Forever Grateful

This is my 5th Thanksgiving in a row away from my family. I've spent these 5 years with friends instead, staying in as well as traveling to Phoenix once. I've been blessed by others willing to take me in for the holiday. But I have been blessed in hundreds of other ways as well....here are a few of the things I am incredibly grateful for.

My Family

My parents provided me with absolutely everything. They paid my way through college. They supported me while I struggled to find a job post-graduation. They want the best for me. They fly me home for Christmas and big family events. They've given me the life I wanted...happy, safe, secure, and loving.

My brother, Jay, married Lindsay in 2012, giving me another brother and five sisters. I couldn't have asked for Jay to marry a better girl than Lindsay! And I couldn't have asked for a better added extended family! A year later, they were sealed in the Nauvoo temple. 

My Job

I absolutely love being a preschool teacher. Those little munchkins have so much to learn and they are discovering new things every single day. Plus, the things they say crack me up to no end! One little boy always says, "I'm a sweetheart!" when you pick him up. Another girl never stops laughing and calling you a "silly goose" when you do anything remotely funny. 

It took me four and a half months to find a job after I graduated from BYU. I interviewed at at least 5 different places until I finally got someone to bite. And I am extremely grateful that I got the job at A to Z Building Blocks. It is exactly the place for me. My co-workers are fabulous, my boss is the nicest woman ever, the work can be hard some days, but the rewards outweigh the struggle. This job has given me the reassurance that I chose the right path all those years ago in the college career counseling center. 

My Roommates--Past & Present

 Oh I have had my share of roommate struggles, but the past few years have been pretty darn fabulous. These roommates have taught me a lot. And we've had a TON of fun. They're my best friends and I'm so glad to have met them through random experiences! 

Food, Clothes, Housing, etc...

I'm writing this post as a pumpkin pie bakes in the oven, it's aroma wafting up to my second floor bedroom. I have cabinets full of food, a closet full of clothes and shoes, bookcases full of books, movies, and other entertainment, I have a (semi-working) laptop, a cell phone, a bicycle, a bus pass, a warm bed with lots of blankets, a beautiful two-story apartment, and essentially all the things I could ever need. I am incredibly blessed to have these things, when so many have so much less than me. I think I'm poor, but really, I'm rich. I am so lucky. And so thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! What are you grateful for?

Lessons from my Preschoolers: Part Two

Lesson 8: Keep the Medicine Cabinet Well Stocked

I have worked with these kids for 2 and a half months now. I have been sick more times in this short period of time than I have been in the past 8 years at least. It's one cold after another. I keep the Kleenex company in business. Last month, I landed myself in the Urgent Care center only to be diagnosed with a double ear infection and a popped eardrum that started as a sickness my kids gave me. And now I have the remnants of a cough. I have learned that I must always have DayQuil, cough syrup, cough drops, Kleenex, and BandAids in stock. 

Lesson 9: You're Gonna Hear Them Roar

I drive a short bus for the preschool/daycare in which I take school aged kids back and forth throughout the day. On one particular run, I am left with a handful of elementary school girls on the bus. They love when I plug in my iPod and one day last week, "Roar" by Katy Perry came on. They were ecstatic! Hearing their little voices, completely too high and off pitch, warms my heart. And the words they are singing are empowering too.

You held me down, but I got up

Already brushin' off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound

Like thunder, gonna shake your ground

You held me down, but I got up

Get ready, cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I've got the eye of the tiger, a fighter

Dancin' through the fire

'Cause I am a champion

And you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion

And you're gonna hear me roar

Lesson 10: The Simplest Ingredients Make the Most Fun

This week my kids painted with styrofoam cups. They loved it to pieces! Some made the Olympic rings, others made rainbow patterns, and some made flowers. One little guy made one for me. It's quite the abstract piece, but it definitely makes a statement :)

Another day this week, I brought baking soda, vinegar, a bowl, glitter, and a glass Coke bottle to school with me. Their little smiles and shrieks when we made mini volcanoes made my heart happy. I love to see kids enjoying learning. We talked about why these ingredients make a "volcanic" reaction and we played with the ratios of ingredients to see if some ways were better than others. It was fantastic!

Lesson 11: Each Kid Needs Something Different

The biggest thing I have learned about working with kids is that each child is different. What works for one kid may completely mess up another child. Some kids respond to a harsh voice, some kids respond to a soft voice. Some kids need constant monitoring and things to do, while others can occupy themselves for quite some time with no trouble at all. It is a huge learning experience. I have to figure out how each of my 22 children respond and remember every single one of them. I'm still learning, and I think I will continue learning for quite a bit longer!

Lesson 12: Dinosaurs & Magnetic Building Tiles

These toys are my best friends. If you have enough of these for the kids during certain times throughout the day, you are absolutely set! My kids are OBSESSED with these! Definite crowd pleasers! 

more lessons to come...

Lessons from my Preschoolers: Part One

I've been working at a preschool since the beginning of September. I have stories upon stories piled up about the crazy things my kids have done and the silly things they've said. It is literally never a dull moment. Even nap time can be exciting! 

This group of 3-5 year olds have taught me SO much in such a short time, so here is part one of the lessons I have learned from playing with kids for hours on end.

Lesson 1: Kids Have Two Speeds

Slow as molasses or lightening fast. And they use these two speeds at the most inopportune of times. You tell the kids to put on their coats for outside play and there is ALWAYS one kid who grabs his coat off the hook and just drags it around behind him. And then there are the kids who are practically Olympic sprinters; impossible to catch. They always keep me on my toes...like seriously, I almost never get to sit down.

Lesson 2: Children are Brilliant at Hiding

The possibilities are endless for kids who are three feet tall and only weigh 36 pounds. And, you see, the preschool I work at is in an older house. There are literally hundreds of places those kids can fold themselves into and I would never find them. I have found kids behind the radiator, in the cabinet under the sink, in a cubby behind a jacket, in a shelf behind a box of blocks, and inside a play kitchen stove. They are extremely creative and can have me stumped as to their whereabouts for minutes on end. And one kid even just flew the coop one day, sprinting out the front door...that was interesting.

Lesson 3: No Matter How Perfect Your Classroom, Kids Will Destroy It

    

The staff doubles as the cleaning service at our preschool/childcare. I spend quite a bit of time cleaning (kids are nasty!). And those kids spend almost no time at all making a massive mess. Books all over the floor, dress up clothes in a massive pile, emptying their shoes of sand on the carpet, cutting tiny pieces of paper, and don't get me started on their occasional bathroom accidents...

Lesson 4: Playdough is Your Best Friend

It is seriously the best distracting device for preschoolers. They will sit there and make dinosaurs or pizzas or people for quite some time. It gives me plenty of time to do my cleaning or to rotate new clean toys into their play areas. It's fantastic.

Lesson 5: It Takes Two Teachers to Trap a Kid Outside

We have this wonderful hill outside in our playground. It's really fun for the kids but torture for the teachers. You see, if you need to stop a kid (for instance, he hurt someone & needs to be talked to), that kid can just run up the hill. If you try to get the kid by yourself, he'll just run down the other side when you walk up...you always need two people to trap a kid outside. Always.

Lesson 6: Boring Things for Adults are Exciting for Kids

Exhibit A: they sat and watched for 30 minutes.

Lesson 7: Kids are Sweethearts.

We made a Thanksgiving Tree this week, with the kids each making a couple leaves saying what they were thankful for. One of the leaves said they were thankful for Miss Jessica & Miss Jenna (that's me!). I love these kids! 

More lessons to come...