Typical Day

I thought it would be fun to capture a typical day in the life of my family.  Yesterday in the mail our long awaited tasty treats finally made their way from the UK all the way to NM.  It was a pretty toasty day and the chocolate was a melty mess, but that didn't stop us.  

Our family isn't like other families who are into sports or music (seriously) or working out in strange ways....that reminds me of a commercial I saw for crop fit.  You know.  Instead of cross fit.  Buwahaha working out with old fashion farm equipment.  Seriously, I think that's probably next.  Anyway.  We are a bit nerdy and probably if I had to list a family talent, it would be arguing and thinking.  One thing we can come together on is our love for all things British....including treats.  Jared is the one that suggested that we try them even though he hates all things fruity.  He still wanted to try them.   Did we go on a trip there?  Did a friend go and bring us back something?  No and No, here's how we roll- we order things off the internet and wait for them in the mail.  

After the first bite I wasn't sure, but then the taste lingered and I wanted more and pretty soon I had downed 3 cakes.  No one else in my family likes them so I'm stuck eating 3 boxes by myself.  Oh dear....I'm feeling a juice diet coming on. 

 

 Yesterday we had to go to 2 different schools for "curriculum night." People actually stand in hideously long lines while parents drone on an on about who knows what with their child's teacher - who probably barely knows who the kids are at this point.  I don't torture myself like that....or the teachers for that matter.  I just have my kids show me around their classes and we wave at people as we zip thru the school.  On our way out of the middle school the heavens opened up and we got drenched.  We were laughing as we ran to the car getting pelted with rain.  The cool thing was that after our next stop at the elementary school, where we parked in the mud, there was a rainbow coming out of the mountain....or landing on it.  I really do love those mountains! 

 We got something else in the mail (because I was too lazy to go clear back to the music store) a music book for Ethan's trumpet.  I got so incredibly lucky getting that cornet from his piano teacher - yay, no rental fee!  I guess Jared was getting nostalgic and decided to get out his trumpet ( I bought that poc off the internet -like the spit valve cover?)  They were being so adorable playing together.  I tried to be sneaky about getting the pic because I knew Jared would take off if he saw me.  Luckily I just got the tongue sticking out.  We are like so close to being a family traveling band!  I just needed Jordy in there on her flute, Emma playing the piano and me singing really badly.....Nate could drive the RV.  Oh wait.  I almost forgot.  He plays the saxophone.  That was one of his most attractive qualities in high school....jazz band.  That and his mullet.  No.  Seriously.  I dug it.  

 Here is a picture of a boy and his best friend.  Ethan and I have a pretty heavy competition going for who is Watson's favorite.  Watson sleeps on Ethan's bed with him every night.  In fact the other morning when Ethan was sick Watson refused to go on a walk with me.  He wouldn't leave Ethan.  Today I found them playing on the computer together.  For the record.  Watson is sitting at my feet right now and not Ethan's.  

 I decided that I was not enjoying my other method of lesson preparation.  My lessons seem to produce lots and lots of question asking and talking.....which is always....ok most always...on topic, so it's totally the point but I couldn't find my way to the most important points fast enough to not feel like my lessons were frenzied.  

I decided to try a method from one of the training videos.  I modified it to fit my style and what I need to know, but I taught with it today and it went so much better.  I know exactly what I can summarize from a scripture block and what points I wanted to bring out from each one.  When I don't have enough time I know exactly where I want to go.  My entire lesson is written out using this method. The pic is actually the last page of my last lesson on the left, and on the right is the first page of my next lesson.  I went from 1 page of notes to 2 per lesson, but it is working much better.  My brain still gets dumb in the middle of a lesson and things I thought I would for sure talk about don't get brought up, but hopefully the things that are most important for the kids are getting in there.  

 One more pic of the mountain because it is seriously beautiful.  The last remaining light of the rainbow is barely visible.  I can't see the Albuquerque temple from where I live, but I can see a Mountain of the Lord no matter where I am in the city.