Snow Patrol

I've told Todd several times if they ever come to a city nearby, he is to buy tickets immediately! They are probably the only band I would say that about...ever.

I really love music and I like a lot of different music, but Snow Patrol is my staple. Currently, my favorite song from them is the version of "The Planets Bend Between Us" (what woman could resist a song named that?) from their "Up to Now" CD. My favorite CD of theirs is probably the Eyes Open CD, so if you want to give them a try, start there. They've become popular with "Just Say Yes" and "Chasing Cars" but they have a million other fabulous songs, and yep, I liked them before they were as well-known as they are today :)

What are your favorite songs or CD's? What are you currently listening to? I always love to know what people like!

Get ready for cuteness. No, seriously!

I love Skype. If there is one thing that has been invented that has been the best ever, Skype is it! I got to talk to Ari and Jess the other night, and he can perfectly pronounce my name. It was so adorable. I'm sure he felt like he could connect a name with a face finally!

Anyway, he is a giraffe for Halloween. I apologize for the blurry cell phone picture, but it's still cute, right?

Here's a few pictures that the Petersons sent us of McKenzie. Oh my goodness, so cute, right? I can't wait to dress my own kids up in ridiculously cute costumes, but these two definitely are working their stuff now!

Three Day Weekend!

My friend Adriane, at her wedding! The terrible photo quality is on my end!

I also work with Tricia!

"Art"

Waiting for the Washburn Homecoming Parade to begin!

Nothing like a three day weekend to make you NEVER EVER want to go back to work! This weekend was pretty awesome because Todd and I spent most of it together. I was really spoiled!

P/T Conference Highlights (but mostly lowlights)

P/T conferences are always an incredibly stressful time of year. They fall right after grade cards are due, and we have to teach the entire day and then come back from dropping the kids off and be ready for 4 hours of meeting with parents. The next day, conferences run from 8 to 8. It's pretty exhausting, and considering I decided to rearrange my classroom in between conferences, I wore myself clean out.

It's always interesting to meet with parents. Some of them assume I'm a therapist, which I assure them, I'm not. I had several parents say, "I don't know what to do with my child, do you know anyway to fix this?" If I had a magic wand...totally! But sometimes it's nice to know they share my frustrations as well.

I had one parent start crying because her kid started crying during the conferences. Totally awkward.

Another parent informed me that he let his child know often that he was "special needs." Uh, yeah, nice. This kid did NOT qualify for an IEP last year. He is NOT special needs, but he does struggle in reading, which he is getting help for. Geez.

I had a divorced set of parents come in. The dad, who came first, politely let me know what I could expect from the mom. Thankfully, mom wasn't as bad as dad portrayed. AWKWARD!

So yeah, nothing too crazy. I had a mother who decided to take her kid off ADHD medicine for the summer inform us she hadn't been giving him his medicine this entire school year as well. Well, that explains a lot! I don't think we should overmedicate, but I also think if it helped him ALL LAST SCHOOL YEAR then maybe we could get somewhere this year with it!

But, as busy as conference time is, we get this Friday off, which means I need to get off Blogger and actually do something with my day!

Pimple in my mouth

Gross image right?

At the end of the day, one of my students said, "Mrs. Thomason, I think I have a pimple in my mouth!"

I informed him that it was probably a canker sore, and a few minutes later, he proudly called to his brother, "Hey, I've got a CANKER SORE in my mouth!"

Yeah, I don't just teach math and reading over here, people!

LOST

6 episodes down.

Only 105 more to go!!!!!

I was so grateful for President Monson's reminder to us last weekend that we be grateful for what we have. I have so much but I tend to dwell on the "have nots." Today I even did that, when I came home and ached for the time when the only kids I have to worry about are my own. I saw a picture on a blog of one woman's entryway, full of backpacks and lunchbags, and kids shoes, and I longed for the days when my entryway is filled with little shoes and happy voices (my students aren't always happy to see me. My group last year was, but this year...so different!). But I'm grateful for my job and I hope that I can look back at this season as one of growth.

And let me just say, I am grateful for being able to come home and put on comfy clothes. LOVE IT!

Crafting

I've gotten mostly over my beginning of the school year crafting blues (since I'm no longer in bed at 9...I can last a little longer now!)

So, if you want to see some projects I've done, click on the link over on the right side to head over to my craft blog. Nothing fancy!

Good/Bad Saturday Edition

Good: General Conference

Bad: Law School (because that's why he can't stay home on a Saturday!)

Good: Decorating the apartment for Halloween/Fall

Bad: Our place is so small I don't invite anyone over to see it :)

Good: This weather

Bad: Nothing is bad about this weather!

Good: Saturdays with nothing to do

Bad: I should probably clean the fridge or something productive

Good: Hospitals and doctors and the color pink

Bad: Cancer

Good: The Event and Glee and starting to watch LOST because the entire show is on Hulu

Bad: Watching LOST is gonna take a LOT of time!

Good: Special K bars

Bad: the corn syrup, sugar, and PB in them (my grandma calls them healthy because after all, they do have special K in them, and THAT is good for you!)

This is my cousin. He died last week. I didn't know him very well because we grew up on opposite coasts, but my mom always kept us updated on the goings-on of her side of the family. Just because I didn't know him that well doesn't mean that I haven't felt really sad this week. His funeral was this morning and I had to leave a meeting at work because I was crying.

He was only a few years younger than me. I can't imagine this happening to my sister or one of my brothers. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father's plan, but I know my family is hurting all the same.

Cameron (go to the R's)