• I graduated from college in Dec 2010, and began teaching full time.
• I’m still teaching and we just went back to school on Thursday.  I think its crazy early to go back to school in July, however I do enjoy the kids.  It was great to see my 7th graders who are now 8th graders as well as meet the new 7th.  Also, a few new 9th graders stopped by which is always wonderful to see.
• I am doing the Couch 2 5k system (again), I’ve done this several times (so many I’ve lost count), but I’m trying to stay on track.  It is very challenging because I’m not a fan of running and running when it’s HOT is miserable.
• I can’t remember the last time I did any knitting.  I know this is super shocking, however I’m taking a break.  I’m a bit sad, but I still have everything, I’m just not motivated to knit at all.
• I have been sewing instead.  This summer I made an entire wardrobe for work.  It took quite a while, but I’m so proud of myself.  We have had 2 days of school and I’ve worn my outfits both days.
• The kids are doing great!  Drama queen is going into 8th grade :O,  Bubba is a 7th grader (and ironically taking Theater ), and The Boy is going into 4th grade.  I can’t believe how big they are, especially when I look at the picture here.
• We have a new dog.  Oliver was a sweet dog, however he was a bit crazy about cats (as in would try to eat them), and our neighborhood has a lot of cats.  He went to another family.  Our new dog followed the kids home from the park last year.  He’s super sweet and doesn’t try to eat cats.

I should mention that its still 100 outside.  It’s quite hot.  It was quite hot kwitting.  At the end of my walk, it was challenging to knit on my socks.

Now, over at this blog, they are giving away a SET of their new needles.  Don’t go over there…seriously, I want to win!    Just kidding.  Go enter!  More fun had for all!!!

• We have MOVED!  We I have been wanting to move from our horrendous disgusting vile tiny apartment for the past oh 3 years.  Because of the awesome buyers market in the housing sector (sorry sellers), we were able to purchase a home.  We closed/got keys/moved this past weekend.  We packed up and moved 5 years worth of stuff from our 950 sqft apartment and unloaded it all into our 1265 sqft house.  Awesome.
• We could not have moved w/o the generous help of several friends.  Big thanks go to Gary, Ann, Anson, Mike, Shauna, Andy, Fata and Dee.  Without your help there’s no way we could have moved in less than two days.
• Fourth of July was very uneventful for us.  We were just too exhausted.  We watched a movie with our friend, we didn’t even watch the fireworks.  How’s that for exhausted.
• We still have a few boxes left (like 6), I’m hoping to have them gone by next week.  I may just end up dumping the boxes on the floor, if nothing else to say I have no more boxes.
• The kids are loving the additional space.  The boy likes his own room, however he continually annoys his sisters.  They also love the large back yard
• I’m loving the fact that I have my own washing machine.  Love it.  Yes, I do have to dry clothes on the line, but I have my own machine.  I can do a load and LEAVE it!
• The birds of the neighborhood love our yard too.  We have a bird feeder set up.  Those things eat a TON!
• Dh and the kids are loving the birds too.
• I like them, not really love, but they are neat to see.
• On the knitting front, I’ve knit a lot during summer break.
• Not so much during the move.
• I’m hoping to have one shawl completed and at least 1/2 of my sister’s ‘ghan done before school starts
• Sigh.  School starts in slightly over a month (slightly because I go back on the 11th of August, and today is the 10th).
• I had to buy school books.  SO EXPENSIVE!  UGH!  Thankfully I have grants and scholarships, otherwise I’d not be in school.
• I still have one more book to buy.  ugh.

• I’m just hoping it’s around the $50 or less mark rather than the close to $100 mark…ugh.

Well, I think that’s all for right now….one of these days I’ll get back into blogging.  Maybe even with pictures…lol

San Diego is beautiful.  It’s like 68 with a beautiful breeze.  The drive was great, I got a lot of knitting done.  Like I may be done w/a pair of socks by the time I head home.  I’m also plugging along on my mom’s new shawl (she asked so sweetly that I’m making one).  It’s swallowtail using black Zephyr.

Today is Legoland which should be a BLAST!  Hubby rocks w/his geeky powers! 

I like my birthday.  Actually, I like getting presents…need to figure out how to get more presents…lol…   For my birthday my hubby bought tickets to Mama Mia which should be fun.  My parents/sisters got me a GC to Cracker Barrel.  My friend Llewellyn is making something chocolate.   Good birthday so far.   I bought myself some yarn.  I may buy myself more…

On the school front:  Still going.  I have 2 full semesters (actually 3 if you count the extra science classes I need) plus student teaching, then I’m done!  I’ve done 1.5 semesters so far.  My brain is currently in summer vacation mode and I still have 8 weeks to go!  This is not good.  Spring break comes up in two weeks during which I need to catch up on my online class.  Sigh.  I just want to be done.  I have expanded my horizons in that I am more open to teaching in public school; not TUSD, but perhaps Flowing wells or Foothills.  Charter schools are still my first choice. We shall see what happens in the next few years; I may not be able to teach because of budget issues; etc.

On the knitting front:  I’ve picked up some cobweb yarn.  MAN!!!  This stuff is THIN!!!  I’m shocked at how thin it is.  I’m looking at doing a 1/2 or 3/4 pi shawl.  I’m swatching now.  I’m still plugging away on my graduation ‘ghan.  It’s coming along nicely.  I’m doing it a bit more modular than following Shelly Kang’s version; but this way I can read (in theory; I haven’t done much reading on the couch been reading at the laptop so I can do notes at the same time).  I’ve done some other projects and have been active on Ravelry.

Sorry, no pics in the post; but I don’t have recent pics of anything…

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What do Teachers Make?  by Taylor Mali

There are more on YouTube, but this one is a bit cleaned up.

If anyone wonders why I want to be a teacher, they can read this:

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don’t work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, “What’s a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it’s also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we’re eating, after all, and this is polite company.

“I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor,” he says.
“Be honest. What do you make?”

And I wish he hadn’t done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won’t I let you get a drink of water?
Because you’re not thirsty, you’re bored, that’s why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven’t called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, “Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don’t you?”
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

Please note:  I did not write this, Taylor Mali did.  He performs it quite well, also.