this is happy.

cozy fire
quilt
pumpkins

two-day work week.

Book Review: Peter Pan

When I see my sister's sidebar, I often get discouraged about the amount of reading I do.  However, I must remind myself that I do a huge amount of reading as a part of my job.  And--lucky me-- most of it is in the form of children's literature.  This is one of my absolute favorite parts of my profession.

I make it a point to read to my students for (at least) 20 minutes every day for pure enjoyment.  This snapshot of time, the read-aloud/listen exchange, is an enormous benefit to both me and my students.

Today, we finished Peter Pan.  I had never previously read this beautiful story, and many of my students' impressions had been diluted by the Disney movie.  (Nothing against that show!  I love it).  But the book is amazing in how it takes childhood and pretend and the concept of mothers and presents them as everything good in the world, while likewise looking at time- like the tick-toc crocodile- and the negative connotations of being grown-up, and personifying them in the dastardly Captain Hook. We read an adapted "kid version," but I am looking forward to cracking open the original by J.M. Barrie and being enchanted by the language and the characterization again.

read it.  I know you'll love it.

fall back

Daylight savings ended today.  Did you set your clocks back?

Happy November!  Halloween was a crazy--but awesome--event in third grade, and here at the Grover household.  I dressed up as a mad scientist--complete with lab coat, bow tie, argyle vest and socks, mustache, and geeky glasses.  I sprayed my hair straight up with white hairspray.  (the hairspray/mustache combo was reminiscent of my "fat old man" costume circa my snowview #4 days in rexburg. good times, laura!)  It was all worth it because my students loved it.  What they loved even more was making dry ice bubbles, glow in the dark worms, and blue slime in class.  Good times.  That night we ate chili and cornbread with our best friends, watched a good ol' Hitchcock, and watched dry-ice make our rootbeer bubble.  It was awesome.

Now it's November.  I feel good about November for the following reasons:

• Thanksgiving
• Pie
• Coats
• Sweaters
• Fires in our fireplace
• Beginning of ski season

I feel nervous about November for the following reasons: 

• End of the first trimester.  Which means...
• Parent-Teacher Conferences + report cards + school is 1/3 over
• Snow on my windshield
• Handling the "holidays with 2 families" situation

Good thing the pros outweigh the cons.  

Last night we had our annual Bowthorpe family Gratitude Dinner.  I love this tradition.  My amazing mom makes a delicious meal, we get together and talk about all of the things we are grateful for, then we eat pie.  A couple of things that topped my list this year are: 

• family
• teaching
• the beauty of the earth
• the gospel
• good food
• Samuel
• slippers
• good health 
• weekends.

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.  

yeah yeah UEA

UEA (Utah Education Association) weekend-- also known as "fall break"-- came at the perfect time.  I was overly ready for a little breather from school, and so were my students.  Luckily, Samuel got the long weekend off as well!  Here are some things we accomplished:

• appreciated the autumn leaves on a gorgeous drive in Deer Valley.
• visited Park City's main street for the first time.
• saw Captain America.  liked it.
• ate out a lot.
• cooked/baked: pork chops, pie, peanut butter cookies, cheesy rolls
• did lots of dishes
• organized the junk room.  re-named it Samuel's Man Room. (there are 4 bikes in there. and lots of climbing/camping/scouting gear.  not to mention the cowbells).
• listened to/watched some college football
• organized/created our new "office" space in the kitchen.
• IKEA with Hil.
• chatted with my Nana.
• gardner village to see the "silly witches" with my nieces.
• taught a YW lesson on dating.
• visited Grammy and Grandpa.
• major grading of papers.
• sleeping in-ish.
• found some finishing touches for my Halloween costume.  

All in all, it was a very productive long weekend.  I had a hard time getting up to go back to work this morning.

Can you believe it's almost November?  We're nearly headed into the holiday season.  Speaking of the holidays, I need some cool arrangements of christmas songs to learn for an upcoming gig... anyone have any suggestions?  Please send them to me!

It's supposed to drop 20 degrees tomorrow.  wowzers.  

oct.

It's that happy time of year where leaves change and pumpkins grow orange and fat.  I've got my halloween tree out, an Autumn wreath on my door, and a witch on my mantle.  We've got big plans to carve jack-o-lanterns with friends, make chili, dress up in wild costumes, and watch some Harry Potter.  I'm excited to see the costumes my students come up with this year, and do lots of science experiments involving slime and dry ice.  I'm hoping we get some (or one?) trick-or-treaters this year.  Still dreaming up something amazing treat to pass out.  The drizzly weather has got me baking pie and sweet rolls.  I've been spending a large chunk of my time at school-- surprise, surprise-- but I hope it's paying off.  Samuel is working hard at BMW, and working hard at home as well.  We've been bike riding, pleasure driving, and sleeping under our down comforter.

Welcome, October.

thumbs up to tuesday

• jonathan apples
• rain
• fall
• homemade mac and cheese
• spumoni
• third graders
• pumpkins on my porch
• down comforter
• pie
• cardigans
• pinterest
• the library
• drives at night

MIA

So.  School started!  Which explains why my life has been taken over by elmer's glue, yellow pencils, and 8 year olds.  It rocks.  I've got a great class this year.  And my classroom is happy.  See?

I also got to go to St. George with the Grover Girls to see The Little Mermaid: 

This weekend I'm planning on making peach pie, hanging with my dad on his birthday, planning Canada Day and Johnny Appleseed week, going to the farmer's market, correcting spelling tests, and chilling with Samuel.

Happy Life, everyone.