fabric, yards, and needles

Scott got me a sewing machine for Christmas. Today is the day that I'm actually going to pull it out and attempt to thread it and use it - to make curtains.

The first time I used a sewing machine was when I was in High School. I had to do a project for Young Womens but after 30 minutes of trying to hem some fabric, my Mom took over - The fear was in her eyes- having the same sewing machine for years, she wasn't about to let it be destroyed by her teenage daughter. Since then I have attempted to use a sewing machine, but it normally ended up with the owner of the sewing machine taking over for me.

So this day may the blessings of the sew masters fall upon me and that the sewing machine will make it through this day.

We made it

I was supposed to fly out to Minnesota this last Tuesday but a week and a half ago I really wasn't doing very well and decided to come out a week early. It was a last minute decision and so I didn't have a lot of time to say my good byes to all my wonderful friends in Utah, I'm sorry!
I think that's what I'm going to miss most about Utah, our friends and family. But not so much the inversion or the brown landscape.

After two flights that felt like forever, we made it and me and Benson have been here just over a week. I still can't believe we're living in Minnesota now. I'll miss Utah, but we feel this is where we should be so we're going forward with it.

I've never been to this state before but so far, I've really enjoyed it. We live close to the twin cities and so of course that means we are SUPER close to MALL OF AMERICA!

Scott took me this first weekend I was here and it was a little overwheleming even for me. It has a theme park in the middle and every store you could think of....even MAC and yes, H&M (I just found out there is an H&M less than three miles from here, my heart is full of joy). over 4 million people a year come to Mall of America to visit - if you decide to be one of them, you should come stay with us!

this is the theme park area...so fun!

Bittersweet

I am officially done with student teaching! Yesterday was my last day teaching!! People keep asking me what I'm going to do now and if I'll miss teaching.

I am planning on turning in my senior portfolio along with my student teaching analysis and then sometime in June I'll receive my diploma! I can't wait! I'm so excited to get everything turned in and get my degree! It seems like I've been trying to get this thing my whole life - that's what happens when it takes 10 years though, i guess.

I don't plan on teaching or working for a few years. I'm very excited and feel very blessed to be able to be back home with Benson. I am going to miss teaching in a bittersweet kind of way. My Student Teaching experience was extremely hard, stressful but very satisfying and I learned so much more than I ever thought I would.

the last couple months have been full of drama and interesting events while teaching. Here are just a few (ok, so more than just a few) :

- Being asked the following questions in this order: "Are you married?", "Are you happily married?" "Is your husband good looking?"

- Having a cat fight in the middle of class

- Being yelled/sworn at by a student

- Having not one, or two but three students be suspended for either beating people up, getting caught with drugs or packin' heat.

- Having a student sing to me the song "Lean on Me" after class so he'd know what a great singer he was (so awkward!)

- Being told by a student that F.E.M.A. stands for Find Every Mexican Available

- Being told by a student that the Punic Wars were mini wars

- Having a student tell her story of how her parents escaped from Burma, then to Thailand and then to the U.S. because they wanted to experience freedom. She told how her uncle was killed because he refused to join the Army and everyone in her home country is forced to be Buddhist, join the military and restrictions of internet, phone and conversation were strictly enforced. She said that she was so grateful for the chance that she has to be here because of the freedoms this country offers.

- Seeing the light go out of a 14 year old boys eyes after finding out his mother committed suicide.

- Watching several students having to deal with the pressure from gangs, peers and parents.

- Finding confidence in the future of America in 18 year old seniors who have goals, and are dedicated, honest and hopeful for their future.

It was definitely bittersweet.

Pictures

Here are some pictures with cousins.



One of his eyes have been a little unaligned and we are thinking about getting him check out. Some people have told me that it'll clear up on its own and it just takes time but I have no idea if he needs to see the doctor about it. You can see it in this picture a little bit. I hope that its nothing major but we'll find out next week.

Team Scott

This was taken when I had known Scott just a few weeks.....He comes home today after being gone on a business trip for the last two weeks ....... I feel like a school girl.


9pm can not get here soon enough!

Jumping too soon into Spring?

........Can we put away out winter stuff yet?

Should I wait another few weeks...?

Confessions of a single mom

Scott is away for business for two weeks. I'm on my 5th day of being a single parent and although we have avoided going to the ER, I can't say that its been going smoothly...

There must be a study somewhere that when you are around high schoolers, you lose brain cells...it has to be a fact.

yesterday i was cutting up some strawberrys for Benson and the water on the stove started to boil over, so i quickly got up to turn it off and after a few mintues i heard benson banging something on his highchair. I look over and i had left the steak knife that i was cutting the strawberrys with on his highchair! he was banging it around... luckly he grabbed it at the right end.

HOW COULD I LEAVE A STEAK KNIFE ON HIS HIGH CHAIR?!

So my coping mechanisms with being a single parent and having to start every morning at 5am and end it up 11pm includes:

- Diet Coke for breakfast
- Eating Girl Scout cookies for lunch
- Edema-me for dinner
-allowing Benson to play in the bath for 30 minutes or longer
- allowing Benson to play with our laptop as he pulls the buttons off (Don't worry its my parents old one)
- bribing him with TV and puffed snacks so i can finish my work.


Here's to my respect to all those single parents out there - I dont know how you do it but you are amazing!!