Let it Snow!

It is snowing in Utah. Looking outside and seeing the flurried frozen rain from cumulonimbus-turned-stratus clouds makes me oh-so-excited! Christmas is in the air, and with all the season's bridal showers over (at least the ones that I know of) I feel like I can finally start getting into the Christmas spirit! Seeing the snow outside makes me want to bake something. Per a challenge from my amazing mom, I am gluten-free until next week, so baking something kind of seems like a bad idea.

Maybe I will look up some recipes for gluten-free cookies.....

12 days until Christmas!

Firsts

I called in for a substitute today-- by no means my first sub (per district meetings) but I was my first time calling in sick. Last night I had some pretty bad symptoms that are most often classified under the category of "migrane," I believe. I have been having tension headaches for the last several days but last night it kind of spiked.

This morning I debated whether or not it would be wise to teach, and I decided that a teacher, absent for one day and well rested, is better than a teacher who is at half performance for the rest of the week. I am glad to have had the day to relax and recoop. My roommate Ashley was kind enough to help me relieve the tension in my shoulders and neck.

So-- first migrane. First sick substitute need.

And first Tuesday at home this school year.

I'm excited to go back to my class tomorrow. They are going to be pretty ticked that I didn't warn them... I guess it's one of the perks of being a teacher. Despite all they teach me, I still know things they don't know...

And to all a good night

With December here, I am increasingly excited for Christmas. In 18 days, I will be going home-- and before that, I have many exciting things coming up. I will move into a new apartment, hopefully teach all of my lessons for the TWS (BYU's required case study and lesson unit outline for the classroom). I am also planning on having all of my Christmas shopping done by then. I am well on the way, and have only a few more items to purchase.

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year--ever. I love the Cummings' traditions, and I love spending time with family and friends in pursuit of good things and happy times. I tell people that our family tradition is Chimichangas and they most often do double takes...but I think it's the best ever...right up there with grapefruit cocktail.

To the Cummings, and to Christmas, here here! I cannot wait!

About time to catch up with my family

It's true! We went to the White House and had a great day with my brother, Aaron, and his wife, Katy. Days later they welcomed Reuben James into their presidentially acknowledged family.

Here are a few photos...







And even though I only go to stay in VA for 24 hours, it was worth the whole trip for three reasons:
1. I saw my family, whom I have missed a great deal
2. It was pretty neat to meet the President...and also to say that I have used a restroom in THE West Wing. ("It's forbidden.")
3. Take a look at these pictures. They speak for themselves. It's been a long few years without this fall.

Families Can Be Forever

This is the picture collage I currently have on my desktop. I love that Cummings Clan.

From the Profundity Club

I found something I wanted to share with people who feel that finances may be low and times may be down...

Here's a post from "The Profundity Club."

And confusedly enough, my pseudonym is Gideon Merridew...

Pancakes and Peach Jam

This morning I had Melinda and Michelle over to breakfast. We made food which, while not exactly healthy, was quite scrumptious. Pancakes with white chocolate chips and walnuts (with syrup or peach jam on top--jam courtesy of Gpa Bezzant's peaches and Jenny's instructions), an omlette with ham and cream cheese in the fold, and some orange juice and bananas.

I wasn't even hungry for lunch...which was nice because we finished the morning off by going to the Dollar Theatre in Provo after. We saw Wall-E and I loved it!

Then I cut Melinda's hair... I will have to get a picture of her and get the polls on it. Just shoulder length with some layers and front tapering... pretty much the extent of my abilities, but we had fun. She got about 2-3 inches chopped accordingly.

It's fun to see siblings. I can't wait to catch up with Jenny, Nathan, and Baby Isaac now. Hopefully tomorrow will facilitate.

"Give me excess of it...

Not just of music-- but of the chance to read! The book I have chosen for these precious UEA days is the well-known Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. After going through books for at least 45 minutes, I chose this novel for a few reasons. First of all, I have never actually read Tolstoy, and I have heard from at least two very reliable sources (Katy and Michelle) that this is the kind of book I would enjoy. Secondly, the first line of the book is this: "All happy families resemble one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Talk about me being caught by a literary hook! My third reason is perhaps more mercenary than I would like....but I found an edition for 5 dollars, and to get 709 pages for 5 dollars is a big thing for a college student/ first-year teacher like yours truly. So Anna Karenina, here we go....

I do quite like reading. It is such a fun experience. I am like about 68% of my students-- they can't wait for SSR.

I feel so productive so far...on everything except lesson planning, of course. But I did go shopping yesterday, did clean, and finally turned in my application for Graduation in April (where, incidentally, I ran into cousin Mark Driggs. His wife and two daughters are doing very well). Things are starting to fall into place.

I also met my new roommate yesterday. Tiffany has been teaching 3rd grade at a Charter School in Orem the last two years, and this year she wants to lessen her commute by moving closer. What will my apartment be like with two teachers, you might ask? Well, if there were more space, it would probably be creativity central. Right now, it's mostly just... work central? That sounds fairly boring, I know...

I am going to the opera tomorrow night with my roommate Ashley, though. Don Giovani, to be precise. Another first for me; the only opera I have attended is "La Boheme" my freshman year. Now that I am a super-senior, it's time to get cultured again.

And to start lesson-planning. That is my next order of business....

Thank you, Utah.

Next week, on Thursday and Friday, Utah has UEN days-- for students, it's Fall Break! I confess to be excited for the respite. As tempting as it is to take some of my only days off and go to professional development seminars, I am beginning to succumb to the thought of staying home...and doing some things that normal people do... like sleep until seven am. Go to the bank and deposit my paycheck. Plan next week before next week happens. Go jogging. Make cinnamon rolls. Return my overdue library books. Visit family. Clean more than the kitchen--actually getting into the corners. Maybe even--gasp--read a book.

Two days.. the possibilities are excitingly tempting. Any good ideas for a fun read? I am going to the library anyways to give them back their books on China....

Success!

First, I must say that Planet Earth's "Ocean Deep" was a success. The fourth-grades in my classroom have already merited two more teacher compliments which count toward the next episode. I think we will be watching "Caves" next week!

Last night Jenny, Nathan, Grandpa Bezzant, my two roommates, Dan and I went to the BYU Choral Showcase to see Melinda in Women's Chorus. It was good to be back in the HFAC's de Jong Concert Hall--though it made me miss being on the other end of the stage. Women's chorus is one of the keenest pleasures I had in college, and I miss it. It was good to see Melinda in the choir, though. She came over just before her concert to get ready, and we shared some Balsamic Chicken Salad. I just love my family! It was so good to see Dan as well.

Tonight is the General Relief Society Broadcast. I am excited to go--this General Conference season is my favorite part of Fall. My roommates and I will attend a Stake Luncheon before the broadcast, and then we will attend the conference in the Marriot Center. Afterwards, the plan is to go to "Color Me Mine" and paint some of our own pottery. I am excited to spend the afternoon with them, as one of my roomates will be moving out by the first of next month. It will be good to spend some time together.

I am excited, yet can hardly believe, that October is only three days away! That means Christmas is less than three months away, though. I can't wait. Christmas at my home in VA is a lovely thing to see, indeed.

Sleepy Wednesday

Today was a full day. Apparently there can be two Mondays in one week; my students proved it today. I am hoping that tomorrow is like yesterday; it was a fun day and we had a lot more involvement in the lessons.

I have had some fun doing some quick assessments on my students this week. We are learning plotting coordinate pairs by putting points on a graphing plane. Yesterday and today we had "mystery pictures" that could only be revealed if they followed complete instructions and connected the right lines. We did an outline of Utah and a 3-d image of a house on the coordinate plane...and within about ten seconds, I could tell which ones weren't with me. I have been stressing the importance of following instructions in several of my routines (i.e., in my Morning Math Problem, I will show five plotted points and ask them to name THREE. Even with it underlined, they still don't read that I only want three points named...so I give them a "way to go, I am glad you can find all the coordinates, but I can only give you points if you followed all the directions." I think it is starting to sink in.

This is an interesting group to teach. None of them have ever worked with a textbook before (their math last year was primarily worksheets and packets, through a spiraled curriculum called "Excel Math") so I have been learning to teach skills like finding the directions to the problem set, how to organize the paper on which you write your answers...even how to navigate certain pages. It is quite the experience.

That's what's new... I love my work, and I am pretty energy-less by 4pm. Catch me on a Saturday at about 7 am...then I'll be a little more alert. Gone are the days of sleeping in, but I am kind of liking the targeted bedtime of ten o'clock.

Looks like tonight I am 18 minutes past curfew. Time to go to sleep.

Oh! But not before announcing, proudly, that my students earned the privilege of watching their first Planet Earth of the year! I'll let you know what they think.

Jungle Fever

Every few days my roommates Ashley, Kim, and I decide to chill and watch another episode of Planet Earth, as narrated by David Attenborough. Yes, we are in love with his syntax and intonation-- I don't know how I would be able to watch Fungi grow over time-lapse photography if not for his brilliantly British turn of phrase.

Tonight we watched Jungles... and I realized that my fear of deep ocean diving might also translate to a secret fear of intensely populated places with surrounding flora and fauna. Not claustrophobia, per se, but more of....I don't know if I could be in the Jungle for more than a few minutes unless I were wearing a biohazard suit or something. It's amazingly beautiful, but I was a little freaked out that fungi spores can grow out of ants and help control populations.

That's just the kind of detail my kids would go nuts over...all 25 of them. I am loving teaching school, and we are currently working on earning the watching of an episode of P.E. When the spell the title on the board (each letter earned when a teacher gives my class a compliment) then we get to watch the episode. Currently, they have three letters earned for "Ocean Deep." I thought we'd start off with a particularly interesting one. I just can't get over the "Wonderpus Octopus."

This world is crazy...and I love it. I love learning about its plants, microbes, animals...and most of all, its fourth graders. Teaching, while busy and slightly exhausting, is well worth every hour.

Planet Earth, Arrived!

Online I found a new copy of Planet Earth, by BBC, for only about 20 dollars! My roommates and I watched two episodes tonight...and already have plans to watch more. I can't wait to see all of the episodes... I have only seen 3 of the ten or so episodes. It is such a well-made series!

School this week was extremely tiring, but I have been enjoying it. I love my class, and I am starting to get to know my kids past their surface levels. I am often surprised by what they do-- and sometimes don't-- know. We have a lot to catch up on at the beginning of this fourth grade year, and there are great things that they are teaching me. With the challenges and the effort comes good dividends, and I am so glad to be a teacher. That said, I can't think of this whole year, because then I will get overwhelmed. I can do next week, though. A week at a time, we'll make it through in a glorious way; at least that's what my current motto is.

Props to Melinda who got into Women's Chorus this week! I am proud of her and I know she will love being under the tutelage of Jean Appolonie. I got to be in that chorus for three semesters, and as busy as they were, I miss it.

Only slightly busy....

Well, it's a Saturday, and I have officially finished the first week of school. It went much better than you might think, actually--and I am convinced that I have the best class in all of Utah. We are the best ones at lining up in the hallway, to be sure.
My 25 kids have begun to know me...and even like me, I think. We are really beginning to establish a classroom community-- after four days of school, they are already working well in groups, asking me for math homework, and telling me that they wish they had more time for reading and writing!
Some of the big motivators for them this week have been table points (I have three rows for my desks, and each row is a table. They can get points by trying the morning math problem and turning it in, by being the first ones ready for instruction, by being the best listeners, etc. Every Friday, we tally up the points and then the winning table gets a treat. This week, they got chocolate chip granola bars, and the other tables got Starbursts.) and they also were very excited about being assigned their vocations.
In my class there are about 21 different kinds of vocations, and after teaching them what the word meant, we would take a few different ones per day, read the description, answer questions, and do a role play. That way, everyone (hypothetically) should know what they are supposed to do. Yesterday, they earned the right to receive the vocation, and each kid got a business card with their vocation, salary, and description of services offered and privileges maintained. I chose the staffing of the vocations randomly (pulling out the ever-useful popsicle sticks with their names written on them) and I was very proud of my kids. Without any urging, they gave each announcement a round of applause. These might be the best group of kids in all the world.
It is certainly a diverse group of learners. I have a student who is on a reading level C (which is typical Kindergarten or low 1st grade, rather than 4th grade) and I have several students who are far beyond grade level and are in the school's GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) program. It will be a challenging year, but I've already seen some exciting successes with my students.

Sorry to have been so busy. I will try to upload some pictures of my classroom setup eventually. Many thanks to Janet for the regalia from China--my kids are fascinated by it!

I need your input!

All right. The reason for starting this blog was so that I could practice and then make one with my classroom. Now I am actually going to create my classroom blog (which, sorry-- has to be accessible to parents only). I need ideas: what should I call my classroom blog?
Here's some info if it helps:

1. I am the teacher.
2. I am teaching 4th grade.
   
3. That means Social Studies is UT history.
4. My classroom theme is Asia.

Suggestions and entries are due by this Friday, August 8th, 12 noon MDT. Yes, that is the day the Olympics start.

I Have the Key!

Yesterday I got the key to my classroom. There was something genuinely exciting about putting that key in the lock, turning it right--no wait... that didn't unlock it. Left--oh, maybe it was the other way...well--third time's the charm, and I am into my classroom.

There were no lights, and seeing a quiet classroom by windowlight, desks lined up, and white board in front of me was a special feeling. This is it, and I can't wait.

Walking around the school last night, I saw a few teachers and what they are doing to set up their rooms. I had to remind myself that they've been teaching for over 5 years, and there's no way I am supposed to have as much amazing stuff as they do. They were great about giving ideas and sharing resources, though.

One of the best tips I got last night? Set up an extra desk with a blank name card, materials, etc. That way, if you get a new student the first day, they can see that you are ready for them with all of their supplies, and all they have to do is put their name on them. The 3rd grade teacher, from which this recommendation came, says that in the past few years she's done this, she's noticed that it contributes more to excitement and less to first-day anxiety.

A random tip that I got? When putting kids to sleep who are scared of monsters, have them use the "Monster Spray" (a mixture of water with a little fabric softener). That way, the kids can spray their closets and beds, and they can smell the light fragrance and know that no monsters will get out from under the beds.

Gotta love teaching in an elementary school.

Family and History

This was possibly my favorite sign in the "Walking Tour of Leesburg." For those of you who might not be able to see the text, the first part reads, "Leesburg! Paradise of the youthful warrior! Land of excellent edibles and beautiful maidens!" Mom said it was still true....

Here are some other fun pictures of my vacation home.

Pirate Spencer...in fierce frilly garb. Courtesy of Captain Melinda in the background.

Their Pirate Ship: Watch our for these three!

Sarah and I did Textured Paper Collages in the style of Eric Carle

Taking the Tour of Leesburg (Heather and Sarah)


We went to this famous House, thanks to Aaron. We got a personal tour of the West Wing!

Michelle, Melinda, Jenny and I in the press room (thanks to Nathan and Michelle's friend, Russ, for taking our pictures)

First Day of School...in just 14 days

I feel a little like this girl getting on the bus. I'm back in Provo, and things are speeding towards the 19th--a little too fast. In two weeks, I will be a teacher.

Funny... I feel more like I'm in 1st grade.

There's a lot to learn in these next two weeks. For me, school "starts" today: Abi and I are going up to Midway to (finally!) see our classroom and get an idea on how we can set it up. We'll also meet with our faciliator and review some of the preparation we've been doing. I am most excited to get my hands on the curriculum textbooks I will need, so that I can get a feel for what I'll be teaching. I am ready to start making ideas into realities...and those things will have to come into fruition pretty soon. I move apartments next weekend, the first teacher meeting starts on my birthday, and the last few days of work I have at my current job are all ticking down.

So here we go! Adventures await, curriculum maps have to be hammered out, and I am going to do it. Thank heavens for support and help... right now, it sure means a lot.

So to all those who've left "notes in my lunchbox"-- Thanks. It sure makes me feel braver around the big kids.

I can't wait to come home and tell you about school over cookies and milk.

The Artists I Know

Happy Day of Birth to Katy, whose birthday was yesterday. I have to say, I think that Katy is a lot of fun. Michelle and I got to spend some nice time with Aaron and Katy on the day of their move, and I relished in listening to Katy talk about some of the neat documentaries she's seen, including some about school and education. She's one of those widely-read, wide-knowledge-of the world kind of people who can carry on a great conversation with anyone I've met. I love having her in the family. Katy also brings a visual culture into our family; she studied illustration and graduated with her BFA from BYU, and she's done some great things with her work and in her spare time. Check out Katy's blog of some of her art here. One of my favorite posts she's done can be found here.

Delicious Mongolian Food!

Another artist in my family that I have been thinking about recently is my Uncle Geary. Michelle and I went to visit Carol and Geary last night and had a fantastic dinner of homemade Mongolian Barbeque. We got to pick our concoctions of ingredients and then mix our own sauce. It was so delicious. They were generous with their invitation, and we had a lot of fun with them. We made and ate food, composed the notes needed so that the Younce's could sing "Tacobel Canon"...and I can't believe it--I just found that link to it, when all night we sat at their computer plucking out the parts and putting them on a score. Well, that's irony for you. Anyways, at the Younces, Geary also showed me some of the drawings he's done. They are quite impressive, and surprisingly enough, he had done one of me based on a photo taken at their cabin in West Virginia. I wasn't expecting that one! Here's a link to some others of Geary's art on his blog. Much thanks to Carol for the maps and booklists, too--the classroom is coming up in just a few more weeks!

Old Loudoun

Yesterday Mom, Jenny, Isaac, Trina, Sarah and I went on a historic scavenger hunt of Loudoun County. We saw some wonderfully preserved historic homes, some of which date back to circa 1805 or earlier, and got to notice some really interesting details about just how involved Loudoun was in the Civil War. Apparently at the completion of the tour (we still have stops to make in Leesburg, Purcellville, and Bluemont) we will get free T-shirts proving our history-buffness. Jenny mentioned yesterday that the T-shirts probably pay for themselves in gas money, but we are sure having fun. It has reaffirmed to me how wonderful Virginia and its history really is. Anyone who comes to visit--beware. I might just take you out and have you experience some history.

The scavenging was really fun. We got to learn details of the name of a slave on one of the oldest gravestones in a cemetery (her name was Gemima) and we had fun finding clues on some other headstones. Here's a photo of Sarah reading our clue off a headstone in a primarily German cemetery. Can you read the words? Well, neither could we, hardly. Upon close perusal, we found that this person was born in 1750 and died in 1795. "In Memory Of" runs across the top--that was the clue we needed to derive from the stone for our sleuthing.
Here's Isaac thinking something historically profound. He's one smart baby:

It was neat to go around good old LC again. We have some beautiful vantage points of the foothills to the Blue Ridge Mountains. And going through the old towns, particularly Waterford, made me think of when we used to go around to historical sights as home school kids. I still remember when our assignment was to make up a song about going to the Waterford fair. As a seven-year-old, my verse was quite profound:

I went to the Waterford Fair
And guess what I saw there?
An old man that sneezed
And fell on his knees
I went to the Waterford Fair.

As I recall, my verse wasn't too far from Mom's sample verse. I hope that my creativity has gotten a little further now that I am through 16 years of education.

17, if you count Joy School.

Bright- eyed...

and only somewhat bleary-eyed. I think I am finally beginning to catch up on sleep!

Michelle and I took this right before going to the Northern Virginia YSA Regional Luau on Saturday night. Considering that this picture was taken right after helping move Aaron and Katy, I think we look pretty good. Thanks to the A. Cummings family for the use of the shower after moving--I forget how "moist" you can get in Virginia. I think the only shower I have enjoyed more was the one I took right after the 45-mile hike at Girls' Camp. It sure felt good to be clean.

Moving Aaron and Katy was actually quite fun; they have a nice apartment, and after the move they gave us a tour of downtown Alexandria. It reaffirmed to me how much I would like to return to the East to teach school. I do not believe that anything competes with the shores of the Potomac. The town was really nice as well; there were several beautiful and historic buildings on the main streets.

Sunday was beautiful here; Heather gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting about her experience going to Northern NY for Youth Conference. She bore a very firm testimony about answers to prayers; I am really proud of her and the woman she is becoming. You know you are in a good family when your younger siblings teach you by example. Melinda played a beautiful musical number for the meeting as well; I will try and get a video or audio clip of her playing "The Lord Is My Shepard." She is incredibly accomplished, but more than that--her playing invited the spirit into the meeting.

Last night, for Family Home Evening, Michelle gave the lesson and encouraged us all to follow the counsel of M. Russell Ballard. Accordingly, I will be adding some more links to my blog to tell a little more about myself and the foundations of my faith.

Dan Came Home!

Just FYI---now I'll get to see everyone in the fam... Dan had to come back to Northern VA for EMT training. He heads back down in a few hours, but it's fun to have him here!

Oh...and addendum to last blog: It's Alexandria, not Arlington. Sorry, Aaron and Katy. I get my A's mixed up, apparently.

"Never Were There Such Devoted

Sisters!"
(Trina, Me, and Sarah)

Today was a fun family day. Joel had a concert with his orchestra camp, and so Jenny, Isaac, Trina, Sarah, and I joined Mom, Dad, Michelle, and Mrs. Kellogg (cello teacher for Joel and I) at Franklin Intermediate School. They played four pieces, and I am really proud; it was a great performance. Joel is making leaps and bounds with his music--as are many of my younger siblings. Sarah seems to be walking right in Melinda's footsteps on piano...even playing Fur Elise every five minutes or so like Goose used to. We have such a great family!

(The cellists)

Trina has been a great helper today. I think part of that might have to do with the fact that she's dying to play WR1. If you want, you can get the free download here. Just don't tell Trina. Right now she thinks that my laptop is the only computer that has the famed game, and she pretty much bought the deal that I made with her; if she were a good helper and worked on cleaning up her toys and clothes, then I would let her play if Dad said it was okay. She has been the paragon of a sun-shiny helper. This comment shows a little bit of just how cheerful she was today: we were making Chocolate Elvises for dessert (thank you, Carrie!) and Trina offered to help. She said, "I want to help, because I am in a really pretty dress. I mean, because I want to be helpful."
Take a look at her pretty dress below:
These girls are so fun. Sarah is great at helping out with Isaac and asking me when we are going to do fun activities. She also showed me a bunch of her sketches today; I think she's following after our artist sister-in-law, Katy. Promising future there. Michelle is a hard worker, and it is fun to be around her again. She has a great attitude and is a great part of our family, really contributing to fun and helping out. Michelle and Dad saved up to three lives each today by giving blood. Way to go, Cummings!

Melinda and Heather are in Palmyra this week with Youth Conference, so I am excited for their return. That was a great year that I remember in the youth program. Dan is down at Buena Vista (SVU) being a counselor at EFY , but I don't know if I will be able to catch up with him. Tomorrow we'll join Aaron and Katy as we help them move to their new home in Arlington, Va. Marie and Adam (plus kids) come back from Rochester, NY on the 20th. I'm excited to see them.

Trina said two very amazing things today.
Thing 1:
When we came out of Joel's concert, Trina squinted in the sun and said, "Man. This sun sure makes my eyebrows hurt. Does that ever happen to you, Celeste?" I looked at her. "Eyebrows?" Trina paused. "Well, I guess I mean the skin right below my eyebrows. It hurts all the time."

Thing 2:
Trina was singing a made-up song in the car to baby Isaac, and here were some of her words: "...And then you won't cry again, because I am singing this song; and it makes you feel good inside...and when you don't cry, you aren't self-defeating anymore...." Jenny and I paused our conversation up front at this part of the song. Jenny asked, "Trina, do you really know what self-defeating means?" Trina replied, "Of course. It is when you do something that defeats yourself." We were amazed.

Favorite moment of the day for me? Baby Isaac fell asleep in my arms on our porch swing. I am trying to think of something that tops that.

I'm not gonna lie; It's nice to be home.

Home Sweet Home

I am Home! With a capital H! I woke up early on Wednesday morning (we left for the airport at 4am from Provo) and got a ride from my home teacher to SLC. At 2:15pm, I arrived in Virginia, the first colony and best state in America. Jenny, Isaac, and Trina picked me up, and it was so nice to see the old trees, familiar landmarks---and surprising new numbers of buildings--around Leesburg, my hometown. Things are growing rather quickly back home.

Houses are not the only things shooting up; everyone in my family seems taller. Baby Isaac, Joel, and Trina, especially seem to have grown overnight. When did I get so old that my siblings are becoming big kids now? Crazy.

I am loving talking, organizing things, and chilling with my family. It's been a busy two days, so I have on no account caught up on sleep, but I am excited.

Okay: two vignettes from today that I just can't help but relate.

I had a dentist appointment this morning. I got to drive the Prius today, as the other cars were already in use. At the light outside of my neighborhood, I stopped and smiled to myself as I thought of how gas-economical my vehicle was. I was thinking how nice it was that we had a hybrid when gas is so expensive, and then a car pulled up right behind me. It was--you guessed it. And H3. Hybrid and Hummer--now that's character foil. I laughed a long time about the odds of that one.

Also, we went to the Library today. Our public library has been condensed while they remodel the old building, so we went to "Rust Library" in the old building for Video Den. There were not too many books, cds, or dvds, but they had a moderate selection. I was in the dvd section, trying to guess how they had arranged their categories. I caught sight of one shelf: what do you think of this? There was a stack of dvds, and one of them said, "Bigfoot." Three DVDs later, there was one labled "Jesus." Next to that? "The Miracles of Jesus."

I don't really see those two categories going together...I must be missing something? Or maybe not....

Anyways, there were some good laughs today. It's great to be home. I promise, more stories and less chatter in future posts. I'll see if I can get some sweet pictures up, too.

"My Name is Richard Henry Lee...

Virginia is my home!"
This sentiment from the musical 1776 has, appropriately, been running through my head this entire last week. In 24 hours, I will be on an Eastbound plane. In 28 hours, I will be landing in good old Dulles Airport, and will get to go home.

The countdown has begun. Lookout family: here I come.

Tres, Dos, Uno...Pupusas!

I felt a little like this woman last night: I had a "few" people from my ward over for Pupusas. I had gotten some Maseca from Macey's last week, and I wanted to try it out and see what my friends thought. The verdict? Everyone wants to be El Salvadorian...or at least cook like they were. My friend Cy told me that I had taught him how to fish by showing how to make these. Thanks to Dan for teaching me in the first place. All 11 people thought they were great. And talk about economical! My children might be raised on these, as they are pretty inexpensive to make.

On a side note, I didn't have any cabbage to make the traditional pickled cabbage topping, so I tried something with lettuce, and it turned out really well. I shredded a head of dark green lettuce (I had green leaf, but you can use romaine), added the juice and zest of one lemon, added about a half cup of really thinly sliced onion, about a clove of minced garlic, and salt and pepper. It was a hit, even with the two people who had already tried pupusas.

All right for accommodations on a college budget!

Perfect Pasta Performance

My friend Abi tipped me off to this website for 5 Steps to the Perfect Pasta Salad. It's a great way to consider how to "mix-up"your pasta creations. Go ahead: give this a try. I'd love to hear of some of your different combinations.

P.I.T.H. Day in Provo

First of all, you need to be sure to check out the new Cummings' family blog Melinda started, as this title comes from a post about my little sister Trina. You can check out the blog here.

For my PITH day, I did anything but Party In the House. This Fourth of July I spent in Provo, away from my family in VA for the first time. It felt very strange not go to a Pancake Breakfast at the Church, then do a cook-out for dinner with the family, and finish off the day at Ida Lee for the spectacular Fireworks celebration there. I missed not seeing Beetlemania or the Coasters & Platters this year. More than that, I missed my fun family.

I did try to keep myself involved, though. The night previous, I slept under the stars with one of my friends, Michelle, and we woke up and made pancakes. Then, we went to the 4th of July Parade in Provo, came back to swim and cool off (UT might not be humid, but it sure gets hot), then we went to the Freedom Festival for a few hours. After that, my friend Casey invited me to make Peach Pie with him-- and that "No Fail Pie Crust" of Heather's really worked out!-- and then a large group of us went to the MTC fields to watch the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire performance. While waiting for the firework show, we had fun throwing a Frisbee around and talking. It was a great day full of fun and fireworks.

I still love the 4th Cummings style, though. There's no place like home.

Grease-No-More

A few days ago I got a text message from my friend Casey, who is in a food prep class this semester. He said he had something to tell me that may or may not change my life.

My life is changed.

Frankly, there are few things I dislike more than cleaning out shortening from a measuring cup. In my years as a professional dish-doer, I have never quite mastered a technique that could prevent me and a scrub brush from getting grossly greased. Knowing this, Casey generously shared a most brilliant trick in the realm of shortening measurements.

Here's the idea: get a piece of plastic wrap, drape it over your measuring cup, and pack the shortening in the cup. When you have reached your desired amount, whip the shortening out of the cup, and tada! No greasy corners of shortening in your cup. Hypothetically, the only dish you have to clean is a spoon. I can't wait to try this myself!

I love those saving tricks. One time, while watching the food network, I learned how to get the onion smell off your hands. Take a stainless steel spoon and wash your hands with it under running water! Rub the steel against the effected area, and no onion or garlic residue remains. Trust me on this one--it works. And how.

Let me know if anyone hears of new cooking tricks for the trade.

You never know who's life you might change....

Memory Lane

Last night I got to spend some time with one of my best friends and old roommate, Carrie (Left). She will be leaving to go home to Florida this weekend, and so we talked and watched a movie together for old time's sake. The movie was nothing profound--though we thought it was profoundly hilarious. Really, it was nice to spend a night with her and remember some of the good times we've had.

I've had really great roommates in college. Christina, on the right of this picture, is another wonderful girl with whom I have lived. That girl can make cookies, let me tell you. Even more than that, Chris has the great ability to love and help those around her.



Shaunna, my best friend from last year who is currently serving a mission in Puerto Rico, was another girl I missed last night. She was the catalyst that brought Carrie and I together. It all happened over some fun stories and a weekend trip to Las Vagas to hike Red Rock Canyon. From there, we were 3 amigas mejores, and Shaunananana had a great deal to do with that.

I figured out that in my college career, I have had 21 roommates. (Not that hard when you consider that I have lived several 6-girl apartments for the last three years). Each of those girls has been a good friend, and some of them have become even more dear to me.

Carrie is one of those one's I'm really going to miss. That girl can sure tell stories...and she's a great listener, too. She's one of the most beautiful people I know.
Word, G-money. Carrie Ann, this post is for you.

I Think It Says...

Here's the deal: every time I leave a comment on a blog, I have to screw up my eyes and ready myself for an IQ-esque quiz. What are those curvy, jumbled letters? xftnnmnvvwun is hard enough to read on a straight line, but when it's in different angles? I feel like I am in a test, and admittedly, I have failed. More than one time. I'm glad they give you a second chance to enter in that curvy code.

As a future educator, I appreciate the security--but more than that, I can't help thinking: What about accommodations for those with dyslexia?

And what about accommodations for those without? Well, I suppose it's great practice for reading the handwriting of some elementary school students. Who would've known that blogger security is just preparing me to be a better teacher?

"Fun way to get through work." 16 Letters.

Crossword Puzzles.

At work this week, I have been doing the daily "washingtonpost.com" crossword puzzles. My coworkers have been good about getting in on it and helping out. We've only had to "reveal" the extremely obscure answers.

Today I finished my crossword in record time. Under 5o minutes. Lest you think this is considerably slow, consider this: I do it while at work, so it's done during shorter breaks and intervals. And I don't look very much up on Google. I go through until I can't get another single thing before I will reveal any answer.

Having finished my puzzle rather early today, I sought out another crossword. I went into the lobby of my office to pick up a copy of the Daily Universe, which carries a version of the NYT crossword. To my dismay, there wasn't a single paper there. I looked around the lobby, and then...yes, that's right. You might call this true recycling. I reached into the "Newspaper Recycle" bin and grabbed out Tuesday's edition. There on the back page was the wanted puzzle. You should have seen the people at the front desk watch me reach into the recycling bin.

Obviously they aren't going green anytime soon. Come to think of it, I'm probably not either. But I will be re-recycling the puzzle after I am done with it.

Oh, and my favorite clue from this week of puzzles?

4 letters. "Abode, in the 'hood."

You called it.

Crib.

I have been toying with the idea of establishing a bank system in my classroom, and after deciding my class theme last week, I think I am going to do it. This is about what it will look like:

I have 15 specialized jobs in my class (Class President, Materials Specialist, Class News Correspondent, Class Sanitation Specialist, Class Library Technician, Class Store Merchant, etc) and 12+ Classroom Citizens.

Every Friday, students will receive checks for their job salaries; the amount thereof to be determined by the job title and duties listed on their business cards. After receiving their check, they will need to deposit some of it, pay homework late fees or buy new pencils, etc at our school store, and then they will have some extra "class cash" to use as they will. It will buy them some privileges in our classroom (these are still to be hammered out). They will learn to cash checks, balance their own check books, write checks, and handle cash and change.

Additionally, each day, the class accountant will be responsible for looking up the daily exchange rate from Yen to USD. Students will be paid in either currency....and will be responsible for doing multiplicative conversions.

At the end of each Friday, class roles will switch (so that the lucrative salary for Class Pres ($100) can then be given to the old Materials Assistant ($55).

That's the plan... I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

Chinese Lanterns

And finally, Ta-da! I have found the theme for my classroom. After over a month of debating and weighing different ideas, last week I was browsing through the Utah State Curriculum for Social Studies, Grade 4. In the midst of standards on Utah's natural resources and erosion, I came across these little ditties:

"Standard 5
Students compare governments and economies of Utah and Japan."

"Standard 7
Students use geographical tools to analyze political and physical features of Utah, the United States, China, and Asia."

Utah and...Asia? Who would've thought?

Random, I know...and yet, so promising. Frankly, I would rather do a random theme that comes from the core curriculum than something completely arbitrary, such as frogs or crayons. Cute themes, to be sure--but I think the fourth graders might like Asia a little better.

I have already started looking for deals on Chinese lanterns. If anyone has some random Asian artifacts they are looking to give away, I would be interested in getting them for my class.

Perhaps the reason I am most excited for this theme is that I can pull in a lot of literature to integrate in to the theme. One of my favorite children's books, given to me by Aunt Janet, is Minyo and the Moon Dragon.

I think this is going to work out well. I also have some great plans for math integration...but more on that later. If you have any tips and suggestions, I will take them in a heartbeat.

6 Single Sisters

This is a recent photo from Memorial Day Weekend and my family beach trip: Heather, Me, Melinda (top) and Sarah, Michelle, and Trina (bottom). We held an epic photo-shoot on one of the evenings, and here is a picture I quite liked from the menagerie of poses.

It's my favorite because of this: just before Dad took the picture, I remember saying something like this: "And to document the remaining single sisters in the family...."

Just look at Trina's face. (Front Left)

I only wish I could take true credit for it...unfortunately, I think the sun had more to do with it than I did.

Classic, nonetheless.

The Second Day of the Rest of Your Life

My coworker, James, informed me that I have been neglecting to put titles to my blog posts. He's right, as always: James, this title is for you.

It's a title I quite enjoy, actually. My friend Sarah and I were talking about it this morning; what if yesterday really were the first day of the rest of your life? How does that change today? The first thing that makes me think of is how important this day is in light of yesterday, and how tomorrow will be woven from the pattern of today.

I have been thinking about the influence of daily progression recently.

Normally, I am not much of a list-maker for things like New Year's Resolutions. I think the last list I made of resolutions was when I was a "wise fool" back in high school at LCHS. The absence of my list doesn't mean that I am not looking towards goals, however. I integrate them in my own more thoughtful ways...not so much a check-list approach.

This summer, however, I am trying something new. My friend and roommate, Ashley, and I were talking about summer goals. Our old roommate Christina kept a paper with about 100 tiny bubbles on it, and she would fill in one bubble each day--it was a count-down to when she would get to see her boyfriend again after the summer. In discussing this, 'Shley and I decided that we would track with a different approach...we would make a paper chain of good things we had done each day until we met that goal. As soon as we'd said that, we decided to do it.

Our goal: A good, beneficial summer. The plan: Each day--as it goes in the premise--we will take a length of colored paper and write down something we've done that's constructive, beneficial, or positive. And yes--we've dubbed it the "Constructive Chain." Made from construction paper. We'll be signing the patent papers any day now. At the end of the summer, we'll have a visual journal entry, if you will--a length proving that the summer days have been good and made us better people.

It's been fun to see this summer as a season of building towards things. Already on my chain I have links that say:

Cleaned my room and did laundry (always a positive, productive event)
Went to the temple
Made dinner with a friend
Read a book

It's only been a few days...when I do more unique things to add to the linked length, I will let you know.

Enjoy the second day of the rest of your life. I hope the third makes you even happier.

Last Thursday I attended a Math Curriculum adoption meeting for the district in which I will be teaching fourth grade next year. It is the first time in 15 years they have adopted new math, and all the teachers were quite happy about the prospect of progression. The previous curriculum was a spiraled curriculum (meaning that the students got review of 4-5 math concepts per day, but it was difficult and next to impossible to teach cohesive math units), and so the teachers were overjoyed at the idea of chucking out the old Excel Program worksheets and getting this new curriculum. As I attended the meeting, I was excited to see the opportunities this new math will give me as a teacher.

Pearson Education has introduced a new curriculum, called Envision Math, that integrates technology into math education. It's the kind of curriculum that would have been nice to know about during college, when all my math teachers required technology integration into math lessons that were difficult to approach from anything but a pencil-paper standpoint. I was able to find some interactive math widgets for such lessons, but this program integrates games, songs, tutorials, and interactive manipulatives for every lesson, every student, and every unit.

The curriculum is brand-new: they have only a single year of testing it in some Las Vegas school systems, but I am excited to be using this in my classroom next year. Probably my favorite feature of the program is a student tracking website, where I can go and assign students a pretest online, they take it, and they get games and interactive tutorials based on the areas in which they were below-level. Each student gets specific intervention for some assignments, and their tracking site will be available through their entire progression through this math program. This means that a teacher in 5th grade will be able to see what their student's math history was in grades K-4 (providing they began the program in Kindergarten, of course). I also really like how the unit plans have recommendations for ELL, LD, and GT accommodations.

It's an exciting prospect to be able to teach with a new mathematics program. I will keep you updated on how it goes in the school year.

Oh...and if you're interested, they have a promotional video. Apparently, this curriculum is the magical solution to more than math problems. See their semi-cheesy promotional video here.

Does anyone else recognize the dad at the beginning of the video? He looks an awful lot like an old member of Divine Comedy's cast... interesting, as this program was created outside of Utah.

Planet Earth

While looking for a picture of a whale shark to put in this post, I came across a headline of an online article: "Whale Shark Research Divers Wanted in Costa Rica."

Yikes.

Don't get me wrong--I have actually always been fascinated by whale sharks. One of my early memories of reading is when I sneaked up to my dad's office one afternoon and raided his bookshelves (you never quite know what you'll find on those shelves. Anything from the Chronicles of Narnia to...well, just about anything. Ask siblings for some of the titles they've seen on those shelves, and you'll get a selection of genres rivaled by any library). That day, the book I found was about the deep ocean. I can still remember seeing that illustration of the whale shark, and the "average man" to scale in comparison. I was shocked--in my little girl mind, I had no idea that things in the ocean were that big. After all, Aaron had told me that the Giant Squid in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" wasn't real...so how could this be? But it was in a book, and they could describe what the whale shark ate, so I believed. My life was changed.

Since that time, I have been fascinated with the ocean. This passion was recently solidified in my discovery of the TV series, "Planet Earth." For an independent assignment in my Science Education class this last semester, Abi and I had a "Planet Earth" night. We watched, in awe, as we were thrown into a realm of cave-diving, bat colonies, ocean depths, and the fate of poor bait fish. Most impressive to me was the one on "Deep Ocean." Later, I watched this with my friend Casey, and he laughed at my reaction to the shots of the Giant Manta Rays. Those things are nine meters across--and I was fascinated and petrified. I know they don't eat you...but the sheer fact that, technically, they could probably fit you into their mouths....

For all my love of the deep ocean, I don't think I could ever scuba dive. The closest I'll get is either 20 yards from the shore, or sitting safe at home watching Planet Earth from a few hundred miles inland.

I recommend "Planet Earth" to any and all interested parties-- and it is the kind of thing that would make a great gift to students and teachers alike. You know...August is a pretty good month to think about giving things....

What do you mean, birthday?
,

Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend Abi about some of the vignettes of life that bring moments of pure joy. She shared with me some of hers, and gave me permission to post them:

"I like reading about or thinking about ideas that are bigger than I am."

"Sitting down and playing the piano without thinking about the notes--like my fingers are playing and I am listening. I like listening to myself play the piano--it's soothing. Almost as good (sometimes better) than a run." I love that.

"I love the feeling of being pleasantly surprised. I love turning in stressful assignments and never thinking about them again. I love the feel of the connection of a softbal l and the sweet spot of the bat--and then rounding first to see the outfielder still chasing it."


Here are a few glimpses of the little things in life that make me happy:

Sometimes the most amazing thing in the world is sitting on the bench outside with a bowl of ice cream and realizing that it is only getting better and better with each bite. The spoon scraping the bowl is proof that it's been a good day.

I love sitting by a fountain of water and having my fingers immerse themselves-- involuntarily--into the water. I find the cool freshness penetrating more than my skin; I am aware of nothing but clarity. The water gets inside of me, and I smile. My fingers play in the surface--then I dig deeper. I feel clean.

I love looking into a puddle after a rainstorm and seeking the sky at my feet: blue, scattered with clouds. It's nature's inversion.