Things kids write

Have I mentioned that I love my job? Well, I do. This was the last week of school which is also fun because it's the drama time. Everyone gets so emotional about saying goodbye and leaving school - I love it! I got to read names this year at graduation. I love to do this because I look at each kid as I say his/her name and smile at them. If I've had them, I pat them on the shoulder or smile tenderly at them. I thought for sure I would get emotional about some of my geometry kids. I love that bunch and they work so hard. I develop such a fun relationship with that group, but I didn't cry while saying their names. No, it was the two boys who caused me the most pain and difficulties last year that made me get choked up. I looked into their faces and realized that despite all of the pain and difficulties in their lives, they had actually passed eighth grade. Maybe because the challenge for them was greater so the success was more sweet or maybe because I hoped that my class was a chance for them to see kindness and love, but whatever the reason, these boys made me tear up.

My favorite moment of graduation was after all the names were read. Our principal thanked Dee Brundage, a teacher who is retiring this year, for her service to our kids. She is the only 7th grade science teacher on our campus so she has had every student. After the principal said this, about 1/4 of the students instantly stood up and cheered for her. The standing ovation quickly spread to the entire graduating class and lasted for over a minute. I thought, "Now this is a testament to a great teacher." Each student loved her so much. She really was the nicest teacher on campus...and now that she's gone...it's my chance to steal the throne. Bwaa haa haa!

This year I received many letters and notes of thanks. I even received flowers from several kids (my favorite kind of gift!). I thought I would immortalize some of the nice things my kids have written to or about me (directly quoted with spelling and punctuation):

1) I couldn't ask for a better teacher! (cos' there is none!) :) I can say that you are my most favorite teacher! :) You have alot to offer, and I love how your so happy all of the time! Thank you for everything.

2) How could I live without MATH?

3) One teacher deserves an apple, but Ms. Dempsey deserves the whole tree. Best teacher, Ms. Dempsey is her name! She's my geometry teacher and an awesome math wizard. She's awesome, crazy, smart, nerdy, pretty, cool, weird, outgoing, creative, stylish etc. She's the best! Every day, she has a simle on and always cheers everyone up in her class. She's a twilight freak and loves Hish School Musical. She even makes a math lesson fun! How? Well, one interesting way is she imitates a foreign accent to get our attention. Another way is making boring math formulas into happy songs. That's very creative and makes the classroom a very fun place to be in. I love Ms. Dempsey. On thing that surprised me is that she isn't married! She's wonderful to be with and extremely smart! I have never had a teacher like this and I wish I would meet more teachers like her! I can express my feelings to Ms. Dempsey and I trust her. She is a MAJOR NERD; which is awesome! She loves using expo markers of every color. She has good taste in music and loves singing. She's an excellent singer, even though she rarely sings in class. She takes time in her lessons because she cares about her student's education. Everyone loves her and she loves everyone that loves her. She will always be there for her students. That is what makes her the teacher to write about.

Can you believe that last one? I should have this girl write an ad for me! I especially love that I am stylish, have good taste in music, and she is surprised I'm not married. So funny.

Well, for one who's love language is verbal praise, this is certainly an encouraging time of year. I love my job (have I mentioned that before?).

My Summer To Do List

I love lists and I love summer. So what better to do than make a list about my summer plans?
Here are my goals for this summer:

1) Go to Kenneth and Tammy's wedding.

2) Turn thirty.

3) Go to Hoboken, New Jersey. Why, you ask? Why not, I say! It's cheap.

4) Sleep in... a lot!

5) Read a book or two.

6) Play with Madison and Michael and Natalie.

7) Clean out my garage. This is quite a task. Somehow my garage has exploded a little bit at a time. I have half empty storage boxes and stuff from the bathroom project at church all over. And somehow I squeeze my car in. What a relief it will be to have it clean!

8) I want to buy myself something from Tiffany's. This is a ridiculous expenditure. Do I need diamonds? No! Pearls?No. Something pretty that comes in a little blue box?...no? Yeah, I can maybe be convinced that spending money that could feed starving children is worth it. It's a pretty, blue box!

9) Go to Stanton Park. Now that I've finally found the entrance (it took my three years of curiosity to find it), I have to go. It looks so pretty.

10) Play Uno with my grandma once a week. Or any other card games. My grandma loves games and she consistently wins while seeming to not understand how to play. I especially love to play Oh,Nuts! with her. She's so good and gets way into it.

11) Go to Vegas to visit Dana's sister and see the Cirque de Solei : Love. It's crazy French circus performers doing crazy French circus performances to Beatles music. That's what I call awesome!

12) I want to learn how to cook something cool. I don't know what yet, but it will be impressive, probably made with lots of sugar, and expensive. If you're lucky, I'll let you try it.

13) Teach VBS. In person! I was out of town for our church's vacation Bible school last year and had to record my lessons. Recording was fun, but it will be more fun live.

14) I will be in town for Natalie's birthday!! I was in Switzerland when Natalie was born and Uganda for her first birthday. As exotic as that sounds, I'm really very sad that I wasn't there for those two important days. I'm going to spoil her rotten that day (shocking, I know!).

15) 4th of July picnic!! The best picnic of the year. We have games and sing songs and have the yearly egg toss that always ends well.

16) Celebrate Bastille day...and my mom's birthday...simultaneously.

So there's my jam packed summer :)

Building my BBQ

Growing up, my cousins received a lot of Legos. We would play legos all the time. My favorite was when they would get a brand new lego set and we played "Lego school". Of course, I made them play school because I was the overbearing, teacher obsessed older cousin. Each level of the Lego construction was considered a grade and we would complete each level together.

Little did I know how helpful those strange diagrams with no words would be. Today I finally purchased the propane gas tank for my mini BBQ my parents bought for me two Christmas' ago. I invited my friend Dana over for steaks (which I haven't made since I moved out) and opened the BBQ to get started.

Out poured this large series of baggies and metal pieces, complete with a novel sized instruction manuel. I wasn't prepared for construction, but I followed along each step carefully and just like Lego school, I graduated from each step to the next. It only took me about twenty minutes to put together and I was pretty proud.

I then preheated the stove, didn't blow anything up, and even cooked some pretty good steaks. I'm excited to start BBQing again. The one problem is that this makes me even more anxious for summer as I dream of what I will BBQ next: perhaps bananas with chocolate chips inside...