30 Day Writing Challenge: Day Four

Day Four: Bullet your whole day.

• Wake up at 6:30 and shower/makeup/dress
• Leave house at 7:17 to drop Matthew off at school
• Drive to work behind the worst driver ever (those people who stay in the left lane even though they are soooooo slowwwwww)
• Get to work and over hear two kids talking about who has the better music teacher (yayy for the music teachers in D91!! We are loved!)

• Cram to cut papers for our homemade "harmonicas" we made today in 1st and 2nd grade & to make copies of recorder music for 3rd grade. 

(I found these harmonicas at the blog on the picture. So cute/simple and so fun!)

• First class at 8:15-- sad class. The teacher's doggie got run over last night. What a horrible thing. 
• Second class- homemade harmonicas with kids WAYYY excited. One girl came up to me and said, "this is really going to annoy my little brother." hahaha. 
• Third class- recorders! Last week this class was so excited to play, they had a hard time listening to instruction. Today was much better. 
• Fourth class- my favorite first grade class. Really sweet kids who loved their homemade harmonicas. 
• Last class- ukuleles in fourth grade. Teaching is so much fun when the kids are so excited! 
• Get home and take a two hour long nap... don't judge. 
• Pick up Matthew from school and get yummy lunch at Nielsens. 
• Come home and watch CSI while I get my supplies ready for school tomorrow. 
• Paint my nails. 

• Eat Lucky Charms and pickles for dinner. 
• Blog. 

30 Day Writing Challenge: Day Three

Slowly but surely making my way through this writing challenge.

(Side note: I probably should not be labeling these "Day ___" because, heaven knows, it takes me forever to remember to blog.)

The challenge for today is to write about a book I love.

I love books. All the books.

If you peeked at my nightstand (which I would never let you do because it is always a huge mess) you would find a few different types of books.
Usually I am I burn through reading some teeny-bopper novel or some intense gripping read like a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child. Once I start a book that grips me, I can't put it down.

For instance, I read a series of four books this week. You may ask yourself, "who has time for that?!"
Oddly enough, I guess me! If I start a series that is already finished, I can't help myself. I must finish them alllll.

Another book you might find on my nightstand is some sort of self-help book. I have Dave Ramsey ($$), I have Alfie Kohn (education), I have a book written about how to use grammar properly, I have a book about Love & Respect in marriage, etc, etc.

I like to read about people's life experiences so I generally have a biography/autobiography of some sort. I am in the midst of reading about Malala and her experiences.

Lastly, I always have my scriptures on my nightstand. Its comforting to have written testaments of Christ within arms reach. Matthew and I try to read together often, but have fallen off the bandwagon recently. Boo us!

Book #1: Quick Read
Book #2: Books to Learn From
Book #3: Others' Experiences
Book #4: Scriptures

I think if I had to choose one book that I love and adore, it would be The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

I love this book.

I do not love reading all the history within this book (it consumes entire chapters).  Oftentimes I skip full pages. So... if reading long paragraphs about the demographics of France or its agriculture doesn't send exciting shivers down your spine, I would suggest picking up the abridged version. Both are great!

This book is historical fiction. (MY FAVORITE!) It has everything.
Read it.

 If anyone has books to refer to me, historical fiction or not, please send them my way!

30 Day Writing Challenge: Day Two

Day Two: Something You Feel Strongly About

It took me forever to think about something I felt super strongly about untillll. . .

I went back to school (teacher-style)!

Everyone who reads this knows that I am now working as the music teacher at an elementary school, (oh hey mommm) and it wasn't until I was surrounded by kids all the time that I had an epiphany--
I feel strongly about what I do.

Let me start out by saying that I in no way consider myself to be the-most-fantastic-music-teacher-to-have-ever-graced-this-planet. I think I teach like the first year teacher that I am. I think I am inexperienced, naive, and probably lacking in classroom management. That being said, I think I have one thing going for me: I honestly like working with children.

I am going to say something that I feel strongly about and I apologize if it offends anyone, BUT I do not think you should be a teacher unless you love kids. I think many women chose to teach because it is a "family-friendly" job that allows them to work a similar schedule as their kids. I think many of those people find themselves in a pickle when they realize they don't like to be surrounded by other people's children 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Well, boo.

What I have to say to those teachers that constantly complain about their students is this: If you hate being there with your students, imagine how they feel having to put up with you!

I am grateful to be working at a school where (I believe) every single teacher (and administrator) I have met really shows love to their students.

Continuing my soapbox speech, there is one other teaching-thing I feel strongly about:
Kids are not hatched with the ability to sit stoically and remain silent for seven hours a day.

I do believe kids can be taught (and should understand and practice) respect to each other and their teachers. Does respectful behavior mean they will be required to listen silently to their teacher to receive instruction? YES! Do I think students should be yelling in the classroom? No!

But there is a reason for the saying "kids will be kids."

I am 100% lucky to be a music teacher.

I am SO lucky. I see every kid (except the 5th graders, sadly) in my school for 30 minutes each week. Only 30 minutes! I come in with activities that are exciting (at least, I think they are!) and will keep kids engaged. I mean, c'mon, music is fun!!
Although a million percent biased, I think music is the most fun subject out there. You can integrate every subject into music and find music in everything around you! Combine that with the fact that I teach at an incredibly fast pace in order to fit as much music into 30 minutes as I can, and you have the whirlwind half hour that is my music class.

I do activities that get the kids (especially the little ones) up and moving.
Sometimes we get a little crazy. And you know what? I like it!
Do I make sure my kids are silent when I am giving instruction? You bet ya!

I am saying this because, although totally imperfect, I have been totally shocked when (while subbing) a student comes up and tells me it is too loud when I have students working in partners and groups, and they are conversing at more than a whisper. What!?

I do not have the teaching experience to really expound on this, nor the mental capacity to research why it happens or how often, but, man, that gets me. Kids thinking the 7 hours of school (minus lunch and recess) need to be trudged through with whispers.

Usually kids that are animated kids are excited kids!
School should be fun. Let's make it that way!

30 Day Writing Challenge: Day One

Alright folks! I'm trying to get back on the bandwagon!

I figure a nice way to start is by doing this 30 Day Writing Challenge I found on... yup, Pinterest.

Day one: Five Ways to Win Your Heart.

Soooooo.... Matthew and met in April 2011. We started dating in September 2011. We got married August 2012. Needless to say, over the past 1,300 days (give or take), my heart was won by that cute Matt guy in many ways!

Winning my heart: 

1. We do fun things together. 

thoughts: don't be slugs. 

try doing things and finding common interests. 

we work out, play wii, board games,

hike, we took a dance class.

we also make sure to spend time supporting each other in our hobbies: 

i can't count the number of times i went out in the freezing cold to keep matt company while he took pictures and matt never missed a single concert i played in while i was a student.

2. We talk. 

thoughts: we are a unit. 

we tell each other everything. 

the fun and the not so fun (like budgeting...bahhhh)

we work hard to stay best friends.

matt came to spend a week of summer in my hometown before we started dating. i have no idea what we talked about, but i remember talking until the early hours of the morning. 

while the smoochin was great, it was the good deep talks that caused me to fall in love. 

3. We laugh. 

example: matthew is a huge jokester. 

when we first started dating,  i was out eating dinner with a good friend of mine 

when i got a text from matthew.

the text said he had hurt himself and possibly broken his nose, 

but that he was at home and ok. 

being enormously twitter-pated, i freaked. i ran next door to the cupcake shop and bought him a yummy cupcake. then i power-walked to his apartment as fast as i could. walking in, what do i see? 

a paper towel taped to his face. 

what the?! 

what do i do? 

sit down and eat the cupcake, that's what! 

punk. 

4. We try to be romantic.

thoughts: again-- d.a.t.e. each other. lots of dates. 

snow cone dates, lots of walks, dinners. 

matt wrote down 101 things he loved about me and gave it to me for Christmas. 

i try to put notes in his lunch. 

we set aside a day each week to spend time only with each other.

5. We stay spiritual. 

thoughts: this may be the most important.

we pray together

read the scriptures

go to church/the temple

do it, do it, do it. 

Of course the list never ends. If I could add one more thing that has really helped us to stay in love:  

Serve each other. Do things the other person hates. I hate vacuuming. Matt almost always vacuums. Matt hates folding laundry. I fold. Help each other. 

Bragging Rights

First off, giggling at the fact that the title of my last blog post being "Procrastination."
One year later, and I am posting yet again!
Not enough time to get caught up on life, but here's quick summary:

Lacey: Student Taught last Fall. Cried, Laughed, Saw Personal Growth, Passed, Graduated. Got my diploma in the mail just a week or so ago! Oh happy day! Now I am Relief Society President and working small side jobs like private lessons and am working on getting certified.

Matthew: Still in school. Still works harder than anyone else I know. Is currently working on building/researching the super computer here at BYU-Idaho (In his "free time", hah!) Word from last night is that it is working, but Matt isn't quite sure how to run it. So, that's in the works!

Still in love. Still happy. Ready and "patiently" waiting for the warm sunshine to return to Rexburg.

Okay, so bragging rights. I have to say, since Student Teaching ended, I have really been in a crafty mood. I think I used so much logical/analytical thinking throughout my student teaching (because it was social studies), that I needed a reminder that I can be creative!

So, I took upon myself a painting project for my nephew Kyler. Here's a peek at this sweetie:

How can you deny this baby anything? He is the sweetest and you can't... that's the answer.

My project: I had bought three small square canvases from a Garage Sale for suuuuuper cheap, but they had bamboo painted on them. (Not a fan). So, I decided to try to duplicate this painting I had seen on Pinterest. Feeling pretty successful, this was the result:

But then, I was looking at it and realized, where would it fit in a bedroom? They are only small canvases, so I thought it would look awkward hanging by itself. I came up with another idea! I would turn it into a full piece. So, after free-handing a sketch of a giraffe, I painted another set of three as a giraffe and then did three with Baby K's initials. Finished giraffe and full piece: 

 So then I was feeling really accomplished. But still in a crafty mood. So I made my little sister a couple of canvas pieces for her room. Both things I had noticed on Pinterest and thought she might like (she has an ADORABLE room).

Here are those pieces: (we can blame the dark spot in the middle of these pictures on my mom's camera)

After all that, I decided to do something a little more intense. I tackled a 16" x 20" canvas and handpainted every inch of it! Noah's Ark for my cute nephew. I just finished it two nights ago and am incredibly pleased with it :)

Happiness. Anyone have ideas for my next project?

Procrastination

This blog is brought to you in part by "writing a blog" beating out "grading papers" in Lacey's most recent inner turmoil.

Not that I mind grading papers. I love my job. I just love not doing my job just as much. Is that bad?
mmmmm....nah.

Here's an update on Lacey: I am currently procrastinating grading the papers of five classes. (Honestly and truly the stack of papers for tonight is a foot tall. Maybe. Close to it.) I do love being a T.A. for Sister McManus. She is a wonderful teacher. The best part of my job is when she comes into her office while I'm grading and we talk about teaching. That lady has taught everywhere. I just want to be able to apply everything she says to the way I teach...when I start teaching...my own classroom.

Talking about teaching, I am currently required to go teach at the middle school and junior high here in Rexburg. I haven't gone to the junior high yet, but I'm kind of nervous! I adore the kids at the middle school though. They are still so naive and teachable and excited about learning! I just know that changing from 5th graders to 7th graders is going to shock me. Darn pre-teens!

Another job I'm doing this semester is being section leader (paid, oh yeah!) in the non-audition band at the University. It is made up of mostly non-majors. I am enjoying it so far. It is VERY different from being section leader in the Symphony Band (the top classical band). Here are the differences:
1. There are only 4 saxophones in the Symphony band. (2 altos, 1 tenor, 1 bari.) There are NINE altos in the University band. NINE. (also 3 tenors and 1 bari). but NINE altos.
2. I am the section leader in both bands, Symphony I am not paid, University I am.
3. My section in Symphony band is EXTREMELY talented. I love having band with them because we all have enough humility to admit mistakes and accept criticism from each other. My University band section is talented too (especially the ones who practice!!). Some of the students are extremely teachable, while others have huge egos (why, oh, why do saxophone players tend to be such fatheads?! Gotta love 'em anyways, I guess!!)
4. The Symphony band consists of about 45 students (mostly music majors.) The University band has over 70 students (mostly non-music majors).
5. I feel challenged in Symphony band as a player. I feel challenged in University band as a teacher.

Both are great experiences!
I'm also playing lead alto in the Jazz Lab Band here at BYU-Idaho and it is going pretty well. Jazz music is the best. I am currently stuck on Manu Katche (especially the chart Take off and Land).
Also, I cook, sometimes. (not really now, but I did before school started!) The first picture is of one of the crockpot freezer meals I made that I mentioned in my last blog. My favorite concoction: I made PITA BREAD and it was DELICIOUS. 3/6 actually popped up perfectly and looked like pitas. The other 3 looked like, well, bubbly, but mostly flat pita bread... but Matthew didn't care. He ate them with vinegar and oil anyways!

I guess we can talk about Matthew.

Matthew continues to be the most hard-working guy I know. I think he does at least 6 hours of homework every day and at least 15 hours over the weekend. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I get mad at him sometimes because he doesn't pay attention to me. (don't judge) He likes it...not really.

He is the VP of the Astronomical Society this semester and has done a lot of planning for that (basically he set up the website, plans all the meetings, and keeps everyone organized....basically all the duties of a president of a club...haha)

He also took this cool picture:

Happy New Year!

First off, we are back in Rexburg! Not quite ready to start the new semester, but regardless of if we're ready or not, it's coming! Only four more days left of "rest." 

Matthew and I have been spending the week getting ready for school by getting our books, cleaning our house, making crockpot freezer meals, and hanging with friends!

Aubrey and Kenny invited us over to their house for New Years Eve for games, good food, and strawberry daiquiris  (a New Year tradition in Kenny's house)!  Aubrey asked us to bring over a side dish and a dessert so I got onto Pinterest and started looking for something cute and yummy! I decided to make a salad that I adore and also found a recipe for a red velvet cheeseball! Both were delicious! (And also very pretty! I was pretty excited to use some dishes Matthew and I got at our wedding that were just sitting in the cupboard waiting for a party to occur!)

This is Matthew's way of helping me cut strawberries...

Aubrey and Kenny provided pizza and sparkling cider! We started the night by watching Star Wars...

Maybe we broke out the sparkling cider around...seven ish?

 

And it wouldn't be a party if we didn't tease Torque just a little bit...

 This night started with food....













Included an intense game of Nintendo Monopoly (Aubrey and I quickly became bankrupt and lost, the boys continued for about an hour, and then called a stalemate [but Matthew says he was winning ;)])

and continued with family, fun, delicious strawberry daiquiris, and a New Years smooch from my sweetie!! It was a wonderful way to bring in the New Year! Bring on 2013!