Memories From January-March 2019

January through April were extremely busy months for me, so I didn't take many pictures.  I simply enjoyed the time I had with my family and got through these months.

The spring semester was at least as challenging as the previous fall semester.  People told me I was crazy for signing up for eighteen credit hours.  A good challenge I do like, though.  That go-around, I had six courses (including a one-credit-hour course and one five-credit-hour one), including two that required field experience.  I spent many weeks not only going to a college campus four days a week and taking care of my online courses, but I also was present at our district's elementary-, middle-, or high school for several hours a week.  I had to put together tasks for my psychology clinical course and video myself working with a student to carry out my tasks.  I did forty-nine hours of that, not including the videos I did at home with my Elizabeth, since some of the tasks didn't match the student at school for whom I had permission to film.  Then I put in two rounds of 20+ hours of teacher observation for two different teachers and all the reporting and data I had to compile for those.  I had to compile a large resource file (in a 5-inch binder) for my teacher education class that included several other projects in addition to the teacher observations, plus chapter work.  I had a physical science class and lab that was utterly exhausting to sit through—two hours and forty-five minutes twice a week.

Then I still put it family time, often cooking for my family, always getting the kids up and helping Elizabeth get ready each morning and driving them to school (which allowed for discussion time).  I did Elizabeth's reading with her half the time, while Carissa did the other half.  My sweet, wonderful wife helped so much.  She took over the housework and laundry almost 100% and did so much to take care of the kids.  Although I'd have done the same without her, my house would have been utterly chaotic, and I'd have not done as well without her.  I am so grateful for her and all that she does. 


January
 

The following three pieces of work were things Olivia did in November and December that she brought home in December and January, though I snapped two of the pictures of the work when they were on the school wall.

 

February

It was nice to be able to spend a few minutes watching deer in the front yard some mornings.

March


Olivia's teacher had her class do weaving projects after a lesson on an ancient culture and how they went about weaving.

I've got two more posts planned in order to catch up.  Look for a post for April and May and another post for June and July.  :-)  Coming up soon...

December 2018 Revealed

Elizabeth turned seven. 

Olivia got her sister a snake!

She wanted a vanilla cake, and I iced half of it with vanilla, half chocolate.  She enjoyed a little of both sides. 

I got Lizi a snuggly shirt and a blue sweatshirt with a cute, fuzzy black monster on it. 

Her Kissa Boo got Elizabeth a lava lamp, because she talked of how she liked Carissa's lamps.  She also found her a magnetic sand kit with dinosaurs.  She still loves playing with it a lot.  She will play with it for a long while.  It's a great sensory delight.

I saw this beautiful coyote one morning.  I had hoped for a better picture, but I was lucky to get this shot before it went out of sight.

Carissa wanted to show me the beautiful lights at some place in Tulsa.  It really was something.  They string sooooo many lights.  To date, it was the most dazzling winter light display I've experienced.  We walked around for a little bit, but it was so cold!  I really want the kids to see it this year.

I spontaneously decided I wanted to make a delicious chicken and dressing feast.  William stayed with us during that time, and when the other kids got back, they ate the yummy leftovers.

Monopoly!

Kissa Boo got on the floor to play along with Elizabeth with the blocks while we waited for our oil change.

My mom got us these cute knit hats.  They're adorable, and we interchange them. I was given the cranberry one, but as you can see, we trade depending on what we're wearing.  So much fun!

That finishes up 2018!  Look for the last few months coming up soon!

Lovely November 2018

I have some cheery, wonderful picture memories to post for November.  It was a pretty good month. :-)

Here are some fun pictures from a couple different days of Carissa and the kids hanging out on the bed and having a good time.  I'm not sure what in the world they're seeing on the phone that is so funny. 

Elizabeth let Carissa play with her sensory toy.  I can't remember right now what that one is called.  

Whenever I get the kids to do a project listing the attributes they like about themselves or to describe themselves, it's hard to get them to say anything, lol!  I was happy that Olivia spontaneously made this. 

LOOK at this amazing collection of things from my sweet Colorado friend Laura sent us from her stock in the health food store she owns.  She sent us food (including chocolate bars!), herbal supplements, lip balms, medicated balms, herbal teas, bath salts, soap, lotion, cough lozenges, and more.  This was a wedding gift she sent to Carissa and me, and we both agreed that it was the most fun box of gifted goodies to go through ever.  I love Laura; she's an amazing woman, and we were so grateful for the thoughtful gift.

I took the MOGEA, which is the basic skills test that is four-hours long (it didn't take me quite that, thankfully) that is required in order to enter a teacher education program.  This is just the first of several assessments that are required for teachers.  Before I am able to engage in demonstration teaching (student teaching), I shall have to take the MCA (Missouri Content Assessment) for elementary education (then I plan on taking more content exams to become certified in middle school and high school language arts and more), as well as an educator profile, and an evaluation during demonstration teaching.  I underwent background screening and had fingerprints taken for clearance, as well.  I had to also do a background check for the family care and safety registry.  I'll even have to pay for liability insurance before I do my student teaching.  There is so much!

Anyway, I did really well on the MOGEA.  The minimum required scores differ by university but are in the high 100s to low 200s ranges for the four subtests.  I scored in the high 200s on all of them (the highest possible score is a 300).  I dislike taking tests, especially having to stare at a computer screen for so long, but having done well on this set of tests helps me not worry at all about performance on the content exams. 

Gift bag time for the kids!  Isn't Elizabeth's snake so cute?  She loves it and sleeps with it.  She was obsessed with spiders, but now she is all about snakes.

William beat Carissa in tacking up the plastic for the chickens to keep them warm in the cold months.  

Look at this gorgeous sunrise one morning!

Ha!  Looks like I messed up and neglected to put the following pictures on the October post.  Olivia turned nine at the end of October, and she requested plain cake, no icing, with strawberry ice cream. 

It was a great month!  December is coming right up...

October: A Month of Many Happenings

October was busy, but nice.  I'll go quickly here through all the happenings.

Fall pictures.  I was pretty pleased with these.

Carissa and I married on October 26.

We shared two nice couple's lunches, one on the day we married, and another with a gift card we had from something.

We went to Tulsa twice.  The first picture I pulled from a video.  I had to perform several speeches before audiences that I found on my own.  I gave a speech at one of Carissa's grandma's house, another at her other grandma's, two before some of Carissa's fellow workmates, one before a big group of her other family members, and one in front of my teacher education class.  Whew!  I am so glad that is all past me.  I had no idea when I signed up for an online speech course that I had to go speak live before audiences and have it recorded.  I thought I'd be uploading video to my fellow students.  I signed up for the 8-weeks course, too.  Six speeches in eight weeks!  And two of the speeches were long and required visual aids.  That was on top of four other college courses. 

This particular trip did not involve a speech, thankfully.  We took the youngest three kids.  

Mmmmm, something yummy.  I think it was zucchini bread that time.

Carissa started us playing a fun game where we all take turns drawing something to add to an overall picture.  Carissa, William, and I created the following one.  We each used a different color of colored pencil. Collaborated drawing!

Remember when I had the kids make nature bracelets? Well, we did it again, but I decided I wanted to do it this time, too.  I can't remember whether I got Carissa to do it or not, but I know the top bracelet below is the one I made; I'm unsure of the other.

Ok, that's it for today.  Look for November's post soon!