I am the worst...

Blogging this week has been the last thing on my mind.

My week has been crazy with the following:

accomplishing some new work-out goals

ordering/setting up banners for my summer tutoring program

(big thanks to Dad Gilbert for walking around the neighborhood with me and setting them up...he's the best, I tell ya!)

TWO sisters are graduating from high school this week and I've been preparing a few secrets.

I can't attend either graduation, but we won't talk about that because it makes me cry.

the end of school--which = a final exam in each class that has to be made, keyed, and prepared for.

This is the lamest blog post ever.

I still have so much to  blog about.

Like our awesome memorial day weekend.

Just a quick hi post...more to come! 

Some thoughts?

We're off to Vegas, then Arizona, and then St. George for this memorial day weekend.

Betta get some real heat.

P.S. Blog post about the cool story behind this not-so-cool picture to come.

P.P.S In my classes today, we did the coolest Cold War object lesson.

I'm pretty proud. Can I say that?
I'll blog about that later, too.

Also. This was the last full week of school.

I am getting strangely sentimental and really depressed.

I truly love my students and the chemistry we have.

P.P.P.S. Ready to judge me?

I totally gave a student my debit card today to go get me a McFlurry at lunch. Ha!

Don't worry. I trusted him.

Plus, who cares if a student empties your bank account if you get a McFlurry in the end? That makes it all worth it. Right? mmhmm.

Right now I'm really obsessed over all of my students.
I think it's finally hit me that it's almost over, and we won't be together anymore!
My students are seriously my favorite things in the world.

Time to hurry home so we can drive all night.

Good thing it's with my bestest friend ;)

I'm in a weird mood.

peace out, utah.

spring beauty

Sometimes when I leave for work in the morning, I'm hating my life for having to be up so dang early.

Then I walk out the door and see this

and all is right in the world again.

I love walking out to sunshine...so much better than when it was dark, snowy, and cold. ugh

Spring, you are killing me with your beauty.

But can I tell you that I am so excited to be reunited with my lover?

aka summer.

It's right around the corner!

good&plenty

A student told me today: "Your class is the first history class that I really enjoy taking notes in.  And I even like the tests because I actually do good!"

I can't tell you how good that feels as a teacher.

The past few weeks I've been reflecting on my first year, and I sometimes wonder if I was really the teacher I had hoped to be.

Some days I feel like I am still so far from that teacher.

But days like this make my little heart swell with gratitude and pride.

I did it.

I survived my first year, and at least one student likes tests! Because she does well on them!

That was my whole goal!

To make kids feel like they can succeed.

But let me tell you--there are really hard days.

And they are plenty.

Funny moment of the day:

I was talking about Princess Diana and when I first said her name I said, "Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales"

A student looked up with a sincerely confused face and said, "Wait, are we talking about mermaids?"

I think all of us were confused, until another student said, 

"A princess of whales? What does that even mean? Does she swim with them or something?"

And then it clicked.

WHALES! ha!

Needless to say, we all started laughing after that.

Oh my. I just love their innocent minds.

This job...seriously so rewarding!

it's called strawberry drink, folks.

one of mine and my siblings favorite treats growing up was "strawberry drink."

It has a real name--but that's what us kids called it.

And it's stuck.

We all know it just as strawberry drink.

And it is YUM.

And so dang easy to make.

You ready?

This is all you need!

1 pint fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled

1/4 C lemon juice

1 can sweetened, condensed milk

2 C crushed ice

In blender container, combine all ingredients in order listed.  Blend until smooth.  (Mixture stays thick and creamy in the refrigerator.)

And bam! You just made the yummiest drink of all time.

p.s. it tastes even better through a straw.

Happy first date anniversary, babe.

I have been so bad at blogging the past few two weeks.

The end of the school year is kicking my trash.

I feel like I have SO much to do, so much to teach--and it's stressing me out big time.

I have felt like a chicken with its head cut off for the last two weeks.

Someone please help me find that chicken head...

Today is a special day.

Two years ago, on May 21st 2011, Taylor and I went on our very first date.

Which was more of an accidental date than a real date. ;)

See story here.

So I decided to try to be creative and set up a little something special for Taylor Gilbert to wake up to.

Yes, I cut the back of the racquetball open all by myself.
It might have been the hardest thing I've ever done.

Way harder than I thought it would be.

Inside the racquetball were slips of paper that said:

You + Me = racquetball tonight
:)

I cannot wait to recreate our date night!

Happy first date anniversary, TaylorRay!

I sure am glad we "accidentally" went on a date two years ago. :)

maybe I'm an immature teacher?

When I pull down my projector screen, it swings back and forth a few times.

The last few days, the chains holding up the projector have been squeaking while they swing.
It sounds exactly like bed springs.

And with hormonal immature teenagers in the room, you can imagine what their mind immediately jumps too.

I didn't notice "the connection" until I saw the muffled giggles of the students.

And then...I couldn't help but die of laughter.

Which made the students laugh even harder.

It is dead-on.

I almost want to record it and put it on here.

But I won't be that immature.

And with each new class (that has yet to hear the new squeaking of the projector screen), I tell myself that I won't laugh when I pull it down and it starts to squeak (there's no preventing it).

Instead, I tell myself that I will scold them for being immature.

But every time...as I try to put on my "I'm really mad at you because you guys are so immature" face, I just start laughing.

Oh geez...help us.

We need summer.