Weekend Crazies!

This last weekend was crazy busy! But needless to say, it was lot of fun and exciting. With student teaching, I keep getting more and more responsibility over the class as each week passes. Going on my 4th week, I now am doing comprehension, science, reading groups, a math group, a fluency group and speed drills. (Phew..) I had to do lesson plans and reflections during the whole weekend while everything else was going on--I managed to do everything, but it was a bit stressful. Here's what happened....

Friday, March 23

I got back from school at 4 and barely started on my school work for the weekend, when we decided to get ready for camping! Kenzie and Aaron invited us to go camping in Tremonton with them and their friendly dog Aggie. Of course we agreed, but I had no idea what I was in for when I got packing... We showed up around 8:30 in my little Saturn with tin foil dinners ready to grill. It was already dark and we had to find this super steep hill to get to the campground. Nate got the tent ready, while I chatted with Kenz around the campfire. 

I was ready to camp, but I wasn't ready for all the burrs!!! They littered the ground and were hidden like landmines. Sounds impossible, but it's true!! Poor Aggie was covered and she couldn't get them out of her fur. I got them all over my sweat pants... I should have worn jeans and my cowboy boots.  Nate was wise to bring his steel toed boots and jeans.
While waiting for our dinners to cook, we ran into a few car troubles. With the fear of rain, we decided to drive both cars back up the hill. The only problem is... both the Buick and the Saturn struggled to get back up the hill...(the Saturn more than the Buick; it's old and made of plastic!). Nate tried at least ten times with the Saturn and got it stuck in the same spot on hill each time. Eventually Aaron helped push it up over the spot.

 The other dilemma...the Buick wouldn't start, since it was parked on a slant. We pushed it to an area that was somewhat level and took look. But then when Nate put the hood down, it wasn't on track with the car...and got it stuck. Eventually, the boys figured out how to unjam the hood and got the car back up the hill. 

We ate our delicious tin foil dinners and randomly went on an adventure to find the nearby river. We didn't make it... There wasn't a real trail and there were WAY too many burrs....If you can't tell from Aaron. 

We got back to the fire and talked some more. Before we knew it, it was one in the morning. How does time fly by so fast when you camp? Our friend, Dallin Fukui, showed up shortly with his girly friend. We chatted with him for a bit before we all headed to bed.

Saturday, March 24

Nate and I woke up early the next morning so we could be back in Logan in time for Bountiful Baskets and to help our neighbor move out. 

Nate and I did some yard work and laundry before heading over to Jeanne's to help her pack and move out her stuff. I guess she had had a stressful morning with various people helping her, cause when I found her, she was a bit upset. It was a bit shocking, since Jeanne is a pretty strong woman. We figured it out, finished packing, cleaned, and hauled everything out with the help of her ward (including her huge quilting long arm machine). After talking to our landlord, we can move into the place within the next two weeks! YES! We're stoked!! We finished cleaning just in time to get ready to head to Provo for an LDSingers Reunion. We had worked super hard that morning, so the drive down was a bit of challenge with our sleepiness. Fortunately, we did make it down safely and I was happy to get reacquainted with friends from LD's at Red Robin.

I'm grateful that Red Robin gave us appetizers on the house because Nate and I were starving! We laughed and chatted with my old friends. Mike and Jess fortunately came too and provided a bundle load of entertainment for everyone with little Chloe as the star. I love my niece! The company was great, the food was delicious and the service was fantastic! Jess left early to fulfill a family tradition with the Spanish Fork beauty pageant. As the fun came to an end, Nate, Mike, Chloe and myself headed back to my parents' house in Salt Lake. I worked on some schoolwork. Nate hung out with Mike and Boomer. We chatted up my family and I was happy that I got to spend time with my mom. Nate and I found ourselves too tired to stay up any later. I think we both crashed on the airbed my dad had set out for us.

Sunday, March 25

I woke up before Nate and had a deep conversation with my dad about life and my mom. I want to make her a quilt that she can have for the rest of her days. A momento of sorts with pictures of her children, family, etc. My dad said that he's in the process of writing her a song. I thought it was really cute. So far the first few words go like this...."It took me 30 years to find you, 26 beside you and now...I have to say goodbye." It made us cry, it's so sweet and heartbreaking. I don't want to see my mom go either. Heck! She still has grandchildren to meet, especially my kids! But it's what the Lord wants and I need to keep that in mind. The eternal perspective. Anyway, eventually everyone was up and running. We had bacon for breakfast, got dressed and out the door to go to sacrament meeting. When we got home, we made dinner--beef roast, corn, rolls and potatoes--talked, laughed and dove into our meal. Yum! Afterwards, Dad took Nate and I to my mom's new apartment at Legacy Homes.

For what she has, it's not too bad. I guess we had to furnish the apartment for the most part, but it's quality for what she needs. It was a bit hard for me to see my mom in a care facility at all. But it's life, I guess. Once at home, Mike and Nate played a little one on one while I took care of some school work. Jess narrated the game that was being played, which was ubber fun to listen to.

Everyone eventually came inside. Dad, Mike, Jess, Nate and Boomer (for a bit) played the construction game. I was still doing school work and watched my niece interact with her grandma.

(I know it's a little blurry, the room was really dark)

I don't know who won the construction game, but everyone eventually helped themselves to some chocolate pudding for dessert. As a family (with just about everyone) we played a game of Imaginiff before Nate and I had to head back up to Logan.

All in all, it was and extremely busy but fulfilling weekend.

Teacher Fair

Today was quite the adventure. After getting doing mock interviews and research the night before, I had a good idea of what I should expect for the Teacher Fair today. I discovered I was kinda wrong.

I showed up at the TSC expecting several ELED teachers trying to apply and interview with some of the major districts in Utah. In actuality, there were first year teachers, previous teaching aides, elementary and secondary education, special areas like ESL and Resource, etc. Plus there were several districts from Utah, Idaho, Arizona, even one from Georgia---AND several different charter schools as well. There were so many people! It was wise to get there early because the slots for a pre-screening interview were very slim and went fast.

I was only able to get an interview with one district: Box Elder. I thought the interview went alright even if some of the questions were a little vague or confusing at times. I tried to maintain eye contact the whole time and use my words carefully as to not repeat myself. Of course, with the last name Warburton, the superintendent immediately made the connection to the Warburtons in Tremonton--my awesome parent in laws and uncle! I told him Barbara is my mother in law and Mick is Nate's Uncle. Crazy world my friends! I'm hoping to get an in based on those connections. Most of the districts that I am interested in weren't doing pre-screening interviews today.

But I did learn a lot and got a lot of information and goodies from different school districts. I also decided to be even more professional, I need to invest myself into a cute black blazer with matching dress pants. Anyone have ideas of where I can go to get one?

March 15

With the warm change in weather, someone is getting a little more active. I decided to reward him a little by getting a pen to put outside for him to run around in. Getting him out to the pen made him a little nervous, but once he was inside, he flipped....

...I think he was pretty happy...

He was running circles...literally.

I think he used so much energy that he wore himself out once I put him back in his cage.

Moving?

Our next door neighbor is moving out in a week and has offered us the apartment. It's has two bedrooms, one bathroom, large kitchen and a decent sized living room. Which is so much more than what we really have--if you've seen our apartment, you know what I mean. Our landlord says we can move into it but we'll have to adjust our contract which isn't too big of a deal. If we can get this place, we'll be able to actually have guests over with room to move about--I'm super excited for that aspect! So keep your fingers crossed for us!

Jonathan is #1!

On Saturday, March 3rd, our youngest nephew, Jonathan, turned 1 this last week. To celebrate, we put on our gear and drove down to his home field in Lehi where we were greeted by our other team members. Oh man, was it a celebration! 

Everyone warmed up their ball handling skills before it was show time!

 Soccer player Shaely

Everyone got their game on

 Half-time started to look delicious!

 Assistant Coach Warburton with our MVP

 Batter up Birthday boy!

Lots of laughter and good conversation filled the room while we dined into our half-time lunch. Before we knew it, it was game time! 

 Head coaches: Seth and Brittney pep talk the star player

 Here comes the pitch...

 It's outta here!

 HOME RUN! ;)

Assistant Coaches: Warburton and Warburton

 Shooting guard Nate, Assistant Coach Roberts and Assistant Coach Warburton go over some game strategies in our team meeting

He's #1!!!!

 Basketball player against the All-Star Scotty
Who will win in this head to head competition?

 Scott seeks assistance from soccer player Cecily.
Nate is taken down!

 On to the next event: gift opening.
Looks like our MVP is getting help from the team. What a team player!!

 After quite the event, we celebrated with good old-fashioned ice cream and delicious baseball cake balls. All of the younger team players got a gift bagie to take home along with a balloon. 

It was a fun celebration with family and I hope to see more of these as we grow together.

 

I had to put this picture in of Nate helping Shaely. I can't wait for Nate to be a dad. To see him with our little ones and being their best friend. It will be quite the joyous experience. 

Next block is up...

I finished my first block with my 1st grade class and now I'm in my second block with my 4th grade class. The end is near! Halfway into my student teaching, I find myself uncoordinated in a new classroom. Granted it is only day 3 in the class. It's a huge change! Environment, communication, management, etc. I'm back to square one with this new class and hope to learn more about effective teaching. I want to keep my eyes and mind open to what I can learn from my CT. My goal is to connect with these students as much or more than the last class I worked with. If you have any tips, I'm all ears.

                   1st grade class called me: Mrs. W and Teacher

                   4th grade class calls me: Mrs. Warburton, Ms. Beach and Miss (sometimes)

I'm happy that my students can at least pronounce or try to pronounce Warburton this time round. Hah, they keep seeing my name tag which has yet to be changed to my married name so they call me Mrs. Beach as well. Kinda funny don't you think? Each developmental stage is different than the next in each grade level---crazy business. I'm hoping to adjust.

I'm going to miss my older brother's 6 yr old look-a-like too. It was fun to see Mike in him everyday.

If you don't believe that he looks like Mike, just ask Nate. He completely agrees! It's a bit creepy.