What I Love...Day 17, 2011

I love...

How I Met Your Mother.  Seriously, if you're not watching it, start...right now.  Go buy every season that is out on DVD (Seasons 1-5) then catch up on Season 6 on Hulu.  For real.  It's that good.

I also love that I've helped at least 3 of my friends become fans of this show...First Jenny, then Anthony, then Jaynee...I love when Jaynee watches old episodes and cracks up for long periods of time then tells us about it the next day and laughs just as hard.  Good times, good times.

What I Love...Day 16, 2011

I love...

these bridals (for those of you that asked to see them, you're welcome)

Which do you like better?  Black and white or Color?

Gust of wind = my Marilyn Monroe moment

And I guess I thought that was really funny.

What I Love...Day 15, 2011

I love...

flying in airplanes as opposed to taking road trips.  (here, here)

What I Love...Day 14, 2011

I love...

The Trifecta of Awesome.

Oh, how I adore these ladies.

What I Love...Day 13, 2011

I love...

Anthony and being married to him. (Yep, that happened today.  Yep, I wrote this a few days in advance.  Yep, I'm not actually going to be blogging for the next few days.)

Things I Don't Understand

• Wearing shirts with a celebrity's face on it.  Particularly Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana's mugs.  And especially on toddler clothing.
• The fascination 6th graders have with poop.  For real, it's disgusting.
• Parents at malls.  They're crazy people.  Even though you're inside and you really want that halter top you still need to watch your kids.  Here's some examples that really happened in ONE day at the mall:
•  Four children (all underseven-years-old) running back and forth in the parking lot
• Kids by themselves riding the train around the mall.  If I wanted a couple three-year-olds I could have snatched them.  Not hard.  Seriously parents, supervision is a key to parenting.
• Piercing teeny-tiny baby ears.  I don't care how cute it looks.  I don't care that the baby probably won't remember it 1 hour from now.  I don't care that your baby looks like a boy and you need something so everyone will stop commenting on what a "handsome little man" you have.  I think it's mean.  End of story.

What I Love...Day 12, 2011

I love...

that I get married tomorrow.  What the what?!  How did that get here so fast?  Ahhh, man!  I'm so stoked.

What I Love...Day 11, 2011

I love...

this quote.  I don't feel like I'm hurting right now but I just love this. 

via

4 AM and I'm Awake

Technically it was 2:30am when I first woke up but I spent the last hour and a half trying to trick my brain into sleeping until 8 like I wanted.  It was a no go. 

My eyes are still so tired but my brain is racing.  Dang brain.  I want a bagel.

I think I'll work on cleaning my room in preparation for a new person living with me...in the same room.  Weird.  But awesome.  I haven't shared a room since I was in 2nd grade.  (That's almost 20...ack...years, in case you were wondering.)

Remember back to when we got engaged I thought this day was so far away.  3 months has FLOWN by.  I can't believe it's only 2 days...days people, DAYS!...away.  So stinking excited.  I hope I can sleep the night before so I don't look all zombie-fied in the pictures.  Cross your fingers for me, maybe say a prayer.  I'll be knocking back a couple melatonin pills just to be sure.

What I Love...Day 10, 2011

I love...

being off-track!  See ya in February 6th graders!

What I Love...Day 9, 2011

I love...

my ward, the Gospel, and going to the temple. 

via

Yep, I went there yesterday for the first time and it was amazing.  Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate this awesome day with me.

6th Graders Say the Darndest Things

LKG is an ESL student from Venezuela.  He has been here since the beginning of the year but still lacks a lot of English vocabulary.  He is so stinking cute though.  Very charming and charismatic.  EVERYONE loves him.  He comes into my room for and hour of reading every day.  We read one-on-one for 15 minutes a day.  A few days before I went off track (to get married! Holler!) I was talking to LKG about going off track and getting married.  He didn't get it at first.  Here's our convo:

Ash J.: "We won't be reading together tomorrow because I go off-track tomorrow."
LKG: "What?! I like reading with you!"
Ash J.: "I know.  I like reading with you too.  But I need to go off-track so I can get married."
LKG: (Puzzled look)
Ash J.: "When I come back I'll be married.  No more Miss J.  I'll be Mrs. H."
LKG: "What?!" (Fake sobbing)
Ash J.: "I'll still be here.  You'll just call me Mrs. H. instead of Miss J."
LKG: "Oh!  Your boyfriend said '¿Quieres casarte conmigo?'"
(We look that up on a free translation sight)
Ash J.: "Yes, he said 'Will you marry me?'"
LKG: "That is so happy.  Good job, Miss J."
_________________________________________________
Same student...another day.  The kids had been having difficulty saying his name all day.  Finally, LKG comes to me and says:

"Miss J. (dramatic pause) My name is (another equally dramatic pause) Doug.  Call me Doug."


It was funny.  Really it was.
_________________________________________________

KC: "I don't know why but the boys on my bus treat me differently if I give them treats."

Ummm...I know why.  You're bribing them to be your friend.
_________________________________________________

We just finished the DARE program.  To graduate all students have to write an essay about what they learned or why DARE is important.

This is the end of one of the essays:

"But I think sometimes people should be allowed to drink because sometimes that might be the only happy they have that week."
_________________________________________________

What I Love...Day 8, 2011

I love...

Jaynee.  Happy birthday!

Slow Motion Like Whoa!

As the day was ending, JR handed me this box of artificial rose petals

and said, "If you could get me a ladder and a fan for your wedding that would be great."

I laughed so hard.  It was just so funny to me.  Because I was laughing so hard he tried to explain how this was the greatest idea that ever happened.

"See if you bring me the fan and ladder I can set the fan up behind me and stand on the ladder and then you can walk into the reception all in slow motion and it will be like 'WHOOOOAAAAA!!!!'"

"I'll see what I can do, JR.  I'll see what I can do."

What I Love...Day 7, 2011

I love...

that today is my last day on track

AND

I'll be Mrs. H when I come back.  Woot, woot!  Holla!  (I say things like that to make my class laugh because "I'm old and old people don't say things like that" but I don't think it translates to my blog...thoughts?).

Did You Pee Your Pants?

From excitement, I mean.

One week from today I'll be a Mrs.

Whoa!

Now go change your pants.

What I Love...Day 6, 2011

I love...

...our custodian, Dan, not only for keeping our school squeaky clean and in working order but for sponsoring the Holiday Hoops Tourney and giving me, Jaegermeister, 3-1 odds for winning the whole thing.  Unfortunately, I had a doctor appointment right after school this night and had to forfeit.  Congrats to Justin for winning the whole thing.  See you next year...you better bring your A game!

A Few Comments on Today

First:  You know it's been a while since you last wore make-up to work when a students says, "You look alive today."  but not in a nice way...in a 'you usually look dead' kind of way.  Ahh...the honestly of children.

Second:  Know what sucks?  Loosing your phone.  Big time.  For real.  I feel like I'm living in the Stone Age...aside from the part where I'm typing this on a computer and it's going to be sent out onto the Internet for anyone to see.  Like I said, Stone Age.

Third:  Awesome "naughty" shower hosted by Jenny and Meredith.  Good times, good times.  Unfortunately, there are no pictures...they're too racy for the Internet...I kid, I kid.  But really, guys.  For real...

What I Love...Day 5, 2011

I love...

Cadbury Creme Eggs...and the fact that they are already in the store.  Hi...Easter is April 24th this year.  That's over 3 months away.  Not that I'm complaining.  I'm going to eat as many of these as possible between now and Easter.  And probably buy some bigger pants.

Delicious Cadbury Creme Egg I enjoyed on January 14th.  Exactly 106 days before Easter.  Mmmm.

What I Love...Day 4, 2011

I love...

 Pink from Victoria's Secret...despite my aversion to VS.

Final (Wedding) Countdown

It's the final countdown!

10 days!

To celebrate here's a song.



And here's the SpongeBob version (p.s. this is the only SpongeBob I will ever endorse). 

Well, bit and pieces of the SpongeBob version...it's better on the actual show.  Blame copyrights.

What I Love...Day 3, 2011

I love...

Martin Luther King, Jr. and this wonderful holiday we have to remember him.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

What I Love...Day 2, 2011

I love...

helping with a proposal.

Katie, a 3rd grade teacher at my school, got engaged on Friday.  I was the diversion.  I kept her in my classroom "observing" my ESL teaching while her boyfriend set up her classroom and got her students ready to help him propose.  Even though I didn't get to see the actual proposal, I felt very excited to have shared in such a special day.

I even got a proposal cupcake for my part!  Woot.  Not only is it cute but it was delicious too.

What I Love...Day 1, 2011

So last year during February I had a Love Month.  It almost killed me.  I was not loving much around me.  This year, I'm going to do a Love Month leading up to Valentine's Day...hence, Love Month starting on January 15th.

I'm hoping that since I have many more people (and an almost husband) in my life, this will be a much easier Love Month.  Here's to hoping.

I also realize that I am getting married in 12 days and may be a bit preoccupied in the upcoming month.  I may post some really bland, overused, loves...(yes, many of which will be thought of today).

I love...

36 degree weather after many frigid weeks (and inside days).  Today was amazingly warm...in a middle of January way.

Words That Make 6th Graders Giggle Uncontrollably

• Balls
• Organism
• Poop 
• Streptococcus
• Staphylococci

and that's just this week.

You're so Adultery

Scene: Some students from all the classes are in the room working on math.  Students are supposed to be working with their small group in their seats.  AV is up talking to a group that is not his.

Teacher: AV, go sit down.

(Class erupts into laughter.)

Teacher: I don't understand why that is so funny.

JM: It's just because you're a teacher and we're kids.

Teacher:  Oh, because I don't have a sense of humor?

GR: No!  It's just because you're all adult-ery and stuff.

JL: GR!  Do you even know what adultery means?!

GR: Yeah, it's like she's an adult and we're not.

Teacher: So, math...

Two More Weeks...For REAL!

Two weeks until I'm officially married.  I can hardly wait.

And to top it all off I think most of the wedding stuff is done.  Woot team Ash!  Way to plan in a totally awesome way that obviously worked even though everyone around you was freaking out and telling you how things weren't going to get done.  Looks like they're all eating their words now.

Ahhh...sweet victory.

And the Winner is...

Remember when I told you I was going to have my students help me pick things for my wedding?

Well, I finally let them...about 2 weeks ago.

Here are the winners:

Picture:

Invite:

Hair thing:

 I was very impressed with their choices.  They were all the ones I was leaning toward.

Victoria, Jaynee and Burlington

I went to the mall with Jaynee to buy cheap bras at Victoria's Secret.

I've decided I don't much enjoy that store.  It reminds me of my junior high years when I felt a bit scandalous to be shopping in such a "naughty" store.

The scents of all the lotions brought me right back to the girls locker room after a gym class.  Why did we insist on smearing a years supply of Pear Glacé lotion all over our bodies?  We must have smelled horrible.  I apologize junior high teachers.  Not only were we difficult to deal with but we smelled like those gym socks you haven't washed in a year and your grandma's stinky perfume had a baby.

The smell of that lotion literally makes me sick to my stomach.  It brings back so many not fun memories.  Ah, man.  Junior high sucked hard core.

After Victoria's, we went over to Burlington Coat Factory.  Who knew they had gobs of cheap lingerie?  I didn't.  I decided that looking at lingerie would be a very awkward time to run into a student.  Good thing it didn't happen.

11:11

Today I made a wish at 11:11 on 1/11/11.  It was pretty much awesome.  I can't wait for November 11th though.  Those wishes are for sure to come true. 

Today I Love...

...kind parents of students who email me or call me to tell me how much her student loves my class just when I need a little pick me up.

Two More Weeks

I'm counting down...8 more school days (because today has already started so I'm not going to count it) and 17 regular days until I get married.  Woot!

Can we have 5 day weekends and 2 day work weeks just for the next two weeks?

I'm just a little bit ready to go off track...1 more Monday...Thanks for that Martin Luther King, Jr.

Family Shower

By combining 5 families, I was sure we would end up on a new episode of Cops but everyone was very kind to each other and put their differences aside.

It was truly delightful.  Court blogs about it here (I'm feeling a bit lazy).

Here are some pictures to thank you for visiting.

For real, those things are heavy.

I'm supposed to wear that thing on my head on my wedding night.  I don't think so.

Anthony's mom and sisters.  Look how tall I am next to them.

Me, Jessi, Ada, and Grandma Julie

Eva and me.  This cute baby almost makes me want to have one of my own asap...but not quite that much.  Sorry, Court and other baby hungry family members.

We All Need A Reason to Believe

I feel like I need to post something...but can't think of anything but wedding and I'm assuming my slightly crazy bride posts are annoying and no fun to read...soooo, instead you get this today.

via

It's in My Butt!??

We have many students at our school who do not speak English as their first language.  Because of my wonderful ESL (English as a Second Language) endorsement, I get to help many of these kids and help my school meet all the criteria the government has set up to make sure these kiddos don't fall through the cracks.

One boy comes into my classroom for the guided reading hour every day because he is very new to the country and speaks very little English.

Today, the group he was with was reading a book about the human body.  We got to a page on cells and saw this picture:

This student asked "What's this?"

I tried to explain in the simplest terms I could what a cell is.  I said, "Cells are really small.  You can't see them with just your eyes, you need a microscope (and showed him a picture of a microscope).  They are all over your body."

Him: (Standing up quickly and examining his butt) "It's in my butt?!?!"

Me: "NO!  They're all over your body.  Everything on your body is made of cells."

The group and I laughed for a good five minutes.  I love this kid!

Invites

We finished our invitations last night.

They go out today.

Man!  I'm getting so excited.

Three weeks from today, yo, I'll be a Mrs.  Yep, three weeks.

These are 2 of the 3 invites we're sending out.  I'm very indecisive and couldn't just choose one.  It's like trading cards...collect them all!

Dear Future Children

I got this from Court, Court got this from someone else.  I love it!

Dear future children,

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.  For my children, I’d like better.

I’d really like them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and left over meat loaf sandwiches.  I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister/ and it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he’s scared, I hope you let him.

When you see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along I hope you’ll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don’t ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won’t be seen riding with someone as uncool as your mom.

If you want a sling shot, I hope your dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy/girl, and when you talk back to your mother I hope that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flag pole.

I don’t care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don’t like it.. and if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he’s not your friend

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandma/grandpa and go fishing with your uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor’s window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you-tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it’s the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen sealed with a kiss. I’m here for you and if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

xoxo,

Your future mommy

6th Grade No-No Words

We're studying microorganisms in 6th grade right now. 

Today, we watched a Bill Nye video on germs...I got the video from the district so they deemed it safe for 6th graders to watch.

At one point, Bill talks about HIV.  Then come the 90s teenagers talking about how they don't do unsafe things like "share needles or have unprotected sex."  Ugh.  I knew I'd have some issues.

As soon as the video ended

"She said a no-no word."

"What?"

"She said, 'I don't have...' a no-no word."

Sex is a no-no word?  Sure, I don't want to deal with it in the classroom because it's not my place but come on parents...twelve year olds thinking sex is a no-no word.  It's a no-no action for 6th graders but to not even think you can say sex when speaking of medical issues and microbes?  Come on!

Sex, sex, sex.

Giveaway!

Have you seen Little Miss Momma yet?

I simply love her blog and right now she's doing a super give away.

She's giving away $75 to the cute etsy shop Barn Owl Primitives.

Head on over and enter, enter, enter!

I hope you win (but not as much as I hope I win!)

2010 Rewind

Everyone does this on/around New Years.  So why not me?

My friend Jaynee (one-third of the Trifecta of Awesome) put a post on her Facebook and asked people to write all the fun things we did through the year.  As I was writing my list, I remembered all the greatness that was 2010 and decided I needed it all in one convenient place.  Here goes.

January

~Spoke in church for the first time.

~Won a super sweet blog give away.

February

~Made awesome valentine's for my students.

~Loved mylifeisaverage

~Read the Hunger Games....and LOVED it!

~Found a hidden talent...dominating 12-year-olds at dodge ball.

March

~Realized I was officially shorter than many of my students.

~Dressed like Conan O'Brien for a school assignment.

~Made a list of things I wanted for my birthday.

April

~Learned that volleyball and cheap nylons are not best friends.

~I was asked on a date while driving on Bangerter...true story.

~Earth Day party...the first of many random holidays used to just have a party.

~My blog turned one!

~Free Pie! and a broken dead bolt.

May

~Fake mustaches and real sombreros on Cinco de Mayo.

~The Trifecta of Awesome was born at a Ground Control show.

~Had a weekend of awesomeness...which included bowling, finally building that dang IKEA desk, large amounts of ice cream, prophets and double rainbows.

~Spoke in church for the 2nd time in four months.

~Was called as the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society.

June

~Went to Lake Powell with the family.

~Sweaty Latin Dancing with Gabriel, Jenny and Rich.

~Manti Pageant with Jaynee, Jenny, Rich, Bryce, Gabriel, Ryan, Josh, Jayson and Anthony.  Side note...this was the first time Anthony and I ever really did anything together.

~Began playing football with the boys in my class...usually while wearing a dress.

July

~Last day of my first year of teaching and field day.

~Movie under the stars.

~Celebrated our very first half-birthday.

~Dane's birthday celebration.  I did a few things I never thought I would do.  Went on a giant water slide and got an atomic wedgie at Seven Peaks and decorated a trunk for a birthday party.

~24th of July celebrations.

August

~St. George and Las Vegas with Ryan, Bryce and Jaynee.

~Ryan said I was engaged.

~First day of my 2nd year of teaching...easy peasy mac and cheesey.

September

~Had a surprise half-birthday party...first surprise party of my life.

~Made up a new slang term.

~Saul turned 100,000 miles.

~Went to work accidentally dressed as a pirate.  Called the day Official Pirate Day.

October

~First 6th grade market day...had bright red hair for an entire day.

~Road trip to Los Angeles with Jaynee, Jenny, and Kellen to buy fabric for my wedding dress...before I was actually engaged.

~Went on a crazy road trip to Mississippi and Texas with Anthony.

~Got engaged!

~Went to the airport dressed as Zombie Ron Weasley and got Anthony out of a speeding ticket.

November

~Had a pumpkin carving party (in October) but blogged about it in November (not much happened in November).

December

~My car, Saul, died.

~Had engagement pictures taken.

~Finished the MEd portion of my Master's Degree.  Three more classes until I officially have a Master's.  I'm pretty awesome...even if I do say so myself.

~Tried to learn how to be a rapper.  Didn't turn out so well.

And that's the fun, (mostly) amazing things that happened this year.  My life really didn't start until about April...January-March were pretty boring.  I'm glad I have lots of amazing people in my life now.  Thanks for the good times.  Love you all!