byu preschool

This semester has been so wonderful. I have had so many new experiences. I am so sad that it's taken me this long to finally be excited about college, my classes, my career paths, and to find the byu preschool. I have LOVED the preschool. I decided to take this class (it's a practicum class but a class you take before you do your student teaching) not because I am an early childhood education major (tried to double major but byu wanted me outta there.. sorta mad about that), but because I wonder if I'd ever want to work in a preschool someday so thought this would give me a pretty good idea. Apparently, in other states, you don't need a license to teach preschool... you just do it. (Scary. Especially after what I have witnessed and learned about how intentional teachers need to be).

So far,  I want to take 3 of the kids home. Surprisingly, 2 are boys, and only 1 is a girl. I have spent 12 hours a week there and even more hours thinking about it. Well this class ends at the block, so Monday will be my last day.  I didn't anticipate how attached I would be. The past week, I have been feeling super sad about it. I don't know how teachers are able to say goodbye to their students year after year.  I don't want it to end. (Although I am really excited to have 12+ hours back every week so I can get more than 5 hours of sleep every night and start my French homework before 11:00pm). I've dreamt about the 2 little boys I love, I dreamt my last day came earlier than anticipated and I didn't get to say goodbye, and I dreamt I cried on my last day. Sad thing is I really think I'm going to. I want to stay to see this kids progress the whole year. I'm dreading Monday.

What I've learned:
I've learned that working with children takes so much intentionality and thought. Honestly, people think you just play with them. Not at all. I think about every word I say. Teaching is scary business and even though I'm getting more comfortable, I miss so many teaching "moments" and opportunities.  I still say the wrong things and realize what I could have done better.  It's amazing to me what a difference a teacher can make.  There are so many times the children need to have teacher-guided instruction.

Children are so unique. They all need different instruction and knowing their individual differences really makes a difference in how you teach them.

I can do it. I can teach and be intentional.

The preschool is so much fun.

This is the center I created for Monday, in hopes that one of my favorite little boys who loves any small manipulative will come to my center and play with me one last time. We have road signs the children will be learning about and different cars they can play with. I'll teach about the one way road (in the middle) and traffic flow (one lane going one way, the other going the opposite direction). We have a gas station we'll put by the parking spots too. I can't wait. Hopefully I can read his favorite dinosaur book to him at the end of the day! :)

i'm gonna miss this.

first sundee dinner

yup.
i did it.
i made my first Sundee dinner.
i may have added 10 cups of potato water to the gravy instead of 2...
but i added thousands of cubes of beef broth and it ended up tasting ok.
i'm pretty proud of myself because this means that there is hope!!!
someday i will be a good cook!
i can do it!
natalie said it best on Sunday in RS when she said our mom was a tough act to follow.
it's like every day i feel like there's no way i'll ever be the mother/homemaker she is.
but i remember her advice to take only one day at a time
because if you look at what you'll accomplish in a lifetime,
it will seem overwhelming.
to you, mom.

for being the best at everything.
and showing me who i should be
and who i can become.
i love you.
may my gravy taste like yours.
i accept the challenge.

since we've been gone

(I am happy to say that) I can breathe for the first time (not really for the first time I just had to continue the song).

But I was a little nervous about living in Philadelphia for the summer because I have never lived outside of Utah and the longest I've been away was for a 2 week Church and American history tour in 2008.
As a chick who's big into my family and not really excited about change, I was worried about how everything would play out.
Now, I don't want to leave.
I am loving the change and having a blast out here.

For those who don't know, we came to Philadelphia to live with Jeff's brother Mike and his wife Jenny and their two kids while Jeff works on medical research with an amazing doctor at a Shriners Hospital. Jeff goes Mon-Thurs 7:30am-about 4:00 pm. They are working on some great papers about scoliosis.

What am I doing here? Well, I wish I could say a ton, but I'm really not. I volunteer on Tuesdays for 2 hours and play with the children at Shriners.  Shriners is strictly a children's hospital. They give free healthcare to anyone.  It is an incredible organization, one that I got to know during an annual benefit concert The Dance Club did for the Shriners in Salt Lake City. Lucky for me and my child based career options, this will help me with future jobs. On Thursdays, I help with admitting patients to the hospital on the first floor for about 7 hours.

Other than that, you could say I've watched some new TV "progrums" such as The Bachelorette and LOST, while keeping up with SYTYCD. But my favorite part about this summer (besides volunteering) is that I get to play with my niece Ada (6)

and my nephew Simon (3)

every day.  It's amazing how much you learn about children when you live with them and how quickly you grow to love everything about them.  Daily, we play Uno, Old Maid (Simon steals it when he finds it and keeps it. Not really a point in continuing the game after that), Go Fish, Crazy Eights, CandyLand, Connect 4, Guess Who, Chutes and Ladders, Dominoes, and Spit.  We watch movies, play games on my phone, look at pictures on my phone and computer, go to the park (it's just around the corner.. amazing), and do the hokey pokey. 

Ada is crazy for games - my kind of girl -  and Simon has a fear of heights - just like me. 

Here's what I've learned while in Philadelphia so far:
I'm not as nervous to leave for medical school in 2 years.
I love the east coast.
I love Rita's (water ice).

Philadelphia's water tastes like DIRT. It's terrible and bottled water must be purchased.
I can go places alone.
I love the game Sequence.

I hate humidity. It brings mildew smelling towels.
I love me a desk job.
I can cook some things... just not chicken (go figure). But I can make Sundee dinner.

I can't think of things to do to fill my time.
Seeing The Mormon Tabernacle Choir in concert is an amazing (& spiritual) experience!

Lunch is my least favorite meal of the day.
I now love exploring new places. New neighborhoods, new malls, new parts of town, new CITIES!
I love hydrangea bushes.

People in Philadelphia are gracious, caring, and overly sweet to strangers (in the good parts that is).
My allergies hate it here.
I love Simply Lemonade with raspberries.

I'm not very creative but I CAN try.
I miss green grass that doesn't hurt to sit on and you're not afraid to take your shoes off on.
I can figure out the times and where to go for the bus and subway (after Jeff has already showed me;).

Greyhound Express bus is the most amazing thing ever. $1 tickets to NYC and back. $4 round trip for both Jeff and me. Not bad. Costs us more to get to the bus station.
I love and miss Evie too much so I have to Skype with her often.

I love raspberry yogurt with fresh bananas, blueberries, and strawberries.
I will get fat in a hot and humid place. No desire to exercise outside!
I don't want to leave ada and simon. I am going to miss these munchkins! I hope they remember me and the fun summer we had as they grow up.

and... I love this guy

I love cooking/baking with him.

I love traveling with him.

I love shopping with him (he's a sport and really enjoys interior design stores! Especially when they have these really soft chairs. Jeff goes for anything soft),

 It's been a great and memorable summer so far.

the lardybug

the knot

our wedding forks featured on the knot's blog here.
thanks to nat and nic for giving them to us.
We loved them!

photos by nicole

crazy brilliant man

So Jeff took the MCAT today...

He has studied 12+ hour days for the last month,

taken 15 practice MCATs, 

add his focus and determination in there,

I'm SURE he rocked it.

After dinner tonight, I found him on his phone writing on some "paint" app.

He was writing out a molecular formula...

 He's brilliant

and so cute.

D-LAND!

Leaving Jeff for what he calls "D-Land" was pretty hard.

I felt guilty the whole time!

While I was having the happiest of days in the happiest place,

he was slaving away at the library studying.

Poor guy.

I do have to admit,

my Dad's "Magic Kingdom 60th Birthday" party was a ball.

And you better bet my Dad made a written out itinerary

that was emailed out 2 weeks before the trip! 

I started out the 6 am flight in style and definitely ready for the park

I may have tricked everyone into going on the Grizzly River Run

by telling them that "you really don't get wet at all."

Mom and Nat had no idea what they were in for...

This is Ali getting SOAKED!

 While everyone got wet, I didn't get a drop (naturally)

Dad got us reserved seats for World of Color!

Along with a wonderful dinner before at Ariel's Grotto

(note the edible chocolate dessert)

 Beautiful show! Completely unreal!

 The birthday boy surrounded in fish.

Where's Adam?

 Of course we rode the Alice's teacups. But I have never spun so fast.

If you want a wild ride, go with Adam.

He has Lithuanian muscles.

Although I was born with a terrible fear of heights,

I finally got over it (probably 2 years ago;) 

But Tower of Terror is still the only ride that makes me completely terrified for my life.

Sadly, I'm no actress in this picture.

 We missed Jeff.  So we all posed with the crazy face he always does.

Adam missed the first trip to Grizzly... I tricked him into going on it too.

He came off showing everyone his wetness and yelling,

"MY CROTCH IS SOAKED!"

 Indiana Jones

I can't believe Dad surprised us with these the night before HIS birthday. 

I am in love with this watch. 

Dad has such great taste.

The trip was magical. 

More than that, it was a blessing.

I am so lucky I was able to spend 14 hour days in the park with my Dad.

That's the way it should be.