No name yet, so I just call her my sweet baby.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Fast forward review of the past 6 months
August 2011:
I was in Ecuador. Ian's 9th birthday. Brooklyn's 11th birthday. Aaron is super-dad. I came home, and went back to work 10 hours later.
September:
School. Working at school. Field trips with school. I studied for a big teaching certification test.
October:
Youth Ambassadors for Ecuador visit Boise for 3 weeks, and I'm in charge.
November:
December:
I PASSED my test!
(HOORAY! Now I can teach any subject K-8th grade. AND now I can have a life again!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Once upon a time...
I had a blog.
I had good intentions.
I had a lot to say; too much.
I didn't know where to start.
I was too far behind.
I am back.
I had good intentions.
I had a lot to say; too much.
I didn't know where to start.
I was too far behind.
I am back.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Monday, July 18 I fly out to Washington DC filling my new role as a US Youth Ambassador Mentor. I'm not sure what access to the internet I'll have there, but for now I will post my pre-adventure feelings.
1. Uneasy about leaving my family. I am SO BLESSED to have the best husband and mom to hold down my normal responsibilities for the weeks I'm gone. I know they will all be fine. However, I might be a huge blubbering mess leaving them. I prefer to say I will be gone for 4 weeks rather than a month. It is easier on my heart.
2. Excited to see Washington DC as an Ambassador Mentor. I've been there before, but never with the kind of access to the embassy and service projects we will have this time.
3. ECUADOR! I get to return to South America. It has been 14 years since I was in a Spanish speaking country. TOO LONG considering being a Spanish teacher is my livelihood now. I will be in Quito most of the time, with a few days in the Amazonian region, as well as a day or two in an indigenous region. I will stay with host families, and visit children's homes and an orphanage. We will do some service projects down there, as well as spend time touring and getting to know more about the country in general. AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, right!?!
I have the same feelings I've had before every big thing I've done in my life. (college, mission, marriage, having babies, new jobs, etc.) I guess that is a good sign. Hopefully I will be able to post while I'm gone (I'll be on facebook occasionally at the least), but if not...nos vemos en agosto.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Preparing
It is summer and it's a good time to be a teacher. Things are much quieter with only 3 kids instead of 150. I am always amazed with my ability to fill the 40 hours a week I usually spend teaching without much effort. I do admit I'm sleeping in with my little family, and not needing to be anywhere, or pack 4 lunches a day are truly heaven.
The kids are are exactly that; kids. I've run out of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. We have yet to enter the teen years, so we are in a utopia of childhood right now in the Williamsfam5. Days are full of camps - so far they've attended Masters of Illusions (aka magic camp) and soccer camp for the boys, and currently Brooklyn is away for the week at YMCA residence camp. (sniff from mom) We swim, play on the trampoline and I'm constantly acting as the "screen time" police, encouraging the boys to put down the ipod touch and play outside. We've eaten a steady stream of snowcones and slushies. Living one block from them is just too tempting. We really do live in the best part of Boise for Summer Time fun.
My feelings are torn now though as I prepare for one of the biggest adventures I'm sure I'll ever be a part of. In two weeks I leave my little family for 4 weeks to be a US Youth Ambassador Mentor for the US Department of State. I'll be in Washington DC for a week and then we are off to Ecuador for 3 weeks! You can check out this link if you are interested in more info: www.partners.net/partners/Youth_Ambassadors.asp?SnID=778093593
I'll try to blog while I'm there. I'm hoping my new ipad2 will be here by then. Keep in touch and watch my adventures. Hopefully I'll be ok so far from my favorite people on the planet.
The kids are are exactly that; kids. I've run out of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. We have yet to enter the teen years, so we are in a utopia of childhood right now in the Williamsfam5. Days are full of camps - so far they've attended Masters of Illusions (aka magic camp) and soccer camp for the boys, and currently Brooklyn is away for the week at YMCA residence camp. (sniff from mom) We swim, play on the trampoline and I'm constantly acting as the "screen time" police, encouraging the boys to put down the ipod touch and play outside. We've eaten a steady stream of snowcones and slushies. Living one block from them is just too tempting. We really do live in the best part of Boise for Summer Time fun.
My feelings are torn now though as I prepare for one of the biggest adventures I'm sure I'll ever be a part of. In two weeks I leave my little family for 4 weeks to be a US Youth Ambassador Mentor for the US Department of State. I'll be in Washington DC for a week and then we are off to Ecuador for 3 weeks! You can check out this link if you are interested in more info: www.partners.net/partners/Youth_Ambassadors.asp?SnID=778093593
I'll try to blog while I'm there. I'm hoping my new ipad2 will be here by then. Keep in touch and watch my adventures. Hopefully I'll be ok so far from my favorite people on the planet.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Best Ice Cream Ever!
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, SeattleVisiting my childhood friends has its perks! Ice cream everyday!
Flavors this week:
Balsamic Strawberry
Salted Carmel
Sasquatch - Granola, Chocolate Chunks, Carmel in Chocolate Ice Cream
Girl Scout Mint
What flavor should I try tomorrow? http://www.mollymoonicecream.com/
Good thing this trip is only 5 days long. I might be 200 pounds soon otherwise.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Catching Up - Spring 2011
I've been consistently cold, or on the chilly side of moderate all Spring. Boise has left a lot to be desired as far as lovely spring days are concerned, but we've had fun with Easter and Spring events nonetheless. (Is that one word?)
The Springtime Summary:
EASTER = Cute kids aka too many cute pics to post
Each class goes on a trip to different places each spring. As a teacher, I have attended 3 of the 5 trips Foothills School has taken this season.
Trip 1: 6th-8th grades - Olympic National Park, Washington
AMAZING scenery, ok weather, fuzzy trees, non-intentional Twilight Tour to Forks, and the Quilute Nation
Trip 2: 4th-5th grades - Oregon Coast, Newport
Brooklyn's class! It's always fun to be both the teacher AND the mom. (Yes, I am serious. I realize 'tone' can be misinterpreted.) Again, there are too many pics to choose from. Should I post the tide pools, the ocean boat ride or Brooklyn dissecting a squid at OSU?
ok I can't decide
I have some pretty amazing pictures of sea life both from the ocean and the aquarium in Newport, but we'll move on to the next trip.
Trip 3: Kindergarten-1st graders - Horsetheif YMCA Camp, (near Cascade, ID)
Lucas' class! We stay closer to home with the little guys and the trip is only 2 nights, rather than a full week. It was eventful, including a trip with Lucas to the Cascade Emergency Room the first night there. He was knocked over by a falling classmate in an intense game of freeze tag on an asphalt playground. I am happy to report that it was a Williamsfam5 first! Pretty good record for having kids for almost 11 years now, it was my first trip to the ER with one of them. He had a small laceration on the back of his head and we could have opted for 1 staple. However, we decided the trauma of getting the staple would not out weigh the benefit. We walked out of there with a freshly scrubbed head and 2 glow sticks.
The rest of the trip was full of rock climbing, art projects, ropes course and campfires.
That was all the traveling for me. But Ian's class went on a trip that I didn't attend. As a faculty member I don't choose which trips to take, I just go where they send me. Ian took his 1st trip without a parent and did just fine on his own. He is really growing up! Since I wasn't there, I don't have many pictures to choose from, but I'll talk with him and we can post one of his favorite shots later.
Besides traveling, the kids did a fantastic Spring Music Performance, all based around Broadway musicals.
We found out Ian is a ham:
Brooklyn is fancy in stage make-up:
Lucas is the cutest Lion King ever:
HAPPY SPRING and now we're off to a busy summer...
The Springtime Summary:
EASTER = Cute kids aka too many cute pics to post
Each class goes on a trip to different places each spring. As a teacher, I have attended 3 of the 5 trips Foothills School has taken this season.
Trip 1: 6th-8th grades - Olympic National Park, Washington
AMAZING scenery, ok weather, fuzzy trees, non-intentional Twilight Tour to Forks, and the Quilute Nation
Trip 2: 4th-5th grades - Oregon Coast, NewportBrooklyn's class! It's always fun to be both the teacher AND the mom. (Yes, I am serious. I realize 'tone' can be misinterpreted.) Again, there are too many pics to choose from. Should I post the tide pools, the ocean boat ride or Brooklyn dissecting a squid at OSU?
ok I can't decide
I have some pretty amazing pictures of sea life both from the ocean and the aquarium in Newport, but we'll move on to the next trip.Trip 3: Kindergarten-1st graders - Horsetheif YMCA Camp, (near Cascade, ID)
Lucas' class! We stay closer to home with the little guys and the trip is only 2 nights, rather than a full week. It was eventful, including a trip with Lucas to the Cascade Emergency Room the first night there. He was knocked over by a falling classmate in an intense game of freeze tag on an asphalt playground. I am happy to report that it was a Williamsfam5 first! Pretty good record for having kids for almost 11 years now, it was my first trip to the ER with one of them. He had a small laceration on the back of his head and we could have opted for 1 staple. However, we decided the trauma of getting the staple would not out weigh the benefit. We walked out of there with a freshly scrubbed head and 2 glow sticks.
The rest of the trip was full of rock climbing, art projects, ropes course and campfires.
That was all the traveling for me. But Ian's class went on a trip that I didn't attend. As a faculty member I don't choose which trips to take, I just go where they send me. Ian took his 1st trip without a parent and did just fine on his own. He is really growing up! Since I wasn't there, I don't have many pictures to choose from, but I'll talk with him and we can post one of his favorite shots later.Besides traveling, the kids did a fantastic Spring Music Performance, all based around Broadway musicals.
We found out Ian is a ham:
Brooklyn is fancy in stage make-up:
Lucas is the cutest Lion King ever:
HAPPY SPRING and now we're off to a busy summer...
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