Let's Have a Look-See

I love this time of year. It is full of to-do lists, projects and memories.   I started collecting nativities many years ago. As my kids had their own homes, I started giving them away. I now have some new ones. Callie gave me this one that is made from Olive trees in the Holy Land and it truly is beautiful. I love red on the Christmas tree. I have ornaments that I have collected for years. There are a couple from the first year we were married. Many were purchased on vacations. I love my pirate Santa that reminds me of hot, sandy week in the Outer Banks with the littles. This year it means even more as it was the last time I saw my Canadian littles.  There are a few ornaments on the tree that remind me of the reason we celebrate Christmas. These ornaments remind me that Christmas is truly about the birth of the Savior. All the things that we do that help us be more like him are good things that get to stay on the list. My mom always had...

That crazy week is over. It is the week before Christmas vacation with true believers. They are waiting for Santa from home now.  We made it through the semester without any cases of Covid in our classroom. We used plenty of Clorox wipes and Virex. Social Distancing in Kinder is a joke and I found myself saying, "Don't lick your friends" way to often. Little masks found there way, well, everywhere. Everyday, was a new day and we just kept working. We had a Zoom meeting with our kids last night. It's as close as we are going to get to each other for a while.  Richard finished his semester at BYU and with it, finishes the last of my kids working on a BA. When we took Keith to Provo, I was so sad. He was only 17. Todd told me that this was the way it should be and that I wouldn't cry when I took him. Boy, was that true.  We went to Provo to see Richard and I thought it would be fun to do a picture. There was no one on campus. Please note that I'm happy. I kept th...

I really thought that the school would have had to shutdown by now, but that is not the case. No Covid in the building since the first week of school.  It leaves us working at this busy time of year.  First: I have a boy who brings his Elf on the shelf to school. Not sure if that Elf should see the way he acts at school.  Second: I have a student with an Elf named Rainbow.  She insisted that the mailman could not find the North Pole and her Elf would give it to Santa. She was a force to be recond with, but the letter was delivered with the rest of the class.  Third: I had a child tell us we were all following Satan as we were making Rudolf Christmas cards. I might add that she was making one too.  They are cute, but naughty.  Knowing that this season is about following the Savior makes it easier. Easier to keep it simple.  Easier to help others. Easier not to stress. Easier to fee...

We had Thanksgiving a week ago Saturday.  Because we had planned on being in North Carolina, these kids had planned on being here early. One of the reasons I wanted to go away is so I wouldn't have to cook. But cook I did.  I am so grateful that they came. We played games, andnd stitched, and ate.  I have not cooked much since that day. Maybe this week. 

 The leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints asked the world to join him in flooding Social Media with Gratitude  for 7 days. This is to help the world heal from so many negative and hateful messages. I must say, that it is a joy to read so many thoughts of gratitude on Facebook. I took the challenge, and focused on Facebook, because you have to have a picture with Instagram. From the 1st minute of this challenge, I wasn't sure how I was going to take seeing all the picture - perfect families plastered all of Social Media. Oddly enough, the only pictures I've posted are of my family.   I am going to post 7 things I'm grateful for here. They may or may not match what I post on Facebook, but I  practice daily gratitude anyway, so it is not a stretch. 1  My family, of course. They are light in the dark and joy on the grayest day. This includes all of them, my parents, siblings, Wes, his parents and siblings, my children and their children and...

  After what seems like so much noise about the election, it is so nice to have a quiet week.  Of course the Corona's are driving me crazy. I go between feeling very safe at work and wondering when one of those germ sharing students will come in with it and share it with all of us. I think I'm the only person I know who hasn't had a case in my immediate family. It is a crazy time to live. Just saying.  But let's move on. We had our annual Veterans Day celebration this year. We did a drive by parade. The Veterans drove by. The kids waved flags while standing in the snow.  I have to admit I missed seeing my dad pop up in the slide show at school, so I'll have him pop up here. My dad joined ROTC to pay for college. When he graduated went to Korea and my mom became an Army wife. After his tour in Korea they were moved around the country. My mom was fearless and left her little town in Utah and rolled with the punches.  Here are some other Veterans that I'm pretty ha...

The election of 2020 did not disappoint. Let me just say that I'm not a Democrat or  Republican, but my views are very liberal and inclusive. I don't love Joe Biden. But I like Kamala. I really don't like the Trumpster. So here us what I look forward to: We will rebuild relationships with our Allies. No more governing via Tweeter and Fox News. No more calling people names. A President that understands the Constitution.  A President with a vocabulary higher than a 2nd grader. The Republican party needs to sit down and regroup.  They need to rebuild and unify. They need to start, tomorrow, and find a candidate who will represent them.  I said I would be happy when the election and Halloween were over and indeed, it already feels better.  And Kudos to my great grandmothers who worked for my privilege to vote. 

I realize that I am documenting my school year during Covid. It feels right. I am blessed to have a good little class this year. They have been awesome.  Our attendance was great this week. It could be that we had the party at the end of the week.  The weather was beautiful, so we had a little Duck, Duck, Goose.   I am so happy that they get to spend the day after Halloween with their families. It is a pretty hard day at school. I don't know what came over me, but I posted on Facebook that if you needed a masks, I would make you one. No one has asked for a mask in months. To my surprise, I  had 30 requests.  Then, not to be left out, these 2 asked for a BYU mask. So I made 32 masks yesterday. There was a reason I said it. I know that one of these masks is going to that person. Stay Safe.

A week ago we were warm, but a cold front is coming through and btinging us extremely cold temperatures. I have so enjoyed this warm Fall weather.  The Covid number have been rising in the Magic Valley this month. In the county where I work we have a 40 % positive rate. It is HUGE. Early in the week the health department and hospitals meet with each county asking for a mask mandate order to be placed. No action was taken. On Wednesday, the State Board of Education changed a a rule that basically said if your county is in Red, you have to close schools. On Thursday,  all Magic Valley counties were moved to Red. Across the valley there were many emergency school board meetings on Friday morning. The meetings were emotionally charged. No action was taken, except one school district.  My take on all this, ☆ Plans were in place for a reason.  ☆ The problem is due to community spread, disregard for wearing a masks or staying home. Our school has not had Covid i...

Here we are in the middle of October. Not sure how that happened. We have had a beautiful Autumn, cool nights and warm afternoons. Can I just say that these little people were troopers and that many masks come off during the day?  Love their efforts. I made a new mask, I love having options. 

First, I am so happy that I decided to water my plants when I'd come home so tired at the first of the school year.  They are so pretty again.  That being said, it will probably freeze tonight. Last week was crazy. We had parent teacher conferences, I lost my voice, both of my classes had big assignments due and then there were 5 sessions of General Confrence.  Best part is that ladt wek: It is over. We are moving into our Orange plan at school this week.  This would be due to Idahoans not understanding the purpose of masks or social distancing. We have been fortunate enough to keep it out of our school, well, after the 1st week. I'm pretty sure that I have already ranted about our school boards excuse for an Orange plan. So, we're changing up a few things and calling it good.  I'm just thankful that we are still seeing students. They need to be there and I need to go to work.  Besides, trying to e...

After figuring out how to make Kindergarten work while in the yellow stage, our Superintendent moved us to Green. Ugg, not sure where that came from, but he is a non believer, so pretending that there is no harm in catching the virus works for him.   I'm not ready to change much about the way we are doing things. We still have cases in our country and we in our district. I'm taking this move as extremely temporary and am not willing to change everything, a couple of things, but not everything.  Life is as crazy right now. 

I didn't know that I could be so attached to a water bottle. This one is covered with vacation stickers. I loved the memories and the way the ice came out when I drank it. I assumed that it would last forever,  but it didn't.  I'm still working in a Pandemic. We haven't had any new cases since the first week. I feel like I have lost a sense of reality about what is going on in the world. I had a couple of parents who were afraid to send them at first and then a couple got sick, but this week, they were all there. I even let them cut and paste. Makes for a happy classroom.