So I'm a Slacker :)

I finally have time to do a little bit of blogging this evening since it was only a 3 day week at school which means I only had to write 2 lesson plans this week!Thank the lord for 4 days weekends. Fall is beginning to set in which puts me a great mood :) Now where to start.....
So I promised April that I would put up a picture of the bulletin board I created when I was a Y counselor. It was a Rainbow Fish theme and I do have to say my bulletin board skills have improved a little since then.

My second and third graders named our group the Green Dragonoids and to this day I have no idea what the heck that is. I used a fish decoration template for the fish cut outs and the bubble material was on sale at Joanna's that week. I really miss my Y kiddos, and maybe I will get the chance to work with them again next summer.
My internship is in full force. I am currently in a 3rd grade class at one of the local neighborhood schools. I LOVE IT! I was a little worried in August when my mentor teacher got changed and the grade level. However all my fears have been cast away. My first week at Summerwind I got a lot awesome experiences such as helping set up a kinder classroom, filing, meet your teacher night, staff lunches, back to school meetings, and a lot more. The staff at Summerwind has been so supportive and have given me so many wonderful opportunities. My mentor teacher is great and I am learning about from watching her and working with her. I love the team of third grade teachers! They are all so different and treat me as one of their own. The kids I have in my class are a real hoot. Each one is so different and I have built a good relationship with all of them. I have started to take over a subject a week, and have worked my up to 3 subjects only 4 more weeks until I begin full time teaching... which scares me to think about! I had my first observation last week, and I was pleased with what my university supervisor had to say. Today we made fact and opinion pancakes in class, and I have never had so much fun in a classroom before. My next semester placement is really up in the air. My mentor teacher would love for me to stay and is campaigning to that come true. However I have no idea how second semester placements work as far as interviews with my coordinator and such. There are pros and cons to staying in the same classroom for a whole school year, and I am hoping to receive word soon. However as of now I am taking it a day at a time, and enjoying every minute I get with the amazing staff and students.

I attended two wedding a few weeks ago. The first one was an one friend of mine and her wedding was huge! There were so many people but it was a lot of fun. I got on a plane with Elle's mom and we met Elle at the Seattle airport. Then the three of us girls rented a Mustang to get around Seattle with! It was a great weekend and I wish Michelle and her husband all the best!

The next weekend my parents and I drove down the road to the Idaho Botanical Garden for Elle's wedding. Hers was beautiful and she looked gorgeous and so happy. It was a wonderful end of summer evening, and I know that Zev was very happy the wedding stuff was over so he and Elle could begin their marriage. It was a Jewish wedding and a bit of a cultural shock, but the rabbi who performed the ceremony was excellent at explaining everything. Overall I sat there and all the memories I share with Elle and her family started to flow, and I did tear up a bit because I am so proud to of the woman she is and so blessed to call her my friend.

Life is Boise is going well, this past Saturday my mom and I did the Women's Fitness Celebration which was a 5k walk/stroll/run and it was a lot of fun. Philip is doing well at school which is good to know. Two weeks ago the homesickness really set in for him and my mom and I are going to Moscow the weekend of the Hawaii football game to see him and hopefully cheer him up. I don't know about the girlfriend situation with him, but I can still hope and pray. Speaking of praying I am teaching preschool and kinder Sunday School and it was been a lot of fun. The kids are so cute and all they want to do is color! So much less stress than my 3rd grade class. Finally a little update some Sophie.... she is now an 8 month old hand full, who will now sit for a cookie! I was so proud :) My mom and I are taking her to the dog walk this weekend and we will see how that goes ;) Luv and miss you all!

Summer Reflections

So the summer is drawing to a close for me. This morning at 6:45 am I watched my brother and parents drive off towards Moscow and the University of Idaho. I stood there on the driveway for a few seconds and was bombarded with emotion and thoughts. I started crying because no matter how much Philip and I fight, he is my little brother, I love him to death, would do anything for him and I am really going to miss him. I also realized that I am not going back to Moscow this school year. Last week I was very depressed by this fact, all I wanted was to go back for Palousefest, orientation with Tawyna, coffee runs with Ann, lunch in the commons, and of course class with friends and peers. This feeling of want hasn't completely gone away, but I am started to accept it. I am sad to leave Moscow life behind, but I am starting to come around to excitement for my internship.

My summer job ends tomorrow. Myself and my fellow co-counselor Erica have been preparing our kids all this week for this fact. There are some kids who are not accepting of it yet, and in their minds they are going to come with us (one kindergartner girl actually told me that she WAS going with me)The feeling that I get when I think about leaving Eagle Y's kids, is the same that one of my professors (Emilie) told me about last year...... at the end of each year teachers are sad their students must leave them but they know it's for the best. We have one last field trip to a cooking academy tomorrow, and then we all say our goodbyes. I am pretty sure I will cry, hugs will be given, and I won't be off work on time. (I also promise to get a picture of my bulletin board and post it here)

Meg came to visit me this last weekend, and it was AMAZING. We did a lot during our short weekend together. We went to the zoo, the trolley train, two museums, the Anne Frank Memorial, and lounged by the pool. Meg also cooked me my favorite dinner and taught me how to make it. I am going to attempt to cook it myself one day I promise. I wish I had pictures, but Meg took a ton so hopefully she will send them to me. I have been visited by quite a few friends this summer, and each visit has reminded me of how blessed I am to have the most amazing, wonderful, funny, loving, and supportive group of girlfriends.

This weekend I am being a nanny, and then Monday morning at 10 am my internship begins. I will definitely be blogging about all that :)

Updates get your Updates here!

So A LOT has happened in the last few weeks:

1) My brother Philip graduated high school!!!!!!!

That's him in his cap and gown :) I am very proud of him and the young man he has become, he will be attending UI in the fall and is very excited to be a part of the business program. He is still causing problems because of his girlfriend but I try not to think of that. The great part is that now my Bronco loving father has two UI checks to write in a few months :) I come from a very small family and a lot of them made it up for Philip's big day. My aunt, uncle, cousin and his wife came from Cali and my relatives from Twin also made it for the ceremony. It was really fun to show my Cali family around Boise and just hang out on the deck and enjoy the nice weather and company.

2) I started my job as a YMCA day camp counselor!!! I just finished my first week and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my summer. I created a Rainbow fish themed bulletion board that I am pretty proud of I really wanted to call April and ask her to come to Eagle and do it for me since she is a bulletin board goddess divine! The campers are an eclectic mix of personalities, and everyday is different.

3) My puppy Sophie is very big, and it has been very interesting getting to know her. I missed out on the first two months and was eager to make up for lost time. Sophie is a very energetic, a bit ditzy, and very daring poodle. She has kept me and my family on our toes. Sophie has been sleeping with me, and I can't describe the feeling of waking up with a dog snuggled up next to me, I was so upset by the loss of our last dog Conner that I didn't think I would ever feel this way again and I do. Sophie is a much needed member of my family, and i look forward to watching her grow this year as I stay home in Boise and do my student teaching.

4) Speaking of student teaching I met with my principal (who is a fellow vandal) and mentor teacher. I had worked with my mentor teacher in high school and was looking forward to being in her classroom. However just yesterday I received the news that my mentor teacher has been changed. I was surprised and at first felt a little down, but I emailed my old mentor teacher thanking her as well as my new mentor to thank her and introduce myself. So as for right now I'm not really sure how the fall is going to go, but I am still excited just to be an intern! Also I had to take another interview with the school district, and if what happened in January happens again (the whole loosing my answers thing) I am seriously just going to change my major!......... jk ;) Also my computer battery is acting up and what can I say technology just hates me and wants to ruin my life!

5) I turned 21!!!!! It really wasn't that exciting I promise because I had to work that night and early the next morning; but it feels nice to be able to have a margarita with my chicken enchilada :) Dawn and my friend Eleni took me out to lunch at Applebees and we had lunch and blue coconut margaritas, it was so nice to catch up with those girls :) Also this past week Ruth took me out for a movie and smoothie to celebrate my birthday. I went to the demon's liar aka the DMV and waited 20 minutes to get my license changed, then i had to take my car to the shop because the engine was acting up.... total bill just a little over a grand so that was fun. Overall I am settling into life in Boise very well. I miss Moscow and all my friends and it will be very difficult come August to watch Philip go to school when I have to stay behind. However I did get to see my friend Ann and her mom when they came to town and that was beyond awesome.

Here We Go!

Ok so I made a promise to my dear friend Ann like a million years ago that I would start a blog when I got my student teaching placement. Well I am offically moved back to Boise and I know my student teaching placement. I am awful with technology but I am going to try my hardest to see to do this whole 'blogging' thing :)