To Miss Brynn

I think you are the best teacher in the world. I wish that 3rd grade would last forever. Only too bad for me because it doesn't. At least I have more time because it's the beginning of the year.

From, Claire


I wish I had a classroom full of Claire. Her adorable note made my day. (Plus, everything was spelled right and in complete sentences).

october love list

• autumn
• rainstorms
• friday fun day
• the art market
• phone calls
• third graders (some more than others)
• General Conference
• fall clothes
• PIE: making and enjoying
• peanut butter
• weekend detox time
• water
• hot showers
• singing with my students
• dinner at G&G's
• Rocky Road milkshakes
• browsing blogs
• a clean desk
• wednesday prep time
• open windows
• seeing Bailey sometimes
• having something to say
• new skis
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
• playing with lyv
• sleep
• changing leaves
• pumpkins

this boy I know

This is Samuel.

He's a handsome geologist from Centerville.

Samuel enjoys rocks, BMW's, books by Joseph Fielding Smith, spending time with his family, the band U2, and manicotti.

Things I like about him:

• he smells good
• he likes mountains
• he is kind
• he is a good planner
• he likes skiing
• he knows how to shop better than I do
• he sends me postcards
• he is a hard worker
• he is a good friend

short for my height and young for my age

A couple of weekends ago my family was in California. Bailey and I were walking down the sidewalk of the mall when we were stopped by a guy trying to sell hair straighteners. Bay let him try it out on her, and then he proceeded with his sales pitch. "How old are you two?" he asked. We told him: 18 and 22. "You are lying to me! I thought something like 14 and 16-- not 18 and 22!" We laughed akwardly.

During that same weekend, we attended my cousin's wedding. Some relatives who we hadn't seen in a while were there. They greeted me, "Hey sweetheart! How are you? You just look so cute, hon! How is school for you?" (Keep in mind that these girls are only 8 months older and 8 months younger than I am...) and I don't think they meant teaching school.

One of my students randomly came up to me the other day and said, "Miss Brynn, when my parents came to Back to School Night, they said you looked like you were 12 years old. How old are you?"

Again at school, my students were playing in my classroom for indoor recess and I was doing some filing. The school reading specialist came in and asked a student, "Where is your teacher?" I came over greeted her. She assured me, "Someday you will just LOVE being mistaken for a third grader!"

Even so, just for the record:

I have a college degree.

I work on a salary.

I have an educators licence.

I'm old enough to do this.

I guess I should be praying to keep my "youthful look" for many years to come-- it will be nice to be 90 and still look 50, right?

it's gonna be a quick game and I gotta get home for lunch

Only two and a half days of teaching this week. I love long weekends.

I especially love this weekend. It is my favorite time of year-- sunny days, crisp air, conference, family, autumn leaves. Ebelskivers at Nana's on Sunday morning. Naps. Projects. A welcome

break; time to breathe. Perhaps even time to ride bikes.

Teaching is hard, and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, good. Hard and good. But it has been mainly hard recently. I am now learning all of the things that they forgot to teach me in college. Like how to deal with kids who have ADHD, or what to do when kids are defiant, or how to coordinate parent efforts, or how to help when your students forget how to subtract, or how to not take it personally when your students don't care, or how to not spend every waking moment thinking about/doing stuff for school. Even so, I do love it. And my mom and dad are so supportive and awesome. My mom has been my saving grace-- she knows how to get things done. My dad often is my voice of reason. And, I think my friends still like me even though I've fallen through the cracks in so many ways. Love to all.

So. Life is busy and challenging and rewarding. Happy October this week.

September Love List

• Saturdays
• jonathon apples
• activities where my students are engaged
• maps
• my bedroom
• Ghana
• rainstorms
• warm cookies
• S.L.G.
• my classroom
• being well prepared
• books
• birthdays
• our paper mache globe
• long weekends
• the library
• helpful people
• free time
• back to school shopping
• new music
• third graders
• seeing friends
• chapstick
• ovaltine
• peanut butter sandwiches

hard and good

Some things that are hard and good:

teaching third grade

living in africa

saying goodbye to friends

airports

writing letters to missionary friends

math

using time wisely

keeping bedrooms clean

remembering stuff

telling 8-year-olds "no"

not speeding in cars

flossing

being on time

not staying at school until they kick you out

...especially that last one.