Halloween!

We're not super in to Halloween at our house.  Molly was a little annoyed this year that 1) we didn't decorate our house with spider webs and blow-up things and 2) that we weren't giving out actual candy to kids coming to our house (I gave out Oriental Trading whistles).  We had multiple conversations that started with, "Mom, when are we going to buy spider webs at the store to put on the front of our house?" and "Mom, kids are going to be mad at us if we don't give them candy."

Oh well.  We still had a great holiday!  Here is the report:

Molly, who sometimes I think is my sister (no offense, Annie), was all over the pumpkin carving.  She bossed Jack around as to which one was his.  She was telling me about what kind of face she wanted on hers.  She was helpful in spreading out newspaper. Until . . .  we actually opened up the pumpkins and then she ran away, said they stunk, and plugged her nose.  She didn't want anything to do with it.  I actually asked her to come back to the table so I could take this pictures.  At which point, Jack decided to copy cat and plug his nose, too.

This was the final product (with has much detail as a steak knife can give you).  Jack wanted a "sad face" and Molly wanted a "surprised face with square eyes."

Friday morning was a little rough getting to school.  Molly didn't like her costume as much as she did during the trial runs and she was super upset about being able to see her clothes underneath the dress.  Oh well.

Jack was a monkey.  I made the bananas myself.  Aren't you impressed?

Molly was a ghost.  

I was able to get a quick picture of the little kids coming to visit my classroom.  They sang a song and I gave them candy.  Jack cried when they had to leave, but for once, Molly didn't!

After getting home, cleaning up around the house, and eating some requested macaroni for dinner, we readied up again to head out trick-or-treating!  We ended up walking most of the way around the block with our neighbor Joe and his kids Asher and Elijah.  That was great!  Molly had fun and Jack mostly just wanted to go for a ride in the stroller (so he missed a few houses).  They each had one melt down in the trek around the block and when Molly announced she was finished, I was happy to oblige and head back home.  Asher and Elijah told us goodbye and went to do more houses.

Molly had a lot more fun passing out the whistles, anyway.  

After we passed out the whistles for a little bit, we loaded up in the car to head to Grandpa's house.  This Halloween tradition of chili, pizza, and donuts didn't disappoint, thanks to my mom's efforts to put it all together.  

Some of my cousins were there with crazy costumes.  Rubie was "Cleopatra."  Parker and Meranda were "the librarian and her husband."  Rubie was "Max" and her newlywed husband was a giant-headed skeleton in his blue wedding suit.

A few other tidbits about Halloween . . . 

James worked.  He works at the University Neuropsychiatric Hospital.  I don't think you are supposed to use words like "crazy" when describing his job, but he said that Halloween was the craziest day he has ever worked.  Some of the patients were out of control, the visitors strange, and the emergencies within the hospital abundant.  He got swung at, other employees were scratched and hit, several patients even had to be sedated.  I don't think I could do his job at all, but it sounds like the Halloween air made for a very interesting day.

Grandpa's House Was Spooky.  Something was totally trying to weird me out at my Grandpa's house on Halloween night.  I went to the garage to get ice from the freezer.  I've opened and closed that freezer door hundreds of times before.  I got the ice out.  I turned off the light.  Creeeaaaaaak . . .  (ok, it wasn't really a creaking sound, but more like an opening sound and then it thudded against the bumper of the car).  The door totally opened by itself.  I closed it tight, turned off the light, and took the ice inside.  

Next, I went out to the front to help my mom get some things out of the car and as I was telling her about the freezer door, I noticed the lights in the garage were still on.  I distinctly remember turning the lights off.  So, I went back to the garage and turned the lights off.  I had dismissed the freezer door thing, but now the lights were starting to weird me out.  

Finally, I went back to the backyard to throw out some pizza boxes.  I was a little bit leery of what I might find this time.  I very carefully put the pizza boxes in the trash and as I closed the lid, the flood lights came on!  Ahhhhhhhhhhh . . .  I ran the short distance back inside the house and was a little scared.

Ok, so, the flood lights are motion sensor lights and they come on any time you throw something in the trash, but I hadn't thought about that until I was back in the house in a more rational state of mind.   Perhaps it was just Halloween, but for a little while, I was totally spooked!

$$ Money $$

This is an old post I started writing a long time ago.  I found it and thought I'd publish it . . .


I've been thinking a lot about money lately.  I've had several conversations at work and with family members about finances.  It's tax season.  James just got accepted into a Masters of Nursing program at the U and I'm not sure how the finances of that will pan out.  James and I are far from perfect and we (I) tend to splurge too much at the dollar bins at Target and on french fries, but I think we do pretty well for ourselves and are able to live comfortably.

Here are Haley's "Top 10 Financial Pieces of Wisdom:"

10.  Spend less than you earn.

9.  Don't be afraid to take on extra work for extra pay.

8.  Debt is bad.  Use it for houses and maybe for cars.  Otherwise, try to save up and pay cash.

7.  Buy things you need.

6.  Buy things you WANT, but only if you have planned well for it and made sure that it is not detrimental to your needs.

5.  By used books, movies, etc.  Use groupons and coupons.  Buy generic brands.  Buy some of your kid's clothes on sale and off season.  (We buy movies and books from Amazon used and we've bought a stack of children's books from the D.I. on more than one occasion.  I have a stack of clothes for each of my kids to grow into.  They are mostly from the sale racks at Target and Kohls or from super sales online at the Children's Place.)

4.  Do your homework.  If it is an expensive item or a vacation, spend hours, days, or even months scoping it out before you buy it.

3.  Get a good enough education/training to find a job that will support you and your family.  Don't take out a loan for your education either.  Work to make it work.

2. Put money into your savings as if you are paying a bill.  I have money from my check automatically deposited into savings each month.  You won't miss it if it becomes automatic and your savings will grow.

1.  Always pay your tithing first and things will work out in the end.

That's it!
$$$$$$$$$$  $$$$$$$$$$$  $$$$$$$$$$

Book review

School is back in session.  My summer pastimes have ended.  One of them was reading while my kids played outside.  I haven't read much since then, but these are the books I read (or at least started) and never reported on.

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo

I saw the movie made about this book before I read it.  James picked it up a Redbox, I think, one day.  I liked the book.  I think Heaven is for real so to read about it from a non-LDS perspective was good reinforcement showing that Heaven is not only for real, but can be for real for all people, especially children

The book is a true story about how a small-town pastor, Todd Burpo, has a son who due to an untreated appendicitis has a near death experience in the hospital.  Over time, the little boy lets known bits and pieces of information about his experiences.  He visits Heaven, sees Christ, views his family from above, is welcomed by grandparents, and other good stuff.

I'd like to think it's all true!  It was a good read.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Since I liked "The Fault In Our Stars" so much and since it was the first fiction book I had tried to read and actually finished unless it was required, I thought I'd try some more of John Green's books.  The next one I picked up was this one.  

Honestly, I didn't like is as much as "Fault" and it kind of stressed me out a little.  I did like it, though, and I did finish it.

This story is about more high school students at a boarding school of sorts in Alabama.  Though no one has cancer in this book, each character is sort of dealing with their own issues - Miles with being bullied and unknown; the Colonel with being poor and always having to prove his toughness; and Alaska, the idol of all the characters in her book, who has quiet demons that no one ever really figures out completely.  The story takes you on the adventures of their year at the boarding school and shows how each of the characters grows and develops through their own story and with each other. 

I think I didn't like this as much as "Fault" for a couple of reasons.  I didn't relate to the characters much.  Not that I've ever had cancer, but I have definitely never been to a boarding school in the South, or smoked, or drank, or done crazy things.  They were all more crude.  I did keep reading the book, however, because as a teacher, I saw glimpses of many of my students who are dealing with so many different things.  Everyone has challenges, but it is how you deal with them that is important.

An Abundance of Katherines also by John Green   

After "Alaska," I thought I would just continue on in the John Green collection.  My sister said I would like this one.  It even has mathematical discussions in it.  I just couldn't get into it.

It's about another high school kid, Colin, who has recently broken up with a girlfriend who's name is Katherine.  He only dates girls named Katherine.  He takes his middle eastern friend on a road trip to Tennessee and they interact with a girl their who has a boyfriend named Colin.  He tries to write a mathematical equation to explain why and how his relationships with Katherines work out.  

I just couldn't do it.  I don't really know what the point was and I didn't get very far.  Maybe I'll pick it up again sometime.  

I really like John Green's style of writing.  It's quick and witty.  It's smart.  The characters are very genuine and always remind you of someone you know.   

Patience Is Running Low

It is the end of the term and I am running out of patience.  I really do like my job, but man-oh-man, sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall, throw all the papers away and hide in a dark corner with a Coke, a cheeseburger, and a donut.  Sigh.

Next week is a new start.  The papers will have to be graded by then.  No one will ask me to retake a test for at least a few weeks and I might, just might, be able to keep my head above water for a little while.  In the meantime, I decided to vent a little here . . . It will make me feel better.

SAGE & Common Core
We finally got our results back last week from the first implementation of the new year end state testing.  We did pretty bad as a school.  My results were dismal except for one class that was  . . .  what's a word that is worse than dismal . . . awful?!?  I had one class period with 0% proficiency.  ZERO!  I'm not proud of it by any means, but there are also many factors outside my control that effected it.  It's been stressing me out.

Side note:  For the couple of people who actually read my blog, please note that Common Core is not bad!  The curriculum for math is good. Utah's implementation of it has been sub-par and working in a small district means we have very limited resources for putting it all together.  If you'd like to have more of a conversation about this when state-wide results come out next week, I'd be happy to engage.

Students
Here are some examples of why I lose patience at this time of the term.

Scenario 1
Student:  I need to retake a test.
Me: You can come in on Tuesday or Thursday after school or during your lunch or to the teacher next door on Wednesday or Thursday before school or you can work on it during the last 15 minutes of class.
Student: I can't come today after school.
Me:  Ok?!?
Student:  I can't come on Thursday after school.  I have a football game.
Me:  Then . . . (I list all the options again)
Student: Fine!  I will miss my last football game.  [Student glares at me like I have ruined his life and eaten all his steak.]
Me:  That doesn't sound like the best option.  If I were your coach I wouldn't want you to miss the game.
Student: It's an away game.
Me: ????
Student: I need more time.  Can I do it next week?
Me:  You've had a month to retake the test and Friday is the last day of the term.  No, you do not get any more time.
Student:  Fine.  I will miss the football game. [Student looks like he is about to cry.]

Scenario 2
Math Lab is 8th period.  It is a class during the day for struggling math students.  I help them with their homework and after some of them fail tests, I help them re-learn the material and try to hold their hand to take the test again.  On Wednesday, I pulled six or so kids aside to help them with their retakes.  They all scored between 20-50% on the last test.  I would do 5 or 6 problems on the board and ask them questions, quiz them, etc.  Once they seemed to make some progress I'd say, "ok now do those similar 5 or 6 problems on the retake."  I even left the work we had just done on the board!  I got blank stares.  I had two pouters who just put their heads down.  I got, "why are you making us do this it's the end of the term!"  My response, "because you just failed a test" had absolutely no softening effect.  Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!

Scenario 3
Student:  Mrs. Binggeli, I turned in like 300 assignments yesterday to the late box and it still says I am missing them online . . . . but I turned them in.
Me:  Do you see the late box over there?  It is full and I just emptied it last Friday.  When you turn papers in on time, I put them online on time.  When you turn them in late, you have to wait until I get to them.
Student: But it still says I'm missing them . . .
Me:  There is not an automatic uploading of data between that blue late work box and the online grading system. I have to actually look at your 300 assignments and then grade them and then enter a score.  It takes time.
Student:  ???
Me:  I'll get to it.
Student:  What do you think it will bring my grade up to?
Me:  I don't know.
Student:  Will it bring it up?
Me:  It won't bring it down.
Student: So will it bring it up?
Me:  [Sigh].  Yes.

Scenario 4
Me:  It's almost 4:30.  I need to go and get my own orphan children from the daycare. You need to wrap up what you're working on and turn it in.
Student:  What's really more important?  Me or your own children?
Me: [silence]
Student:  Ok.  Will this at least help me so I'm not failing anymore?
Me: You're not failing.  You have like, a B.
Student:  I do??
Me: Yes.
Student:  So why am I here?
Me:  I don't know.  You tell me.
Student:  Are you sure I don't have an F?
Me:  Yes, you have a B?  I need to go now so turn in what you have done.
Student:  Do you know the Bible dictionary mentions unicorns? [Student pulls out his scriptures to show me the unicorn reference in the Bible dictionary.]


I could go on, but I'll stop.  It will end soon.
New term.
Fresh start.
Good attitude.

Dribble Pass Shoot

 . . .  and so another basketball season begins!

The Utes are looking pretty good and are actually ranked to finish second in the PAC 12 this year.  I'm sure it's too soon to tell, but maybe, just maybe we will get an NCAA bid as well.  Wouldn't that be cool?  I won't hold my breath, but it would be cool!

On Tuesday night we headed to the newly remodeled Huntsman Center for "Meet The Utes" night.  It was fun.  It was dark because there are these new giant black curtains that block off the whole upper bowl for smaller events, but it was still fun.  

Jack looks like he is asleep, but he is really just watching the game and getting ready to hi-five me when someone scores!

Molly stole her dad's hat.  

James played with the camera features on his phone and took this one.  

That's it.  I'm excited!  I love basketball!