Adventure #28: School Spirit Week

This week is School Spirit Week- the kids get to dress up everyday in different themes. I loved these days when I was little- and I still do!!

Monday: Crazy Color Day!!

Tuesday: Red, White, and Blue Day! My partner in crime was home sick today :( So no picture with her, but here are the super cool new wrist bands from Legacy Traditional School!!

Wednesday: Career Day! I already get to dress up for the career of my dreams everyday, so Ashley and I did a little brainstorming and decided that when we were 6 like our students, we always thought it would be really cool to be Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen! So that's exactly what we did :)

Thursday: Western Day! My favorite cowgirl- and the winner of the dress-up contest for the day :)

Friday: 80's day/Field day/Half-day!! It was a busy day- field day in the morning which meant chasing 24 1st graders from one side of the school to the other in the hot Arizona sun then wrapping it all up with a trip down the waterslide- no black eye this time thankfully! Then we had a little extra time since it was a half day so Ashley and I painted the townspeople booths for the musical :)

Adventure #27: Aladdin Sets and Easter Pizza!

Number of meetings about the musical/set this week: 4
Number of 2 x 4's bought at Lowe's: 58
Number of screws, nuts and bolts bought: probably 100s
Number of cardboard tubes painted: 4
Number of backdrop frames constructed: 6
Number of staples put into canvas: probably 100s
Number of hours spent in a parent's garage and driveway builing a set: 8
Number of trips to Lowe's this weekend alone: 8
Having the backdrops ready to paint and lined up in the gym: priceless


It was a long weekend of set building! Ashley and I were a little concerned about how we were going to get the set together as we really had no idea how to do it. We do not have any power tools, or any idea how to use them and we had an idea of what we wanted to construct but no idea how to actually build it. But thankfully there are a few wonderful parents at our school who took their Friday night/Saturday to guide us. We built 6 beautiful frames that will be used as backdrops for our play. We are so proud of them and so happy with how they turned out! I'll have to take a picture of them now that we have canvas on them and they stand up nicely- they look awesome! It was a long weekend, but it was so worth it to have that weight lifted off our shoulders. One thing crossed off the checklist, only a couple 100 more to go :)


Happy Easter, by the way! It was a little bittersweet to celebrate it today. This is the first real holiday I have spent away from my family since moving down here and it was a little sad. I missed hanging out with my family eating and enjoying their company and of course watching (okay participating in) the Easter egg hunt and the hunt for Easter baskets on Sunday morning. But we made the best of it! Ashley made a wonderful homemade pizza and we decided to start our own traditions. This is the part of being a grown up that is a little scary and weird, but its good to! All a part of growing up! I hope you all had a wonderful day enjoying Easter with your family and remembering the wonderful gift Jesus gave us so many years ago when He died on the cross and then defeated death and the grave so we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him in heaven!

Adventure #26: The Things That Make Me Smile :)

This week was a good week. It went by quickly- they all do it seems like. The weather was goregous at the beginning of the week and has gotten a little chiller towards the end of the week, but its kind of nice to have a change. My kids were awesome, especially the second half of this week. They got their work done and did it quietly and the first time they were asked :) And as I thought about all this, I thought about all the things that have made me smile this week- some of them are big, some are little, but everyone has brought joy to my life. So I thought I'd share a glimpse with you!


Beautiful flowers delivered to school- causing some fascinating conversations with my kids :) Thanks Travis!

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My crazy, amazing roommate- who got ENGAGED on Tuesday! I'm so happy for her and Steve and a little sad that we don't get to be roommates any more, but trying not to think about that part and focus on the exciting parts- like helping plan her wedding :)

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Random conversations about life with my kids. Sometimes they come up and ask me the most random questions or just want to chat- I treasure these moments!

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Watching all my students sprawled out on the grass reading books with their fourth grade buddies. Listening to them laugh and enjoy the sun and a chance to do something a little bit different is something that never fails to bring a smile to my face!


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Having a sleepover with a friend. I'm 21 and have a job and an apartment and bills to pay, but there's nothing like a sleepover-hanging out with friends, eating good food, staying up late talking in bed about this that and the other thing! Becca- you're welcome anytime! :)

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Ice cream with two cuties. Joey is the son of one of our secretaries and we took his sister and Lexi and one of the other staff kid girls out for ice cream last week. Today was his turn and he and Reese kind of secretly like each other- it was adorable to watch them interact. And how can you not smile at an ice cream covered face :)

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Life isn't always wonderful. There are days where I am exhausted and have a million and a half things to do and a half hour to do them in. But when I stop and look around me, I am so blessed. I have a family and friends that love me. I have a job that I love going to everyday. I have a car and clothes and food. I see the sun shine almost everyday. So many things, big and small, that make me smile :)

Adventure #25: The Reason I'm Doing This!

This morning I was pulling my kids homework out of their folders and I came across a note from one of my students. It said: "to Teacher: from: Jordan Thanks Miss Parkinson for teaching me times. Watch! 5x9=45 6x5=30"

The other day we learned how to multiply by 5! The kids were so excited- they feel so grown up being able to do their times facts. And it was so wonderful to see them being so excited. Its a simple thing, just being able to mulitply by 5, but it means so much to them. They feel so proud that they can do this.

And that's why I wanted to be a teacher; that's why I wake up incredibly early every morning to go teach them. To see the light in their ideas when they understand a new concept; to see the excited face of a kid who finally gets a hard problem they've been trying to master; to see the smile of a kid who just got 100% on their spelling test for the first time.

And all the days aren't always peachy. There are days when I come home exhausted and worn out from a long day of trying everything under the sun to get my kids to stop talking and listen for two minutes so I can teach them something. They fight with each other and whine and cry and it becomes a long and frustrating day sometimes.

But the little moments like the note in the homework folder, or my kids sprawled out all over the room reading books, or doing an art project with them, or laughing and playing on the playground. All those good moments outweigh the long days and frustrating times. And that is why I wake up every morning and go into work; those good moments are the reason I'm doing this :)

Adventure #24: March Madness

I do not follow basketball closely at all, but somehow I find that this title is almost always fitting to this month! I cannot believe that this coming Friday will be the start of another month- I don't know where the weeks fly away to :) Anyway, here's what I've been up to!

The beginning of March was filled with looking forward to spring break and getting ready for student led conferences. Conferences were actually really fun to do; the spring conferences at our school are student led so I didn't have to do too much during the actual conference which was nice! Before conferences I put together portfolios of my students work throughout the year! During the conferences the kids took their parents on a tour of the room and then showed off their portfolio. It was so fun to see how proud they were of their room and of their work! It was amazing to see how far they have all come! I am so proud of each and every one of them and how far they have come so far this year! It is incredible to look back to the things we were doing at the beginning of the year compared to what we are working on now! At the beginning of the year my kids could barely write sentences or do addition facts and now they are writing stories and doing addition and subtraction and even multiplication facts! Its amazing to see how much they can grow in less than a year!

After conferences came spring break! I was very ready for a break from school and very ready to relax and spend some time by my pool! And while I did get to do a little of that, my spring break looked a little different than I expected. My grandpa, who we always called Boompa, passed away the Wednesday before break. He was diagnosed with cancer about a month before and declined really quickly. So instead of my family coming here to visit me as they had planned, we all flew down to Texas for the funeral and to help clean out the house. I was a little bummed that my family could not come here to see my apartment and classroom and everything, but I'm so thankful I was able to be there to support my dad and the rest of my family! It was wonderful to see my immediate family as well as many aunts and uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in a long time! It was sad to realize and think about the fact that both of my grandparents on that side are now gone, but I know that they are both in a better place now! They are reunited once again at the foot of our Lord Jesus and I am so thankful I can take peace and comfort in knowing that I will see them again someday!
All the "big" cousins at the funeral: Megan, Amy, Dianne,Sarah, Me, Janna, and Jonathan

The funeral was on Saturday and we took Sunday off and went to the beach with some of our cousins. It was fun to play in the sand and see the little kids enjoy the ocean! Then we spent several days cleaning out and organizing my grandparents house. Its amazing how much stuff you can collect over a lifetime :) I flew back to Arizona on Wednesday afternoon and the rest of my family left on Thursday driving my dad's new truck and a u-haul trailer full of treasures back to Minnesota. I was able to spend a few days by the pool and hanging out with friends here. I even went hiking with the Light girls one morning! All in all, although it wasn't the spring break I was expecting, it was still a good one!
Janna's adorable daughter Karys enjoying the beach for the first time!
The expert sandcastle builders: Megan, Jonathan, and his sweet little girl Jaydn.

Me and the hiking divas, Lexi and Reese, at Piccacho Peak

The first week back to school was a little rough. My kids seemed to have forgotten many of the routines and procedures in all their fun over spring break :) But it was still wonderful to see them again and to be back doing what I love to do! And by Friday I think my kids had things figured out again!

Ashley and I are busily making preparations for the Aladdin Jr. Musical our drama club is putting on the end of May. There seems to be something new to do popping up at least once a week, but it is coming together! Our drama kids are wonderful and I am looking forward to seeing what a wonderful job they will do!

I hope you are all doing well and that spring is starting to poke its head out for you :) I promise I will blog again soon...at least I will try my best! Love you all!

Adventure #23: The Zoo!!!

I survived the field trip!!! We went to the Tuscon zoo today with the whole 1st grade. It was quite the adventure but it was a blast as well.

It is an hour long bus ride to the zoo and we were a little nervous about what in the world the kiddos were going to do. But thankfully we are creative teachers. Ashley and I taught our kids how to pump their arms up and down to get semis to honk! Their reaction when a truck actually honked was amazing! Their faces lit up and they cheered so loudly :) It was great. But then they got bored with that and we started a sing a long. The wheels on the bus, There was a farmer had a dog, Yankee Doodle, Row, row, row your boat; it was quite entertaining!!

The zoo itself was awesome. The animals were so cool to see and it was great to see the kids reactions. I think their favorite seemed to be the giraffes. They were pretty cool! My group even saw a monkey play hide-and-seek with us. :) It was so fun to be in a more relaxed atmosphere with the kids- to get to be goofy with them and see their faces light up as they looked at the animals and goofed around on the bus. It was a fun trip, but I'm exhausted :) So off to a relaxing weekend of grading I go :)

Adventure #22: February!

Apparently its time for me to update my blog- I've had several people let me know they are waiting for a new post :) Thanks Mandi and Laura!

The month of February has flown by! School is busy as always. I continue to try and find ways to keep my crazy kids quiet and under control- some days it works better than others. :) The drama club is taking on the production of a musical, Aladdin Jr. It is turning into quite the adventure and I'm sure there will be several posts to follow about the whole production.

The first weekend in February I went to California with Marvin and Stacey Light! We visited Marvin's friend Robin and had a blast hanging out in the hot tub and visiting a mission (San Juan Capistrano) and eating dinner on a rooftop resturant by the ocean! It was a great weekend! And the mission was beautiful!!




The next week I got a little worn down and sick- I think it was a combination of lack of sleep and sinus stuff! It took me a while to catch back up, but I am doing well now! Then it was the end of another grading period, which brings a round of submitting a million and one grades and starting new book reports!

Then it was Valentine's day and birthday week! I went out to dinner with the Lights for Valentine's day- it was Marvin's dad's birthday. Then on Wednesday it was Lexi's birthday so we went out to celebrate her day as well! Then Thursday night, my aunt Crissy flew in to visit me! She spent Friday visiting a college friend and we hung out the rest of the weekend! Unfortunately the weather was crappy for her-dust storms and rain storms and cloudy cold days- but we had a blast! We got pedicures and relaxed in massage chairs for a long time, then went to the Arizona Science Center to check out the Body Worlds exhibit, which was awesome! The rest of the time we pretty much hung out and caught up and watched movies! It was so great to have her here and to be able to show off my life and my world down here :)



This week is our zoo field trip- I'm sure that will prove to be quite the adventure! Until next time :)