the dental care

Have you ever had a toothache for 9 days?
Have you ever tried to teach, coach, run, and be a human all while enduring a toothache?
Have you ever come up with a strategic way to drink water so that it only falls on one side of your mouth so that you don't have to experience a jolting pain up through the nerves of your tooth?


The last 9 days have been a struggle due to a toothache that won't seem to leave.

I don't usually write about such menial topics but dental care is huge in my world. 


 If you have been a family member, friend, roommate, or dentist of mine than you know that dental care is not my strong suit.  Each year there is always some major tooth issue. 


Here are my dental highlights


1. fell on my face as a toddler-baby teeth pushed into my gums-teeth came back discolored


2. reptile teeth as a teenager-weird teeth in weird places (I could attach a straw to the lone ranger tooth at the top of my mouth)


3. wisdom teeth removed-normal but notable


4. braces for 4 years-I entered my university career sporting metal


5. dead nerves in some teeth that caused great pain when traveling through high altitudes-especially airplanes


6. the worst one...an abscessed tooth that was so out of control that the infection had begun to spread through my bloodstream. think fever. SKETCH. 


7.  eating a piece of bread and cracking a tooth-crown


8. current toothache-ongoing mystery as to cause


There is a bright spot amongst all this gloom.  Jason has been singing "Dental Care" for the past 9 days.  That's an Owl City reference. 

Cheers

the announcement

I have an announcement to make...

I just applied for graduate school at ASU!

This has been my dream for a very long time.  

I have applied for the Educational Leadership-School Administration Masters program.

I am living my dream right now.

the birthday brownies

Happy Birthday Bappy!

You see that luminescent glow in a square pan?  That is a pan full of brownies with 65 candles.  

Bappy had assistance from the T's on this one. 

the 200 mile Ragnar Del Sol Race

Ragnar Del Sol--Wickenburg to Phoenix
12 runners-run all day//all night

The 200 miles covered some of the most beautiful parts of the Arizona desert. 

The start line.  See me on the right hand side...pink shirt/headband/long legs

Vans, giant cacti, and runners-that sums up my weekend

20 miles into the race...our smiles hadn't faded yet

Here's the beef. I was out for blood.  If you read my running blog than you know this.  I had something to prove with this race.  I did just that.  I ran 7:30 miles for all of my legs.  My splits show that I had several 7:00 minute miles.  In my little world of running, that's not too shabby.  This race was a true test of endurance.  You run at weird times of day with no sleep.  This race is all that I needed.  My spirits are up and I am ready for the next big huge thing. 
Yee'go for you runners and Cheers for you Kiwis!

the bench

We are currently trying to establish our bench at church.  

Today we took a gamble and sat stage left.  Mistake.  We sat in a bench that had been claimed years ago by another family.  I know this only because I saw the look of shock on the dad's face as he had to scan the room and sit somewhere else for the first time in possibly 19 years.  Sorry fellow ward member. 

We tried the back row and the easy access row by the door.  None were right.  For now, we are still trying to get our bench.  I commented to Jason that we need to try stage right next week. I have a good feeling about this.  

by the way-we moved.  We are house-sitting for a senior missionary couple.  We now live in The Boonies, Arizona.  Sunsets, sunrises, dirt, more dirt, sky, tumbleweeds, and quiet--that's us.  

Cheers

the bricks

What did you do on Saturday?  We found a pile of old bricks and built a fort.  It has a look-out tower (see Talan peeking through a window).  There are 2 rooms connected by a circle-thing that does not yet have a purpose.  See that huge mountain behind the fort?  We hiked that too. 

Can you top that?

the paper grading lesson

Grading papers is often no more than assessing whether learning objectives were met or not for each and every student.  It can be long, tiring, and boring at times. 

  I ventured to grade 150 personal narratives that were all 3 pages in length.  Do the math.  That is a lot of behind the scenes time for one assignment.  By the time I got through 1st period I realized that this grading venture would be different.

The assignment was to write a personal narrative explaining a lesson learned or a way you changed through an event in your life. 

This week I was the student and not the teacher.

The hours I have spent grading these papers have left me with admiration, respect, and questions for my students. 

From this assignment I have learned the following:

• Navajo families roll their newborn babies in snow during the first winter storm.  The act will devleop bravery and courage in the young baby that will last a lifetime.
• The death of a young baseball player in Winslow has affected all of his classmates.  They have matured greatly and have not forgotten him one bit.  The accident happened almost a year ago, and his close friends in my classes still write about how it affects them.
• Divorce has to be one of the most ugly things a child can go through.  Hearing the point of view from a child has been tear jerking and downright difficult. 
• Sheep herding in the Navajo tradition is a meaningful way to learn respect for elders and experience the true meaning of hard work. 
• Sports are a sure-fire way for young people to find themselves.
• The birth of a sibling has surely affected my students.  Some said it was positive and others have admitted to having a hard time adjusting.
• Adoption has saved the life of one of my students.  I literally cried when I read this paper.
• Foster care has rescued several of my student swho went through physical abuse from parents, death of parents, and abadonment. 
• Jail time has taught several of my students a permanent lesson about breaking rules.  I admit it caught me off guard to read about drug, robbery, and alcohol abuse coming from the mouths of a few 14-year olds. 

I mention all of this only because it reminded me that I am in a unique position to mentor, support, teach, and lead these students.  Many students opened up in a way that I wasn't expecting.  I feel that it is as much my job to mentor and lift up as it is to teach writing, grammar, and vocabulary.  I am also reminded that the sometimes gloomy job of grading papers needs to be carried out with the utmost care.  After all, I may play some small part to help them.  I can only hope. 

the daily dose 2

because dirt and sky are equally impressive though vastly different

the daily dose

because this never ever fails to amaze

the carlsbad marathon synopsis

Where do I even start? 

It all began last summer when I was reunited with my sister.  You see, I was fresh off of an amazing 2nd marathon.  We settled on Carlsbad with really no contest.  From the get go we knew it would be good.  a) ocean views on the course b) perfect "winter" race c) far enough to be away but close enough to only take up a weekend

After we organized the Winslow 10K race we immediately began the 16 week training plan for our marathon.  Most weeks were great.  My past posts on the matter can confirm this.  But--some weeks were hard.  Sometimes I was sick.  Sometimes Kimmy's IT band gave out way too early.  Other days we went out to run in ridiculously low temperatures and poor running conditions.  All in all, it made us stronger.  We were ready.  We never skimped out on a workout.

Now fast forward to the events of yesterday and the day before.

pre race feelings

I was so confident about my performance that I was hardly nervous.  My only thoughts were of just how fast I would be.  Everything was going in my favor.  Mentally and physically I felt like I was absolutely ready.  I realize that I did make a rookie mistake though.  I kept lowering my goal time.  At first I just wanted to beat my previous race time.   Then it was beat it by 5 minutes.   About 2 weeks before the race I started realizing that I was not too far off from a Boston time.  I had 11 minutes to shave from my time.  In running---that is alot of time.  Nevertheless, I wanted to see if I could do it.  

night sleep

I slept like a precious little baby.  We defintely rested well the day and night before.  I can give myself props for pre race rest. 

start line

start line

The start line was well organized but not scenic.  A mall parking lot actually.

The sun hadn't yet come up.  I found it a bit comical to see a bunch of Type-A runners standing around in daisy dukes at 5 am in 40 degree weather.  The things we do to run a race. 

sunset along coast

May I describe the most pleasant, inspiring, motivational, and exciting part of the race?   Miles 2-7 featured the absolutely stunning coastal route along the historic 101 in Carlsbad.  Picture the sunset slowly stretching its rays above the blue-gray horizon that is the Pacific Ocean.  At this point I confirmed that our race choice was excellent.  At this point I also pushed pause on the tunes and took in the crashing waves while soaking up the feeling of still feeling fresh in the first half.

hilly section

Miles 6-8 were detailed as hilly.  I must say I would have to disagree.  They were nothing more than city streets with an abrupt incline.  After mile 8 I started realizing that I was seriously cruising.  Somewhere around this time I thought I should check my pace but I was too scared because I knew it was faster than it should be.  I didn't check.  First mistake of the day. 

(I checked later....the pace was 7:45)  That's way fast for a marathon.  no joke.

animal shelter mile 10

I hated this part.  It was obvious that the organizers were just trying to find an easy stretch to get us out to mile 10.  ugly, boring, and hard to follow after the beautiful ocean sunset stretch in the beginning.  The only good part about this section was that the u-turn allowed for you to see who was behind you and how far away they were from you.  I was desperately looking for my sister.  I knew she was behind but I wasn't sure where.  My worst fear was that she had to drop out due to her injury.  If I didn't see her at mile 10 I don't know if I would have kept running.  --mini panic attack-- and all of sudden there she was.  Happy as can be.  We high-fived and I resumed my maniac pace with no pain of any kind. 

still ahead of 330 pace group

At this point I am on fire.  I am totally rocking my pace.   Far ahead of the 3:30 pace group which was not what I had planned on doing.  BUT it felt good and the pace didn't feel too fast for me.  I did get some cramping which I accredit to the cold water and ultima intake along the way.  I couldn't get my fluid intake right.  I always wanted to drink more but got instant cramps when I even simped any fluid.  It was a major frustration for pretty much the whole race.

back to the beach

By mile 12 we were finally back where we should have been the whole time.  As in the beach route.  I didn't fly to California to run next to animal shelters.  By this mile it had warmed up and we enjoyed a perfect California sunny day. 

mile 13

we took one last annoying u-turn on a street called Avenida Encinitas.  This u-turn was tough for me.  I experienced my first preview of fatigue.  I was happy to hit the 1/2 way mark but I was not so peppy anymore.  I was turning into a robot who just kept going.  nothing to get too worried about, but definitely a sign to start monitoring my body.

headband

now for a slight interruption to comment on the best purchase of the race.  the headband.  I chose a patriotic rendition of flowers.  Not only did it cover my ears but it protected my headphones and kept my hair out of my face.  excellent. 

I am afraid that this is where the race took a turn for the worst. 

death miles of 13-21

From miles 13-21 I was out of my groove.  Still running my strong sub-8 pace but doing it in not so good of a spirit.  By mile 18 I was pretty much grouchy.  I wanted to know when the heck we were going to turn around for good and head towards the finish line.  The beach scenes were great but even those weren't helping me at this point.  I started getting a headache.  I actually had to turn down my tunes because they were making my headache worse.  I know, I know this is a bad sign.  I had another sister sighting at mile 19.  She asked how I was doing and I said "great" which was a lie.  I thought I could make myself believe that though.  I should add that she looked like a kid in a candy store.  I was impressed and mostly grateful that she was injury free.

the first taste of nauseous mixed with spinning ground and headache

at mile 20 I started seeing the ground spinning from side to side as if we were out on the ocean getting slopped around by the waves.  it was almost entertaining in my fatigued and delirious state.  I think I could have gotten through it but the spinning mixed with the headache and the most unusual feeling of nauseousness was getting to me big time.  my body surprisingly felt great.  no feet, ankle. or leg pain whatsoever. 

the crazy thought

between mile 20 and 21 I started playing out a scenario.  What if I just let my body drop to the ground?  Would it roll?  Would an ambulance come?  How long would it take them to come pick me up?  Would they let me cross the finish line on a stretcher?  I am not kidding.  I debated these ridiculous ideas through 20 and 21.  There were moments when I almost let myself drop to the ground.  I guess it is a red flag when you actually think dropping to the ground is a better idea than to keep running.  So now I am dealing with the spinning, the headache, the fatigue, the thirst, the crazy thought, and every other part of my body that was screaming to stop right now. 

 

mile 21

at mile 21 the gas tank ran out.  I hate typing this.  I hate thinking about it. I slowed the engine down to a jog and eventually to a walk.  I hate that.  I am shaking my head as I type this.  It kills me more than you will ever understand.  My eyes teared up and I felt like the biggest loser.  I immediatley thought how I had just lost my dream time.  It was hard to come to terms with that realization.  I "walked" it out.  Whatever that means. I said 997 prayers, relied on the cheering of those on the sideline, and the sheer will power of the thousands of runners on either side of me. 

from a physiological perspective my body literally ran out of gas.  as in glycogen index completely and utterly depleted. more on that later.

mile 22

at mile 22 I began to run again.  much to my surprise it was easier to run than it was to walk.  that was a precious little gem from heaven for me.  I painfully ran.   I say that because now it was painful.  My legs ached, my arms were stiff-you know, the usual marathon symptoms. No surprise there.  That stuff is easy to deal with though.  I was now carrying a burden on my back. The burden of guilt.  I felt so incredibly guilty for running out of gas at 21.  How could I?  I felt like I had deceived myself.  The crowds were so incredibly helpful though.  They cheered me by name.  My bib stated my first name and they must have seen that I really needed some cheering.  The bands were neat too. 

mile 23

at mile 23 I realized that there was light at the end of the tunnel.  it wasn't pretty but I kept going.  I was thirsty and depleted in such a bad way.  water wasn't helping, otter pops didn't help, I didn't even bother trying with the oranges or pretzels.  struggle, struggle, struggle.  and 2 more blows to my already wounded pride...the 3:30 and 3:45 pacers were now out of sight from me.  that was really hard to accept.

mile 24

pretty much the same as mile 23. hard in the worst way but a little more light at the tunnel.

mile 25

at mile 25 I finally picked it up.  I was sick of the middle-aged half-marathoners who were mostly blocking the course and not really doing much more.  I started darting and dashing through them with the promise of a finish oh, so close.  the thing that got me at a "sprint" or "dash" to the finish was a band that yelled out 2 more corners as they strummed their guitars.  2 more corners and I would see the finish.  good enough for me.  I took the bait and went for it.  All out-well as much as I could give.

26.2 finish line

 I finished with a smile.  I did because it was hard.  I finished something that actually seemed impossible just a few miles before.  I was wounded but I still finished.  If Kimmy wasn't still out there I probably would have found some private place to cry it out and figure what the heck went wrong.  That's not what you do when you have a sister coming in.  I crossed 3:57. 

I heard her name over the loud speaker just 3 minutes after that.  I immediatley got to my feet and forgot my drama.  I thought her achievement was much more thought-worthy than my failure.  I was very impressed with her finish.  I can honestly say that my crappy race is acceptable only because she did so incredibly well.  I mean that whole-heartedly. 

What to do now?

3rd marathon...something to be proud of :)

Right now I am experiencing post-marathon blues.  I feel like I need a purpose fast before I dwell on this unexpected marathon drama.  I can tell you this much.....I am out for revenge.  Watch me run my next race. I promise you I will get revenge.   It is just the way it has to be.

The following things are in my back pocket

--organize another 10K for the spring

--start riding my bike to work/gym again when it warms up in a few weeks

--longer gym sessions (they are already ridiculous but now I can be as hard core as I want)

--Ragnar Del Sol 200 miles (March)

The diagnosis

I realize that I can't let my unexpected result overshadow the many positive things I experienced before, during, and after this race.  I ran a ridiculously strong pace from mile 1-21 (7:47 per mile) and can applaud myself for that.  However,  I need to consider that my training was not at a 7:47 pace.  Our long runs were close to 8:30 or 8:40.   I know I was capable of that pace during training but I always held back slightly because I was training with my sister.  I never felt comfortable running off at my own pace.  It was her first marathon and I needed to do my part to support and practice with her.  Plus, the pace was a good fast pace anyways.  I tried the faster pace during the real thing.  That was the problem.  Next time I can start week 1 training with a 7:45 pace and be ready to run that sub 3:30.  Shoot, a 3:40 would have me crying tears of joy.

I can say that I did run the race in the pace that I trained for.  It probably wasn't the pace I would have chosen if I was solo, but I wasn't and that's not important.

  I will end this whole thing on a good note.  I am so grateful that I am blessed with a body that can run and run and run.  I am grateful for a supportive husband who gives me the green light to race and run in an excessive way.  I loved running with my sister.  I always wondered what it would be like to have a running partner.  It is excellent.  I hope we do this for the rest of our lives.  And last but no least, I loved the beach.  How could I ever run a marathon without the beach right next to me??? 

3rd marathon in 3 years.  Cheers



for my baby Talan.  we owe you for this one. Jesserfon





the anticipation

after 13 weeks and 300 miles 

it is finally here.  

Carlsbad, Ca Marathon

objective 3:30* on my 3rd marathon

as I reflect on the past marathon I am reminding myself of the following

do's

power bar right before

drink or splash water on myself at every water station (without stopping duh)

consume gel shot at mile 13 and every 3 miles following

eat a lighter breakfast than last year

go to the bathroom 88 times before the race

visualize the race over and over tonight and the next 2 nights

soak up the ocean views along the race route

*a Boston qualifying time

the sunset that made me remember

Sometimes ordinary things remind you of just how extraordinary life is. 

Sometimes I go to work as the sun rises and come home as the sun is setting.  Most days I take a  glance or observation of the sunset, but nothing more.  For the past week my life has been filled with extraordinary sunsets.  It has been the kind of sunsets where you have the sudden urge to pull over and document that you actually saw something so spectacular.  On another occasion I drove off into the sunset after a perfectly boring Wal-Mart trip and suddenly felt overwhelmed with gratitude for living in place that produces such beauty on a boring, cold January day.    

It gets better. 

On a normal Monday at 3pm we decided to go to the Grand Canyon.  As in the Grand Canyon.   We're talking one of the natural wonders of the world, the place that people dream of seeing in person,  the place that people instantly associate with the USA, the place that is on bucket lists around the world.  That is where we casually decided to go on a Monday afternoon.  

We were cutting it close to sunset but good road conditions were in our favor and we arrived just in time to see a world-class sunset over the ridges, ledges, rocks, rivers, colors, sand, and canyons that make the Grand Canyon.  It was only a few precious minutes but it was enough for me to send up a little silent prayer in gratitude for seeing this wonder in person.  It was also enough time for me to remember many things.  If you ever wonder if Heavenly Father is really there, look out over a ledge at the Grand Canyon.  If that isn't proof than what is?

the normalcy

just a note to remind myself that normal life is more than just suitable and good. 


for the amount of changes of scenery, jobs, plans, and goals that we have seen in the past few years, I must say that I am perfectly happy, content, and satisfied in our current state of ducks in a row.  


sometimes I get ridiculously hungry for a brand new adventure.  once you have seen someone else's corner of the world it is terribly hard to rid the craving to see more of the world.  I scheme and dream about the next big move.  today, yesterday, and for awhile, I have found perfect satisfaction in the current normalcy. 


examples>>>  I think I am a good teacher.  That brings me so much happiness.  Think about it, I do this everyday.  I should be good at something I do everyday right?  Right.  I put my heart and soul into it actually.  You know the funny thing is that it shows.  


the normalcy of running really hard for the past 13 weeks is very close to paying off in a big way.  I run my 3rd marathon in 3 years in just 14 days.  I have big plans for a Boston qualifying time.  there were mornings when a 5 30 am run in 20 degree temperatures was not so exciting and appealing.  the background work always pays off though.  my sister and I will be flying to the sunny shores of Cali to run an ocean view marathon.  how cool is that?  we made it happen.  


is it weird that I sometimes drive down the main drag of my tiny home town and still smile about actually being here?  I really truly love where I am.  small towns rock my world.  you know this about me.  


my note today is love the normalcy.  it is cooler than you think. 


cheers

the year

2011


parted with New Zealand  // re-entered the classroom // learned to keep valuables out of the car // said goodbye to Nan with a proper Maori burial (perhaps the most influential event of 2011) // embraced America // ran a 2nd marathon // hiked a volcano // sun-bathed in Fiji // became a yoga regular // tasted the South // conquered Cedar Point // read 40 books // attended the temple 11 of 12 months // welcomed 2 new nephews in New Zealand // started feeling like a legit adult // organized a successful 10K race

“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find 

yourself there.” 

― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I cannot think of a better way to sum up 2011 for us.

Cheers

the only picture

Before I say anything may I just comment about how this picture may be the most awkwardly posed picture yet?    I should also add how this is the ONLY picture we took on Christmas.  Not too sure how that happened.  

Our winter Christmas did not disappoint.  I did my best to live up to all the traditions that make a winter Christmas as memorable as a summer Christmas.  I was thrilled to finally share all the Bratt traditions with Jason.

Highlights:

my sister and I completed a 20 mile run on Christmas Eve

finally got to attend the Bratt talent show with my hubbs

church on Christmas morning

buying a new car  

We hope we can be on the beach in New Zealand  next Christmas!

Cheers.

the day of Christmas Eve Eve

Today I am only thinking of what we are missing in New Zealand.  My heart is a little sad for Jason.  He is away from his family for the first time during the holidays.  


I am trying to live up this first holiday together so that he can see all the wonderful things about a winter Christmas.   Come on, America does not disappoint.


Merry Christmas to our whanau in New Zealand.  We miss you more than you know. 

the comment

Yes, I married someone from another country.  No, New Zealand is not located off the coast of Africa.  Yes, it is an actual marriage involving 2 people that are legitimately in love. 


A few days ago a person that I know genuinely well asked me if my husband was really from New Zealand.  Her question continued, does he actually live in America or is he just visiting?  Of course this is paraphrased, but this little dialogue had me feeling quite annoyed.  


You see, I didn't realize it but I have been keeping a little mental note of each ignorant comment I receive about this topic.  


I realize that marrying someone from another country is uncommon and that there are only 4 million kiwis in this world, so it is plausible to say that some people have absolutely no clue about what my life might actually be like.  



Can I just say that it is really annoying to be asked if Jason lives with me or just visits when he can.  


      

the finish line

Semester 1 done.  
I feel like I have made a complete transformation from the first week of school to the end of semester 1.  


At the beginning of the semester, I found myself in a mental fiasco to manage all things that are my life.  I could not seem to leave school at school and enjoy home time without thinking about the lesson plan for the upcoming week.  This conundrum had me overwhelmed, stressed, and pseudo-happy.  


Well friends, I have come a long way.  Not only am I managing my day, but I feel that I am doing a good job too.  I can say that I love my role.  I am happy to be doing what I set out to do after high school.  It is a grown-up accomplishment that makes me proud of myself.  


I think I have just made the immersion into teacher land.  -meaning that I now know how to suddenly turn around a lesson that has gone down the toilet.  I anticipate what questions will be asked and who will ask them.  I make small accommodations that will allow the ADHD kid to resume his work without being prompted, along with the too cool for school diva, and the I don't care about anything kid.  


Dynamics are everything in a classroom. I never knew that until now.  Sometimes it is all up to the class list.  The perfect mix can allow the most insubordinate kids the motivation to actually do something in school.  Who would have thought?


Definite Highs

• assurance from leadership that I am doing what I need to do
• feeling like I am made to be a teacher and that I am in the right place at the right time
• never-ending support from my Love, that means everything
• receiving a few thank-yous from students every once in a while
• seeing a particular gangster kid transform into a leader 

Definite Lows

• struggling hardcore at the beginning of the year
• getting cussed at by a few 12 year olds
• seeing too many CPS removals, attempted suicides, and bullying
• not giving myself enough credit for what goes right
• grammar--are these kids ever going to get it?

Goals for Semester 2

• more regular assessments
• continue finding creative outlets for major projects
• up the overall academic expectations
• finish the year with a smile on my face

Cheers

the view

Jason's take on the last 7 months of our USA life.

1.  What do you miss most about Aoteaora (family, food, and the ocean are understood)?

"the color green and clouds"

My whole life I have identified home with intense amounts of green, oceans and long thick clouds framing the scenery. Arizona is beautiful in its own right, but I miss the colour of home.

2.  What do you love most about America?

"the differences between seasons and the emphasis on holiday traditions"

Seeing Summer turn to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring and finally back to summer is a completely new experience for me. I have never lived in such extreme heat... And vice versa, I have never lived in such extreme cold.

3.  What do you hate about America?

"medical insurance"

I have never had to deal with insurance ahhh!!! Back home my healthcare has always been covered by the government. I never have to deal with co pays.

4.  What surprises you most about Americans?

"how no one travels overseas or holds a passport"

As someone from a small country, its almost a right of passage to go overseas. They call it the Big O.E. (Overseas Experience). So it was a little surprising for me when I discovered that almost no Americans hold a passport.

5.  What is your opinion on small-town America?

"it's small and slow but everyone is friendly"

I'm from a city and I love the convenience of having everything at my fingertips and not having to travel more than five minutes for anything I need. I don't have that here... Does it kill me? Yes... But having such good kind friends makes it easy to live in a small place

6.  What does New Zealand do better than America?

"healthcare/taxes"

I'm sorry but I have to say it... How many taxes do we have here in America? Back home one tax that covers everything... Much easier to think about and deal with... And healthcare??? Never a worry in the world I'm always covered for anything... I had a major surgery 2 years ago and never had to pay a cent... Good times.

7.  What was the most difficult transition to this USA life?

"being different and fitting in"

It is not so hard now... But being the only one who sounds like me in a strange place was hard. But it is getting easier... I don't really notice it so much now... Mostly I see some cultural differences that are not bad, just different. And sometimes feeling like a cockatoo in a cage being to say this or say that... Yeah sometimes it gets a little old.

the first snow

I think I am lucky.  Every holiday, thus far, has been filled with brand new traditions for either Jason or myself.  This year it is finally Jason's turn to experience a winter Christmas.  


I would like to consider myself a token expert on the typical kiwi summer Christmas now that I have lived it 3 years in a row.  I left my gloves, Christmas lights, and snowflake decorations in the USA and embraced the idea of boardshorts  and jandals to show Christmas spirit.  


This year I am nostalgically anticipating a possible White Christmas or Christmas Eve (please Santa).  Jason is excitedly (assumption made with that adverb) experiencing his first ever winter Christmas. 


Last night we hung the lights from the house.  Jason's kiwiness came through as he hung the lights barefoot and in shorts.  It made my heart happy to see him being his typical self, yet experiencing a winter Christmas.  


It really is hard to put into words.  The things that are so normal and American, like Thanksgiving and Christmas lights are totally new.  You have no idea how exciting it is to share a holiday tradition with someone when they have no prior experience with it.  That is our life.  


Today we both enjoyed a nice morning snowfall.  Jason had a billion questions and I happily answered them.  

the turkey day

Happy Thanksgiving

What more can I say?

Cheers

the essential

Short and sweet:  I am thankful for this.  

the land of humidifiers

We have had to place a humidifier in our bedroom.  I have never actually used a humidifier, even in the driest conditions.  However, Jason's skin and eyes are suffering big time in this arid and dry land.  His keratoconus is facing challenges he has never had to deal with in the land of rain, clouds, and humidity.  The eye that has not had a cornea transplant is struggling big time.  The dryness rubs it the wrong way-literally.  He is in constant pain in sunlight.  You will recall a similar complaint in a post I wrote in the dead of the hot summer.  


We are hoping that a humidifier will help add necessary moisture to the air so that Jason can restore his tolerance to his eye condition.  Jason has never even seen a humidifier before.  He had no clue how to work the thing or how to understand the concept of it.  I didn't have a clue either since I am immuned to dry and arid conditions.  


I am respectful of his need for a humidifier.  I remember when I started seeing rain come down in sheets for days on end.  I could see beads of water on the inside of our windows and walls due to the high levels of moisture in the air.  I constantly felt rain-soaked.  Locals suggested I buy a de-humidifier so that I could feel some dryness in my life.  That was a new concept for me.  A machine to take moisture out of the air???  


I come from the land of humidifiers and Jason comes from the land of de-humidifiers. Who would have thought?

Cheers

the kicks and giggles for the day

Just for kicks and giggles I would like to share 3 awkward things that have happened to me in the past several weeks. 


1.  a student asked if my hair color was real.  okay, I am aware of my roots.  one of these days I'll take care of my root problem.  it is yet another example of how very aware students are of your every move and daily appearance.  on this same note, a student asked me why there were so many red bumps on my face.  yes, I am aware of my adult acne challenge too.  thanks for the reminder to keep that under control.  


2.  a large crowd was gathering in the hall outside of my room and I assumed it was a fight.  as I approached the large crowd I saw the yellow rubbery item that had stopped everyone in their tracks.  lucky me got to pick it up in front of a large group of laughing middle schoolers to dispose of the rubber.  just part of my job.


3.  as I was scanning the aisles while students were doing independent work I accidentally got a butt tap.  a student had stretched out his hand and I walked by at the exact wrong time.  it was obvious enough that there were giggles but low-key enough that I could pretend I hadn't realized.  there are certain times in a teacher's life that you have to decide if it's better to pretend you hadn't seen it or be firm and straight faced to get them back on task.  In this case I went with pretending.  there were some awkward minutes to follow but we lived through it.  


Welcome to my life--I love it. 

the snapshots

                         Is this not beautiful?  Cold, hot, windy, sunny--Arizona is one of a kind.  

the compliment of the day

Since Jason and I have been married, we have made an effort to do 2 things:

1.  Give each other a compliment of the day.

2.  Share our favourite part of the day.  

At first I always asked, but Jason has fully taken on the gig and is usually the one to initiate the compliments.  I like this because it is a simple way to brighten his day.  We usually end up laughing since most of them are funny.  However, there is the occasional heart-touching compliment.  

I thought I would post my compliment/fav part of the day.  

Jason, I really appreciate the pancakes you made for me twice this week.  I was not even out of bed yet and you were already making pancakes from scratch.  Thank you. 

Favorite part of the day was definitely the mile pace my sister and I ran during our 10 miler today.  

Cheers  

the perfect Thursday

Today was the perfect day.  Nothing has gone wrong today.  


It all started with my pleasant symphonic alarm tone waking me up to run at 5:02am.  


By 5:28 we were ahead of schedule to hit the great outdoors for our usual Thursday morning run.  This was the first morning that the temperature had fallen below 40 degrees.  In my book that is grounds for being grouchy.  However, it did not deter us from our goal.  We ran 7 miles in the dark and in the cold as if we were champions.  I should also add that our pace was far above our target, especially in cold weather (enough about my running--I talk about that on the other blog).


The next perfect thing to happen was my dress for the day.  On game days we get to wear jeans.  Ask a teacher if you don't understand why this adds to someone's perfect day.


Additionally, my "worst" class was all over our current writing project.  The biggest gangsters in the class were eager to share ideas and ask questions about their writing.  That boggled my mind.  Sometimes you get it just right.  


I thought it was a freak incident and that I would not receive such positive work ethic from the remainder of 8th graders.  I am glad I was wrong.  This assignment has been my biggest hit this year.  I have never seen them work so hard at being creative and generating an original idea for a writing assignment.  Throughout the day I kept thinking how much I love what I do.  


Another element to my perfect day occurred in my 4th hour.  We are currently celebrating Red Ribbon Week.  It is our effort to promote drug free students.  We are working on a door poster for our room that has our original slogan for being drug free.  The students are working together and designing the poster on their own.  I was very nervous to introduce this activity to my students because many of them have clearly been introduced to the world of drugs.  I am glad to report that they are being mature and responsible about the poster.  


Here is the slogan they came up with:  "Have Swag-Don't Take a Drag"

It is legit.  


On these perfect days I reaffirm my passion, love, and commitment to teaching.  




My perfect day will end by making tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner.  I cannot think of a more appropriate meal for a perfect but cold day.