Emma Makes Youtube!

We signed Emma up for Sunshine Generation, a little performance group here in Utah. This last week they performed for a Constitution Day celebration with the mayor, Lt. Governor and the Governor.

Here's the youtube video -- I have pictures that I will post soon!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-9M8qhwdpY

Look Mom, No Training Wheels!

Emma has wanted to take her training wheels off of her bike for quite awhile. If it kept her safe, she could leave them on forever -- I did not really care. But she noticed that other kids did not have them (and so it begins. . . .) and asked us to help her take them off. And so Garry did. . . Somtimes it went well. . .Sometimes it did not.

But by the end of the afternoon, she had it down. We're so proud of how well she did and how she did not give up. Sometimes she likes to give up if it proves to be too hard, but she kept trying!

Good job, Emma!

Stand And Deliver

Yesterday I finished my first class at Neumont University. I was so excited to get to teach in a university setting! And to get to teach adults! I think that I was really blessed with my 10 students. Neumont is a computer-science school and the students there can be quirky. But I had ten really respectful young men in my class.

Neumont is different because it is an intensive program. The students (and their professors!) go through sprints. My class, Social Science 350, Intellectual Property, was a 2 credit class. But to help the students graduate fast and get into the job market, the sprints move them through a 2 credit course in five weeks. We had class everyday for 50 minutes.

Starting October 4 I will be teaching American Government. It is three credits and so it will be 90 minutes, everyday.

It's intense having to do a 50 minute lesson everyday. My hat is off to school teachers who have to plan for a much, much longer day. Though it would be nice to hand my students some crayons and glue and tell them to make something, anything, for the rest of the hour ;)

To keep my student's attention in a sometimes (okay, most of the time) dreery subject, I really had to make a fool out of myself sometimes. But, I kept their attention most of the time, and I think that they learned something. I really thought that I reached about 8 of the 10 students. Two I think thought that I was an idiot and the class was a waste of time. I called them my peanut gallery.

But, yesterday, after the final, one of the members of my peanut gallery handed in his final and said he'd see me in government in 2 weeks. I waited until he closed the door and wondered aloud, "why would he take another class from me? I thought he hated me?" One student heard me and said, "Oh no, he likes you. He's just. . .like that."

Lucky me. Long live the peanut gallery!

Justin B & Me!

Last night I had weird dream after weird dream. It started off as a dream about bookclub and I forgot to bring the dessert afterward. I was so frustrated with myself! But then people from up the street "crashed" our bookclub and so we just "crashed" theirs because they had better snacks.

And then Garry and I were with four other friends. One dear set of friends had recently lost a son but knew that he was still alive in a parallel universe. So we were making plans to go to New Zealand to enter the parallel universe (because that's where the world ends, you know) and get their son. Which would never work for a million reasons. . .

But while Garry was making plans to get to New Zealand, I was playing the piano and in walks Justin Bieber. Now, I do not know a single song that he sings but I do know that he is famous in the tween crowd. While we were talking, he was eating crackers and spit one out while he was talking. I picked it up and told him that I was going to sell it on Ebay.

I wonder how much I could get for that cracker?

There's Crime. . .And Then There's CRIME

One of the reasons why Garry and I moved here was so our kids could grow up somewhere safe and go to safe schools. It's been an interesting adjustment. In Washington, D.C., there was so much crime that the news did not even try to report on even a percentage of it. There was a double homicide two miles away from our townhouse, and I do not think that it even made the news. There's just SO MUCH.

In Utah, there is a lot less crime but I feel like I hear about all of it. From Layton down to Provo, the news reports it all. And then they do follow-up stories and follow-up to those stories. The end effect is that I am more aware of the crime here and therefore almost feel LESS safe.

Ah, the power of the media. . .

Little Pink Shoes

Sometimes I get really tired of picking up little pink shoes. All of the girls have pink crocs and seem to leave them around the house. Not to mention pink tennis shoes. It seems as though a large part of my day is chasing down little pink shoes.

Yesterday when I thought, ugh, not another pair of pink shoes, I heard the country song in my head "You're going to miss this. . ."

He's probably right. I'm sure that the day will come when I miss having little pink shoes around the house. . .

Who Do They Think I Am?

My "spam" inbox to my email account makes me laugh. I cannot quite figure out who they think I am or why they are targeting me for THAT. Just this week I have received:

• An invitation to meet Latino singles online.
• A chance to buy Viagra online.
• Get information about a great new hip replacement surgery.
• Get help finding an apartment -- 1,2 or 3 bedrooms!
• Sign up for AARP.
• Look for retirement housing in my golden years.
• Buy a pickup using the link to take me to great prices, deals I cannot find anywhere.

I am not sure who they think I am, but I sound like I am having fun!