes the tire

Said Anniversary is celebrated over a McChicken while waiting for a new tire

...and that was only 2 hours into a 20 hour trip!

Continue the trip towards the promise-land (ie the grandkids) after picking up two more key players.

Deal gracefully with Mom who's using her ipad as a flash light to look at her atlas.

After a million miles in the car we made it to this messy face:

And his sister who LOVES her Uncle Trevor (who was a bit under the weather)



We spent a long weekend at the beach, playing trains, and wearing multiple dresses

Then we turned around and drove another million miles home to these boys

If that isn't love....I don't know what is.

Year 4

... at this very moment 4 years ago I was at my rehersal for my wedding.  I remember lots of things about that evening.  Running around, Arlene organizing, my grandparents beaming, my handsome brother home from a deployment.  My sister-in-law announced she was pregnant with David. 

I've learned a few things about Mr. H in the past 4 years..

Photo Credit

1.  He can't listen to the same radio station for an entire song. I'm talking about constant changing of the channels. It drives me crazy.  I frequently say to him .. "pick one"  and I've also been known to count the number of times he switches.  His view is that there might be a better song on another station. When he's not in the car I leave it on the same station the entire trip.

2. He doesn't want to live an average life.  Whether it's his plan on where we should live, what he wants to do for a living, organizations we should start, business plans that could be put in place...he's a dreamer.  He wants to live boldly and uniquely.  I admire this.

3. He's growing into a 'child person'.  Having never been around children he's slowly getting used to them as our friends and family members have babies.  He's still pretty hesitant to show this skill, but he loves our niece, Kaia, to bits.

4. He can do lots of things he prefers to let me handle.  (Cooking, Dishes, Cleaning, etc)  But he does do all our laundry. He sorts, washes, hangs on the line, fold/hangs and puts away.  I think that's a fair trade.

5.  He makes up funny songs to sing to the dogs.  I always smile when I'm getting out of the shower and he's on the bed singing a random silly song to Ezra. 

I think I'll keep him.

Family Tree

I'm a teacher. I love Pinterest.  I also have tons of people in my life having babies.  Between these things, I've seen a lot of Owl/Forrest themes.  I also did a little research into my and Mr. H's family trees a few generations.  I have been wanting to decorate my living room with a "Family Tree" of sorts, but wasn't sure how to carry it out.

I knew I wanted it to have pictures of our family and friends with us
I knew I didn't want professional pictures up there
I knew I didn't want the frames to be the main focus

I also knew, I'm not an artist. :)  I have grand ides in my head, but they never turn out right on paper (or the wall).  I'm creative but not talented. Lucky for me, I have a few artist friends, siblings, cousins who are always around to help out my art-impaired self.

Another hang up is that we rent our house,  shack, glorified tent. I'm not 'exactly' sure if we are allowed to paint trees on the wall. oops.

Yesterday this baby came to life and I'm super happy with how it turned out. I love that there's lots more room to add pictures! The whole project cost me $8.00 (the frames were $.95 each)

Big shout out to Zach (who has gobs of talent) I Love it!!!

The tree is painted in dark gray. Frames are back. Sorry my cell phone picture doesn't do it justice.  If you're ever in the middle of nowhere, come by and admire it yourself!

Every Morning this Summer

2:30 am - Ez wants outside
2:33 am - I make Ez lay back down. Trevor snores.
6:30 am - Samson starts barking to be let out of his cage
6:33 am - Ez hears Samson and decides it's time to wake up
7:00 am - I finally have had enough barking and rescue Samson from his crate
7:02 am- I quietly carry Samson and Ez to the window so they can go outside
7:04 am - Make coffee
7:08 am - Samson is standing on the window ledge whining to come back in
7:10 am - Cup of coffee in hand, let boys in and feed them
7: 20 am - Quietly wait in the living room with both dogs and the TV off so Trevor can sleep
---chase dogs, clean up messes, work on school stuff, listen to music, chase dogs, mail bills---
9:45 am - Trevor rolls over
---clean up kitchen, put laundry away that Trevor washed, start a new load, check clothesline--
10:30 am - Trevor stumbles out of the room with gym shorts on and says "good morning"
10:31 am - I consider telling him that tomorrow is his turn, and then return to reality


alternative activities include: Cleaning up Ez's puke off the bed, cleaning up Samson's poop out of his crate and taking out the trash

Easing back

...this week I've had Literacy First training.  My brain is full of information, so much so that I'm dreaming about vocabulary stations.  It was a blessing in disguise though, having not taught reading in the past year.  It was a good refresher of strategy, ideas, and basic know-how. 

I am excited to work in my classroom tomorrow and start prepping some of the new ideas.


A week from this very moment I'll be headed up to see my favs: David and Kaia.  They live in New York with my brother and sister-in-law.  Of course I'll be glad to see their parents as well.  It's been about 2 months since I saw them... my Aunt Pants are ready to be put on!

Mr. H and I are trying to soak up the last bits of the bearable temps this summer has had to offer Oklahoma. I managed to pry him away from "Fighting Mass Multiplayer Online Gaming Evil" long enough to take this hike thru Red Rock Canyon. Aren't my boys presh?? They are all tired and thirsty smiles.

I also got my (4) VistaPrint orders in. This is a banner I made to hang on my door.  (Pardon the wrinkles) I of course, got the inspiration from Pintrest. Link Here  I added a few words of my own. If I misspelled something--don't tell me :)

It's 8:37 pm and this nearly 27 year old **Yikes** is plum wore out.