Lately

This past week has been a lot of fun. Taylor and I went to his parent's house on Saturday to carve pumpkins. Taylor did a fabulous job of the headless horsemen. It looks really great! We had a fun time with our family. :)



However, what I really want to talk about is a website I was referred to today, www.etsy.com. It's a website where people buy and sell homemade crafts and I've fallen in love! There are so many wonderful, beautiful, creative, and neat things there. I just wish I could make them myself. Here is sampling of some things I found:





I wish I had that creative ability and skill. Oh, well! I'll just stay the happy consumer!

Happy shopping!

Now I am the Master!

I have a dominantly speaking Spanish student in my class. He understands very little English. He knows a few phrases. I pull him at the end of every day for English language instruction. We go over the English alphabet, we learn frequent words, the numbers, the early things. He's very receptive and eager to learn, but the language is hard. I don't blame him! Anyway, he kept saying something funny in our first few lessons. I couldn't figure it out. Our conversation would go something like this (lets call my boy Luke):

Aleni: Okay, its time to get to work! Go get a pencil and paper!

Luke: Yes, Master (in English with very thick Spanish accent)

Aleni: *puzzled look* Master?

Luke had already walked away. I'm thinking, 'am I a slave driver?' I ignore it and we keep working. After a while we're done.

Aleni: Okay, time to clean up! That was our English lesson for the day.

Luke: Thank you, Master (In English again with thick accent).

Aleni: Hmmm...you're welcome?

Well, now that I've gotten to know him well over 8 weeks I've pieced together a few clues.

1.) Star Wars backpack
2.) He checks out Star Wars books from the library...every week.
3.) Star Wars shirts
4.) I've overheard him trying to explain the 'force' to his classmates
5.) The other day I caught him playing with a ruler calling it a light saber (In English)

So, today, now with all this information put together I've realized he has been calling me 'Master,' what a Jedi calls his teacher/mentor. I'm trying not to seem conceited. But technically, I AM his teacher. So, today we had our lesson plan like usual, however, our conversation was a little different:

Aleni: Okay! Its time to work!

Luke: Yes, Master.

Aleni: *sneaky grin* Yes, my Padawan.

Luke: *blinks* *huge grin*

Apparently, Star Wars is a universal language

The Regular

I have recently become semi obsessed with blog templates and trying to make my blog extra cute. I keep changing the template and stealing stuff from other blogs. Its really become a huge waste of time, but you know what? I'm having fun, dang it! It also makes me want to get out the ole' scrapbook and try my hand at it. I have so many things I want to get into right now. I think I go through these fads, but these past ones have really stayed with me. I want to take a sewing class so I can make clothes (this is because I've been watching too much Project Runway), I want to scrapbook, I want to play the guitar, I want to have a cute blog, and I want to keep practicing soccer! So many fun things to do!

Anyway, I'm getting carried away with all my aspirations. Last weekend we had a fun gathering with Anthony and Angie! It was really nice to be with old friends. Its great making new friends, but there is nothing like old friends. I'm definitely an old friend kind of person. Not too much into making new ones. haha Just kidding...a little. Anyway, they came over with Shelby and we talked and fawned over Jasper (really cute puppy)and played Scategories. Scategories is basically my favorite game. I think they liked it too!




We had fun and laughed until it was way late for us old married folks. I've been really busy at school trying to become the best teacher I can be. I absolutely love my kids. Sometimes they're loud, but they are really good kids and they really do work hard. If they fail its going to be because of me, and that really scares me. So, I'm trying to do my best at being better prepared and a better teacher. They are so great and cute! We have fun. I love fifth grade. I never imagined I'd teach fifth grade, but things just fall into place and now I know how perfect the fifth grade really is for me.





Oh, and Pandora is awesome! I've been listening to it for a week straight. Whenever I'm home its on. Way better than radio. I've found a whole bunch of new bands that I never knew I was going to love. Thanks internet!

Till next time!

Practice

So, my family has a Thanksgiving tradition of about ten years now. I can't believe its been that long now! Anyway, our family tradition is in the morning we have a Turkey Bowl game. It started with my family playing against another and then it eventually grew into ward vs ward and it has stayed that way. I haven't been able to play one for a few years because I've been in Utah. So, this will be my first one back! Whoopie! Taylor and I are really excited. We are so excited that we went out for a practice this evening!

We haven't played since we played with the Gardners back in January! It has been that long. And I'm pretty sure I've gotten a lot worse. I wasn't good to begin with so now its just kind of pathetic. But that's what practice is for! Taylor is one of those disgustingly, great natural athletes (you can tell I'm not bitter, right?) and he just fell back into pace. Dad came with us and he coached us and we had so much fun! I didn't want to go home! And that's was WITH the 1000% humidity. The air was so thick I felt like I could eat it. It'll be more fun to practice once the air cools down. Anyway, I hope to get good enough in about a month that I won't be picked last! I just hate it when that happens....

And one day you wake up and its October!!

I can't believe its October! But everything says that it is: the temperature is substantially cooler, the leaves are falling, the sky is gray, department stores have Halloween and Christmas decorations, and jackets are needed. Fall has arrived!

There are so many things to update this blog on. I'm not even sure who even reads this. I am officially a teacher. I'm a fifth grade teacher at an elementary school here in Texas. I love it. I do believe it is the perfect fit for me. Every day I get dressed and drive 30 minutes to a classroom of 17 students and we have a blast. There are days that I wish I were home instead, but majority of the time I love my job. My kids are great. I'm very fortunate to have such a well behaved class my first year of teaching. However, I never realized how much behind the scenes work there was as well. I am not talking about grading or lesson plans, but just a whole other section I wasn't aware about. But you know, I'll just roll with the punches.

Taylor is doing well too. Right now he's taking a break from Tarleton and going to TCC instead and taking some classes he can finish there. Next semester its back to the long drive. He's now investigating medical school. My mother could not be happier. :) Taylor is very intelligent so I do not worry about him in the least.

Over the summer we have had so many adventures. We had a family reunion on the Seibold side, fishing with family, we swam with friends, I saw some old college friends, we went to the fair, my sister came down, and more! Actually, both my sister and two sister in laws had baby boys in a period of three months. So we welcomed three new nephews. However, these pictures only display my four nephews on my side of the family. They are all very precious!! Here is our life in pictures!



Dad and Aaron



Taylor and James



My mom with Ethan and my sister with Joshua



James and I first thing in the morning!



Taylor and Andrew swimming