cookies left on my doorstep

There was a plate of cookies with a note in my bathroom when I woke up. My dad typed up a label, pasted it to a post-it note, then put the post-it note on the note. It says "Left on doorstep last night. Has male-idiot written all over it." My dad rocks. I found more pleasure in his note than the cookies and the anonymous one-page sweet note. And I knew right off it was not from a male-idiot, i'd recognize that calligraphy handwriting anywhere. my friend roxanne. which makes this even better. because my dad totally dissed my friend.

Love you roxanne, thanks for the anonymous note and cookies.
Love you dad, thanks for looking out for me. For taking the time to type up a label to remind me that I deserve more than male-idiots in my life.

I'm going to literally explode

I threw a popcorn party for my class today. A few hours later, a teacher brought in some popcorn from another activity to share with us. After she left, I gave my popcorn to the classroom teacher (Becky.)

Becky: Don't you want it?
Hallie: If I have any more popcorn I'm going to explode.
My 2nd graders were concerned and asked if I would really explode.
5 minutes later, I walk around looking at the thanksgiving books students are coloring. As I pass Jacob, he explains his addition to the book (The large blue person sitting on the turkey, pictured below)



Hallie: Who is the blue person?
Jacob: It's you, exploding!
Becky came over to see: What's the green stuff, is she sucking the apples with a straw?
Jacob: No, that's the explosion coming out!
I was laughing hysterically, taking pictures with my cell phone. It's my cellphone wallpaper. I am glad I have one more day so today didn't have to be the last.

Update on the job:
You. Reading this. PRAY.
I applied for the fifth grade position yesterday and the principal will be calling in interviews starting next week. PLEASE JUST LET ME HAVE IT ALREADY!

the next three days are going to be a never ending interview.

I don't know if this is even going to happen. but I think my principal is on the prowl for a new teacher. And I think I am his #1 victim. He came in while I was teaching a small reading group and he and my classroom teacher were talking about me! Come to find out he was asking when I was getting my teaching certificate and if I would be good in upper grades!! Then he was all "I may just pop in a few times to sit in a some lessons this week" Uhhhh ogkaayyy? I am feeling prepared every day when I teach, so I don't think I am nervous for things in my control. I feel intimidated. And sometimes kids will do stuff and it's like "how do I respond to you?"
But seriously oh my heck. These last three days. I have to be awesome. Because I might get a job here. I am on trial. ah. Stop thinking about it! It would seriously be the best thing ever though.

treasures

A student wouldn't sit in his desk. When asked why, he said: "My desk is haunted"

Teaching a small reading group, one of my favorite little boys that looks like harry potter (NOT daniel, the one I pictured in my head.) had a pink smudge on his glasses. How he even managed to see I don't know. When I pointed it out to him, he said "Oh, that would be yogurt," and let me clean it off for him.

American Girl Magazine

Me: "Someone subscribed me to American Girl."
Dad, as if I accused him: "I did NOT!"

"It sucks to be you right now"

that is what my brother told me yesterday after I told him my plans for the next 3 months. He was joking, but he's got a point.

Here's my plans:

1. stay living with the parents
2. get a job to be a substitute teacher end of this month
3. get a job to be a full time teacher in jan when I get my certificate, if there are even openings. I will leave the county of Utah if I have to! That is a threat!
4. stay living with the parents

The only definite thing...is living with the parentals. The other things...just need to happen please.

I really love my life though! It doesn't suck too bad!

The 150th

I got a letter in the mail congratulating me on being in the top 15% of my graduating class at BYU.

I told my dad.

I asked him if he really thought I was in the top 15%.
"I'm not that smart" I said, walking away.

Shouting after me down the hallway: "Well, if you think about it, say 1,000 people are in your graduating class. You could be the 150th."

(laughing) "You're a jerk, dad." lol he always keeps things from getting to my head.

"Once I smelled sheepskins and felt like I was flying for a second"

Thank you, Jacob, age 7. We were reading a book about beagles and how they like to wear sheepskin sweaters. Then he made this comment. Jacob, you made my day. I had to leave the room I was laughing so hard.

kittens inspired by kittens

My bowl of Special K with Straberries didn't give me any strawberries this morning.

addict

Nasal spray, Cough Syrup, throat spray, and dramamine. Then excedrin in the morning. I love drugs.

I was reading "Teddy Bear" with the cutest little boy in my class.
And I asked him if he had a teddy bear. He didn't. Really? Nothing? Not even a blankey, something you can't go to sleep without?
No.
I was surprised at my response: "It's better to not have one. You don't want to get attached."

The perks of being sick

Well you get to stay home from school. And you get to sleep all the time and for as long as you want.
Then you get this mindset of "what do I do with all this time?" and do nothing with it. but you don't feel guilty for wasting time if it ends up that way. which it does.
You don't have to clean up. like gina is doing right now. thanks gina.
and...everyone treats you like a baby. which i love. (cough cough cough)
but to be 100% honest with you, which I think you will appreciate: I was really sad that I missed school today. Because I started taking over the classroom on Tuesday and my life is so good. Those kids are really nice to me and I like teaching.



Oh I read this cool thing to say to people with moustaches: "What's so important about your nose that you have to underline it?" Oh man I canNOT wait to run into someone with a stash and say that to them. Even if I don't know them. Do you dare me?

I butchered all my pants

So I have like 8 pair of pants. a couple black, one gray, a khaki, a brown, why am I listing this you don't even care.

Well one day I kind of lost it. I realized all my pants were too long. And they drag ya know? And it upset me. But my mom wasn't home to do it for me and I couldn't wait for her to get around to it. Started working on something. Couldn't focus. I just HAD to hem my pant legs! ALL of them. So I took my pants and I put them on one at a time. I measured a good couple inches beyond my heel and SNIPPED that point off all the way around. Snip. snip snip.

I've never used my mom's electric sewing machine. but it had thread that matched the majority of my pants and so I went for it.

No pedal. I was confused. But there was a button that said "start" so I pressed it. And figured it out.

Well it was really exciting, the speed of the needle and trying to keep up with it. Surprising, Hallie. One thing that hasn't broken that you've encountered. (patting ma back)

And there. I finished. But two pants needed hand-hemmed because the thread in the machine didn't match and I didn't want to go there. and it took forever to hand hem and made me anxious. Sewing machines rock too much!

Well I haven't gone through EVERY pair of pants yet. But. guess what. THEY ARE ALL TOO SHORT! I look like a friggin idiot every day. Good thing kids don't care. But Gina does and she makes fun of me everyday. Shameless.



So if you want to buy me pants, do it. size 8 petite/short. And you may comment curses to make me feel better.

Gateway Discover Museumy

Today I went on a field trip with my 2nd grade class to the Gateway Discovery Museum in SLC.



blew my mind. And I fell even more in love. with. children. They just bring so much joy to life and I am really glad I got to play like a kid all day. And that is how it's gonna be the rest of my life! No way.

2nd first day this year.

First conversation I heard as 2nd grade students were coming in:

Steve: You're an amateur.
Jack: WHAT?!
(Steve runs away.) That's not a word you hear in elementary school let alone 2nd grade.

I look up during writing time and Millie is pretending she's blind. Then she does this tricky hand motion to her eyes and she isn't blind any more. It's really entertaining. She does this often.

Richard: "Where's Dallin?"
Brian: "I think he's got the swine flu."
Richard: "I hope so!"

My teacher has candy, cereal, and/or pretzels in every corner of her room. I like this lady. I put an orange and green skittle in my mouth at the same time. It's a good combo, try it.

Well she gives out like one m&m or one skittle for good behavior/finished work. This happens several times during the day. Before she hands any edible item, a student goes around distributing squirts of with hand sanitizer. I'm taking tallies tomorrow for how many times the students apply hand sanitizer. That'll be cool to see. Very appropriate precaution.

rational

I was thinking about it in church today. How I have to do the Teacher Work Sample to graduate. It's due a week from tomorrow. Then I thought...what if I turn it in late? Like just whenever I get it done? They can't hold back my graduation date just for turning it in late. This is graduation we're talking about here. Graduating from college. No one is a big enough jerk to be like "hey, your TWS was a week late, you can't graduate."

lost and FOUND

Found it! I left my journal at church and the bombest girl in the ward took it home with her because she didn't want to leave it in the accessible lost and found.

nooooo!

Is there anything worse than leaving your journal somewhere? I submit that there is NOT!

Where people can just pick it up and read it? It's like leaving your soul behind! Here, just look into my soul and know everything I think about.

Bye 4th grade :(

I am exactly half way DONE!
I'd like to electronically say goodbye to Lindon Elementary. I will really miss those kids. How they tease me when I call the scissors "knives" and other accidental happenings that I can't think of right now.

Oh man those kids! Like the little skater boy who would always talk to me when he wasn't supposed to: "Miss Shumway, look at my emo eraser" "Miss Shumway, do you like my new shoes?" "Miss Shumway, smell this pencil." haha and another boy who was in love with me. And one boy that I avoided calling on because his comments always involved violence in the most awesome form. They all remind me of myself when I was their age.

I have three days off, the weekend, then I'll start 2nd grade at my sister's school! that. will. be. INCREDIBLE. What a ride I'm loving this.

I miss my daddy

The last day he was here, I got in the car to do something...probably learn how to put gas in the CNG car. (Or is it C & G? I don't know)
He had peanut butter in the middle console.

Pointing to it, I ask: "Just in case you get hungry?"
Dad: "No, I'm taking it by Lowe's or home depot."
He wouldn't explain himself, but he said it like it was so normal that it didn't register for a couple miles...
Me: "Why are you taking it to lowe's?"
Dad: "To see if they'll mix it up for me, have you ever seen them mix up the paint buckets?"
Me: "yes..."
Dad: "Yeah I am just sick of having to mix it with the egg beaters because it still separates, so I'm going to have em put it in the paint mixer and see if it'll stay mixed"

Oh man. I hope I get awesome like that when I'm old.