New Addition

As Gina the Civic's lease was coming to an end, it was time to look into adding a new addition to our family. And here she is.......



I am now officially taking suggestions for her name!

Look Who is in the News!!

All-day kindergarten extends, expands learning opportunities

By Julie Slama (Murray Journal)
November 10, 2010


Horizon kindergarten teacher Lindsey Romero helps Josue Godinez pour sugar while making applesauce as part of the extended-day kindergarten program. During the exercise they talk about the concepts of more and less.

Three years ago, Madison Wold entered kindergarten knowing some letters and sounds, but couldn't match colors with their names.

Madison entered the optional extended-day kindergarten as one of about 24 students who needed the extra help at Horizon on the three-year program. Similar kindergartners entered the program at Liberty and Parkside, the other two funded programs, partially from the legislature and partially from Title I funds Murray School District channeled to the kindergarten program, said Asst. Supt. Steve Hirase.

"It made all the difference," Madison's mother, Nikki Wold, said. "She learned so much in Mrs. (Lindsey) Romero's class. She knew everything — her colors, numbers, reading. She just thrived and loves school. She knew so much more and was prepared to go into first grade. Kids absolutely need all-day kindergarten. They need the extra time to work and learn."

Madison now is doing well and is performing grade level in Horizon's Spanish Immersion program, her mother said.

Her kindergarten teacher credits the extended-day program with the time needed to cover more curriculum.

"It taught the half-day program before this option," Romero said. "It's nearly impossible to cover everything. This allows more time and the mastery of skills, instead of just the introduction and general coverage."

In all three extended-day programs, the teachers emphasized more time for literacy skills. By the end of the program, students were reading on grade level or above. Math mastery with number recognition and patterning also were explored.

This is the last year of the legislative funding and the future of extended-day kindergarten is uncertain.

"Unless the state funds the program or we have money from another source, we don't have the funding option to continue," Hirase said. "This program has closed the gap to almost non-existent between these students and those in the normal kindergarten program."

At Parkside, 23-year teaching veteran Rachelle Peterson said that at the start the year, many don't know their names, and some have never held scissors or a pencil.

"I read them a book and when I was done, there was just silence and eyes full of wonder. Many have never been read to. Then, one of them asked me to read it again," Peterson said, and she read the book again.

Art, music, poetry, folk tales, science, social studies and other areas are introduced and enriched in their curriculum during the day, often integrated into literacy and math lessons. But the teachers agree it's the small group and one-on-one attention, with the help of a full-time aide in each classroom, that makes the difference.

"It's the extra time that we have for literacy in the extended-day kindergarten that we don't have in the two-and-one-half hour kindergarten that makes the difference," Peterson said, adding that attendance has improved with all-day kindergarten students. "We can't make up for the lack of opportunities in five years without the extra time in schooling now."

A few days? Ya right!!

Well, in my previous post.....which was WAY too long ago.....I previewed some of the happenings in our ever so busy lives. I said I would treat you all to those items in a day or 2....whicth turned into a week or 2...maybe even 3. So, I thought that as I sit here and wait for my Parent Teacher Conference appointments to come and visit me in my cave (also known as my classroom in the forgotten hall at my school) I would do my best to update all of my adoring fans on the happenings of your favorite people in the entire world....being Cam and I (obviously!!)

Let me begin by sharing with you all a little bit about my bout with pneumonia a few weeks ago. It all started with what I thought was yet another cold. Everyone says that after your provisional years as a teacher, your immune system is tough and you won't get sick all of the time. Well my friends, that was a lie. I think this school year, I have been sick more than in years past. Cold, after cold, after sore throat, and throw in another cold! Hopefully, I have rid myself of all future colds, pneumonia cases, and hopefully the flu (Thank you MSD employee flu shot clinic!). All I can say about pneumonia is that it SUCKS!! I literally sat hovering over my humidifyer for 3 days....it was the only solution to my cement filled (seriously, that is what it felt like) lungs. I took a day off work (3 days would have been best...but you know how I feel about leaving my little darlings), got some medicine, and spent UEA on my couch trying to get better. It was a very unpleasant experience that I hope I don't have to deal with anytime soon. I truly feel for people who have chronic breathing issues now. Feeling like you are breathing through a straw is miserable! Luckily, my lungs are pretty clear now, and coughing is the only issue. Let's hope that was my "killer" bug for the year!



As we all know, I am an avid amateur chef. I love to cook, and to eat (hence my amazing physique), so naturally when Satan (AKA my sis) asked my mom and I to compete in the annual "Fall Harvest Smackdown" (which is an Iron Chef inspired cooking competion that Satan's man friend (The Gimp....read his blog....it is quite entertaining)spear heads) last year I was totally in! Well, since all of the Bradley's have a gazillion children to bring and stuff the ballot box when voting on the best dishes, we were shut out last year. I was really miffed about the whole situation to be honest. First of all....what the HELL is a jelly melon?!? And, what kind of secret incredient is that?!?!? It tastes AWFUL!! What can you make with this that won't be VILE?



Even after last years competion, and in my opinion rigged results, my mom and I decided to participate again this year. I was literally afraid of what the secret ingredient would be after last year. How could it get any worse? Well, to my surprise (and I think it is safe to say everyone who participated surprise), that this years secret incredient was this....



Yes, the spicy, yet delicious habanero pepper! I was actually pretty excited about the ingredient this year. I can deal with spicy! Last year we only entered 3 items (an entree....which was the bomb, BTW, an appetizer, and a dessert), we decided to go for 4 this year. For our entree we made a habanero lime marinated salmon with a garlic habanero compound butter. Yum! Our side dish was roasted corn with garlic and habanero. Also Yum! The appetizer we made, which wasn't my favorite but everyone else seemed to love it, was sweet potatoe fries with a mango habanero dipping sauce. And finally, the big hit of the night was my dessert. It was a delicious peach trifle with habanero whipped cream....and boy it was sinful!! We had a lot of fun cooking and getting ready for the competion....and our hard work paid off this year. Team Pneumonia (thank the Gimp for that team name) took home the prizes for best side dish and best dessert!! That's right, we took 2 prizes!!! Now, Seth (the ultimate Bradley smack talker) thinks we rigged the competition this year (because we requested that there be judges....to be true to Iron Chef). What I have to say to that is....may the best chef prevail....and prevail we did!!



And to Seth the smack talker.....did you misplace your trophy? Next year you should take better care of your winnings :).

Now, on to more serious things of note.....

In the past few months, I have learned some valuable life lessons. As many of you know, Cam is finishing his last year of nursing school. And with that, comes a lot of school work. I am amazed at what Cameron is able to do. I watch him study and listen to his online lectures to prepare for tests....and to be honest, I feel like I am listening to someone speak in a foreign language. All of that medical talk, and prescription names make my head spin! I could never survive nursing school, let alone all of the yucky hospital stuff. To get Cameron through school, we have had to make a lot of sacrifices....mostly financially. As strange as it sounds, money has never been an issue for me. I have always worked (since I was 15....wow, almost 11 years now) and bought myself what I needed/wanted. The first two years of our marriage, we seemed to be able to buy everything we wanted and needed....clothes, any Apple product we could get our hands on, basic day to day necessities....you name it.....we needed/wanted it, we bought it. Well, that all changed when Cameron started school. We had to change the way we viewed money. I will be honest, it was hard. There were many months that near the end....I was afraid. Cameron is going to kill me for sharing this....but I have learned so much in the past year. Like everyone says....that which does not kill us makes us stronger. I am now a firm believer in that. I also learned how to grocery shop without spending a fortune! Cooking is my stress reliever. Some people read, or run, or meditate.....me, I want to cook. So coming home from work, and cooking dinner really helps me calm down (and with my job, there are days that I need a lot of calming down). Unfortunately, some of the things I like to cook are not cheap....and I have had to learn to make do with what I have. I have also learned that cheaper, store brand foods taste almost the same as the more expensive name brand items. I know that may sound silly, and make me sound like a total snob, but lets face it.....sometimes I am. So, not only am I so incredibly lucky to have such a smart husband, who is giving up so much to go to school to better our future together, I am actually appreciative for the experience it has given me. It in a way, brought me back to reality....and somewhat made me a more grounded person who appreciates the little things. Too bad it too me almost 26 years to figure that out. Today, I am a stonger, and more fiscally responsible person which will help me greatly in the long run.

Well, I began this lovely post at about 2 PM this afternoon, and it is offically 8:20 PM now. I am officially DONE for today! Only 2 more conferences tomorrow!

Until next time America!

Just a taste of what is to come......

I've learned some valuable lessons lately....



Had pneumonia...........


And cooked with A LOT of these little hot mothas'!!!


That is just a taste of what is to come in the next day or so..........

The Social Network

Last night, Cam and I went to go and see the movie "The Social Network". It was awesome!! For those of you unfamiliar about the movie, it is about the creation of Facebook by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg in 2003. I had no idea there was so much drama (and multiple mulit-million dollar lawsuits involved) surrounding it's development. I am not sure if the movie is 100% correct, it is Hollywood after all, but it made for a great movie!! I would highly suggest you see it, especially if you are a fan of social networking.

So, who wants to help me come up with a 25 BILLION dollar idea like Facebook?

As promised...

As promised, here is the long awaited update! Well, I like to think it is long awaited anyway. I am not even sure where to begin.

So I have run into some major stumbling blocks as far as my administrative/grad school program goes. To make a REALLY long story short, after them "accidentally" putting me on academic suspension (yes, it was by mistake.....how you accidentally put someone on academic suspension is beyond me!) over the summer, the final straw came at the beginning of September. Well, I was taking an ESL class (which after finishing, I found out I could have bypassed because I have an ESL endorsement!!), and in the last week of class I contacted the instructor about why several of my assignments had not been graded and returned. Well, it too her a while to get back to me....and the course ended in the mean time.....but she said she hadn't graded any of my assignments because I didn't appear to be in the class!!! I called my advisor (who actually is pretty nice, and helpful.....or so I thought) and he said he would look into, and not to stress....there was probably just a glitch in their system. Well, I have yet to hear from him about it......and the class I "supposedly" was not in....well somehow, I got a grade.....a failing grade! Tell me how you get a grade in a class you aren't in....yet paid for? So, understandably I am really annoyed with GCU.....therefore, am not going to finish my masters degree with them. I am not going to keep paying for classes I may or may not be getting credit for. So, I am going to take a break for a while to weigh my options. I'm going to a meeting in a few weeks about the U's program, and have looked into the University of Phoenix (the Murray location). It all comes down to who will transfer the most credits.....because I can't afford to take a bunch of classes over again. I think it will do me some good to take a little break (no matter what decision I make, I will be school free until May. That way we can focus on getting Cam DONE with nursing school!

Which leads me to our next happening.....nursing school. So, Cam is off and running with his 3rd semester of nursing school! He always amazes me with how much he can retain so fast!! They seriously cover so much material in a short period of time! But, he is doing great! He is constantly studying or working on care plans, but all in all, I think he is off to a great start! He is more than half way finished with his clinical rotation this round, then can focus on the assignments and tests. He is SO close to being finished!! May cannot come fast enough!! We have been super lucky to have so many people helping to get Cam done!! He keeps trying to tell me he isn't going to graduation.....but he has worked to hard to not go!!!!! So, give him some grief about not wanting to go! I know he will end up going.....he just needs to be harassed a little :).

School has been officially back in session for about a month now. I wish I could say it has been an easy start. Everyone told me that having a group of boys (19 of them....and 4 girls) was going to be easy.....no girl drama or whining or crying. Well, I would rather have a whining and crying group......instead of the fighting, rough group of boys that I have. Don't get me wrong, I do have some good kiddos, but I have so many rough, tough boys who think that slugging kids in the face, or stomach is how to deal with problems. Friday was probably the best day I have had all year.....so I am hoping we are turing a corning with them. If you have any ideas that might help me get these little people to to quite beating on each other.....please let me know. I am not sure what more to try.....calling parents, taking away things, and rewarding the good ones hasn't worked yet, so I am open to any ideas! Other than the fighting, the year is off to a pretty good start. I think if I can get that under wraps, the year could be a good one. Next week we are learning about apples.....one of my favorite weeks of the year!

I love fall, and all of the fun school themes that come along with it.....apples, pumpkins, leaves, fire safety, and Halloween!



I really do like Halloween......and this year I am not going to cop-out and just wear Cameron's scrubs to school as my costume. So, if you have any great ideas....please share!! I am looking forward to it cooling down (mostly so my power bill goes down), and all of the other things that come with fall......like delicious pumpkin flavored things!! And, the most exciting yearly fall activity......my birthday! Although I will be 26 this year.....I still love my birthday like a 5 year old (they really do rub off on me I suppose).

Ohhhh.....I almost forgot about one fabulously exciting school related item! In July, I created a Donors Choose project, where people could donate money to help get materials for my students. Well, 2 weeks ago a nice donor from Illinois, donated the final $83 to fully fund my project!!! And, I have already received the materials I requested!! I want to give a special THANK YOU to everyone who made a donation (no matter how big or small) to my classroom project! I am so excited to use these materials in my class to increase their sight word fluency!!! So to all my teacher peeps out there......go and create a project to help get materials in your classroom! It is SO easy to do!! And to all those out there who donated to my class.....keep donating to help the classrooms around the country! Donors Choose is a great organization, and I am so glad I heard about them!!!



Along with the fall season...comes the return of some great television shows! While I love mind numbing reality TV, there are some great sitcoms out there that help keep me sane after a day of chasing small children! Some people like to listen to music while they clean the house....well not me....I need the TV on in the background to motivate me to do my chores. I have a few favorites that have returned this week..........

While Hoarder is technically a reality show.....I LOVE it!! I am fascinated with how these people think this way of life is normal! I get that it is a mental illness.....and I think that is why I am so interested in it. How do people live this way?!?!?



Who doesn't love The Office? I wish Jim and Pam were real people so I could be friends with them!



LOVE me some Criminal Minds......again I think it comes back to the mental illness stuff. Maybe I should have been s psychologist!



And.....Modern Family. If you have never watched it.....YOU MUST!! Cameron is by far my favorite character on TV! He makes me laugh every episode........and so does Manny. I think I need a Columbian son!



And now....for the story I know you have all been waiting for.....puke on the stairs. Everyone knows how I feel about puke. I hate, hate, HATE it!! I truly live in fear EVERY single day that one of my students will puke and I will have to see it. It is sickness. But anyway, last Saturday Cameron went to take his car to get washed and vacuum it. When he came in, he was laughing. "Well, someone puked on the stairs outside.....and just left it there to rot." Seriously?!?! In my mind I thought......"how will I ever go outside to my car now!" Yes, I hate puke that much!!! Well, I braved the puke and went to the grocery store. It really wasn't that bad......I think it was probably a dog and not a human.....but it was still puke. The best part of the whole story is........someone.....possibly the offender.....tried to scrape it off on Sunday night.....but failed MISERABLY!! So, a week later there are still remnants of the puke on the stairs. So gross! I thought about taking a picture of it......but refrained as to not gross everyone out.

Well, there you have it. The past month of our lives in a nut shell, I promise I will be a better blogger in October.....as hopefully we will be more entertaining.

I will blog again.....I promise!

It has been too long.....but my life is a never ending marathon. I promise my blog will get some love this weekend.

Here are some things to look forward to:

--School Drama (Grad school that is....)
--New School Year
--Boy Drama (5 year old boys that is......)
--3rd Semester Nursing School for Cam (Only 1 more to go!!)
--Puke on the Stairs (This is a good one.....)
--The Return of Good TV.
--And much more :)

Until then......I will leave you in suspense!

Sweet Video

I found this SWEET video this morning of my sisters first race in Italy! Watch for her cute face when they check out Team USA!!



Seriously, so cool!!

Team Chirio Forno D'Asolo

Tayler's time in Italy has been extended for a bit! She was asked to ride with a new Italian team.....Team Chirio Forno D'Asolo! She raced with them this weekend in France, and is headed to Holland later this week for another! We don't have official race results yet, but we anticipate a 9th place overall finish for her today!! AWESOME!! She will be home in just over a week.....and I can't wait! I miss her little face!

Antennagate?

Let me begin by saying how annoyed with blogger I am. Since they made all of these changes, I converted my blog to their new "design" mode. Well, I can't change a lot of my settings now. I can't change the font or font color, center my text, and create links to other websites or blogs.....annoying! My other blog, the teacher on (the link is on my blog list if you care to read it) let's me do all of that, but this one doesn't. Ok....enough with my ranting.

This week has been pretty busy. We have spent lots of time with family at BBQ's and chatting. Susan and Gerry (my auntie and uncle from Boise) came down for a visit. It was good times as usual! We were hoping to get to iChat with Tayler (she is still in Italy), but the internet at her hotel was not working. It was sad! I miss her face a lot and can't wait for her to come home. She was supposed to be home Tuesday, but was offered a chance to stay longer and race with an Italian team!! What an amazing experience for her! I wish I was there with her to take it all it! I told her next time she goes, I will need to go with her and be her personal assistant/PR person. Great idea, right? I think so. Here are some of her latest pics from her European adventures!





Cam has had an interesting few weeks at work. It all began with the iPhone 4 launch, and has continued on to "Antennagate" (I giggle a little every single time I say it).



Ever since people have "heard" about the supposed reception issues with the new iPhone people have been obsessed with "Antennagate"....they call the Apple Store and tell them that "They got antennagate"....like it's a disease! Too funny! I say, if your phone has issues, get the free case Apple is giving you and quit whining!

Since my summer fun is coming to an end, Cam and I are trying to spend as much time with each other as possible. This week we went and saw Inception. All I can say is WOW!! It was like a mind Olympics!! It was such an awesome movie, but left my brain sore from all of the deep thinking I had done.



If you haven't seen it yet, go see it! You won't regret it!

We also had a chance this week to go to the Bee's game with all of the Romero's. We sat in one of the suites (Thanks Greg and Karine!), and had an awesome time watching the game and the fireworks afterwards. As I have said before, the Bee's game fireworks never disappoint!



I have to admit, I spent a portion of the game sitting inside watching the Tour de France. The Bee's were loosing, and I wanted to feel like I was in Europe with Tayler!

Finally, I have been doing a lot to get ready for the upcoming school year....yes, sad that my summer is coming to an end. I decided to write a project with Donor's Choose to get materials to use in my classroom. It is a great website that has helped a lot of teachers get awesome materials to help their kids learn!



You should check out my project at this website:

http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/117292

I almost forgot one of the highlights of my week!! We all know how much I LOVE trashy television. Well, this week I have fallen in love with this lady.........



Yes, you are correct. I am officially one of Bethenny Frankel's (one of the Real Housewives of New York) biggest fans. She is darling, annoyoing, and just all around fabulous! I am so going to buy her Skinny Girl Books!!

I also have grown to love these ladies........



Yes, more housewives! This time, it is the ladies from New Jersey! Thank you Bravo for introducing me to this wonderfully delicious smut!!

Until next time my friends......enjoy some trashy television!!

Very Aero!!

Tayler looking very aerodynamic during the time trial in stage 2 of the Tour de Feminin en Limousin. She was the fastest US woman by 1 min!!!



For more picture from France......visit this website:

http://cyclismefeminin.over-blog.com

The Best 100th Post Possible......

After cycling for two years, Utahn now cycles for Team USA in top European courses

Article by: Jared Eborn (Deseret News, July 22, 2010)



SALT LAKE CITY — Two years ago, Tayler Wiles was your typical college student, happily going through the days and preparing to start her second year at the University of Utah.

Then a friend talked her into signing up for a bike race, and Wiles, a 2007 Murray High grad, was transformed.

"I fell in love with it from the moment I got on the bike," Wiles said.

And now, the bubbly blonde with an infectious smile is wearing the stars and stripes as she represents the United States on an elite team of young cyclists racing in some of Europe's top women's races.

Wiles, who celebrated her 21st birthday a few days ago in style while racing in Italy's GP Cento Carnevale d'Europa, will soon race the Tour de Feminin en Limousin in France.

"I had no idea I had the potential to do this," Wiles said. "I just signed up because it sounded fun."

That race, the Sanpete Classic in 2008, was a mix of success and failure. Wiles said she jumped out and joined a breakaway in the women's Cat 4 field but eventually fell off the pace and settled for a mid-pack finish.

But it lit a fire that has not slowed down since.

"The first race was a huge eye-opener," she said. "We were pacelining and I had no idea what that was. I was just trying to keep up."

Those days are long gone. No longer is Wiles simply trying to keep up with the pace — she's setting it.

Though Wiles was "hooked" on the sport after that first race, she had to wait several months for the next season to start. When it did, she wasted no time in rocketing up the local racing scene. She won her first two races in 2009 — including the Tour of the Depot stage race — and quickly upgraded to Cat 3.

As a Cat 3, Wiles was eligible to race against the Cat 1 and 2 racers and more than held her own. She had frequent top-5 finishes and won the grueling 170-mile Tour of Park City.

A month later, Wiles was part of a breakaway in the 206-mile LOTOJA race — winning the sprint for second while the overall winner had escaped up the road several miles earlier.

Those results caught the attention of more than just the local racers.

Pro development team Colavita Cycling noticed Wiles and signed her to race for them. At the recently completed national championships in Oregon, Wiles finished ninth overall in the Women's Elite race and was second in the U-23 results.

"I finally felt like I belonged," Wiles said. "There have been some national races this year where it was kind of intimidating. I was used to racing in Utah and keeping up just fine. But the national races are tough. Those girls are no less cutthroat than the guys. It's really intense."


As the season progressed — 2010 is just the second full year of racing for Wiles — her confidence grew and the results came. She has had top-10 finishes at the Tucson Bicycle Classic and Tour of Walla Walla where she won the road race in the stage race and finished second overall.

Her success was noticed by other racers, but also by USA Cycling. Wiles' coach, Corey Hart, was contacted by USAC just before nationals and was told there may be a spot for Wiles on the development team it was sending to Europe.

Instead of telling Wiles, though, Hart sat on the news hoping not to distract her.

"I think he didn't want me thinking about anything but nationals," Wiles said. "But when he told me, I was like 'Yes, yes, yes, definitely.' "

Always an athlete when she was growing up — Wiles played soccer and ran on the track team at Murray High — cycling, obviously, came naturally. The long, endurance aspects of the sport were no trouble and the explosive bursts of speed needed to win sprints have come fairly easily.

Yet Wiles — who nearly always races with a huge grin on her face — admits to suffering on the bike.

"It's so hard," she said. "You work for hours and push yourself to the absolute limit. But in the end, it's so worth it."

Especially when all that work results in a trip to Italy to celebrate your 21st birthday while racing against many of the world's best young cyclists.



I love my sister! She is (and should be if she isn't to you already) an inspiration to a lot of people including me. I am so proud of her accomplishments (cycling and otherwise) and know no matter how far she goes, or what she does, she will be good at it! Show everyone at the Tour de Feminin en Limousin what you are made of Tayler!!

All American......

If this doesn't make you smile........




You aren't American!

Good Times in July!

The past few weeks have been filled with many good times! The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays! This year was especially fun because we got to celebrate for 3 days! Our celebrations began on the 3rd and the Murray parade. Cameron and I both always "complain" about going to the parade.....it's early in the morning (which in the summer.....is not my favorite time of the day), and there are a lot of people (which is not Cameron's thing at all). But, we always go and once we get there remember why we always go. I love parades! It was so fun! I got to see a lot of people I went to high school with.....remember, people from Murray NEVER leave......and some of my darling little students who were in the parade. We had fun with Cam's parents, grandparents, sister, and cousin. Ryan, one of Cam's brothers, is a Student Body Officer at Murray High and was in the parade this year, so we had someone to watch for! My step brother Cody was supposed to be in the parade as well with the football team, but decided to sleep in instead. Oh well.....



After we saw Ryan, we decided we'd seen enough of the parade.....since most of it were political hopefuls passing out fliers and bad candy, we decided to go out for breakfast. Since we were sitting in front of Mimi's Cafe on State Street, we decided to go there.



Mimi's, for the most part doesn't disappoint (we've had a few bad experiences there) and this time was delish! I love quiche and don't know why I don't enjoy it more......oh, it is probably because it is buttery and delicious and sticks right to my butt. But, it was delicious, and a great end to our morning. Cameron had to work from 12-9, so by the time we got home fireworks had already started so we just stayed home. We could see some of the West Jordan fireworks from our house!

Sunday the 4th, Cam once again had to work. Gotta love working in retail! I spent the day at the pool.....my second home. When Cam got home we met up with some of our friends. Curtis, one of Cameron's friends from high school, was in town so we all met up for some good times and pool.

Cam worked on Monday.....again, but that night we were able to go to the Bee's game with Liz and Josh. I love baseball, and nothing says summer like a good baseball game.



It was a fireworks night, so the game was PACKED! We had a great time though sitting in the outfield (which was probably as hot as the surface of the sun until about 8), chatting, watching the game, eating chicken fingers and snow cones. Like baseball, summer screams snow cones!!



We love snow cones! I will say I was incredibly unhappy with the flavor choices......they only had cherry and blueberry!! The fireworks after the game were awesome! I can't wait to see them again when we go to the game on the 23rd and sit in one of the boxes.....let's hope this is a new Romero Family tradition (hint....hint.....Greg and Karine).

Tuesday....yes, we had another event this week.....we got together for a BBQ and swimming with Brock and Natalie. It was great fun!! I love that our apartment has BBQ's at the pool! It makes for a one stop spot for a good time!



Wednesday I had a chance to help interview one of the candidates for the Kindergarten position we have at our school. It was so fun! I was so impressed with her, and am so excited to work with her next year! It will be a challenge.....since she is having a baby at the end of August.....but will be a fun adventure!

And last, but not least, last night we had yet another BBQ (it's summer......grilling at gatherings is a necessity) as a Bon Voyage for my cycling sister who leaves this week for Europe to race with the US National Team! It was fun as always, and a great way to celebrate such an awesome experience for Tayler. News has spread about her cycling skills.....and the Deseret News is doing an article on her accomplishments some time this week! She went to have her pictures take in Memory Grove with the photographer on Monday. I guess the photographer doesn't know much about cycling......some of the pictures were a little silly. However, I don't care! I think my sister is a rock star and even if some of the pictures look a little cheesy, I KNOW the article will do her skills justice! Here is my favorite picture.....



I will post the article when it comes out.....as well as updates on her races for all those who care! And everyone should care because someday she will be an Olympian!!

Europe Anyone?

This cycling enthusiast, also know as my sister Tayler, is going to Europe.......to race for the US National team in a few weeks!! She will be racing the GP Centro Carnevale d'Europa in Italy and the Tour de Feminin in France! Pretty proud of my little sis! Now, we need to start fundraising so I can go with her!!

Ya, I'm Published....

In June, I had the chance to write lesson plans for the new Social Studies core curriculum.....which was a pretty cool experience if you ask me. I met and worked with 2 AMAZING kindergarten teachers and created some pretty fun and interactive ways to teach the new core. Well, today I received an email to say that they have officially been published to the UEN website. So, ya.....I'm published now! (Sounds a little cocky, doesn't it.....but oh well.) So, if you have any interest what-so-ever in seeing what I helped write, visit the UEN website here:

http://www.uen.org/core/socialstudies/kindergarten/lesson_ideas.shtml

For my other teacher "peeps", there are lesson plan ideas for all grade levels......enjoy......even through I didn't write them! Thank you USOE for the great experience!



On another teacher note, I have had the chance this week to sit in on the interviews for our part time kindergarten teacher (So sad by buddy and partner in crime Marsha is moving to a new school! Great for her, sad for me!). There are a lot of really qualified people out there!!! Glad I am not the one making the decision about who to hire (although this is good experience for my future job as a principal).

Happy 4th to all of my devoted readers! May you be safe and enjoy BBQ's with family and friends, and the wonder of fireworks displays!

Frustration.....

This blog is making me crazy! I swear every design change I try to do, makes me want to pull my hair out! If anyone knows of a good website that can help me with simple codes to change the html (ha....html is not simple!), please share! I would greatly appreciate it!

Ya....I forgot another event!!

I can't believe I forgot about FATHER'S DAY!! Along with our 3 great Mom's.....we also have 3 amazing men whom we are so priviledged to call Dad. So, a few days late....we pay homage to the men in our lives.



This is Daddy Rick.....I think this might be my favorite picture of all time!



This is Daddy Greg.....he turned my husband into the tech nerd he is today.



This is Daddy Wes.....super glad my mom married him! He is a great step-dad!

We love you all so much! Thank you for being who you are, and for doing all you do for us! Hope your Father's Day was amazing!

Because it is summer.....

Summer is officially here...because I am out of school! Well, summer actually began almost a month ago, but am just getting around to updating the world (ok, maybe not the world, but anyone who cares enough to read about us) on the past 5 or so weeks at the Romero house.

Summer vacation for me officially began on June 3rd. This year was an interesting one for me. I had probably the best group of kids as a whole, but it was one of the hardest years for me as a teacher. I had some major behavior challenges that really tested me to the limit, and on several occaisions put me in tears. I even at one point questioned why I became a teacher.....ya, it was that bad at times. I will say it made me look at the way I teach and handle behavior in a very different way. Am I sad that the year has come to an end, and my problem is moving on to 1st grade (sorry Lauren), yes and no. Am I happy to have a break....YES! Am I happy I wasn't able to make as much progress with this particular child....no. So, needless to day the end of the school year was incredibly bittersweet. So, here is to summer vacation!


(I wish I was spending my summer vacation here!)

My first adventure of the summer came the day after school got out. My lovely, and very crafty friend, Liz and I had planned on venturing on down to Houston to visit our out of state FuFu sister, Stacy. We both planned on using buddy passes (standby tickets) to get there, but that didn't work out (which you will soon find out was probably for the best). Liz bought her ticket, and I was still going to use a buddy pass. Well, my first attempt at getting on a flight to Denver (my only stop on my itinerary) was at 5 AM.....Yes....5 AM. If you know ANYTHING about me, you know I am not a morning person, so the thought of getting up at 3:30 AM, and getting to the airport by 4 AM made me a little ill. But, I did it. Well, I didn't get on the first flight.....or the next one at 7:30 AM. I then found out that there were 2 other flights that were being re-routed and passengers on those flights were impacting my ability to get on the plane. So, I waited, and waited, and waited some more.....only to be bumped further and further back on the standby list. I would be lying if I said I wasn't overcome with every emotion possible during my stay at the airport. Well, around noon, I was still waiting to see if I would get on the next flight. I asked the lovely person at the gate counter if there was any chance of me getting to Denver, let alone Houston. She looked up the next flight, and told me that I would "probably" get on the next flight.....but that there was no way I would get to Houston in the next 2 days. Wow.....that was a blow I was not expecting. By that time, Liz's flight to Denver (she too had to go through the arm pit of hell....AKA Denver) had left, and I was at the airport by myself....wondering what I should do. After a lot of inner battles, I gave up on trying to get to Houston. All I could think about was what a lame way to start my summer vacation. After being defeated by United Airlines, I had to get my luggage back that I had checked (the bag that I watch be put on, and then taken off every flight....which was so sad). When I went back to the check in counter to get my bag, they told me they couldn't find it......seriously? Could my day get any worse? I stood there for quite a while, while the woman talked to several people on her radio trying to locate my bag. Well, the eventually found it, and I was free.....and really unhappy about it! So, needless to say, in stead of spending my first weekend of summer vacation here:



I spent it looking out the windows here (minus the snow):



After being depressed about my foiled vacation plans, I spent several days being mad and angry.....which wasted a few of my precious summer vacation days. I finally came out of my funk....just in time to head to Las Vegas with the Romero side of the fam to celebrate Greg and Karine's 25th wedding anniversary. We had a fabulous time! I spent a lot of time sitting by the pool, and just enjoying doing NOTHING! I've been to Las Vegas so many times, I really had no interest walking up and down the strip. Been there, done that! We did however venture to the strip to see the fountains at the Bellagio (not everyone had seen them), have some Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity, see Mystere......and in true Lindsey fashion.....I ate my weight in crab at the buffet and Treasure Island (you know how I love me some delicious crab!!).



Mystere was really fun! It wasn't my first experience at a Cirque du Soleil , but did not disappoint! It was fun to see how Cameron's siblings who were newbies to the Cirque scene reacted to some of the acts. We had a lot of fun, and enjoyed celebrating with our family such a great event!!

The biggest event/celebration so far this summer was our 3rd wedding anniversaryon the 16th. We kept it low key.....in true Cameron and Lindsey fashion.....didn't buy each other gifts, and enjoyed some delicious sushi at our favorite sushi restaurant Iciban. I will spare you the sappy mushy stuff that so often accompanies anniversaries. We love each other more now that we did 3 years ago, and are so excited our next year together....it'll be a tough on....but we've made it this far, and through a lot of crap......so I KNOW we will make it!! Love you babe.....



A final event of note in the past month or so was today.....and if you know my husband, you already know what I am talking about.......the launch of the iPhone 4. I love my iPhone and other Apple products that my darling nerd of a husband has introduced me to in our almost 9 years together....but nothing, and I mean NOTHING would make me stand in line for hours and hours like the crazed people did for this new phone. Cameron, being the Apple employee extrodinaire that he is, went into work at the crack of dawn.....6 AM (he was supposed to be there at 5...but hit the wrong button on the alarm...ooops!) to prepare for this event. I knew when I dropped him off, there would be a line (there always is....iPhones are like crack to some people I swear!), but was SHOCKED at the length of it!! It was sheer insanity!! People were everywhere!! Just to give you a reference.....Cam's brothers went and got in line around 8 last night.....and did not get their phones until 4 PM this afternoon!! Ya, there were that many people there. I don't know what else to compare this sheer madness of what I saw to.....a cult following maybe? Anyway, iPhone 4 is officially part of our family.....it's like a child. We will be gaining another "child" in February, when I am upgrade eligable. Until then.....welcome iPhone 4. May you bring Cameron much joy and many hours of Face Time.



As for the rest of our summer plans.......I plan on spending a lot of time here!



If you would like to join me, do not hesitate to call! I am there most days! Until next time..............Happy Summer!!!!

Oh...wow....I almost forgot one more important event......Cameron's brother Matt got married on May 29th. I have no pictures from the day (in true Lindsey fashion), but Sharlene (my new sister in-law) posted some on their blog, as well as a recap of their wedding adventures. A link to their blog is in my blog list. It was a fabulous day! Welcome to the fam Shar! Finally....another girl joins this family of boys!!! Karine, Lauren, and I needed some additional estrogen!!