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!