Awkward Jr High Notes - Edition #1

Why would anyone ever go back to Jr High? I don't know about you, but those years were my most awkward, looked down upon years of my life. So I ask again, why would anyone ever want to go back to Jr. High? To observe all the awkwardness, of course!
In my few months of working there, I've confiscated (collected) a few notes students have passed around in my class. I take them home and enjoy them with Lexi. Let me share a few with you (please note that these are in no way embellished. All grammar, spelling and punctuation have not been altered in anyway):

Note #1:
Student 1: OMG! Yesterday, I was making a top 10 list, and Kevin was on it, and Steven saw, and he told Kevin!
Student 2: Wait, Kevin knows you like him? What did he do when he found out?!
Student 1: Well, I don't like him a TON, he's just on my top ten, and I don't know, I didn't hear.
Student 2: Crap that sucks! Hey, now I want to know your top 10! Tell me, pleeeeeeese?

Note #2:
Jessica, So I couldn't find a pen or pencil, so...I am writing in colored pencils! LOL! [student writes in blue colored pencil] So what's up girl?! I fricken love your guts! Who do you think is cute? I think ALOT of guys are cute! What class are you in?
TTYL
Write back
Susan

Note #3:
Student 1:Dear Brittany, So what are we going to do about Joe? I mean something that is reallistic! (Not war or killing him!) OK so you have to write back this time ok! See you later! Have a good day!
Student 2: I don't know, we can't get him to go out with Ryan 'cuase when they break up - I don't think it will end well. We might just have to wait it out and hope for the best.
Student 1: Hey we can not tell them to go out they have to wait till they are sixteen! Just kidding! I think that they will ne [at this point I saw the note and took it away before Student 1 could finish her word]

Note #4: This note was folded in its regular manner, with the words "Read & Write back"
Student 1: Do you like me at all? Yes or no (Circle one!)
Student 2: [circles "yes"]
Student 1: More than a friend?
Student 2: kinda
Student 1: Why did you dump me?
Student 2: I don't really know, you and me never get to hangout
Student 1: Sad
Student 2: Sad but true
Student 1: ?
Student 2: ok
[At this point it looks like the friend of student 1 intercepted the note on its way to the desired recipient and added a note of their own]
Student 3: I love you soooooo much - from Melanie AKA - Barbara

Note #5: This note was labeled "To mah lovely chika.!" [Yes, that is a period with an exclamation point, you'll see more to come]
Yo chika ((I don't know how to spell your name))
Buh; school is school...LOL =]
What about you.? How is school.?
Nah girl, we gottah go to Orem now.! Kuhz thats where mah babe is.. =]
LOL..
We do need to hang out.! Buh yes.! Who you lyking these days.?
Dude, i hecka want to meet valerias cuhzos...! [not sure what that is, cousins?]
Of course i'll introduce you.!
Love;
((Jane)) =]


LOL, good times. Hope you've enjoyed this, the first, edition of awkward notes of Jr High Students. OMG, I can't wait until I get my next fricken note to share with you! Buh anyway, gotta go see mah girl. Im gonna ask her to go out with me. She's so hot, we might even hold hands! Oh sorry, TMI!

Red Ribbon Week Dress-Ups

I'm on a roll with these blog posts!

This past week at school was Red Ribbon week. We had 3 dress-up days. Clash day:

I'm wearing a "party" shirt I found in an apartment in Spain. I thought it was cool and that I'd wear it a lot. The shirt is white with pink stripes. My tie is yellow, has stains on it, is thin and pretty ugly. Why do I even own it? You might ask. It was given to me by a member in Spain, who was the only worthy priesthood holder in that area at the time. He has since passed away actually. So it has sentimental value. There were contests each day for best boy and girl student dress-up and best man and woman teacher dress up. I won the clash day! I think I was the only man teacher to dress up. So not a lot of competition.

Day 2 was decades day. So I raided Jonny's closet and found an 80's shirt (which he wore regularly and was cool for him), which he got from raiding my grandpas closet.

Day 3 was Nerd Day:

I grabbed my nerdiest shirt, which happened to be a diamond fork shirt, borrowed Jonny's suspenders again, tucked my pants into my socks, put a bunch of pens in my shirt, parted my hair (which Lexi actually liked when I wore normal clothes) and put a post-it on that said "According to my calculations..." Oh, and I had a fly-swatter in my back pocket.No, the pimple is real, I didn't add it with a red marker, as one of my students asked. It's a legit zit!

As I mentioned in the last post, my classroom is in the CTE Technology building, set aside from the main school building. So us teachers in this building are tight. So here we are:

Oh, I also won the best nerd dress-up for male teachers on this day! Ha, I don't think many of the male teachers participated this day either.

THS vs DFJHS

As many of you may know I (Todd) am a Spanish teacher. Last year I was an intern at Timpanogos High School. An internship in education replaces student teaching. We've all had that annoying student teacher in high school. Ya know, the one who all the students took advantage of and learned nothing? As opposed to a student teacher, an intern takes complete control of the class on day one, all year long. I didn't have a cooperating teacher who held my hand week by week until I felt comfortable enough to stand in front of the class and teach for the whole time. I walked in the first day of school with 30 students staring at me thinking "All right Senor, you got some Spanish teaching for me?" And this happened day after day for the whole year. Obviously this was a little more demanding and stressful than student teaching, and so I got paid a whopping 1st year teacher's HALF salary. "Honey, we're having steak tonight!" Full benefits was actually included which paid for 99.9% of Lexi's pregnancy and Gavin's birth.

Being an intern, I was a part of the teacher team at THS. I got my own school shirt, my own mailbox in the faculty room, everything a teacher dreams of. I really did love it there I am so glad I was inspired to intern, because not only did I have an enjoyable, memorable and learning experience, but it prepared me for my future career of teaching. Unfortunately they couldn't offer me a job and hire me on for the 2010-11 school year, so I had to go job searching, which led me to...

Diamond Fork Jr. High. DFJHS is located in Spanish Fork, so it's about a 20 minute commute, not bad. Now I am a regular teacher, so I get a FULL first year teachers salary. PLUS, I teach extended day (I teach all 7 periods without a prep period), so I get paid even more for that. Quite a raise! The class periods are 45 minutes. So at 8:00 am, about 30 students come in, I do my thing, they leave and 5 minutes later 30 more come in, and I repeat all day for 7 total periods. It gets pretty crazy keeping track of everything. The best way to express the difference between the 2 schools is by creating another Pros chart:

THS Pros:

• Close to home (I road my bike most of the year)
• Living in school boundaries (I see my students at the mall, grocery stores, etc which I think is fun)
• Creativity (high school students are generally more creative and fun than jr high students)
• More fun and outgoing assemblies.
• A paid copy lady to do all my copies, 3-whole punching, stapling, etc...
• Classroom close to front office, copy room, etc.
• High schoolers are more mature (usually)
• High schoolers learn concepts quicker (usually)
• Longer class periods to teach and get things done in class
• Amazing benefits.
• Attending football/basketball plays and other events, watching my own students perform.
• Easier acronym to write out
• Timberwolf is a way cooler mascot than a Diamond Back snake. (My sister says a boy must've come up with the diamond back as a mascot for Diamond Fork. So I guess if a girl came up with the mascot it would be the Diamond Fork Rubies?)

DFJHS Pros:

• Huge classroom (it used to be a computer lab)
• Big desk with lots of drawer and closet space.
• Classroom right next to drinking fountain
• Classroom in technology building, which is set aside from main building. So thing aren't as crazy in the hallways between classes, during lunch, before/after school.
• 2 windows in classroom
• YouTube isn't blocked ("I didn't work for 5 days when I discovered that!")
• Shorter class periods, easier to plan and prepare for.

I do love teaching Spanish at DFJHS and am so glad I went in this profession. I would someday like to come back and work closer to home, and in a high school. But I'm grateful that I have a job which is definitely a blessing during these times. I went 5 or 6 months not knowing where I would be. I was getting close to applying at Wal-Mart since there weren't many schools that were hiring.

P.S. Does anyone else out there read these posts besides mine and Lexi's sisters, and my blog stalking mom??? :)

REAL Salt Lake Game

My turn again! Last Saturday Lexi and I went to a Real Salt Lake Soccer game. Just a little background for Real Salt Lake, they have only been a team for a few years, and they won their first MLS (Major League Soccer, the NBA or NFL of Soccer) championship last year.


I have collected a few soccer jerseys throughout my life. One from Costa Rica, a few from Spain (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Spain's 2006 world cup jersey, etc). I've always wanted to go with Lexi and have us both wear a jersey. So she was a good sport and wore the smallest one I have, and she looked good in it. I also bought a kids Spain jersey for 1 Euro from a flea market on my mission, with the idea of having my nephews first wear it around, then have my own child wear it. Here are some pics from the event:


We couldn't figure out these guys in the next picture. About 10 minutes before the game started, we heard drums beating and cheering coming from behind us, then out on the side and to these special seats on the South side of the stadium. This group was way more fanatic about the game than anyone else. The US does not get into soccer half as much as the rest of the world, so this small portion of the stadium was probably like an entire stadium in a Latin country. Soccer is the only sport where throwing stuff on the field is ok. The players don't complain, the ref doesn't penalize the home team for it either. So this crowd didn't hesitate to throw confetti or toilet paper on the field, which would get tangled up in the players feet. Their drums didn't cease to beat the entire time, playing the same rhythm over and over again. They constantly cheered, whether something exciting was happening or not. And when Real Salt Lake scored, they rolled out a huge banner that covered the view of everyone sitting in that section temporarily. Lexi and I were confused because the tickets said we couldn't bring any noise makers, big banners or throw stuff on the field. But they weren't kicked out or asked to stop. My theory is that they are part of a special club that gets discounted tickets for that certain section, and their job is to help with the overall atmosphere and moral of the game to pump up the players and the rest of the crowd. So they were interesting to watch.


Now, as you may see in the following pics, I was a little more excited to go to this game than the BYU football game blogged about a few posts ago. Some of you may think I'm crazy, but let me explain with a simple Pros chart (keep in mind, this is my opinion and does not completely reflect my wife's feelings)...

REAL Salt Lake game Pros:

• No traffic on the way there and on the way back (big Pro).
• No problem parking.
• Didn't have to wait 20 minutes just to get out of the stadium after the game.
• My own seat, not just a long bench to share.
• My knees aren't in anyones back.
• No ones knees are in my back.
• Didn't have to stand up every 2 minutes because the row in front of me stood up.
• No "That's another Cougar...First Down"
• No Darth Vader Theme music or Hey Baby playing every 5 minutes from the "interesting" band members.
• No Cheer leaders.
• No stopping the game every 15 seconds to plan the next play.
• Watching a sport I can relate to.
• Watching a Championship team play.
• Being part of history while RSL broke the record for the longest undefeated home game streak (23)
• Relatively cheap tickets ($15 each) for great seats.
• Being the shade 90% of the game.
• I can go on and on.....

BYU Football game Pros:

• More of an upbeat, go-out-and-win atmosphere and attitude throughout the stadium.
• Cosmo
• No beer
• No swearing from fans around you.
• That's honestly all I can think of.

I'd now like to take a moment and bare my feelings on what you should do concerning what you've read here. I'd like to encourage you to open your mind to new things and try out a RSL soccer game. I know that it's not as high scoring of a game as football or basketball, but if you just take the time and effort to go, you won't be disappointed. I know that as you strive to make soccer a part of your life, you will better appreciate it and at the same time help it to grow not only in Utah, but in the US.

Adventures in Babysitting

Todd and I got to watch his sister's kids for a few days. They have three cute kids, Austin, Adi, and Bailey. Kim arranged all the carpools so I got to just have fun with their kids and Gavin. Here are some of our adventures...yes we had a party which Adi was in charge of and consisted of making a sign that said "party!", eating dinner, and playing Hullabaloo. My kind of party!

Look closely at this one...these aren't her legs. Silly kids they are always moving. I get tired from watching them all day and trying to keep up with them! How do you moms do it?

Austin loves to hold and play with Gavin, you Jonas' really need a baby!! Here is Austin with HIS version of The Little Piggies that you play with babies toes. It made me laugh each time.

Dress ups! The two girls where in and out of dress ups everyday all day.

Aren't they so cute, even in their PJ's. Not sure why I didn't get any pictures of them not ready.

Gavin is standing really well as we hold his body but this isn't good enough for Todd. Todd has been trying for some time now to get Gavin to balance standing on the palm of his hand. Gavin is was so entertained by the three kids, he would just watch them all day.

Overall the adventures were awesome and made me respect even more the women around me. We loved  watching them and would love to do it again!

This is Todd!

So the other day Lexi told me that I can blog whatever, whenever I want. BIG MISTAKE! So I thought I would blog just a few of my interests out on the world wide web. I'll start off with the very FIRST video posted on Lexi's blog. This is of one of my greatest memories. I ran mid-distance on the track team my senior year at Timpanogos High School. I mostly ran the 300 M Hurdles and the 4x400 M. Relay (That's 4 guys run one lap each, handing off a baton). We worked real hard and had TONS of fun all season long. Then came the big State track meet at BYU at the end of the season. Everything we had trained for led up to this point. We had put in many hours of sweat and pain preparing for this. And well, you'll have to watch to see if it all paid off. (Note: I realize this video is about 4 minutes long, if you're short on time, just watch the last minute and go for the navy blue team.)

I love playing sports, especially SOCCER! I don't enjoy watching sports as much as most guys do, but I really got into watching the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. I of course cheered for the US and Spain (where I served my mission). The US did better than ever, but was eliminated quickly. Spain, however, was looking pretty good from the start. They made it to the World Cup Finals for the first time in their history, fighting for the goal against the Netherlands. I so badly wanted to watch the game, however it was scheduled for the same time we go to church. A conflict arose. The obvious choice was to go to church. BUT, at this time our newborn baby Gavin was only about a month old and we still weren't comfortable with taking him out in public, especially church. So it just happened to be my turn to stay home with him on this particular Sunday. So I guiltily watched the game at home, taking care of my baby. It was a close game and went into overtime, but Spain finally got their goal in with just a few minutes left. I had to really contain my yelling to not startle the baby! So here's a picture of that historic event.

Today my lovely wife planned a surprise trip to the Rio Tinto stadium to watch last years MLS champions Real Salt Lake play. I've also wanted to take a girl on a date to a soccer game, I finally get it, and she's my wife. Blog to come shortly.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my version of a blog. Maybe there'll be more to come.

Bleeding Blue!

Todd and I got to go to the first BYU football game against Washington State, thanks to my awesome parents. I looooooooooovvvvveee the football games! When I was really young I remember sitting on the south endzone on the highest row up and looking down at the football players that seemed to be the size of ants. I didn't appreciate or should I say respect the game, ha ha. I love the wave, the "B" "Y" "U" "COUGARS" chant, and all the other little things that make the game. I love the smell of fatting foods lingering, the cotton candy, the empty water bottles that you fill up in the restroom because the drinking fountain line is so long...love it ALL! We also went with my brother Seth who is a major fan, of course he's a WATSON it's what we do! I even painted my fingernails to get into the game fun even more!

 

GO COUGARS!!! Victory 23 to 17!

Gavin's Blessing

What a great day. Gavin was a happy boy throughout the blessing. I think he'll go down in Mormon history for having the most people in the circle. With just brothers, bros-in-law, Todd, grandpas and the greats we had a grand total of 16! I know that was a lot but I thought this will be the only time that we'll have everyone in both our families in the circle. I loved looking up at the circle and seeing all those worthy priesthood holders and thinking of the great influence they'll have on Gavin. We're blessed!

Gavin also got to share his special day with Jonny who gave his goodbye mission "talk" before leaving on his mission to Bolivia. It all worked out great! My only regret is that I forgot to get a picture with Gavin and Jonny together.

The outfit...? Well Kim had this premie outfit that she thought she would one day use for her girls, but never did, so she gave it to me. And yes, it still fit him. Thank you Kim! I was grateful because I had searched the town looking for a decent priced outfit that wasn't a tuxedo and couldn't find one. My superhero Grandma Marilyn saved the day and added the cute ribbon and buttons to make it masculine! Thank you Grandma!

Todd gave a perfect blessing and told him to remember who he was named after. Gavin's middle name is Ryan named after our dear friend Ryan Alder who passed away in a car accident just over a year ago. We hope he'll follow in Ryan's footsteps and those great examples around him as well.

After the church meetings my family and Todd's all went to Todd's parents house to enjoy a wonderful dinner. Thank you everybody for your help!!

Cali Trip

California was a blast! We first took the long car ride down to Bass Lake, just north of Fresno. Todd and I both did some wake boarding and tubing. I got to ski, yes on two skis, where I feel most comfortable. After a few days of basking in the sun we ventured down to Laguna Niguel and enjoyed the beach. We also went to Disneyland, my personal favorite! The trip also included shopping, yard selling, swimming, and visiting relatives. I can easily say California is one of my favorite places to vacation at!

Yes he can ride a wave backwards and frontwards! He's got talent!

The boat ride was a little windy so Gavin just closed his eyes and was lulled to sleep.

Todd getting Gavin to laugh, something he's good at. It was a little cold at Disneyland, no complaints here!

More of Our Gavin