Mobile Pictures

My cell phone is going the way of the world. It's as old as our marriage - two and a half years old. Recently, the screen is going crazy and turning all the text upside down and flipping it right to left. It makes it impossible to see if I have texts or voicemails. Right now, however, is a rare moment where it has returned back to normal. I don't know how long this will last, but before I lose them forever, I thought I'd upload some pictures. Here they are, in no particular order.

From an air mattress box. Sleep soundly on a crisp Belgian waffle.

At Nordstrom Rack, trying to find a new outfit. Russ was helpful and found me the perfect one. When he held it up to me he said, "Just close your eyes and picture...Friday night, just got paid. Now open your eyes."

At the craft store. Any small animal wearing an Easter bonnet is a perfect recipe for hilarity.

Last summer when I taught reading, one of my 7-year-olds stayed late after class, waiting for her mom to pick her up. Russ came to get me and entertained her by drawing on the board. He drew all kinds of animals for her and she said she wanted to draw a lion. This is what she drew and we thought it was precious.

Midvale Middle. I took this picture right after my first interview.

My new haircut, sitting in the weird ugly chair that came with our first apartment.

A nightly occurrence: Russ rubbing my feet while he watches ESPN.

My good friend Alli's little Evie. She's a lot older now but I loved her squishy cheeks when she was a babe.

Probably the worst picture ever taken of either of us.

Beautiful BYU campus in the fall.

My coworker Craig smashed his face into one of these things and then stuck a chocolate Kiss in there too. Weird.

I absolutely love finding smiley faces in weird places, like the top of a toilet paper dispenser.

My favorite picture EVER. Russ loved the Easter aisle at the grocery store, and became especially attached to this little guy. I think he would have bought him if I hadn't objected.

Les Misérables

Just finished watching this musical with my French III class.

Loved every second of it, even though I've seen it a thousand times before.
My favorite time I saw it was in London with Russell.

Sobbed like an infant. Then and again today. And every other time.
I can't watch it without getting emotional.
I don't care that my students think I'm a weirdo.
Now I have to see it live at the Capitol Theater this summer.
Have to, have to, have to.
No more buying Girl Scout Cookies and cardigans.

America is My Country, but Paris is My Hometown

I can't even tell you how delighted I am to be going back.
With my love.
To the place where we fell in love.
In six weeks.
Never mind that the only food we'll be eating between now and then is tree bark.
It's totally worth it.

Skirt

I recently acquired this gem from D.I. At least, I think it's a gem. When I wear it I try to convince myself I look like this Burberry model:

But sometimes I second guess myself and think I look like sort of a weirdo:
And other times, when things get really bad, I feel like my long skirt makes me look like a pioneer woman:
And for some reason, these pictures are doing little to comfort me.

Unfair

This is what I look like right now, except my duvet is black, there are lots more dirty Kleenexes on the dresser, and my hair is longer and much more limp and straggly.

I feel like death. There's a knife in my throat, I keep coughing, my eyes are watering, and my nose is runny yet plugged and feels like it's about to crawl off my face. Also, I've been blowing and wiping it so often that there's a sick red scab under it.

It's 8:45 on a Friday night and this is so unfair. I have a three-day weekend ahead of me and I can do nothing more than sit in bed and drink Airborne and watch Princess and the Frog on Netflix. Russ is at the gym without me. I'm lonely and sad. I've been sick for the last week and a half, and every time I think I'm at the cusp of getting better, another one of my sweet students sneezes in my face.

I guess the bright side is that I have three days to recuperate, and hopefully I'll be back to my perky self by Tuesday morning, bright and early, when I go back to teaching. That's what is most important. Right?

Wahhhhh!

A House Divided

Last night, in the middle of a heated argument, Russell stopped me and said, "Hold on a minute. I think I know why we're fighting. It's come down to the U and the Y, hasn't it? We're a house divided. We're fighting because of your Cougar Pride, aren't we?"

This comment struck me as especially hilarious, as I think it will to all those who know of my total apathy for BYU Athletics, and sports in general. I have zero Cougar Pride. I don't know any BYU athletes and (gasp!) I don't watch any football games. Or any other sport games. Ever.

Obviously, he was just trying to distract me from being angry. And for a split second, because of how ludicrous it was, it worked. Well done Russ.

Why I Do What I Do

Today marks the end of 2nd quarter for the school year. It's hard to believe that I am halfway through my first year of teaching. It has been so fun and exhausting and stressful and fantastic and horrible and amusing. Kind of like being married. Haha.

I have a lot to celebrate about my first half. I feel like I've grown immensely and improved significantly as a teacher. In some areas, however, I have regrets and would definitely do things differently if I had the chance. The beautiful thing about teaching? Every day I have the chance to make a change, to try something new, to implement a new method. And by using a trial-and-error system, I keep getting better and better.

The best part about my job: My kids. I love their hilarious perspective of the world and their raw honesty about everything. They make me laugh every day.

Some of my favorite things I heard my students say that I don't want to forget:

"You look like you're sixteen. I thought you were a student."

"Who's single? Wait, where did that come from?"

Me: "A girl in another class lost her French-English dictionary. Has anyone seen it?"
Student: "You're just asking us that because we're Mexican."

Student (sees me maneuvering through the crowded lunchroom with a tray of food): "Hey Teacher, how would you like it if I threw that all over the floor?"

Me (trying to get students to guess the meaning of la colle, which means glue): "It's something you used a lot at school when you were little."
Student: "THE BATHROOM!"
Me: "No, you used to eat it."
Student: "GLUE!"

Me: "We're having a class party tomorrow, and you're welcome to bring some..."
Student: "French wine? You can't have a party without it."

Me: "I want you guys to respond to Pierre's letter in French, talking about your life and what you like to do."
Student: "You want me to respond with personal questions? How do you say none of your business?"

Student (sees me before school with no make-up on): "Woah, Teacher, you look really tired and sick."

Student 1 (copying down a sentence from the board): "Qu'est-ce que tu fais...pour...sport.."
Student 2: "Russell's a poor sport."