Humble Pie, Please

I should be writing more about the kids at school, because I sure am learning a lot from them...a lot about resilience. These are some things that have happened recently that have really touched me:

One of our students came up to me the other day and told me that she and her mother would like to get me a Christmas present. That would be great, except this student and her family, unknown to her, are our school's recipient of the Adopt-A-Family presents. In a school of 600 students, her family was one of two singled out for help. This family has 4-5 kids, and sometimes no running water. She comes to school with dirty clothes and greasy hair, and has had several reoccurences of lice because her family can't afford the shampoo. I said to her, "You don't have to get me anything. Don't! Tell your mother that I don't need anything." She forged on, saying, "What do you like?" I said to her, "What I would like the most is a picture from you." I think she liked that idea, and skipped off to her desk. How sweet is that?

I was reading another student's writing project the other day. It was about a "lightbulb moment" or a time when they learned something new. This is what this young 10 year old girl wrote (about riding her bike):

"I learned that you can accomplish something you really want to. Also, I remember that day because it is the day my sister died in the car wreck."

It is so sad to me that such a sweet accomplishment was darkened by something so horrible and memorable.

Another student told us today that he drinks coffee every morning and eats Apple Jacks for breakfast. That sure does explain his "energetic" behavior. He sure is a cute kid. Yesterday his Grandpa had to pick his brother and him up because the heat stopped working at his mother's house. He has come in late several times because he has been visiting his father in jail. His dad was arrested for DWI, and just received three more years in jail. His mother is now raising two boys alone.

I don't tell these stories to depress anyone (or myself). I just like to remind myself how blessed I am, for one, and two, that these kids NEED structure, they NEED kind words, they NEED the benefit of the doubt sometimes. They remind me that in the face of really hard things, there are always ways to be happy and hopeful.

Runners, Until the Race is Won

I like music. In fact, I REALLY like music. I don't think that I communicate on my blog the fact that I listen to music all the time. I love finding a new band that I really like. I love when a band I already like comes out with a new album. I love finding songs that connect with me. Sometimes I like certain songs for their words, some for just their music, and some for both. It just depends on what it is.

Todd believes that I am partially deaf because I like my music loud. I really starting liking music in high school. My first "favorite" was Good Charlotte. We really rocked out to them, as well as New Found Glory and Jimmy Eat World. My first concert was Blink 182 and Green Day. We drove to Hershey, PA the day before graduation, and got back at 3 in the morning. Needless to say, I nearly slept through the awards ceremony. I almost missed them NOT announcing me valedictorian (a story for another time, haha).

My music tastes haven't changed a whole lot since then. I like rock. However, I like a certain kind of rock. I don't know what you would call it, people have all sorts of names for music these days. I just know what I like. I have a few all-time favorite songs. A lot of these we used at our wedding. I didn't want traditional wedding music, although I had some. We danced our first dance to "Divide Me" by Kalai, who was a Jack Johnson-esque singer popular in Provo at the time. We also included Jimmy Eat World's "For Me This is Heaven," "I Don't Wanna Know" by New Found Glory, "Half-Life" from the What a Girl Wants soundtrack, "Run" by Snow Patrol, "Elva" by Unwritten Law. There were others but I can't remember them now!

I try to avoid buying songs on Itunes because once I start I really can't stop! However, for history's sake, these are some songs that I REALLY like right now, enough to download them. If you would like a listen, I will burn some of them for you! The last CD I burned had these songs on them:

1. Come On, Get Higher--by Matt Nathanson. This is a great slow-dancing-in-the-kitchen-with-your-husband song. Do it. It's fun!
2. You Found Me--by the Fray. LOVE THE FRAY. The Fray always takes me back to those early mornings driving to work in rush hour traffic from Sacramento to Davis (best farmer's market ever!)
3. Valley Winter Song--by Fountains of Wayne. It's in the L.L. Bean commercial. It's a great winter song, sort of folksy and cozy.
4. You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie--by the Submarines. I have had a thing with commercial music lately! This is from one of the Apple commercials. It's fun, its different.
5. Buildings and Mountains--by the Republic Tigers. This one had to grow on me. Now I love it!
6. Lovers in Japan--by Coldplay. I have loved this song since the second the album came out. Oh my. I listen to this every day!

I just got Guster's latest CD from the library, and I am REALLY digging two of their songs. I need to listen to Death Cab for Cutie's latest CD too, because I think they are great, but they don't have any songs on that CD that stood out to me (like Guster's "Dear Valentine"....awesome!) I also have Snow Patrol's newest CD on hold (I would die to go to one of their concerts).

Anyway, that is what I am listening to right now (besides Christmas songs!) I'm sure there will be many more posts about music to come!

I Hate Cleaning, Part I

Sometimes I wonder WHY I even put the vacuum cleaner away. One of the reasons I hate cleaning is because whatever I have just cleaned is dirty again the next day. And then I'm bugged that its dirty for two more days, and then the third day I drag the darn vacuum cleaner out again.

Can I just leave it out? Is it tacky to just let the vacuum cleaner sit out in clear view, knowing that it will be there the second I need it? Is it lazy of me to even think of leaving it out, knowing that putting it in the closet and getting it out again is really not that hard?

This is just part one of the "I Hate Cleaning" series. More to come!

New This Week

**Students in my class have just learned how to pass notes. I grabbed one today that read something like, "If you get online to such-and-such game, my character name is this. I'll be on at 4:00." Kids aren't even playing face to face anymore!

On the subject of passing notes, I remember in middle school my friend Meghan and I were REALLY good at passing notes--we would use our calculators, journals, whatever we had handy. She had all the juicy stuff to write about though!

P.S. In high school, I had three friends named Megan. One was a Meghan, one was an Em (also known as Megan), and another one was Megan just like me. One was a church friend and in a lower grade, but the two were in the same classes with me! We would confuse the teachers. It was fun. And at BYU, the girl that lived next door to me was another Megan Ross!! Creepy!! We always thought they did that on purpose. Unfortunately for me, the other Megan Ross was blonde and gorgeous. Boo.

**Last night I was recording the 5th grade concert for the music teacher, and this woman literally lit her lighter--FIVE TIMES--to read her program. A lighter! In a school! In ANYPLACE that's not outside??!!! I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but by the fifth time I just thought she was an idiot. I should have said something, but I didn't want her whipping that lighter into my face.

**I just got a job for second semester. I get to stay at this school, and work with my lovely fifth-graders, and a few fourth-graders. I will be helping them prepare for state testing. Which, you know, is all we do in schools these days! I am excited to stay though, in a school that I'm familiar in AND like! I am nervous about being accountable for earning my pay. Doing well in school? Yeah, I can do that. I'm not sure how I'll do in the real world. I guess you all will be here to find out!

**Let me reiterate that I hate law school. I mean, it'll be good for us like 5 years down the road. But now, law school and I are NOT friends.

It does make me really appreciate those joyful moments when I get to see my husband, like when we meet for dinner or when he crawls into bed after I'm passed out at 11. Every moment counts!

SD card

Hello all,

In my eagerness to capitalize on the Black Friday sales, I bought an SDHC memory card for the camera. Apparently, our camera cannot handle the wonderfulness of SDHC...it requires a simple SD card...no HC tacked onto the end.

Long story short, if you are looking for one, I will sell mine to you. I got it from Staples for 15. Its an HP 8GB SDHC card. I do not want to deal with customer service.

Newer cameras should take SDHC cards (ours is only a 4.0 megapixel).

Thanks!

PBS

I have fond memories of watching PBS as a family--even with all those pesky "pledge us some money" interruptions. PBS is where I watched Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, The Nutcracker ballet, and even Riverdance :)

But the best thing they play is Anne of Green Gables.

I now, I break from blogging, to laugh at how cute it is when Gilbert Blythe winks at Anne.

Movie and Book Reviews

The nice thing about just working is that generally I can come home and do whatever I want without having to worry about getting homework done. My favorite time of day to read is right before bed, and usually I have to jump in bed early because I always read longer than I mean to.


One book I have been reading for a while is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Um, AMAZING story. It can get a bit dry at times, and all of the Muslim names get confusing, but this story is inspirational. It's nice to hear what Pakistan is like from an American's perspective, someone who is used to American customs, but has learned Pakistani customs as well. What this man is doing is amazing. I love that what these tiny, remote villages want the most is a school...a school! It was hard for me to read this book, and read about how badly needed schools are, what an honor and a privilege for these students it is to go to school, and then think about how poorly many of our schools are supported here...the concept of school here is almost a drudgery, a "have-to" thing, instead of an "I want this, I need this to help my family, to help myself." I am so proud that there are Americans in this country peacefully working to help and serve others.


I quickly read Shannon Hales Princess Academy. I gobbled this book up! The way she writes is so different than most books made for the high school age group. I really enjoyed the story about a young girl attending a Princess Academy and learning what is really important to her. I highly recommend anything by Shannon Hale. I have recently starting reading her books, and have enjoyed every one.
Todd and I watched this last night. It was so fun! It was interesting watching this after reading Three Cups of Tea...the book talks about the caves in Afghanistan and Pakistan and how impossible it is to find people there...people like Bin Laden. And then we watched Iron Man, and a large part of it is dealing with these terrorists living in caves in Afghanistan. I like when movies speak about the times we are in. I mentioned to Todd that the writers of this movie probably couldn't come straight out indicating that all terrorists are from Afghanistan and Pakistan...because that would be prejudiced these days, right? It would probably be offensive if Tony Stark had been purely innocent because the stereotype of Muslims is that they target innocent Americans. However, because Tony Stark is a conflicted man himself, and is not innocent in his own right, he is the perfect "hero" to face Afghani terrorists. Tony Stark was the creator of the conflict...well, it's a different way to look at it. Sorry for my convoluted over-analysis. I was a theater major!
We also found this movie lots of fun. We already love anything Steve Carrell touches because of the Office...he is just so likeable! We laughed a lot during this movie. I loved the guys who played the "nerds."

Well thats the recent roundup. I just received "Music Man'' from the library. I am ashamed to say, as a theater person, that I have never seen this. I'm excited to get familiar with the songs, and see if I like it. Not every play or musical that comes out and everyone absolutely adores is my cup of tea (Rent? Yikes).

Thanksgiving

At Thanksgiving dinner, Todd and I didn't get any pictures...sorry! Our memory card is out of memory, and so now to take pictures we have to delete pictures. We are paranoid about losing pictures off of our computers or our camera, so we just bought an 8 GB SD card, which should be good for another 8000 pictures! I guess you could say then, that in our 2 1/2 years of marriage, we have taken well over 1000 pictures. We have also decided that we need to start making more hard copies of our pictures...but that gets expensive!

I did take a few pictures of some accomplishments over Thanksgiving weekend! The first picture is commemorating an accomplishment of my current favorite team...Boise State! They are 12-0, and oh, how I miss the Smurf Turf! Also, I graduate in three weeks. I've been in school so long that I forget there's a second graduation coming up!

I also put up my Christmas decorations on Wednesday and Friday. Decorations have to be small and simple, because if they were any bigger, they would overwhelm our little cave of an apartment!
I did go Black Friday shopping. The most fun I had was at Michaels...I got quite a few things for the 10 bucks I spent. I think I am a paper addict...I have bought so much paper recently for scrapbooking. Todd probably thinks this hobby is insane! I also bought a cute pair of shoes. They are really comfy, and have a kitten heel, so they are walkable. They are also red-ish! It is sad for me not to really be able to wear heels anymore because of my toe, but I'm glad flats and low heels are in! I can't really walk in high heels anyway. I also found something pretty cool for Todd...but that's a secret! (By the way...this Georgia/Georgia Tech game?? AWESOME!)

More decorations. My mom made the Santa and the snowman. She is so crafty and talented. She doesn't have time to do a lot of this now, so I'm glad she kept a few around so that I could inherit them now!
Our tree! We have graduated from a borrowed 2 foot tree (thanks Sandra!) to a lighted 4 foot tree. It is honestly the perfect size. We have just enough ornaments to get it nicely covered. Thanks to my parents, I have a lot of special ornaments on there...including one that's a "Baby's First Christmas" aka MY first Christmas! I also have ornaments that my old soccer coach in high school gave all of us, as well as ornaments made my by mom, or created by Young Women's leaders. I love having ornaments with sentimental value.

We really enjoyed our Thanksgiving. A member of our bishopric invited us, plus a bunch of other law students, over to their huge house. We had all the Thanksgiving staples and stuffed ourselves! Other than that, this Thanksgiving has been slightly difficult for me. Todd has been gone a lot studying for finals, and our families are in a galaxy far, far away (aka Idaho and Pennsylvania). I am missing our family connections, but that only makes me super excited to see my family over Christmas. I can make it a few more weeks!

Megan's Random Thoughts

This is all I can muster for now

**Jones Cream Soda just became my new favorite flavor. It leaves a cotton candy-esque aftertaste. Perrrrrfect! We buy Jones soday occasionally as a special treat...we both deserve it!

**It is REALLY cold here in Topeka. Like, REALLY cold. I wish my body would regulate temperature better. Sometimes it can be 75 degrees in my apartment and I'm nice and cozy. Currently, it is 75 degrees and I am freezing. WHY???

**Not a huge fan right now of law school. It is stealing my husband. Law school, I hate you. We better get a good return on this investment in the future. Luckily, I don't think the world will ever run out of lawyers. Customer service reps may go the way of India, but we will probably still need lawyers.

**Working on getting a job for next semester. I have a few good leads. Will let you all know when I have a final decision. I am exhausted from student teaching. However, I really do feel that I have learned a lot this semester, and that I am capable of working with many kinds of students. That's not a confidence I think I would have gained if we had stayed in Idaho. Trying to recognize the blessings here! Speaking of school, I had this conversation the other day:

Kid: Are you giving us social studies homework today?
Me: I don't think so.
Kid: Good, because I won't have time to do it. I have to go home and take a nap.

Ummm...is it just me or is that a LOUSY excuse for a fifth-grader to make? I have to take a nap? I wish I could use that one!

**America's Next Top Model is over. Who can explain exactly why they watch this, but like many people, I am also dying to know who's going to go next. I like laughing at the ridiculous things those girls say...and at Tyra Banks. Girl needs to get over herself.

To replace ANTM, I have 24!! We will be recording tomorrow's opening show because of a church thing, but we're on it! Oh sweet 24! How I have missed you and Jack Bauer and the sweet plot twists. Todd and I decided that President Palmer would have been a much better candidate for President this year. Should have wrote him in. Too bad he's just an Allstate commercial guy now. That guy was going places.

Another new favorite show of mine is Criminal Minds. Fun stuff. I like the plot line of FBI profiling...it's nice to take a break from the CSI grossness. Likeable cast. I watch too much TV these days. A sorry substitute for Todd, that's for sure.

**Not wanting to end my blog talking about TV, I am so excited for our visit to Pennsylvania over Christmas (have I mentioned this already? If so, sorry!) I will get to see my nephew who has probably grown a ton since we last saw him, as well as my family who are so far away (why is everyone so far away?). Hopefully I will be able to go skiing (maybe?) and take Todd on the Hershey Chocolate Tour. It will be so nice to be with family over the holidays, and Todd and I are really looking forward to a wonderfully long break from school and work.

What are you doing for the holidays?

Nerves

I have been thinking a lot about nerves lately. Not the "they're getting on my nerves" kind (I mean, I have thought a lot about that, too, darn fifth graders!) But the butterflies in your stomach, makes you want to puke feeling, kind of nerves.

Even though teaching is kind of second nature to me now, and I feel fairly confident watching over unruly, needy and dependent 10 year olds, I still get totally nervous when I'm being watched. I had an observation today (hopefully my last for a little while), and I did okay until a few minutes before when it started to sink in--that "I think I might be sick" feeling. And I felt okay about the lesson! Of course, as soon as its over, I feel better.

My nerves have really gotten the best of me this semester. In fact, my nerves were so horrible one time that I requested a priesthood blessing. I literally couldn't continue with a normal life without it! If you saw me at Book Club in the Sherwood Ward last time, you saw nerves. You saw the "I can't sleep, can't stop thinking about it, what could go wrong? EVERYTHING. Maybe I'll get sick" nerves. I think I hid it well though.

The time I can remember that I was MOST nervous was when I took an acting class at BYU. I may have been a theater major, but I HATED acting. I HATE getting up in front of people and acting. Giving a talk? No problem. Teaching a lesson? Easy peasy. Doing a presentation? Cake walk. But acting? I wanted to die. I didn't want to embarrass myself. I was in a classroom full of people who LIKED to act, and were good at it. I had a really intimidating professor (good, but intimidating. He continued to intimidate me when I stage managed his play). I think I shook the entire day when I had to do a monologue or scene. To this day, I'm grateful that was the only acting class I ever had to take. Acting=nerves.

So those are some things that make me nervous. What makes you nervous?

Word of Wisdom

I have a testimony of the Word of Wisdom.

No, really, I do. Not one of those, "it's true because the Church is true." I mean, that's GOOD, because that's the kind I used to have. And there's nothing wrong with that kind. But for me, it's morphed into one of those, "No, I KNOW it's true, because my not only does the Spirit tell me it's true, but my body does as well."

Backtrack. I became lactose intolerant my sophomore year of college. I ignored it, because what college student wants to give up ice cream and pizza? Not I. In fact, there are times when I still ignore it. And besides, don't a million people have LI? So, not a big deal.

However, I started getting quite sick last year in Boise. I was getting heartburn EVERY day, heartburn so bad I would feel nauseous. I would go home from my internship and collapse on the Love Sac, wondering why a little thing like heartburn wiped me out so completely. I was exhausted. And I'd get it everyday. I was also struggling with other foods, worse than I had before.

I know, sob story. People have cancer, and I'm complaining about heartburn. But I have always been fairly healthy, and the heartburn and other side effects were interfering with my happiness.

So I took a trip to the doctor, a gastro doctor in Boise (we Rosses don't mess around with family practitioners, it's straight to the specialist for us!). Upon hearing my symptoms (I was worried about a stomach ulcer), the first three questions the doctor asked me were:

1. Do you drink coffee?
2. Do you drink alchohol?
3. Do you smoke?

Well, I consider myself an active member of the Church, so I could reply "No" to the above questions. He looked puzzled, and said, "Well, you don't seem to have any vices." I later learned that chocolate was farther down that list (ah, there's the vice!) Once we had ruled out symptoms of an ulcer (food sticking, sudden weight loss, yeah, that definitely hadn't happened), we discussed "foods to avoid."

Everything on this list is obvious. At least, it SHOULD have been. It's on that food groups chart. It's also in the Word of Wisdom. Eat grains. Eat rice. Eat vegetables. Eat fruits. Stick to a couple small servings of meat a day.

Foods to avoid. Sugar sparingly. Things with high acid content, for my hearburn, like tomatoes (I ignore this one. I like spaghetti too much). Avoid grease and fat.

And finally, my doctor told me to exercise. So I did. I went twice a week to the Boise State gym (LOVED that place, MISS you gym, MUAH! No really, it was a sweet place. WAY better than BYU's!) I dropped most of the sugar I'd been eating. I lost 7 pounds in two weeks. Heck yes!

I'm not trying to say that I eat perfectly now. I definitely don't. But I make a more conscious effort to watch the chocolate consumption, and eat more fruits and veggies. And exercise (not doing so good here, thanks freezing cold Topeka). So when Halloween hit, my body took a hit too. I am downing the chocolate. I am stressed from school. I feel sluggish. I feel tired. Why? I've dropped some of my good habits.

For me, the Word of Wisdom isn't just a good idea. It's Heavenly Father's eating plan. He has told us how to take care of our bodies. That "run, and not be weary" part? Yeah, when I eat right, I can "run" much faster and farther than I can when I'm on post-Halloween junk. The Word of Wisdom also isn't just, "Don't drink coffee, tea, alchohol, or take drugs." It's that, PLUS the eating healthy part.

I believe it works. I believe its part of treating our bodies as a temple. I KNOW it is a gift from Heavenly Father. Now I just need to do better at following the Word of Wisdom completely.

We Voted!

Todd and I did our duty as Americans. We walked next door, stood in a line 0 people long, voted in 5 minutes, and then we were OUT! We were worried because of all the horror stories, but it was yet another reason to ignore the media.

I will leave the rest of my opinions about the election between Todd and I, but here is my best and worst of the election:

Best: Mitt Romney, in general and SNL's version of the last debate between McCain and Obama (Obama: "I was abducted by aliens...." McCain wandering in front of the camera. Classic)

Worst: Reading the death threats and name calling by others directed against bloggers supporting Prop 8. Yes, DEATH threats.

Won't miss ya, election.

MacLellan Park

On Sunday (and OH, thank goodness for Sundays), Todd and I took a venture out to MacLellan Park, which surrounds the Governor's Mansion here in Topeka (does she actually live there? we wondered). Anyway, the weather was perfect (can't say the same for that today), and we figured it might be the last time to get out and enjoy the fall weather and the changing leaves before winter hits (like today...can you tell this weather we have now is depressing?) We had a good time wandering the trails and avoiding being run over by bicyclists.

This is our Jane Austen poses, arm in arm. Todd is quite the gentleman. Please don't make fun of him for this. I made him do it, and then we photographed it. Haha. See my adoring look? Yeah, I like him a lot.

Anyway, we had a great Sunday. It was great to actually see another part of Topeka! We continue to like it here, although Todd only sees me, the church, and the law building. Our friends (and fellow Cougars) invited us over for dinner (shoutout Nelsons, WOOT WOOT), and we enjoyed their son's entertainment :)

Halloween Leftovers

If you know Todd and I, you might remember last year when we posted something similar about our Halloween (and Easter) traditions. Todd and I hurry into the day-after candy sales, and stock up for our food storage! Just kidding about the food storage part. Although, the candy will definitely help fatten us up for winter. All in all, we spent 30 dollars on candy. Are we gross or what? Bags opened so far: Dove chocolates, Peanut Butter m&m's, 100 Grand/Butterfinger mix. Only a few more bags left to open :)


At the JRC's soup/chili cookoff, Todd participated in the donut-eating contest. He didn't win, but c'mon Thomasons...who is the one that is always LAST finishing his food? TODD! He looks like he has a mullet in the picture below, but it's just a funny reflection.

The Job

So here's more about the job. I won't give too many details---in this day of your future employers potentially reading your blog, I don't want to accidentally get myself into trouble. Also, I don't want to compare my future salary to others because one) some people are weird about that, two) it might be higher than someone's and I don't want to rub anything in, three) it might be lower than other people's and I don't want NO ONE raining on my parade, and four) something could happen so that I end up NOT having a job next year (you never know!)....

Sorry for the big disclaimer. :)

But anyway, I got offered a job in Topeka School District 501, which is the district I am teaching in now. It is ginormous. It is humongous. There are a million schools in it. I was given a contract guaranteeing me a placement somewhere here for the 09-10 school year...all I have to do is go to the district's hiring fair to talk to principals. I don't have to interview at all with the district. There are other districts here in Topeka, but this one is the largest, and many of the schools are close to where we live.

The salary is better than what Idaho is offering right now, so that's one plus of this whole move. I would love to be at the school I'm at student teaching, because I love the teachers, the discipline system, the technology...but of course, there are always cons. I have a pretty good idea of which schools I don't want to work at, so that's a good start.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing next semester. I might end up just subbing (blech), or I might try to weasel my way into a para or Title 1 job at my school. Anyway, it's just nice to know that things are rolling now. I still am working on my certification papers for Idaho and for Kansas, so that's my next big project (fingerprinting, paperwork, transcripts, yuck).

Anyway, there's the update. I have been really blessed, and Todd and I are hopeful that someday we will have an income :)

Happy Halloween!

At Williams, we like to eat, especially sweets!...

We have the best teacher and STUDENT TEACHER (haha) ever!

At Williams, we like to take walks and spend our energy...

We love movies about superheroes and "the force."

Every once in a while, we wish we were someone else, or we wish we were an imaginary animal that can do cool stuff...

Sometimes, we like to scare our teachers with our crazy faces...

And we LOVE makeup (even though we're 10!)

These are pictures from Halloween Day at Williams. It was C-R-A-Z-Y! Thankfully, I made it through my first Halloween as a teacher, and the kids were actually pretty good. I mean, we didn't do anything but parade around, eat junk, and watch movies. Made for an easy teaching day!

Todd and I kept our Halloween low-key. We attended our ward trunk-or-treat and babysat for some friends of ours. It's just not the same without our own kids or without younger siblings around. We are not really the dress up kind either. I miss carving pumpkins and decorating big time, but I figure I will have PLENTY of time in the future to do that! Hopefully everyone had a great holiday!

Good News!

We're













having













a













.....















haha. just kidding. But I did get offered a job for next year in 501! No details about which grade or school yet, but I will be guaranteed a position if I sign, yadda yadda, without having to interview. Yay!

I have been following the story of Christian and Stephanie Nielson (like SO many others).

This article is beautiful.

While I will never write as well as the Nielson sisters, I hope that in light of a trail so terrible, I can have the faith that this family has.

Hazel Hill

For you Topekans who haven't been, I would HIGHLY recommend a trip to Hazel Hill downtown (about Kansas and 7th). SO YUM! Since Todd and I have had a rough week, I decided I would drop by and grab a treat on the way home from parent-teacher conferences. He has this horrible memo due, plus an "unannounced" midterm (evil professors), and with all the help I've been this week (none), we both need a yummy pick-me-up.

We have already had their frozen cheesecake. It is wonderful Cheesecake Factory cheesecake (oh, please, please, build one here!) covered in chocolate, and it is SO good and only 2.75. What a deal! Todd and I split one and were so happy, plus we got our CF fix. The next time I came with my teaching friends, I got an apple pie caramel apple...one of the best flavors! It is so good covered in cinnamon.

Today I went and got an infamous Snickers apple. They are more expensive, at $6, but they are SO much better than Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! A lot better! We devoured most of it (after our BK dinner, aren't we so healthy?) and are leaving a bit for during The Office. There are lots of other things I want to try though, like their "things" "landslides," as well as their huge peanut butter cups, which I drool over every time. Plus, every time you go, they always ask you to try something new of theirs. Today it was a chocolate covered blueberry...mmmm!

So anyway. Go. Eat your heart out. You can't take it with you, so you might as well gorge while you can :)

I survived Monday and Tuesday

Well, the doctor didn't tell me it was going to get WORSE before it got better. Over the course of starting antibiotics, I developed chills, nausea, vomiting, and white spots on my tonsils. Fabulous, right? So, Monday night and Tuesday were able as miserable as can be, plus I was given another prescription for the nausea that was, well, you can guess what that was.

Fortunately for me, Todd was able to give me another blessing last night, and I slept! Real sleep! My first real sleep in four days. I woke up feeling wonderful (well, compared...I'm by no means 100%), ready to eat something other than Gatorade...that's all I drank yesterday, Gatorade. I am SO ready for real food!

I am REALLY hoping it won't get any worse than this, it can't, can it?

My Weekend

Ya know, I had started to go hoarse by Friday, but I thought, Hey I've been teaching everything all week, it's probably from talking so much. I felt okay on Friday night, and Todd and I went to the JRC volleyball night which was lots of fun (and whoever made those Rice Krispies....yummmm). Anyway, Friday night we were both exhausted, but we stayed up long enough to catch up on the Office and the SNL that we had missed Thursday.

So anyway, I thought that Saturday I would sleep in, get some rest, relax, and work on feeling better. I woke up at 9, and by 10:30 was completely exhausted again. I gave in, and slept from 11 to 1. Todd and I had talks to give on Sunday, as well as a Sunday School Lesson, so I worked on that, most of the day. As the evening progressed, my throat started to feel worse and worse, but I figured it wouldn't get much worse..

Wrong!! Saturday night I slept terribly, even with the aid of Benadryl, and Sunday morning Todd and I both woke up exhausted. I guess I had been coughing off and on all night, which kept poor Todd up...and of course, we have early church, and needed to be on Church on time, so we were up at 7:30. I prayed that I would be able to make it through my talk without dying, and was really blessed. However, by the end of Relief Society, I had a raging headache, the throat was sore, and my ears were starting to hurt. Not good. I spent Sunday on the Love Sac, checking my temperature occasionally to make sure I wasn't feverish. After tossing and turning, I woke up with a temperature of 100 at 2 am. Not good. I called in sick to my mentor teacher after a restless night, and fell asleep again. I was able to drag myself into the shower, and into urgent care, because I was worried about having the flu, or strep. By then, the pressure in my ears was worse than I have ever experienced (I RARELY get earaches, and never have sinus problems). Anyway, the doc prescribed amoxicillin in case of strep, and robitussin with codeine to help me sleep.

Wish I could say things are better, but when Todd came home around 5, my temperature peaked at 101. 5. We called the doc again to make sure that wasn't too high, and they told us it would take 48 hours for me to begin to feel better (ARGH), and that if my temperature hit 103, to head to the ER. I have been sitting with a cold pack on my face for a couple of hours, drinking lots of fluids, taking my medicine, and waiting to feel better, which has yet to happen.

Anyway, this is a long boring story, but I apologize to anyone I've breathed on in the past week! I feel sicker than a dog, and will probably miss at least one more day of school, but I've been thankful for modern medicine, Gatorade, and the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice. Hopefully next weekend will be much better than this one, and Friday is a day off anyway...I am getting more days off this week than I had planned.

Books

After one day, I am already sick of having political stuff at the top of my blog. So...

I LOVE getting books from the library in the mail! So I was excited to get my next two books:
1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
2. Austenland by Shannon Hale

I just finished reading Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, and I loved it. It turned out exactly the way I wanted it to, but it read differently than some of the ones I've been reading. I'd recommend it to someone looking for an easy read, something fun, romantic, and about a different culture.

I also just finished Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull, who also writes the Fablehaven series (great books, fun to read, sort of Harry Potter-ish, but not, get it, right?) I thought Candy Shop Wars was great as well, also a fun read, something I would tell my kids to read. Brandon Mull is an LDS author, and his books are geared towards 3rd grade and up. If I remember correctly, there is no language (I would hope not, but I am so desensitized I hardly notice language unless it is totally vulgar, is that bad?). Anyway, those are fun books too.

Just finished the Scarlet Pimpernel too...so fun! I didn't think I would like it that much (maybe because the title sounds like the Scarlet Letter, which is ick, which I never finished).

Anyway, thats the current roundup. Can ya tell the husband is gone a lot?

Sometimes, the media just stinks

One more thing.

I find Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddox very annoying on MSNBC. Chris Mathews and Andrea Mitchell are a bit easier to handle. Sorta sad that our basic cable gives us MSNBC and not any other choices.

And thanks to the Prophet and this gospel, I don't feel angry, sad or depressed, like the media keeps telling me I'm supposed to be. I feel hopeful.

The end.

More Debate and Education

Sorry, but indulge me in my political thoughts for a moment...I think that I will run out of steam to talk about this kind of stuff REAL SOON.


I started watching the debate, tuned out for a while, and came back at the end during the discussion on education. As an educator (and I consider myself one, I HAVE GONE TO ENOUGH SCHOOL!), I find it interesting when the candidates talk about topics related to ed. Here are my fragmented thoughts:

Obama-Yes, give the schools more money! However, I don't know if giving federal money at schools is the right way to go...but because of property taxes, this may leave some areas at a disadvantage. But I want smaller governement!

Recruit new teachers (me!)...Check! The way I see it, there are plenty of people interested in teaching. I don't know if this is a profession that will see a drought...most people don't do it for the money!

More professional development, well, there's already a lot. I completely believe that professional development is important, and I think teachers of any age should continue to go. But more? Maybe as long as its enriched with good stuff!

College affordable? Ummm...student loans? Aren't those widely available? Scholarships, especially for minorities? Maybe I'm just biased because I grew up middle-class but it seems that most people can afford at least community college, especially if they take out some loans, and work while they go to school. I just think that kids that really want to go, will find a way to GO.

Thank YOU, PARENTS NEED TO SHOW RESPONSIBILITY. YOU GOT IT BUD. Thank you so much for saying that! This is something I have thought a long time about. We are always being compared to China in our math and science performance. Well, what's different in China??

*Parents are invested in their child's future.
*Kids care about their work
*The importance of school is ingrained in their culture.
*DISCIPLINE!
*They go to school for longer hours, these kids know the value of work
*However, I guess it IS easier for parents, because they can only have one kid, right?

It is very difficult for kids to feel invested in their school, when 1) the parents don't care, 2) the parents are on drugs or in jail, 3) the parents don't raise their kids to value hard work and responsibility....okay, I'll stop, I don't want to offend anyone. But I think at the core of education IS THE FAMILY.

I don't like the idea of performance pay, I don't think there is ANY WAY IN HECK that anyone can make that process objective. Good luck to ya.

McCain-Choice in schools, good. Competition--hmm...I think its nice when schools can work together as opposed to competing.

Throwing money at schools--Haha, its probably true that some of the worst schools have a lot of money. I think the system has to be fixed first before we throw money into it...wouldn't mind starting that process by burning some of those state tests.

I like his encouragement of Teach for America and Troops for Teachers, but they need the screening and the training that people in a college program get.

I liked when he talked about autism. In a system that is full-inclusion, we see so many kids that could benefit from research into the autism spectrum.

I don't know much about vouchers...I'll have to read up on this. Anyone have any opinions on charter schools?

I love how the news channels keep talking about how we are in a recession and we had our worst week ever in the stock market last week and how we are in this huge economic crisis.

And the DOW came back up 900 points today. I'm not an expert or anything, but people seem to be going on as they normally do. Or maybe its because I know a bunch of Mormons and other hard-working people who are doing as they were counseled and staying out of debt and saving hard.

I mean, it hasn't been as bad as the SNL "news show" reported last Thursday, I mean, people haven't started wearing fedoras again right? (Wasn't their debate episode AWESOME??)

And thank you very much, but our gas prices were at 2.69 yesterday, which is FABULOUS!!!

My Husband STILL Takes Me On Dates!

Even though we are now dirt-poor, both of us making NO money, and both of us in school (can I get a hallelujah for only having two months left?), my kind husband took me out for a date a few weeks ago. One of our habits has been to use our credit card points to buy gift cards out to eat, and we decided to head to Red Lobster so we could get a seafood fix. We ate tons of food, made silly faces, and just talked. It was so nice!

Yes, there are about a million plates in front of me. I had an appetizer plate, the plate the appetizers came on, my salad plate, and my dinner plate. We Thomasons like to eat! I think I am holding a DELICIOUS seafood stuffed mushroom in my hand. If there is one thing I have grown to love as an adult, it is mushrooms--fresh or sauteed!

After we had convinced our waiter that he had broken our camera, we got it to work again. I think our clothes match nicely with the dinner plates. Didn't we plan that well?

Cute! Cute! This is more his "why are you taking pictures of me" face, but he looks pretty good for the billions of hours of studying he is doing. I don't really think he is in the "I love law school!" phase of his life, considering that he is campus from 7 am to 9 or 10 pm most days, with short breaks home for lunch or dinner or a run. I am very proud of him for working so hard, but I still have not adjusted to not seeing him whenever I want. I am also not a big fan of the complete lack of cell reception in the law building. I think they do that on purpose....thank goodness for Gmail chat and the new laptop!

We are liking it here in Kansas. Our apartment complex has been really awesome at getting stuff fixed really quick. Our shower went out one morning last week. I didn't get a shower that morning, but by the time I came home, we had brand new fixtures and everything was back in working order. Our neighbors are quiet, and we are close to everything. The weather has been beautiful, and we love taking walks around the campus or the neighborhood close by. Our ward members have been so kind, we have met a lot of people from Rexburg or who went to BYU, and our ward and the JRC do a lot of fun stuff (mostly we eat...a lot!)

Todd and I are enjoying our calling teaching the 12 year olds. I am learning a lot of things by teaching them, although I have to admit it is a bit hard planning lessons all week, and then coming home and doing it some more. Teaching the gospel is so different though, and its good for me to immerse myself in the principles of our Church.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that things will work out so that we can visit PA over our Christmas break!

Debate

I am SO sick of politics right now. I am getting to the point where the only politics I can handle is on SNL and the Simpsons. Sad, huh? I think I am just tired of the bickering, the slams, the dancing around questions, the fancy rhetoric, and the biased media.

Truth be told, I will vote Republican. Those ideals more closely align with mine, and I'm more interested in conservative judges, smaller government, and less taxes. But I'm not super impressed with either ticket. I can say that the more the media and so-called celebrities slam Sarah Palin, the more apt I am to like her.

Can I write in a Romney/Palin ticket?

Baked Dijon Salmon

This is a super easy recipe that has helped Todd and I go through two bags of salmon in three weeks. We just buy those salmon fillets that come in about 4 4 oz. fillets in a bag. These directions are for two fillets, double if you are doing four.

2 T butter
1 1/2 T Dijon mustard (I use regular mustard and its still yummy)
2 1/4 t honey

2 T dry bread crumbs (I crushed up Ritz crackers, still yummy)
2 T finely chopped pecans (pecans are icky, I omitted them)
2 T chopped fresh parsley or oregano

2 4 oz. salmon fillets
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl or cup, mix together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl (I do it in the baggie I crushed the crackers in), mix together crumbs, pecans, and parsley. (I also add a bit of parmesan cheese).
3. Brush each fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. In my oven, its actually finished in more about 9 minutes.

My Notes on Conference

Disclaimer: This is basically like my journal. I can't stand writing with pen and pencil anymore, I am a keyboard girl! So this is pretty much for me...it will probably be totally boring to anyone else. And don't look at this and go, oh wow, she watched ALL of conference. I didn't. I slept through parts, and went for a walk during other parts, and wrestled with our internet another part of the time. Will have to catch those other parts later!


Conference Notes

Saturday Morning (started watching right at the end)

Elder Oaks talk: A great reminder to keep the sabbath day holy. Loved when he said that sleeping was a better activity than disturbing the worship of others. A reminder to get my lessons done before sacrament meeting!

Elder Uchtdorf: I needed his message of hope this week. It was a reminder to lean on the Hope of Israel. I loved the message at the very end. Heavenly Father is ready to welcome us in His arms when we ask, as He did for me this week. I need to continue to have faith, hope, and charity and never surrender to feelings or temptations of darkness. For me, his talk reminded me to have the confidence to press forward, to continually grow in my strengths and faith in the Lord.

Loved the ending rendition by the choir of "I Need Thee Every Hour." They sung it beautifully, and the theme was of the song was a perfect ending to the session.

I also watched the World Report (cried through the temples part), as well as the documentary on President Monson following that. I was so impressed with it, and loving seeing the interviews with people who President Monson had touched. I especially loved the interview with the man that Pres. Monson had blessed before Christmas at the barracks, as well as the Crystal Methvin story. That one is a classic, but it was touching to listen to it directly from her parents. If there ever was a man qualified to be our prophet today, it is President Monson. I support him, and have a testimony that he is a prophet of God.

Saturday Afternoon Session (wish I hadn't missed the Primary choir...will have to go back and listen!)

Elder (I'm horrible. I should know this. Need to study my general authorities pictures. As soon as I figure it out, I will smack my head and say "Duh" Okay, It's Elder Wirthlin): Sometimes our trials will not disappear overnight. Sometimes we may struggle for years, as his daughter did. Maybe we will even struggle our entire lives. However, the Lord is with us, as long as we have hope and faith in Him. This seems to be a theme of this general conference.

Elder Holland: (side note: where can I get the tie Elder Holland wore? The purple plaid one? I love it!) Heaven is very close. His help is near. Our history is filled with accounts of ministering angels (that scripture I blogged about a month or so ago? It was about ministering angels...) Most often their purpose is to comfort and give merciful attention. Even Christ had need of heavenly comfort. Remember the Lord has said he will fight our battles, our children's battles, as we strive to keep our covenants. This is not a time to fear and tremble, but to be believing and remember our covenants. One of my favorite talks so far. Story about the little boy crossing the river made me cry (what is WRONG with me!!??)

Sometimes our angels are in the form of people we know (like my husband). God never leaves us alone. Love the scripture shared, that Pres. Monson loves as well, "I will go before your face..."

Elder C? (I missed his last name, I think it was foreign): Be as a little child. Christ has never made the gospel so complicated that no one can understand it or live it. The gospel is so simple that even a child can understand it.

Elder Corbridge: Just because Christ set the standard, this doesn't mean that we have to feel inadequate every day because we will never make it to the mark that he has set. Christ makes up the difference, the atonement will make up where we fall short as long we endure to the end. I loved how emphatic he was about not quitting. Elder Corbridge said it simply, "May we have the sense to follow Him." It's as simple as that. I hope I continue to have the sense!

Elder Christofferson: Zion existed for 365 years (Elijah's Zion). Didn't know that! Got distracted during his talk when my internet did something funky and his voice "s t ar t ed to dOOO thISS" in a really deep voice. It was funny.

Are we doing what we can, all that we can, in regards to the poor and needy? Can I learn to be content with what is sufficient for my needs? This talk is one of those that makes me think I might be a bit too materialistic when it comes to certain things. Let us look after one another the best we can.

*Got to see the kiddies sing. sooooooooo cute. internet messing up, but I can still hear it at least. Unfortunately, I don't think Todd and I's children will have any sort of singing ability. That is def not our forte here in the Thomason house. Look at all the white shirts and ties! Okay, crying again (I'm not SOBBING, just tearing up a bit. C'mon, it's cute!).

Elder Bednar: Meaningful prayers throughout the day are linked together, and they fulfill the admonition to pray always. I should pray more. I think most of my prayers end up as desperate pleas during the day to get me through grammar, reading, math, etc. with those ornery fifth-graders. Some of our most meaningful prayers will contain more "thanks," than "please bless me with _______" I can relate to this. Some of my most heartfelt prayers were thanks for getting me through, or helping me see blessings in my life.

*Last song by the kids...so good!

Sunday Morning Session

President Eyring: Unity is part of our gospel that Heavenly Father wants us to have. He encourages us to gather into families, wards, classes. Children of God have more in common than they have differences.

Elder Hales: We can never be contentious when discussing the gospel. We must always approach conversations with a Christ-like attitude and spirit, or we are not representing the gospel accurately. We need our friends who are not part of the gospel. It is always better to stay on the higher ground of mutual respect when dealing with people who are contentious towards the gospel. We are not better than other people, but we should seek to show them a better way.

Bishop McMullin: Faithful elders are there to do what the Lord would do if he were there: heal the sick, and give blessings to those who are deeply troubled.

Sister Dalton: Media messages can cause us to forget our divine identity. We can change the world through our virtuous influence. Quote from New York marathon runner: "The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare." I really liked when she talked about her granddaughter being blessed, and her wish that her grandbaby be encircled by righteous priesthood leaders not only at her birth, but throughout her life. I loved that image of the baby surrounded by those priesthood leaders. Its one of those images that will stick.

Elder Ballard: I really liked his talk on the growth of the Church. I did not know that Joseph Smith had prophesied in 1842 that the Church would grow in the Rocky Mountains. I also didn't know that we had sent out our one millionth missionary. "We are not asking you to die as a martyr, we are asking you to live as Christian. We are not asking you to cross the plains, we are asking you to cross the street to talk to your neighbor."

President Monson: I LOVED his talk about having joy in the journey, and about not letting our tomorrows or yesterdays drown out what is in the NOW. This is a principle I am slowly getting better at. I don't want to be constantly wishing I have that baby NOW, I have that house NOW, I'm done with school NOW, Todd is done with school NOW. This journey here in Kansas is part of our progression, and I want to enjoy those happy moments and learn from the hard ones. I loved that he said that we will never regret kind words spoken. Gratitude is one of the noblest virtues.

Sunday Afternoon Session

I will have to catch up on this session. I was doing that slumbering thing Elder Oaks talked about :)

Elder Gavarret: We have a responsibility to seek after those who are not at Church. I am bad at this. Other people scare me. Is there a phobia for that? However, it was Christ who was our example in this and who instructs us to feed His sheep.

Elder Godoy: Lost our internet connection. boo.

Missed who this was because of the connection: The sweet and the bitter together are necessary. The ideal gift for Pres. Monson would be to find someone who is having a hard time and help them...that would be our gift to our Prophet.

President Monson: Be a good citizen of the communities that we live in. Contributions allow the Church to respond almost immediately to disasters (how cool is that?!) Live as Christ would.

I have to say I tried a bit harder this time to listen to all of conference. This is the first time I have taken notes in a long time. I am proud of myself for doing this much.

New Temples!

Of the five new temples announced today, one will be in Kansas City, and one will be in Philadelphia! I was actually so excited to hear this that tears were brought to my eyes!

With all of the craziness that is happening in the world today, it's nice to know that the Church is still growing, and that more people are getting opportunities to have temples close by.

Well, after a long and slightly depressing (and terrifying...and nerve-wracking...and horrible) week, it is nice to say I made it through with all my hair still on my head (although I considered pulling it all out on more than one occasion).

What WAS good about this week was the fact that my husband holds the priesthood and was able to give me a blessing, or I think I would have needed a VIP pass to the mental institution. I am SO grateful for him, for his kindness, for prayers, and the gospel, and for that small kick of confidence--from both Todd and my Heavenly Father--that I needed so badly. I'm not sure if there is a luckier girl on the planet, to have been blessed to marry the kindest, sweetest, gentlest, most humble, most loving husband.

It's always nice to end a long week knowing that no matter how hard and long the weeks are (and probably will continue to be), I've got the best man on my side.

Another Long Week....

I had a kid today THROW a chair today at another student and get suspended for four days.


AND ITS ONLY MONDAY.

ew.

It's day like these when I think to myself, "What the HECK did I get myself into?"

Reminder

This is a reminder to myself to post the recipes for the barbecue chipped ham Steph requested, as well as this delicious salmon recipe we ate two nights in a row because it was sooo good.

Happy blessing day Mckenzie! It's so exciting to have two cute little babies to Christmas shop for!

I Love Me a Good Corn Maze!

Oh yes, this is soooo Idaho!

See here for pictures of our apartment.

A Special Day!

10 Things I Like About My Dad

1. He has a killer sense of direction. I like to tell Todd I inherited that from him. My dad can remember landmarks on small roads he drove on 10 years ago. So I guess he has a good memory too. We were never lost on a trip with Dad.

2. He always took us places. We traveled to Maine in the station wagon, and Florida and Idaho in Shrek, the big green van. I think my love of traveling comes from my dad.

3. My dad is kind. He always put his family before himself.

4. My dad gave me a car! What girl wouldn't love a dad like that?

5. My dad is spiritual. He knows a lot about the gospel, and he lives it. He has been a great example of what a Latter-Day Saint should be.

6. Dad always takes care of his girls. He made the cross country trip out to BYU with me several times. Even 3000 miles away, I would call him for medical and money advice.

7. Dad always cheers us on. I remember being able to hear him above the other parents at soccer games, and my mom would make fun of him. He wasn't like those other parents, though, who were screaming at their kids because they messed up. He was yelling encouragement! (Although I'm still offended that mom and dad would always tell me, "You look like a ballerina!")

8. Dad is good at his job. I think its because he works so hard. I wish I could have learned more of his work ethic. He is very good at what he does, I think people feel like he is trustworthy and dependable.

9. Now that I'm old enough, I can appreciate the help Dad gave my Mom around the house. He is good at dishes. Maybe this is why I married a man who is also good at doing the dishes. On Saturdays he would always do stuff around the house (and still does), and he would help de-clutter on Sundays so my mom wouldn't go crazy.

10. My dad is cool! He stays up with this technology stuff. He will even send text messages from Sunday School...haha. He keeps in touch with us by sending pictures, and has even started updating the blog on his own! I am proud of him for keeping up!


We love you Dad, and wish we could be there to celebrate with you!

Regression

I think I were a 15 year old girl.....

Oh my, what a cutie (and yes, "Crush" can be heard playing in our home)

Shhh...don't tell my husband!

Uh....

Somehow I have a hard time giving Lindsay Lohan any credit for her political opinions.

Same with Madonna...and Pamela Anderson...

Sort of makes me want to vote AGAINST anyone that these loonies (cough...I mean, EXPERTS, or even NORMAL people) are voting FOR.

Give me a break.

Things We Accomplished/Did Last Week

*Watched "In America" to see what all the hype was about (it's an older movie that turned up on a lot of "go-see" lists....eh, it was okay)

*Todd did homework.

*Received a calling to teach the 12-13 year olds, taught our first "official" lesson on eternal marriage (go figure), and were set apart.

*Megan played her first volleyball games on Monday night. She lost three and won three. Then she went home and threw up for the next 12 hours.

*Megan got a stomach virus. Todd got a lot of homework.

* Megan talked to her sister for the first time in a long time. She is a bad sister!

*Found the post office.

*Todd learned about several cases involving door to door salesmen. Those pesky door-to-door guys. Megan ignored the door to door people that keep trying to sell her magazines.

*Todd read and did homework.

*Megan got better. Asked for a dinner out on Friday. Then Megan got sick again. No eating out for her. Then Megan got better. Now Megan is getting a cold. Ugh.

*Lamented the loss of Jamba Juice and the Cheesecake Factory (and Staples). Settled for a smoothie at Sonic. What is this place, Topeka, anyway?

*Megan read and posted to the new Ross family blog. Hooray!

*Megan politely listened while the girls at church talked about being pregnant. Megan inserted stories of "this friend this" and "my sister this" but felt left out as she has not jumped on that bandwagon yet. By the way Christine, I told someone Max was like 10 pounds or something. Sorry if I elaborated, I needed a cool story! Patience, my friends, patience.
*******By the way Christine, I told someone Max was like 10 pounds or something. Sorry if I elaborated, I needed a cool story!

*Made barbecue chipped ham for Sunday dinner, a Ross classic. Megan forgot she didn't have vinegar, and went into panic mode. Subbed lemon juice for the vinegar, and it tasted the same! Crisis averted. Also made delicious no-bake cookies, even though we were invited over for dessert at a member's home.

*Got pictures printed at Walgreens. Megan is WAY behind on the scrapbooking!

*Watched Ohio State get pounded. Sounds like we left just in time.

*Watched 24 hour coverage of Hurricane Ike. Figured there had GOT to be some other news. Gave up and watched Cheaters instead (classy, aren't we?)

*Todd did homework.

So there ya go. Just in case you were dying to know the comings and goings of the Thomasons! Here's a little gem for ya to let you know how it feels to be sick all the time :)

(I am so scary right here
TAKE THAT STOMACH FLU!)

I'm not "shopping" on Sunday, just window shopping!

I just wasted a lot of my Sunday free time here.
I think I just might spend some money there...of course, if you all go and look at them, they won't be such a novelty though, right?

And far behind Kaylene, I have discovered Etsy...although I am completely overwhelmed by the vast numbers of vendors and such. I do like this stuff.

Also scribbleitonline.com kept me entertained for a while.

Have at it, kids!

9/11

I'm a few days late, but I've been reading a few blogs that talk about what they were doing or what they remember about 9/11. I thought I'd share mine.

I was in my senior year of high school. We had just rotated to AP Art History class. An announcement came over the loudspeakers that the first tower had been hit, and we were instructed to turn on the TV's in the classroom. I remember we all just sat there silently, and in shock.

As we watched a reporter speak in front of the Pentagon, a girl sitting next to me said, "Wouldn't it be crazy if they tried to hit the Pentagon." We agreed, and then a crazy thing happened. A plane hit the Pentagon. That moment felt so surreal. As we sat there at 9:15 and on, we watched the towers fall.

I don't remember any classes after that. I remember switching, being in the hallway, and seeing my friend. She was crying, because her dad was a contractor on a job up in Washington, D.C. No one knew the extent of the damage to the Pentagon yet. Other kids were worried about family members in that area. What if they were dead? What if they couldn't reach them? I mean, WE were worried. We lived in this tiny town, but we were also located close to an Air Force Base, and if something big happened in D.C. (especially nuclear), two hours wouldn't seem that far away anymore.

We got out of school early that day, around 1. I, like most other kids, went home to sit and watch TV with my family.

Even today it still makes me emotional. Todd and I were watching the coverage this year as we got ready for school, and I felt myself tearing up. Even Todd admitted to getting emotional. It's cliche, but 9/11 definitely stands as one of those moments I will never forget. Where were you guys?

I am getting back into the world after being sick (SO SICK) for a few days. Hopefully, I have done all the puking I will ever have to do for a long time (I will be a terrible pregnant lady).

Too much information, guys?

Smelly Hair, continued

Today I witnessed this:

Girl A drops her jolly rancher.
Boy picks it up (same one who asked to smell my hair).
Girl asks for her jolly rancher.
Boys says, "I'll give it back if you let me smell your hair."
Exasperated, Girls leans her head over, and boy gets a whiff, inhaling deeply.

Fifth graders are WEIRD!







P.S. Oh, and I have SO many opinions on the recent democratic and republican conventions (read: OPINIONS only!) but I'll get to that this weekend. I have a feeling I am going to become a huge Sarah Palin fan (but not one of those with the "Hot Momma" buttons, c'mon people!) :)

Also Awkward

Fifth-grade boy in my class: Can I smell your hair?

Me: Um, why?

Boy: Because girls' shampoo smells good!

Me: I don't think so.

Later, same boy: Mrs. Thomason, do you have a boyfriend?

Me: Um, I have a husband.

Boy: You have a husband?? (as I quickly walk away and try to forget this conversation).

The joys of fifth-grade boys and raging hormones...does it really start this young?

And I had this conversation today too:

Me: Aren't you guys supposed to be working?

Boy: If I tell you my plan, will you promise to keep it a secret from the government?

Me: Well, I'm not going to promise you that (thinking, what the CRAP is he talking about?)

While I'm on a roll, this was another funny thing in class.

Mrs. S-J (my mentor teacher): You need to get this signed by your parents, or guardians or whoever takes care of you.

Boy (preacher-style): JESUS takes care of me!

It's already been an interesting 16 days.

Awkward

Conversation Todd had with our neighbor downstairs as he carried stuff in from Sam's Club the other night:

Lady: So you are the ones that live in apartment 8?
Todd: Yep.
Lady: I live below you. Do you guys have dogs?
Todd: Um, no.
Lady: Cuz its so loud up there, it sounds like you guys have dogs.
Todd: No, we don't.
Lady: Yeah, we can hear everything. We can hear you walking around, we can even hear your conversations.
Todd: Oh. Well, nice meeting you.

How do you respond to a conversation like that? If I was mean, I would have replied:

Megan: Well, we can hear your kids running around everywhere too. They sure sound like elephants. It must be hard to have that many kids in a 585 square foot apartment.
Lady: Oh, yeah?
Megan: Yeah, and the cigarette smoke you let in the building sure isn't pleasant either.

Ohhhhh, the joys of apartment living.

Holy Hannah, We're in Kansas!

Well, the Thomasons are home in Kansas! We have been here a week, getting settled in, figuring out school for both of us, making numerous trips to Wal-Mart, etc. So far, we have liked it here, although its hard to say after only a week! We were pleasantly surprised by our apartment, it was hard going from a three to a one bedroom, but hey, we knew it wouldn't last forever! We live in the "Delaware" building (ironic, right?) and have hardwood floors and, so far, plenty of space for everything. It will be so nice not to live out of boxes anymore! It's great to be able to lose that "don't put it up because we're moving in ____ months anyway" mentality.

I started my student teaching last Wednesday and love it. I'm grateful for this summer's experience, as tough as it was, because it was great preparation for my experience at Williams Magnet. It is in a lower income area, and it's a struggle for the teachers to get their students to pass the district and state tests. But, it's difficult for kids to be interested in school when home is a mess (Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs anyone?). However, my mentor teacher and principal are awesome and I've met lots of great teachers. I am in 5th grade, which is still intimidating, but as Sandra says, right now they are "fourth grader-y," which I can handle just fine. They are such sweet kids, and hopefully they will stay that way!

Todd and I took a trip up to the law building today to see his new "home." I think he is a bit nervous, but he hides it well. Living with Todd, I think it will be a great fit for him...the man can play Devil's Advocate like no other, and I think that's a necessary quality for a lawyer! But what do I know? Anyway, I think we are both a little excited and nervous, and maybe not so happy to lose all of the quality time we have had in the last two years. Times are changing! Maybe it's time for me to think about having a little friend for me to hang out with at home :) Just kidding...that's for the Moms! Not yet, gotta finish school!

We will post pictures of our apartment once it is presentable, with the before and after pictures! And once the "pristine" pictures are published, it will never look that way again!

In other news, Todd and I have been watching a bit of the Olympic action. We have loved watching Michael Phelps race (although I am still a bit jaded by his DUI arrest in Salisbury last year! But the guy is GOOD, no dispute about that!) and have really enjoyed the rest of the swimming, gymnastic and volleyball action. We have also been learning about some of those more obscure Olympic events (Trampoline? Fencing? Water Polo?). It's been fun since I probably haven't watched any Olympics the past few years they have occurred.

Anyway, we are also looking forward to being aunts and uncles again! Cherish is due any second, and Todd is hiding it, but it was his idea to buy this cute onesie the other day so I think deep down, he is happy. I probably shouldn't tell this story, it will hurt his pride! Anyway, Cherish, we will get it in the mail soon, and we wish you and Jared and baby Peanut the best!

My parents have also just made the big move to PA...it seems everyone is moving lately! I think they are excited too, but exhausted from the moving...we can't blame them! I can't imagine packing up 25 years of stuff, we thought 2 years of stuff was so so much!

Anyway, love to you all!

Megan and Todd

Wooo! It's been awhile, but life has been busy...okay, it hasn't been that busy, but work leaves me feeling so exhausted that by the time I get home I barely have enough energy to make dinner or anything else, I just want to get in bed and snooze! We have been trying to use up all of our food so we don't have to throw away so much, but seriously, sometimes I just want Panera to make dinner for me!

Since time in Columbus is running out quickly, I will get to work on my Top 5 Columbus list soon. It's funny, I've disliked Columbus most of the time I've been here (I'm a stinker, I know)...but it must be some Murphy's Law thing that as soon as I learn to really like a place, I've got to leave it. But more on Columbus later!

I've just finished up my second to last week of work, working with the 4th-6th grade girls...they are a trip! I will post pictures soon. I know it is lame to write about stuff and constantly say, I'll write about this later, or post these pictures later, but this is all I've got energy for at the moment.

And now for a family shout-out that is LONG overdue!
-Congrats to Julia on her graduation, I wish I could have been there, as it is a Ross tradition to attend graduations...dang gas and airline prices! I heard you won a ton of awards, enjoy the glory!

-Happy early birthday to Ian! Since things will be crazy for the next few weeks, I don't know if I'll be posting on his actual birthday, so here it is! The BIG 1-6 is almost here...watch out ladies!

-Yay for Christine and her new job! It sounds like you are getting used to things and learning your way around Hartford...I wish I could say that getting used to a new city gets easier every time, but each city is definitely unique, and it usually takes me at least a few weeks to feel slightly acclimated! Someday we'll have to visit, as Connecticut is someplace I've never been (or driven through!)

-And of course, a hello to Sandra, who I KNOW reads my blog, which makes me feel good, because I started this blog for family, and I don't really think anyone on the Ross family actually reads this (we are not the best print communicators, besides my granny, but she does ACTUAL letters!) Thanks Sandra! Hope your weekend in Boise was fun (I miss it there TERRIBLY!).

-And to everyone else, we love you and miss you, and wish we were closer...whether you be East Coast or in the great West, well, maybe you all will just have to move closer to US!

And that's as good as it gets for 11 pm. Night!