Snow and Funding

I just posted a whole blog and it was erased. So, we got a lot of snow here and I of course want more for my birthday so I can play with my family in it. Macy's is to blame for the yellow journalism about snow in Utah over Thanksgiving, by the way.
Andy has a job and possible funding for next semester. He is almost done with classes for this semester.
The other two teachers in my class are probably quitting soon, so that makes me quitting all the more difficult. Now i have guilt.
Yesterday I stood in line twice to get a free burrito at Chipotle. They were yummy, huge and it was totally worth the cold to get it. I have never seen places give away so much free stuff as I have since i moved here. What a pleasant surprise!
I hope I covered all that I said in 3 long paragraphs. I just could not rewrite it all.

Bored

I had so much time off I had no idea what to do with myself. Finally, I started to play around with my blog and set up. I hope this style suits me better than the last one. But, the only reason anyone with notice is because I am making a big deal out of it.
My Cocomotion is fabulous. My little sister gave it to me for my birthday and i already unwrapped and used it. It is the only hot chocolate maker for home use at this point and you can use water or milk, powder or syrup, it doesn't matter. So, there is my commercial announcement.
30 days until Christmas and 26 until I get to see my family. Marcus has started the countdown until Santa comes. Explaining to him that we are really celebrating Jesus's birthday (sadly Jesus is not recognized as a word anymore.) is sadly going over his head. We will continue to work on it. It doesn't help that even though i am done shopping i want to get the kids more stuff.
This week is going to be crazy. Marcus has a reading readiness thing at his school, a field trip and we have 2 dress rehearsals for our church pageant and then actually execute it Saturday night. Andy is the narrator. I am in the chorus. For Marcus's field trip we got him a disposable camera and he now thinks he has a real camera. i have tried to explain that once all the pictures have been taken we will turn it in and he will not have a camera anymore. We'll see...Now I know to get him a camera for his birthday, right?
We have been in Boulder 6 months . It was the anniversary on Thanksgiving day, weird. So, I hope all is well and happy at this busy time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving

So, from watching the parade i saw that Utah is getting bombarded with snow. Marcus said he wished we still lived there so he could play in the snow. Our weather has been very nice. Yesterday it was 75 degrees.
I am amazed at people. One person here has 2 children and is pregnant with her third. She does not believe in making any day special! She says she goes out of her way to make Thanksgiving like any other day. My other friends response was that the days out of the ordinary can hold the most special memories and I totally agree. We got a small turkey breast and are still have a small dinner and giving thanks. Why not? The same woman that makes Thanksgiving like any other day won't let her children believe in Santa Claus! What? Some of the greatest memories are believing in the magic of Christmas.
So, I am going to be 26 next week. I am so young to have 2 children, but feel old in a way. I have experienced so much that others have not and I am happy. Marcus and Anneke are excited to give me my birthday presents already. They are also practicing the birthday song each chance they get.
So, we decided to get Marcus the castle and now the transformers are on sale from $35 to just $15 tomorrow. I am so tempted, but dread the crowd. We'll see. I am already spending too much on stuff.
So, I complained about work and told you my experience. Well, something happened on Tuesday that helped me understand them better and that they care for me. I am happier and need to make more of an effort to understand them. So, however long I am there I will endure and it will be great.

Work Drama

So, I work with all women, and two men on occasion. The men for only 4 hours a week (and they are like 21), so you can appreciate the drama that I might encounter at my place of work. I am not treated very well. I am still considered an outsider and talked about. (Unfortunately I can read lips.) So, on Thursday I had it. I was so fed up I lost it in front of my students and one ally at work. The two women I work with, the head and assistant teachers, were the reason for the explosion. Luckily for me I had a friend there to calm me down and take over while I did so. (She won't be there next semester because of student teaching and I am nervous.) I was ready to turn in my 2 weeks notice, but didn't.
So, after this the director asked to meet with me. Okay, so for 24 hours I was very anxious. She was upset because she had heard that I was upset enough to leave and she would do anything to have me stay. She told me that she has had several problems with the teachers, but besides personal differences they are good at what they do. I was glad she was so understanding and made it clear that I was wanted and not the only one to have these feelings. She offered to move me somewhere else if things got really bad. So, that is the long and short of it.
As a joke on Saturday Andy taped Anneke's arms down with packing tape. She was hysterical and now every time the word tape is mentioned she cries. That evening he tied Marcus's long sleeves together and again Anneke was upset. My daughter is extremely claustrophobic. I would never have guessed it. I really hope you don't think Andy was abusing our children from this description. ;) My man is a good husband and father.
Well, we are nearing the end of the semester and Andy is working on a 20 page paper about Wilkie Collins and Edgar Allen Poe. He was supposed to have at least 5 pages by the end of yesterday. He has about 4 and 1/4 and says it counts. I argue otherwise. He does have a legitimate excuse. On Sunday he had severe back pain and part was even swollen. He was horizontal most of the day or hobbling around trying to help me. We bought a new computer chair to see if that would help him to do what he needs to for school. Things are better, but who knows which of the many things we tried did the trick.
Our shopping is done. We got it all and it feels weird. A good weird. Now, just to figure out how to get the things to Vegas and keep them hidden in the process. Andy got Anneke two shirts from him that he found at Target. One says "I do all my own stunts", very fitting for my daughter and of course "My Daddy loves me". I am not sure what I am giving her yet, I think the 'Rella baby. Marcus has decided on the Imaginext Castle, but that will be waiting here when he gets back.

Thanksgiving

So, Melissa has inspired me to write a bit more. it's just that I don't want to bore people. My life is work and it is not legal for me to talk about the children there. We are preparing for parent-teacher conferences and it has been interesting. Thinking about and evaluating the children has made me appreciate them so much. I mean one child is so sweet and in the moment all i can think about is that he won't stop talking.
Well, as the title suggests I am going to talk a bit about this time of year. We are going nowhere and all our friends are leaving. That is ironic considering all the children that are at the center in my class will be there both days. So much for a break! We aren't even going to have turkey, stuffing or pumpkin pie here. I am sad, but for a family of four some things just aren't realistic. I also have three whole days off, which never happens. I get to spend it all with my family. Talk about THANKSGIVING! Then, I get to set up the tree. Andy was ready after we took down Halloween, but I didn't want to get sick of it all too soon.
I get to see my paternal grandma this Christmas for the first time in 14 years! My dad's oldest and youngest sister are coming to Vegas for a small reunion the day after Christmas as well. Heather is overwhelmed (my Vegas sister) but I can't help but be excited. It is amazing that so many good things happen this time of year.
So, we are looking into PhD schools. I know, I am too organized and have to have my life mapped out. I found the top 25 schools and gave Andy a list of the places I would be willing to live. I had no idea that Brown was in Rhode Island or that Rutgers was in New Jersey. I am learning all sorts of new things. Andy likes Washington (the state), U of Texas (Austin), U of SC, and Boston is "okay". Still, at least we have an idea. Andy has just come to the realization that Victorian English literature is not the way he wants to go, and that seems to be Boulder's specialty. Enough boring things...
We are done shopping for the season except a few things we are picking up Monday while the kids are in school. It feels so anti climatic to just be waiting for the big day more than a month away. Nothing else to do...

Another Update

Halloween went really well. We have a huge bowl overflowing with candy. Andy won another costume contest and poor Marcus was devastated not winning anything. At the masquerade ball (where Andy won for his pirate costume thanks to the boots Scott gave him for Christmas last year) Marcus and Anneke loved dancing. Marcus was very fluid, think Napoleon Dynamite. It as so great. We got a picture, but that cannot catch the awe inspiring movements. Anneke fell a few times on Halloween, but got really good at saying "Trick-or-treat" and "Thank you".
I had my first weekend off in a while. I spent it cleaning and hanging out with me family. Andy got to ride his first motorcycle and was looking at buying it. We are hoping that next year we can buy one. It just is not a good idea right now.
I feel like there is more to say, but I can't think of it. Marcus has started a count down to Christmas and keeps changing his mind on what he wants. We are hoping that he will soon settle on something so we can order it. Everything needs to end up in Las Vegas anyway, so we are buying all of Christmas on-line pretty much. Andy finished shopping for me, and I finished shopping for him. Anneke is mostly done, but of course Marcus is proving difficult. I want a Coco-motion and know that no one got it for me. Ah, well...
"Cars" and the new Veggie Tales comes out this week. We are happy here in the Mile High city. (That made Andy and I wonder...well, we won't go there and offend anyone.) I miss my friends and want a home, but life is good.