tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63070764162516960522024-03-05T13:47:40.117-08:00Aubrey's Fabulous Adventures Through LifeAubrey's crazy life, summed up onlineAubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-43485905685755801482013-05-06T12:32:00.001-07:002013-05-06T12:32:57.930-07:00Being a Champion!I love the TED talks. I thought you might enjoy this one, the wonderful parents that you are. Thank you for being the champion for your kid so that's one less off my load! You guys all rock!
<iframe src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-72767061384847440982013-04-23T10:43:00.000-07:002013-04-23T10:43:13.342-07:00Shh...It's a Secret!The Secret Garden has opened! Here are some news spots we did this morning. I'm not in any of them, but my cast is!! Check them out ASAP (I don't know how long the link is good for).
http://fox13now.com/2013/04/23/big-budah-finds-the-secret-garden-in-centerville/<a href="http://fox13now.com/2013/04/23/big-budah-finds-the-secret-garden-in-centerville/"></a>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-90622268510541173312013-02-24T11:14:00.002-08:002013-02-24T11:14:11.558-08:00Trial of FaithToday I get to teach Relief Society, which I love. I was asked to teach about Elder Andersen's conference talk "Trial of Your Faith". Check it out <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/trial-of-your-faith?lang=eng">here</a><a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/trial-of-your-faith?lang=eng"></a>
As part of the lesson I'm sharing this Mormon Message <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rr8xvw0cgw0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I love this story and have reflected on my trials as I listened to it. This past year has definitely been a hum-dinger for trials for me. My faith and trust in the Lord has been stretched and pulled in so many ways. I can't say this is a trial that I've been able to look back and say, "I understand why it had to happen that way!", but I do know that because of it, I've come to truly appreciate the peaceful, bliss-filled moments. And I've learned how I can create them if they are absent. I'm so grateful for the peace the Gospel brings.
On a side note, I've decided to move grades next year. I'll be teaching first grade at Edison next year (same school I'm at now). Seeing how my goal is to eventually teach teachers, this will give me a better understanding of how to coach teachers of all grade levels. It will be hard, but I know I'm going to grow so much!
Thanks for your love and support! Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-57616067846621954052013-01-05T14:15:00.000-08:002013-01-05T14:15:36.231-08:00It's Finally Done!!Sorry I missed our conference call this week. Thought I would update you a little via my blog instead. School starts back Monday and I've had a fabulous break. Mom and Dad came down and helped me do some remodeling (more about that later). I also spent time chilling on the couch (my favorite place) and hanging out with friends. I also started rehearsals! Hooray, 12 months and 13 auditions later, I FINALLY got cast in a show. It's a comedy called "Four Weddings and an Elvis" and it's about four weddings (or planned weddings in a Las Vegas chapel) and an Elvis (or more accurately 2 Elvis's). The director is someone I've known about for the past few years, performed with her family members, but never had the chance to work with her. I think the cast is going to be fabulous and I look forward to working with them! Most of all, I look forward to performing again!!! If you're in town the last two weekends of February, I've got a show for you to see!!
Now to the remodeling. After 6 1/2 years of living in my place, I decided to do some major remodeling. Up until now, dad has tiled two rooms and put a screen door on, but I haven't done anything drastic. I finally decided on colors for my bedroom and decided to redo my bathroom (which I detested for how small it is/was). If I was doing my bathroom, I figured I ought to do the bathroom upstairs too. The 3rd bathroom (yes, I have 3 bathrooms one person) will be done later... Below are the before pictures (I forgot to take "before" pictures of the bathroom upstairs):
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I repainted my room and dad came and did the floors and it's gorgeous. I got a new bed frame and bedding, built drawers (okay, assembled drawers) for under the bed, assembled a shoe cabinet, and decorated. I even make my bed everyday!
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(I also found a great way to hang up my jewelry!)
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(This board is where I've put pictures of the family. I get to wake up to your smiling faces everyday! Keep those pictures coming!)
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After 6 days of tiling (I learned how to tile! Thanks dad!), grouting, painting, demo, reinstalling cabinets and toilets and rewiring lights, the bathrooms are finished!!
(The upstairs bathroom is first)
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Today, Danny's brother came in and rewired for the sconces. Don't worry, he's an electrician.
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I am beyond thrilled with how this turned out! I'm am so grateful for everyone that helped with this project. Mom and dad did a ton and Danny helped me plan it all. Feel free to stop by sometime to see it in person!
Love you guys!Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-91009884692691758522012-09-09T08:04:00.001-07:002012-09-09T08:04:47.077-07:00Tooting My Own HornI haven't posted in forever and now I'm going to post to toot my own horn. Vain? Definitely, but sometimes I need an ego boost.
I received an email today from a co-worker who saw the following post on Facebook and passed it along to me. It came from a counselor at the middle school my students go to:
<blockquote>Yesterday I had a 6th grader in my office crying...saving the details...he has a very "complex life"...we talked more...in the meantime our secretary got his former 5th grade teacher on the phone after I realized that he had done very well last year despite all of the challenges he faces.
I called him over to the phone after speaking to her and asked if he'd take a call from Ms. Vance. The look on his face was one of relief and complete happiness.
You would have thought that the person on the line was a superstar sports figure, Santa Claus, or someone extraordinary...he grabbed the phone, plopped down in my chair and talked to her for a while. He emerged from my office feeling happy and his outlook positive. He returned to class ready to go again into his day.
To all the teachers out there working with kids of all kinds, keep fighting the good fight, you never really know which kids will need you the most or how much you will make a difference.
And to you Ms. Vance, you are extraordinary.
</blockquote>
Many of you know how unhappy I am about my job and the teaching profession in general. However, moments like I had on Friday, where I was able to reconnect with a previous student and make a difference, remind me of how much I end up loving my students. I feel so blessed that I developed a great relationship with this student last year and that I could help him out this year. Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-30276821284805438222012-03-25T16:38:00.004-07:002012-03-25T17:39:03.116-07:00On the other hand...Since January, I have been looking forward to this weekend, specifically March 24th. That was the day of auditions for <span style="font-style:italic;">The Sound of Music</span> at Hale Theater. If you've never heard me talk about Hale, you've either been asleep or not listening. It's a community theater that pays! You walk away from a run with about $1000. The costumes are great, wigs done professionally and they cast a lot more talented performers than the motley crew you may be surrounded by at other theaters (not that they're all perfect there, but usually there's a higher level of talent overall). Generally, it's REALLY competitive and you have to know someone to stand out. Which I do, the music director is the accompanist for my voice lessons. Perfect! Now, unless you are a lead, this is not a great ensemble show. However, I didn't care because I thought few would be auditioning and it would be a foot in the door.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6481mAun2QqN7VNax_8Gf98x55c0lP23qEBA4Sr6rgBXthgDqMnmbPe77Fljx6-d9sjsQwtimvHLS7fotJA6DrgResfqzGsdigs7Tdn3xbEB82gaC3btl2555ab5uB24bN0bQxcr3Ghb/s1600/optimistic_people.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6481mAun2QqN7VNax_8Gf98x55c0lP23qEBA4Sr6rgBXthgDqMnmbPe77Fljx6-d9sjsQwtimvHLS7fotJA6DrgResfqzGsdigs7Tdn3xbEB82gaC3btl2555ab5uB24bN0bQxcr3Ghb/s320/optimistic_people.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723998766927230498" /></a><br /><br />Or, so I thought.<br /><br />I went Saturday for the audition and find out that I would wait a few HOURS for an audition time and even with that, they may not get me in before they close the auditions. This is NOT normal. Usually, you show up and in an hour, you're done. I felt like I was on American Idol. Seriously people, it's <span style="font-style:italic;">The Sound of Music</span>! Over 1000 people auditioned (450 were adults)! After 3 1/2 HOURS of waiting, I was finally able to sing my 45 seconds of a song. I did great! I was proud of my audition and the look on the music director's face told me I did awesome. They made the announcements for callbacks right after my group auditioned and.....<br /><br />I didn't get called back.<br /><br />That's right, after all that, I don't even have a shot at doing the show. <br /><br />And I couldn't be more delighted.<br /><br />My summer will now be full of hiking, swimming, camping, rock climbing, bike riding and learning how to sew. Of course, if anyone wants to ship their kids my way, I'll make sure to spoil them rotten and squeeze them into my summer o' fun. Here's to summer and its adventures!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe4ljZE8hohlQHRMJJWsMLHFs1zmwkqWIyj12SOOsB-ocgYoRDnI4daWyHzOw72NCzlAD6sskzJ2FHn6l7OWEzl0vsOR_8CEaLpmuJX-b48WbA8m25KgifH43KVm0rlcGFgBUbqAgd5TB/s1600/5381905-woman-silhouette-waiting-for-summer-sun-on-meadow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe4ljZE8hohlQHRMJJWsMLHFs1zmwkqWIyj12SOOsB-ocgYoRDnI4daWyHzOw72NCzlAD6sskzJ2FHn6l7OWEzl0vsOR_8CEaLpmuJX-b48WbA8m25KgifH43KVm0rlcGFgBUbqAgd5TB/s320/5381905-woman-silhouette-waiting-for-summer-sun-on-meadow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5723997102244304242" /></a><br /><br />Too bad I have 45 more school days.Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-6087924597339764532012-03-19T19:04:00.002-07:002012-03-19T19:25:37.007-07:00Two posts in one day?!? Well...don't get used to it!I didn't want to put ALL the pictures in one post. It will look better on my blogger stats if I've published TWICE in March!<br /><br />Afternoon Tea at the Grand America Hotel!<br />My fellow teachers and I were recognized as the 5th grade team with the most growth on our reading scores between the beginning of the year and the mid-year reading fluency test. We were invited to "Afternoon Tea" at this Hoity-Toity hotel in downtown SLC. This is where the presidential candidates and sports stars stay (we saw the Miami Heat leaving while we were there). <br /><br />We started off with a little tea (or hot chocolate in my case). It was almond something. Pretty much amazing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6957289333/" title="IMAG1046 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7206/6957289333_dbaeb5107d.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="IMAG1046"></a><br /><br />For the "tea" we had quaint little sandwiches. I felt very British.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6957290463/" title="IMAG1045 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6957290463_127ba85665.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="IMAG1045"></a><br /><br />Of course, we wrapped it all up with some pretty amazing desserts. The best ones were on the bottom.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6811177362/" title="IMAG1047 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6811177362_fed952cd66.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="IMAG1047"></a><br /><br />We were also visited by a TV news anchor who expressed her appreciation for us and sat and chatted with us individually for a few minutes. It was really nice that she didn't just come in, say thanks and leave. It was nice to feel appreciated! I also got a autographed copy of a book by one of my FAVORITE authors (Shannon Hale). Pretty amazing afternoon!<br /><br />I had a birthday! Shout hurray!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6998504135/" title="IMAG1050 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/6998504135_0927930ccb.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="IMAG1050"></a><br /><br />My cake(s) were pretty much amazing. Red Velvet and Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse. Thank you Costco for making such delicious cakes! The best thing about your birthday is that you can eat cake for breakfast and not feel guilty. Or, at least, I didn't. I'm thinking we need the Red Velvet cake for our family gathering. No worries, I'll pick it up on my way to mom and dad's....<br /><br />My birthday dress. I love it!!! I wore it to school a few days after my birthday and I overheard some 3rd graders talking about my outfit. One of the girls said, "How come Miss Vance always dresses so cute?" Another girl responded, "Yeah, she has the best clothes!" Praise from a 9 year-old? I'll take it!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6998687989/" title="IMAG1052 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/6998687989_64b00ee731.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="IMAG1052"></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6852381916/" title="IMAG1051 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6035/6852381916_2ab5869d79.jpg" width="299" height="500" alt="IMAG1051"></a><br /><br />(This one is a weird angle, but I was trying to take a picture before I headed to church and no one else was around to take it. Well, Ella and Sam, but lack of thumbs kind of cancel them out.)<br /><br />My birthday meant that I needed to renew my driver's license, something I last did 5 years ago. A lot can happen in 5 years.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6852384272/" title="IMAG1066 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/6852384272_0b33dca689.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="IMAG1066"></a><br /><br />Here's to a fantastic and astonishing year of my life!!<br /><br />(P.S. I love how my post is almost all pictures of food and my last picture is celebrating my weight loss....Ironic.)Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-68318989042439093532012-03-19T18:27:00.010-07:002012-03-19T19:04:34.754-07:00(Insert cute, yet coy, title here)I had lofty ambitions to blog more this year. However, because we talk as a family once a month, I have a hard time blogging about my daily activities. However, I thought I would share some pictures of my life...<br /><br />Ski Reward Trip!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtr3IyVakJSKnAeD-j3K5uTnjXqtmkrMS_CWpY8FE4ehJPtQ7qGNhT4T_fBWsC8ZHX3LgUfGM_HzLqXHe-Em0L3tx_2t5sh4JexlXuKxgZ52eudsiog-tZSqxyu-8Nrb6lohqKeekP1zHv/s1600/IMG_0194.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtr3IyVakJSKnAeD-j3K5uTnjXqtmkrMS_CWpY8FE4ehJPtQ7qGNhT4T_fBWsC8ZHX3LgUfGM_HzLqXHe-Em0L3tx_2t5sh4JexlXuKxgZ52eudsiog-tZSqxyu-8Nrb6lohqKeekP1zHv/s320/IMG_0194.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721786616382715650" /></a><br />(Yes, those are Mom's ski pants from 1970!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvyXRMW4k4pyFYQyHSl41LWbAYu736CHC2ujWVVSsTZmwmcNtgI2mgKGThO57Kwd4YCMX64-S-CzMOdTE8rr4LQN2A9Aqf57FpOy7JZlIR3MimVf_M1VoVy5Tjti-OPEauN-mMVDj5seV/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvyXRMW4k4pyFYQyHSl41LWbAYu736CHC2ujWVVSsTZmwmcNtgI2mgKGThO57Kwd4YCMX64-S-CzMOdTE8rr4LQN2A9Aqf57FpOy7JZlIR3MimVf_M1VoVy5Tjti-OPEauN-mMVDj5seV/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721786906257474290" /></a><br />(Yes, I did spend more time up than down. And, for the record, I only fell while getting off the lift twice!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistPkeOoJfyWbqlnH7rcSGkjAl0IpbBd8I_fdHPcWkRBDxYJNEFKLnu5KCr3R8HnWStAQbAMjwRR-8f28EFxLQwq_RPmX-YD1UAn8EDYpjtS5ZaKlsjJkxMxZmb4sYp6nUsDzM2TqVVFSH/s1600/IMG_0192.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistPkeOoJfyWbqlnH7rcSGkjAl0IpbBd8I_fdHPcWkRBDxYJNEFKLnu5KCr3R8HnWStAQbAMjwRR-8f28EFxLQwq_RPmX-YD1UAn8EDYpjtS5ZaKlsjJkxMxZmb4sYp6nUsDzM2TqVVFSH/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721787493941547698" /></a><br />(My ski buddy for the day!)<br /><br />A Visit to Autumn's for Luke's Birthday!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6998494147/" title="IMAG1002 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6098/6998494147_a974423654.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="IMAG1002"></a><br />(I totally want her to plan my birthday party!)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16831374@N05/6852368048/" title="IMAG1000 by aubs81@sbcglobal.net, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6852368048_6db3ae4dc3.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="IMAG1000"></a><br />(It was a monster theme, in case you couldn't tell...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3W9A8FwidViZrsyxGddhWKXhumyWj-c6i5nk5KYN6LxIUA4Rf8nv3f434aHQmEmhWjh2ThYfi_ZF_8y7ZWF4JpS3kOhFnNgKafyB5LiV8e8zEArxnuiFV9Eajx-FPmOfC07ACzboyik-/s1600/DSC03809.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3W9A8FwidViZrsyxGddhWKXhumyWj-c6i5nk5KYN6LxIUA4Rf8nv3f434aHQmEmhWjh2ThYfi_ZF_8y7ZWF4JpS3kOhFnNgKafyB5LiV8e8zEArxnuiFV9Eajx-FPmOfC07ACzboyik-/s320/DSC03809.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721791462126022994" /></a><br />(Of course, I had to pose with the party guests! I'm the one on the left...)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjdc97Tcubc38F00eUMR6M_foKGaO22NK3Ow3vgWm82m9629gA31VVPvEBMkDRuqtvUcXQ15FOl4dfChS-if7HBsQ4lFNA4rY5iZKw2AkJEa-SNQwaEI5B-2bKmZEA-dXtCfIHtrmB7Li/s1600/aubrey+tablerock.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjdc97Tcubc38F00eUMR6M_foKGaO22NK3Ow3vgWm82m9629gA31VVPvEBMkDRuqtvUcXQ15FOl4dfChS-if7HBsQ4lFNA4rY5iZKw2AkJEa-SNQwaEI5B-2bKmZEA-dXtCfIHtrmB7Li/s320/aubrey+tablerock.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721791879717411106" /></a><br />(We went and hiked Table Rock. It was GORGEOUS from the top!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Xm_NX3TK_s4433Ir_kCmkeF7DvKycZWsaSf6AnJQo7B8OyInFdPHpEaw9pkxIDCh4cwGsXdOBiE8OzYVJhACejWNC4NBZMrj5d3Kiu5HsUr2Qos9fYbBeCP6U0oO7VyJ47NbzhufWYqt/s1600/aubrey+and+i+tablerock_edited-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Xm_NX3TK_s4433Ir_kCmkeF7DvKycZWsaSf6AnJQo7B8OyInFdPHpEaw9pkxIDCh4cwGsXdOBiE8OzYVJhACejWNC4NBZMrj5d3Kiu5HsUr2Qos9fYbBeCP6U0oO7VyJ47NbzhufWYqt/s320/aubrey+and+i+tablerock_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792198013606194" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppfeP086NRo_-rOAuM3n9ISj4m3aFZqXzks5SEoKJBzolDUF5y65NtBzpRnIHCAzRUG7sENO8Xezg-jl8e-6ANim059DumVUgTl-8YfAOHIX3HFqHK9MrJQEv3GP_U-TyZ3nluq0cbrto/s1600/aubrey+tablerock2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppfeP086NRo_-rOAuM3n9ISj4m3aFZqXzks5SEoKJBzolDUF5y65NtBzpRnIHCAzRUG7sENO8Xezg-jl8e-6ANim059DumVUgTl-8YfAOHIX3HFqHK9MrJQEv3GP_U-TyZ3nluq0cbrto/s320/aubrey+tablerock2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792843607798018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3fUqL3X7zKFHBApjpBnBT50AdxLflJGLxDaSj9QKVQxh9cygkJEAbsha9rq8xU632TDlfAbXhBzVaLRo2DGKMJg6UKGmYH8e_9VExvL1dag-uyNJUnbSGMINsCTcP5sM2Hr5fSz0lBSG/s1600/DSC03851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3fUqL3X7zKFHBApjpBnBT50AdxLflJGLxDaSj9QKVQxh9cygkJEAbsha9rq8xU632TDlfAbXhBzVaLRo2DGKMJg6UKGmYH8e_9VExvL1dag-uyNJUnbSGMINsCTcP5sM2Hr5fSz0lBSG/s320/DSC03851.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792879444295890" /></a><br /><br />(We played in the snow and I built me a boyfriend. He turned out a little cold hearted and Matt took him down for me--ask him about that video. It's pretty sweet.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3PpkU81yGEbqpmsRYnl5TYIAVHMrK0lzra2nfOb5JEE_FdZbvmGRbUkPSI-nNmb41P8i3Sszq5OlCfeUW_siT0JphwvH6kw5us6aWfJ8PPJGXi3tDNAJlJzsnfjxg_v2SlrM5Lina6m7/s1600/DSC03840.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3PpkU81yGEbqpmsRYnl5TYIAVHMrK0lzra2nfOb5JEE_FdZbvmGRbUkPSI-nNmb41P8i3Sszq5OlCfeUW_siT0JphwvH6kw5us6aWfJ8PPJGXi3tDNAJlJzsnfjxg_v2SlrM5Lina6m7/s320/DSC03840.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792866568557266" /></a><br /><br />(We went sledding. I thought Carter was going to hate me after I convinced him to go down the BIG hill with me! He screamed so hard!! Luckily, he has a spirit of adventure and loved it by the end!!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_mlE6HjcZF_IdRFN704XSaETTvuYM3u8wBm35DGnRB4mH5ZRA34oa6Glz8dEjnN1802UhGPFf4QPS7faj417nJwYDqljKVqu6ahde3gazOjMzB6ApizWVal58JZgYK-ONjOqpl1hNhrt/s1600/DSC03838.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_mlE6HjcZF_IdRFN704XSaETTvuYM3u8wBm35DGnRB4mH5ZRA34oa6Glz8dEjnN1802UhGPFf4QPS7faj417nJwYDqljKVqu6ahde3gazOjMzB6ApizWVal58JZgYK-ONjOqpl1hNhrt/s320/DSC03838.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792858318431410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AvKcNJFXLZIWVgmP6hYEPUb2JPBavxvyBOpScf_Ur1fK3hB9mzrh1Ztq5y6oYu-g1k92WApNO1l9yveBkSMlCV2s-j5qWiI9Fm_Kn-uQYItw0DLMjNz_cuWxvGtylfKGS9vXhSKHDaIT/s1600/DSC03831.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AvKcNJFXLZIWVgmP6hYEPUb2JPBavxvyBOpScf_Ur1fK3hB9mzrh1Ztq5y6oYu-g1k92WApNO1l9yveBkSMlCV2s-j5qWiI9Fm_Kn-uQYItw0DLMjNz_cuWxvGtylfKGS9vXhSKHDaIT/s320/DSC03831.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721792849302721106" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqZ_mUVWtAFpXVvO9csu61HT5rQZMSbSeJLYuzG4tvqPhoX-CszYNiO6bL9BBV7aig_3jNgrUgUg_IMwliMybcKNZY_cvBaucHy2MaD0RLhNtV-0fPy3KKrmt5WX36oyZ738xPrqzWYNR/s1600/IMAG1040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqZ_mUVWtAFpXVvO9csu61HT5rQZMSbSeJLYuzG4tvqPhoX-CszYNiO6bL9BBV7aig_3jNgrUgUg_IMwliMybcKNZY_cvBaucHy2MaD0RLhNtV-0fPy3KKrmt5WX36oyZ738xPrqzWYNR/s320/IMAG1040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721793941429157442" /></a><br /><br />(Ella LOVES playing with the boys, but it definitely wears her out!!)<br /><br />Life is grand! Can't wait for Spring Break! (9 more school days!!!)Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-81660746800515810372012-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:002012-01-26T18:54:44.912-08:00What do teachers make?After a week of parent-teacher conferences, attending a funeral for a student's dad and dealing with students bouncing off the wall, I needed to hear this message. <br /><br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fuBmSbiVXo0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />After listening to this I reflected on so many blessings of the week. Perhaps the biggest one was the swell of pride in my heart for my AMAZING students who showed ASTONISHING progress on their math test! <br /><br />Phew. Glad tomorrow is Friday!<br /><br />P.S. My favorite part of the video is about the bathroom. It's true. However, I have to laugh when society gets mad at teachers for telling kids they can't go to the bathroom whenever they want. Ha! You try teaching. Then you'll see....Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-74197649378000794142012-01-20T17:59:00.001-08:002012-01-20T18:01:57.511-08:00The Bark SideI don't care if this isn't even real! I am still laughing over it! I LOVE IT!!!<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6ntDYjS0Y3w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-15568626957623390132011-12-24T13:48:00.000-08:002011-12-24T14:00:32.560-08:00Christmas cardI love being a teacher (of course, I say this as I am off for 17 days). One reason I love it is because I can get free memberships to websites like animoto.com. Which is why I did my Christmas card through them. I'm cheap. And I'm a teacher, which means I don't have a lot of money to start with. <br /><br />Anyway, enjoy. <br /><br />(If you notice the music stops at a weird place, I didn't have control over that. The computer and I argued about it for awhile. It won.)<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzf6E8jYJEVggvlO2d-QAmTCRQwH6_8LYTICs0mfRpj_v2CC0P0BAG2YcPJci2cOvjKz-Cj6I4nVD026g2Fhg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-31344685315549094662011-12-24T13:31:00.000-08:002011-12-24T13:48:32.406-08:00My Minutes of FameIf you happen to live in Utah and happen to be watching KSL at just the right time, you might see this:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzzOdK_p3kdp6BK1zEr-wcRXM4enbv0ZSzdgyCzjYUSbHfdhBVo6JIZoGkPCZ4wFWK7huL9NIusC9pKGiBqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />or this:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyQVuZat7NvH4pgIoMXtwpCAuirj0w-VZP4FIi6ePxJS6JK9XY3U_aqIFEKw7Rrr2vElEjE03WHmS1icMciFw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />or this:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSdw13v7wujDsvwLOxPhk2GlYhWGFURShhEGBxBBnh-4P5uCXbqJ11U2KoAoqhhYZFwxI7VAMqdZ_wuiOnpA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />or this:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyuDPP16lF7pN52Gt3mGJdhO5A4igz67d7bwbtdKYNYYjx31Q8Uuyrk9j_c6U7KM259mUfIsl-iP3_SATohTw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />or this:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzgGB7c7PXZCC4hWATuP9G_83b9D-Y80q9_rUt8d3hlDM4BBgZCrQ4sAR4c2whX0-pKQ7bxIFByje95QmSbAg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />It was a such a great opportunity to be an advocate for my students. They definitely have a special place in my heart.Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-81988323704160334542011-04-27T19:22:00.001-07:002011-04-27T19:37:02.477-07:00High ExpectationsLast week I was chatting with Autumn about how fabulous my students are--a favorite topic of mine. I started talking about Jose. He is what some might call "trouble-with a capital T." However, I've tried to see him as he truly is--funny, energetic and thriving for structure in his life. We've butted heads throughout this year, however, I've really tried to follow the counsel to "reprove betimes with sharpness...and then showing forth afterwards an increase in love." I've been so pleased to see him really mature and become motivated about learning in the past few months. I don't do this to toot my own horn, but to show how powerful an influence expectations can be for children. I've told him and my other students that they are my "little mathematicians", "my inquisitive scientists" and "my famous authors". I'm always amazed (for good or bad) at how my perspective of my student not only affects my attitude towards them, but also how they begin to perceive themselves. <br /><br />I then started thinking deeper about what beliefs I've seen manifested in myself because of other's expectations/beliefs about me. A small one comes to mind when I think about a choreographer I've worked with who always tells me that I'm a dancer. You know, after hearing that for weeks on end, I've started to believe it. I know I'm not a great one, but I also know I can do it.<br /><br />So here's the question for you--what are your beliefs and expectations about those around you and how do you share them? It's crazy to think that we have such influence on someone's perspective and the development of their character. But, we do. I've seen it.Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-27859706802720260262011-02-19T14:44:00.000-08:002011-02-19T15:02:41.103-08:00Waiting for Superman..."Waiting for Superman" is a new documentary out on DVD. It's basically showing some of the flaws of the education system and showing how frustrating it is for parents of limited resources to help their child succeed in school. While there are many points that i agree with (i.e. many tenured teachers need to have that privileged revoked), they seemed to leave out a key aspect of education. <br /><br />Throughout the documentary it followed a handful of students in inner city schools whose parents are concerned about the future of their education. It shows how frustrated they are and how they turn to charter schools as an option. Of course, because the majority of charter school admissions are based on lotteries, some of these students did not get in. (Sorry to spoil the ending, but you know it's coming) The documentary makers also show that there are many teachers that are trying to do new and innovative teaching practices in the classroom, but are limited oftentimes because of legislation. This is also true. However, one of the big limiting factors of the success of many of my students is the family support or lack thereof. The parents in the documentary are not in the majority of inner city schools, in my experience. I have just one or two parents who are proactive when it comes to their child's education (contrast that to 20-25 parents at my former school). While very few of my students have parents who blatantly refuse to help their child, most of my students have parents who are apathetic to their child's learning and assume that I, as a teacher, should be the main provider of their education and upbringing. Unfortunately, if a child does not have a parent who is encouraging them to go to school, do their homework, ask questions and become a lifelong learner, my ability to inspire them to greatness in the nine months we are together is limited. Not impossible, but limited. I do, however, have some parents who come to me and let me know that they work all day in two or three jobs and don't have time to spend with their child on homework. These parents are still encouraging their child by maintaining a positive attitude about the importance of education. Bottom line, time is key, but attitude also plays a major aspect.<br /><br />Part II of this rant comes from a post on our school blog wherein my principal informed us that our budget is cut by more than $100,000 next year. The state legislature, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the money we receive to support our English Language Learners and our socioeconomically disadvantaged students is no longer possible. This money translates into losing our math interventionist and three of our aides who help in the classroom. It means that there is a possibility of bigger class sizes (I'm already at 27-28) and less money for extra support of those struggling students. Thank you government for helping us succeed the lofty goal of "No Child Left Behind". I think this will really help in that effort... (On the other hand, the state legislature HAS decided that we need a state gun. A Browning hand gun. Glad our elected officials listen to us.)<br /><br />On a positive note, thank you all for being wonderful parents who care about your child's learning and for having an attitude that education is a priority. You may never really realize the impact it has on your child's education.Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-11507064033609854262011-01-17T15:38:00.000-08:002011-01-17T15:42:19.393-08:00Before and AfterI took Ella in to be groomed today. I'm cheap and want my money's worth, so I let her hair grow out until I can't take it anymore and then have them shave off as much as they can. The result is shown below.<br /><br /><br />BEFORE<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-Y4V8lZEpuoCJBqt4cBS2NSfwfUtBJlLlU2ojetMBLZE8CFm-kGPKFuDdupV_L3gvSnE8fACvjkB5jItSWU5shza6iuoMMkaYad0MB2QlaOBEzGfRWtsiVfujrSzHDA2F-SRe8jTZPvM/s1600/IMAG0122.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-Y4V8lZEpuoCJBqt4cBS2NSfwfUtBJlLlU2ojetMBLZE8CFm-kGPKFuDdupV_L3gvSnE8fACvjkB5jItSWU5shza6iuoMMkaYad0MB2QlaOBEzGfRWtsiVfujrSzHDA2F-SRe8jTZPvM/s320/IMAG0122.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563303687919585234" /></a><br /><br />AFTER<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIutd6uHUHVLaLaoco3u7a49cn_B_KzkSLFKmAJXXKsI3GoGqdthPjySvgw-j5IuN0RjEI2TDKm8bxI7K7H7YAB6Xv4RHQ7uVpIRinKTZfLA7-n9sVA5yzQHsid2Jmg8lMxFksswGCLxNw/s1600/IMAG0125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIutd6uHUHVLaLaoco3u7a49cn_B_KzkSLFKmAJXXKsI3GoGqdthPjySvgw-j5IuN0RjEI2TDKm8bxI7K7H7YAB6Xv4RHQ7uVpIRinKTZfLA7-n9sVA5yzQHsid2Jmg8lMxFksswGCLxNw/s320/IMAG0125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563303862014911122" /></a><br /><br />(Yes, there really is hair left!)Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-89146292200676428392011-01-09T16:56:00.000-08:002011-01-09T17:03:07.943-08:00My Chameleon DogLook at this picture of my couch.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0mFUYHtHPCmlJq2kRAQo7vvEO5EFWBR5BFQQt4hTirzwCbuoo39dPjG-EiAdeEERRfF7AAc6r6WWGGG-C-GjbLKfwuTw_u7MaseZSz_wlVYb1WhNGkwyxxBWHWwXeaXcH24TasQk-QOo/s1600/IMAG0119.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0mFUYHtHPCmlJq2kRAQo7vvEO5EFWBR5BFQQt4hTirzwCbuoo39dPjG-EiAdeEERRfF7AAc6r6WWGGG-C-GjbLKfwuTw_u7MaseZSz_wlVYb1WhNGkwyxxBWHWwXeaXcH24TasQk-QOo/s320/IMAG0119.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560356414057435298" /></a><br /><br />Specifically the upper righthand corner of it. There's Sam. This is his favorite spot in the house because he is hidden from the eyes of one who would put him in his kennel. That's right, I have a Chameleon dog. Don't be too jealous. When you catch him, he'll pee on you to protest.Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-64127873980203486882011-01-09T11:47:00.000-08:002011-01-09T12:15:11.589-08:00Fat Girls Can Run Half-Marathons Too!So, I've decided to run a half-marathon. Yup, go ahead. You can say I'm crazy and why would anyone want to do it. However, it doesn't change the fact that on April 16th I will be lacing up my shoes and joining the throng in the Salt Lake City Half-Marathon. When I was researching online about training for a half-marathon, I came across the tip that because running a long distance is part mental training, it's important to decide why you are doing this. I thought what better place to share that than here amongst my biggest fans!<br /><br />Growing up, I've never been a skinny kid. Fat, husky, chubby, plus-sized, big, no matter what you call it, I was a fat kid. That, unfortunately, has often been the deciding factor of whether or not I could do an activity, or so it seemed. I know it seems ridiculous, but if I didn't see any fat girls out there doing the activity, I sure wasn't going to go out there. Somewhere in my mind I decided that if I didn't see any fat girls doing it, that meant that I couldn't do it or if I did do it, I would look foolish doing it. This mentality kept me from trying out for sports in high school, starting any dance lessons or even trying out for some performing arts. On the other hand, if I saw a fat girl out there dancing with a group, playing basketball or running a mile, and she looked confident and skilled, I knew I could do it. Guess it all goes to show the power of a physical example! <br /><br />This brings me to my motivation behind running 13.1 miles. Running, in my mind, has always been the epitome of health. After all, you watch the Olympics or any kind of race and the runners are all skinny, healthy looking people. (twisted, I know) Even when I first started losing weight, it wasn't necessarily about the pounds, but I wanted to be able to run a mile with my students without dying. I saw those who completed marathons and half-marathons as healthy people who were physically fit. It was always a goal in my mind to finish a half-marathon. I wanted to be one of those "healthy" people who ran for fun. Mostly, I wanted to prove to myself that fat girls can run half-marathons too.<br /><br />So, feel free to ask me how my training is going. And, on the morning of April 16th, think, "Wow, fat girls CAN run half-marathons" because that's what I'll be thinking as I go across the finish line!Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-67247250932044354932011-01-02T21:12:00.000-08:002011-01-02T21:16:44.889-08:00Bundle of EnergyHaving adopted dogs after they were a year old, I love to watch Ella and laugh at her puppy antics (it helps to counter the frustration I feel after she chews power cords...). This is the latest. I was watching a video on my computer and she was running around the room playing. Knowing that I didn't have any toys in here, I wondered what she was playing with. Oh, she was wrestling with a tag from a necklace. It entertained her for 15 minutes. No joke.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hetJWdjO8F8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hetJWdjO8F8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-11883984394451842402010-12-11T10:30:00.000-08:002010-12-11T10:32:43.759-08:00More Christmas SpiritIf I were to rank my favorite Christmas songs, "12 Days of Christmas" would rank dead last. It's too long, repetitive and pretty lame. I mean, if my true love gave me all those gifts, I might be a little ticked off. After all, what do you do with 12 drummers drumming? Or 8 geese a laying? It's just a big mess. HOWEVER, I was listening to Pandora today and heard this version of it. Check it out. So incredibly funny!<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/28GUU1YbP_E?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/28GUU1YbP_E?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-1431345699509733912010-12-09T17:04:00.000-08:002010-12-09T17:11:12.189-08:00Got to love 5th grade!Today we were reading a book (39 Clues: Book 1: Great Read!) and came across the names Picasso, Van Gogh, and Dali. Wanting to expand my students' art background, I quickly pulled up pictures that the artists may have been known for. Van Gogh: Starry Night. Dali: That funky time melting picture. For Picasso I pulled up this picture:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.artquotes.net/masters/picasso/picasso_3musicians1921.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 639px; height: 600px;" src="http://www.artquotes.net/masters/picasso/picasso_3musicians1921.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />After my students' initial reaction to how odd it looked, one student blurted out, "It looks like Lady Gaga's band!" I died laughing then and there!Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-74264928074576734102010-12-05T20:48:00.001-08:002010-12-09T20:13:49.947-08:00Christmas SpiritOne of the blessings of living in Utah during the Christmas season is that BYU-tv replays many of the Mormon Tab Christmas Concerts. I was watching the video tonight of the performance with Brian Stokes Mitchell (who's one of my favorites-GORGEOUS voice!!!) and they always have a famous person narrate part of it. This time Ed Herrman was telling the story of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". It was so moving, I just had to share it. What a great testimony as to what Christmas is all about. <br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sXfzp296zhA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sXfzp296zhA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Here is a clip of Brian Stokes Mitchell singing my favorite part of the performance. Such a lively singer! I love it!<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1eFWKG7GcTw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1eFWKG7GcTw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-74267406816039017772010-11-24T06:52:00.000-08:002010-11-24T06:59:08.923-08:00Blueberries for Sal...uh, AubreyOur school participates in a program that gives fruit and vegetables to students of low-income to encourage a healthy diet. Great idea, in theory. Every Tuesday and Thursday we get fruits or vegetables in small plastic cups. It could be tomatoes, apples or oranges. However, it could also be persimmons, unripe-rock-hard pears or green peppers. Sometimes in the attempt to get kids to eat new things, they just scare them off. The fruit often come unripe or overripe because they serve fruit out of season. Such was the case of the blueberries of yesterday. Because my students had never really had fresh blueberries, they didn't know that they they were actually quite good. The majority of them tried one (after much encouragement) only to find a mushy, dull tasting experience. *Sigh* Needless to say, I'm the owner of 4 cups of blueberries. Anyone have any low-fat, low-calorie baking ideas (they are a little ripe, so I think baking them will be the best)? While you're at it, anyone have any ideas for persimmon puree? I still have 3-4 cups of that in my freezer. Way to go government!Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-38665192818721756232010-10-14T20:47:00.000-07:002010-10-14T21:00:25.434-07:00What's in a classroom?A common question I get asked is, "how many students do you have this year?" It's always a loaded question. Here's the answer I wish I could give:<br /><br />I have 28 bodies in the classroom. However, 4 of them are classified as resource, which means that they are equivalent to 8 students because of the extra time they require. Half of my students are below 5th grade reading level, which means that although my textbooks are written at grade level, half of my students can't read and understand them. Add a few more to the count. I have 5 students in counseling for behavior/gang prevention. Add at least 8 more to the class. Then, add on the students that are still trying to figure out how to raise their hand, show kindness to others and work hard. So, although my class has 28 bodies, some days it feels like 40-45 kids.<br /><br />Recently, the "esteemed" Jeb Bush, (former?) governor of Florida came and spoke to Utah legislatures/anyone who would listen to him. I don't know really why he came, but in the process of sharing his thoughts he told those listening that we should be cramming in as many kids into a classroom as possible (there are some 6th grade classes in our district with 36 students!). This is all because if you have a quality educator instructing the class, it doesn't matter how many are in the room. (I'm paraphrasing, of course). Glad he's so revered.<br /><br />However, after all is said and done, they are some great kids. They are trying so hard to learn what to do and they are working hard (for the most part!).Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-22521798312892272902010-10-14T20:40:00.000-07:002010-10-14T21:06:53.657-07:00An update to life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_ASiQZwDdHCi5VNA9m7XW1wiR3AiQNZALys6JaKkxTJ3Bih4Pl2uFb5LkcewecQMbWtf1J1JZ1jvIdug5bsFLLIhUeWEulDC4eJGSz2qjwG39w4YqR0bvk-_9WXCuW2tFuOXHc4JknGO/s1600/Photo+on+2010-10-14+at+21.41+%232.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_ASiQZwDdHCi5VNA9m7XW1wiR3AiQNZALys6JaKkxTJ3Bih4Pl2uFb5LkcewecQMbWtf1J1JZ1jvIdug5bsFLLIhUeWEulDC4eJGSz2qjwG39w4YqR0bvk-_9WXCuW2tFuOXHc4JknGO/s320/Photo+on+2010-10-14+at+21.41+%232.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528119389236265394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVYZoYwGdimlOe8W-zh5_QHbySrGvysa4VS7tyFjhPbvIrKywacMMJAcyXrNqHvp8DL4cspCLnjy7DM-5YMKZFQEnrOhLwcaoPIJxPOBhIJKUowbfSyAKXkiTGCN9MicLcBkibHszFubH/s1600/Photo+on+2010-10-14+at+21.42+%234.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVYZoYwGdimlOe8W-zh5_QHbySrGvysa4VS7tyFjhPbvIrKywacMMJAcyXrNqHvp8DL4cspCLnjy7DM-5YMKZFQEnrOhLwcaoPIJxPOBhIJKUowbfSyAKXkiTGCN9MicLcBkibHszFubH/s320/Photo+on+2010-10-14+at+21.42+%234.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528113820447248786" /></a><br />Ella is bigger, been shot up and become an "it". She has "big girl" teeth which matches her "big girl" bed and she tests them out on any object she can find.<br /><br /><br /><br />Yes, I cut and colored my hair again. Are you really surprised? (I just got back from the gym, hence the hiding behind a dog)Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6307076416251696052.post-70620144162961390232010-07-15T18:55:00.001-07:002010-07-15T18:56:38.933-07:00Puppy Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscqgAoW95mWiL77gnOX-knqyEij56HjrPAOHAtsFllXZkAFWSZpt-q8fjnbtj4csHfNwJ35qpIrcDVlTgMVjBzFDvSeTqE-4WmxEvYrbdbCMxQGxQiN-ctbK-nGUJB6ZmzKOQ0WdrD9Oy/s1600/Photo+on+2010-07-15+at+19.49+%233.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscqgAoW95mWiL77gnOX-knqyEij56HjrPAOHAtsFllXZkAFWSZpt-q8fjnbtj4csHfNwJ35qpIrcDVlTgMVjBzFDvSeTqE-4WmxEvYrbdbCMxQGxQiN-ctbK-nGUJB6ZmzKOQ0WdrD9Oy/s320/Photo+on+2010-07-15+at+19.49+%233.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494317103543749154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-pF-kCbWAJFiTK06BQmiX9IKTRs1fkCCRNIF3cMY5NDmMH-TB_Y4bLp2x6EiO_a8bBbdbE4rgdWQqOwNDv_e3eycIaiAlFnl2XSToV6NmLcCabM3n1zccsCIv9K-EkzltlcWjsBHDPSy/s1600/Photo+on+2010-07-15+at+19.48+%232.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-pF-kCbWAJFiTK06BQmiX9IKTRs1fkCCRNIF3cMY5NDmMH-TB_Y4bLp2x6EiO_a8bBbdbE4rgdWQqOwNDv_e3eycIaiAlFnl2XSToV6NmLcCabM3n1zccsCIv9K-EkzltlcWjsBHDPSy/s320/Photo+on+2010-07-15+at+19.48+%232.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494316916327693778" /></a>Aubreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08767535372406692898noreply@blogger.com2