Oh yeah...the Farley family is heading to Ireland/Switzerland next summer...here's the possibility for where we're going to stay! Crazy, huh?!
http://www.cashelfean.com/page1/page15/page15.html
Saturday, March 28, 2009
10 Goals over the next 10 Years...
So, we went to Europe two summers ago, and on one of our long train rides across Switzerland I spent some time doing my "BIG DREAMING". I came up with 10 goals that I really wanted to do over the next 10 years, and then chewed on them...vamped, chewed, vamped, and decided that these are my main 10 goals I want to accomplish over the next 10 years (now 8 years).
1. Run a 1/2 marathon
2. Live in another country
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently
4. Get my nose pierced
5. Learn to knit
6. Make a quilt
7. Go sky-diving
8. Teach at a job I love
9. Get a masters degree
10. Adopt a kid
Since then, most of them have been percolating in my brain, waiting and waiting to happen. And suddenly, they're all going to happen!
1. Run a 1/2 marathon - I'm going to run the (half) marathon2marathon on June 13th~
2. Live in another country - wait for a post in the next couple of weeks...it's happening!
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently - still waiting.
4. Get my nose pierced - related to #2, got money for my birthday and it's happening as soon as school's out this year!
5. Learn to knit - Rachel's going to teach me, but still waiting
6. Make a quilt - in progress...I made an Iowa quilt for Chris for Christmas...just have to finish tying it!
7. Go Sky-Diving - Amy and I are going for our birthdays!
8. Teach a job I love - DONE! I LOVE my job!
9. Get a masters degree - in the plans...probably applying this next year...Iowa?!
10. Adopt a kid - not quite ready yet. :)
Isn't that fun!? There will be many posts coming as these goals happen...it feels like I'm starting to see my dreams come true right before my eyes, and it's exciting. :)
1. Run a 1/2 marathon
2. Live in another country
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently
4. Get my nose pierced
5. Learn to knit
6. Make a quilt
7. Go sky-diving
8. Teach at a job I love
9. Get a masters degree
10. Adopt a kid
Since then, most of them have been percolating in my brain, waiting and waiting to happen. And suddenly, they're all going to happen!
1. Run a 1/2 marathon - I'm going to run the (half) marathon2marathon on June 13th~
2. Live in another country - wait for a post in the next couple of weeks...it's happening!
3. Learn to speak Spanish fluently - still waiting.
4. Get my nose pierced - related to #2, got money for my birthday and it's happening as soon as school's out this year!
5. Learn to knit - Rachel's going to teach me, but still waiting
6. Make a quilt - in progress...I made an Iowa quilt for Chris for Christmas...just have to finish tying it!
7. Go Sky-Diving - Amy and I are going for our birthdays!
8. Teach a job I love - DONE! I LOVE my job!
9. Get a masters degree - in the plans...probably applying this next year...Iowa?!
10. Adopt a kid - not quite ready yet. :)
Isn't that fun!? There will be many posts coming as these goals happen...it feels like I'm starting to see my dreams come true right before my eyes, and it's exciting. :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
About the VShow...
I LOVE my job, and my kids, and I LOVED this last weekend's variety show! Each night got better and better, and it really felt like they LOVED music. YAY! These are all pictures taken by a dad/professional photographer in the community...just wanted to share them with you!
Friday, March 20, 2009
A Chick Update!
This weekend is our variety show, so stay tuned for LOTS of pictures of the performers...it's a REALLY fun show! However, I wanted to give you an update on the chicks.
The chicks are currently residing with the student's family that brought them on the trip. They've been named: 1. Bad Idea and 2. Nicole :) Funny students I have!
The chicks are currently residing with the student's family that brought them on the trip. They've been named: 1. Bad Idea and 2. Nicole :) Funny students I have!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Iowa Test of Basic Skills...for teachers?
This morning started out like mornings do once a month at Webster City High School...with a staff meeting. Now mind you, most staff meetings come with kudos from the principal for our efforts, social moments with other teachers, and donuts. This morning also came with ITED results!
As we poured over the data, one fact represented itself over and over...our students as NOT proficient in the basic English language skills, particularly vocabulary and spelling. We spent a good 30 minutes lamenting the futures of these students that don't know how to write without abbreviating every other word and eliminating all vowels (txt tlk), and then went off to our rooms to start the day.
Skip to 6th period (11/12th Grade Choir). Note: we are two days away from our biggest performance of the year...Variety Show! Week of performances always get a little intense during class, and today was no different. And lo and behold...two back-row sopranos start chatting their little hearts away.
1. I give them the look. 2. I speak their names firmly 3. I've had it! "Ladies, this is the multiplest time I've addressed... (slowly drift away from speech as I realize that I've just made a complete fool of myself!) Boy in the front row "What?!"
Chaos breaks out, and the firm moment is lost. How ironic, that on a day we address our student's lack of vocab, I start creating words.
Best part: as I tell a friend the story after school, I say "I don't know what's going on with this ridiculosity. Not kidding.
As we poured over the data, one fact represented itself over and over...our students as NOT proficient in the basic English language skills, particularly vocabulary and spelling. We spent a good 30 minutes lamenting the futures of these students that don't know how to write without abbreviating every other word and eliminating all vowels (txt tlk), and then went off to our rooms to start the day.
Skip to 6th period (11/12th Grade Choir). Note: we are two days away from our biggest performance of the year...Variety Show! Week of performances always get a little intense during class, and today was no different. And lo and behold...two back-row sopranos start chatting their little hearts away.
1. I give them the look. 2. I speak their names firmly 3. I've had it! "Ladies, this is the multiplest time I've addressed... (slowly drift away from speech as I realize that I've just made a complete fool of myself!) Boy in the front row "What?!"
Chaos breaks out, and the firm moment is lost. How ironic, that on a day we address our student's lack of vocab, I start creating words.
Best part: as I tell a friend the story after school, I say "I don't know what's going on with this ridiculosity. Not kidding.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service...and the Chicks.
I'd love to know what you think this blog is about after reading the title...because I am 100% positive you're wrong! This is about the most interesting school trip in the HISTORY of school trips.
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service...
This last Saturday morning our varsity show choir left for a weekend show choir trip at 3AM. Out of 46 students, 45 showed up on time. Impressive for a 3AM call time! But, we were missing one. The plan was to leave and make it work without them, but it just so happened that we drove out of town right by the student's house. SO, we call "Joe". No answer. We stop outside the house and I RUN around the house looking for a light (yep...good thing no cops drove by!). No light. Finally, we get a hold of his brother, and 3 minutes later...
He comes FLYING out of his house! Funny thing is, he has no shoes on, no shirt on, and is holding his pants up because they're barely zipped up! He ran to his car, grabbed shoes, a shirt and a blanket, and comes tumbling onto the bus. The bus was in an uproar, and I couldn't stop laughing for a good ten minutes. Pretty hilarious way to start out what ended up being a very LONG weekend! Unfortunately, I'm going to have to kick him out of show choir. This memory, however, will go down as one of my favorite moments in teacher history!
and the Chicks.
We checked in to the hotel around 1:30 PM after a long bus ride, a great performance, and a morning of watching show choirs. The average person on the trip had an average of 2 hours of sleep in the last 35 hours, so everyone was VERY tired. I got everyone settled, laid down the "hotel room" law, and TOOK A NAP! Our plan was to leave for the competition again at 4:30 PM, so at 3:45 I decided to just sit in the hallway and make sure everyone was following the rules. I was sitting with another chaperone just chatting, and suddenly two boys peak out of their rooms (across the hall from each other, oblivious to our presence), and one says, "How're the babies?" Huh? THEN they notice us, and one just takes off at a rapid walk down the hall. Officially suspicious. I start hearing something...cheap cheap. Cheap cheap. Hmm...walk to the hotel room, open the door sitting in the hotel bathroom's sink are...
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service...
This last Saturday morning our varsity show choir left for a weekend show choir trip at 3AM. Out of 46 students, 45 showed up on time. Impressive for a 3AM call time! But, we were missing one. The plan was to leave and make it work without them, but it just so happened that we drove out of town right by the student's house. SO, we call "Joe". No answer. We stop outside the house and I RUN around the house looking for a light (yep...good thing no cops drove by!). No light. Finally, we get a hold of his brother, and 3 minutes later...
He comes FLYING out of his house! Funny thing is, he has no shoes on, no shirt on, and is holding his pants up because they're barely zipped up! He ran to his car, grabbed shoes, a shirt and a blanket, and comes tumbling onto the bus. The bus was in an uproar, and I couldn't stop laughing for a good ten minutes. Pretty hilarious way to start out what ended up being a very LONG weekend! Unfortunately, I'm going to have to kick him out of show choir. This memory, however, will go down as one of my favorite moments in teacher history!
and the Chicks.
We checked in to the hotel around 1:30 PM after a long bus ride, a great performance, and a morning of watching show choirs. The average person on the trip had an average of 2 hours of sleep in the last 35 hours, so everyone was VERY tired. I got everyone settled, laid down the "hotel room" law, and TOOK A NAP! Our plan was to leave for the competition again at 4:30 PM, so at 3:45 I decided to just sit in the hallway and make sure everyone was following the rules. I was sitting with another chaperone just chatting, and suddenly two boys peak out of their rooms (across the hall from each other, oblivious to our presence), and one says, "How're the babies?" Huh? THEN they notice us, and one just takes off at a rapid walk down the hall. Officially suspicious. I start hearing something...cheap cheap. Cheap cheap. Hmm...walk to the hotel room, open the door sitting in the hotel bathroom's sink are...
TWO BABY CHICKS!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Three boys had conspired to pull off "Project COB" (Chicks on Bus). FLABBERGASTED! They were feeding these chicks peanut butter for "protein", and setting them in a puddle of water so they could drink. In the case of high school boys, I have concluded that more heads are actually DUMBER than one.
If I weren't a teacher, this situation would be pretty hilarious...but I am, and there is NO precedent for how to deal with two chicks in a hotel room on a choir trip. I ended up calling one of the dads, and we ended up with three options. 1. The chicks stay the night in my room (where they cheap all night and keep me awake). 2. The parents come back up to the hotel and pick up the contraband (which they were NOT excited about). 3. The student takes the chicks outside and kills them. As soon as that option was suggested I just lost it. I felt so upset that a thoughtless decision could potentially end up in taking an innocent life! I never would have let it come to that, but just the suggestion pushed me over the edge (for those of you that don't know, this time in the school year is EXTREMELY exhausting, so I have very little emotional reserve).
This last week two show choir students got picked up for drinking, and another student admitted to using marijuana...and the combination of ALL these thoughtless decisions was just WEIGHING on my heart! SO, we had a big heart to heart on the bus, and I strongly (and somewhat tearfully) encouraged them to really think about who and what their decisions would effect. I got heartfelt apologies from all involved, and hopefully the chick incident will result in actual "thinking" to occur next time a stupid decision is being contemplated!
Oh yeah...the parents ended up coming to get the chicks. I bet they never saw that one coming.
If I weren't a teacher, this situation would be pretty hilarious...but I am, and there is NO precedent for how to deal with two chicks in a hotel room on a choir trip. I ended up calling one of the dads, and we ended up with three options. 1. The chicks stay the night in my room (where they cheap all night and keep me awake). 2. The parents come back up to the hotel and pick up the contraband (which they were NOT excited about). 3. The student takes the chicks outside and kills them. As soon as that option was suggested I just lost it. I felt so upset that a thoughtless decision could potentially end up in taking an innocent life! I never would have let it come to that, but just the suggestion pushed me over the edge (for those of you that don't know, this time in the school year is EXTREMELY exhausting, so I have very little emotional reserve).
This last week two show choir students got picked up for drinking, and another student admitted to using marijuana...and the combination of ALL these thoughtless decisions was just WEIGHING on my heart! SO, we had a big heart to heart on the bus, and I strongly (and somewhat tearfully) encouraged them to really think about who and what their decisions would effect. I got heartfelt apologies from all involved, and hopefully the chick incident will result in actual "thinking" to occur next time a stupid decision is being contemplated!
Oh yeah...the parents ended up coming to get the chicks. I bet they never saw that one coming.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Some Little Things...
Overlooking Paris.
Death can be beautiful sometimes...
In Ireland.
Names of victims from a holocaust.
A violinist on the streets of Prague.
A cemetary in the Jewish Quarter.
True love in Venice.
Picturesque!
Titled: Naked boy choking goose.
Cinque Terra beauty.
Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes...and ages!
I love this one...
A mossy wall on a Switzerland mountain.
Parisian lighting outside the Louvre.
The world's biggest summer sausage.
A little Italian cutie!
Apparently, the Swiss' drinking fountains are a little different.
The Swiss' slugs are a little different too.
Anyone up for climbing the Eiffel Tower...in a thunderstorm?!
We're at Versailles on the first day of our Europe vacation, and we saw Kent Goodroad, a fellow music major from UNI! What are the chances?!
Some of the most BEAUTIFUL little Costa Rican girls ever. Aren't they cute?
A street fruit market in Paris.
A Costa Rican national holiday...apparently it comes with huge puppets!
When life is simple.
These are some of my very favorite moments, and I thought I'd share them on my first blog with pictures. Hope you enjoy!
These are some of my very favorite moments, and I thought I'd share them on my first blog with pictures. Hope you enjoy!
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