I was 13 once...

Normally Christmas vacation is my chance to cram as many novels in as possible. But, I decided to go with non-fiction this time. I have kept a journal since I was 13 and I read it this vacation. I'm actually only up to Christmas of my freshman year of college right now. It has been completely entertaining. Unfortunately, I don't have any awkward 13 year old pictures to add. They are all in my picture box in Bluffdale. I'm not sure if I was a typical 13 year old or not. My guess is not. I was pretty weird. Here are 4 highlights.

April 2, 1997
Before I say anything, I have to say something that happened yesterday. Some boys unzipped this backpack and about 10 tampons fell out. If that would have happened to me, I would have died.

April 9, 1997
At tennis, Christy and I had no room to play because everybody was taking our space. So, we went to the front of the building. Then, Mrs. Trobley and Mrs. Ruiz needed me. But, of course they were too lazy to find me! When I cam back around they yelled at me. How rude! Oh yeah, I'm in last place. Coaches are mean.

May 7, 1997
In Industrial Tech, Demenee came up to Katie and said something. Katie gave her something and said, "Here's your pen." What do they think I am? Stupid? I know it was a tampon.

August 4, 1997
Lynsey is so totally gullible. She was totally into snipes. She still believes in them. I mean, how can a POPULAR person believe in snipes?

Why I Teach 5th Graders

I'm sorry for those of you that are anti-blogging without pictures. But, I get reminded every once in a while why I teach kids. For our Christmas presents to parents this year, I had my students write their parents letters. The only requirements were that they had to say what they appreciated about their parents and then make a top 10 list about things they love about their moms and dads. Here is a sample of some things my afternoon students wrote:

Thank you for coming to our classroom to do spelling tests every Friday.
You guys help me when I am sick.
You guys exercise.
I could never ask for a better or cooler dad than you.
I am not embarrassed to talk about you.
You grill in the winter.
I appreciate that you help me with my division.
You let me listen to your music.
You tuck me in at night.
You put songs on my ipod.
You check in on my to see if I am okay.
You can keep secrets.


I'm not an overly emotional person, but it has been hard for me to read and edit their letters without tearing up. These kids have soft hearts and I adore them despite how much they frustrate me sometimes.

Amazing

It is amazing that one person can create such turmoil in your life that you feel burdened twenty four hours a day. It is amazing what can happen when that person is removed from the picture for a while how light you feel. It is amazing that I like teaching again.

It is amazing that precipitation and a temperature of 32 degrees or below can make me want to hide under my covers and stay out of my car.

It is amazing that you can see someone you haven't seen in ten years in a completely random place and instantaneously know that person's name and all of the memories you shared.

Tomorrow is December 10

And for those of you who know what that means for one of my students, you understand that I am rejoicing. Hopefully I can teach now.

Portland and Jessica's Wedding

I skipped school for a day and went to Portland for Jessica's wedding. I was there alone the first day and so I hopped on the Max to downtown and looked at books and clothes all day. That night was the bachelorette party (Mormon style). The wedding was great. The fog cleared for pictures. Jessica was beautiful. The next day, Susan, Megan, and I returned back to Utah. It was a short break but much needed.

Soon...

I'll post soon. Maybe today.

Pull My Hair Out

Today has been one of those 'why did I ever become a teacher?' sort of days. In fact, the last two weeks have been like that. I have a couple of students that make my life from 8:00 to 2:15 so, so, SOO difficult. If you want details, call me but you probably don't want to because then I'll vent.

On a happier note, I fairly officially decided that I am going to go to Europe for a couple of months this summer. I have Sarah to visit on the Isle of Man, Ashley to visit in Vienna, German chocolate to eat, and trains to ride. There is a huge week long single adult conference for church members in Denmark that I will be going to with Havilah. The decision was between taking professional development courses in Utah or playing in Europe.

Also, Lachelle is having her baby soon. The question we all want to know is what they are going to name her. This baby being born will make 2 neices and 2 nephews.

I am going to Portland next Thursday through Sunday for Jessica's wedding. I'm sure that the trip will be way too short but I am glad to have the time off from school to relax. My two biggest desired destinations are the temple for Jessica's wedding (of course) and Powell's Books.

Krista LaMont is getting married on November 28 to Jorge Andrade (I'm sure I slaughtered that spelling). She is getting married in Brazil so I can't go to the wedding :( but I'm excited for her.

Lastly, today I learned that a group of zebras is called a dazzle.

Reunion

One of my favorite things to do is to reunite with old friends. I got to see Krista and Christy again this weekend. Seeing Krista was very exciting because I thought that she was in Brazil this whole time. She is leaving soon though and getting married and I won't see her until next summer. I'm so excited for her and her future. It was also great to see Christy because I haven't seen her since a few days after I got home from my mission (which was nearly 2 years ago). We had a fun time together talking about old memories and catching up on the details of our lives. It is interesting to me that despite having completely different lives and seeing each other quite infrequently, we are still really good friends. I treasure my association with these girls and feel confident that we have friendships that will continue throughout our lives. I love you girls.

Because my family is genius...

There is this meal in Thailand called Muu Kata and it is heavenly delicious. Basically, you cook your vegetables in a broth that surrounds a volcano shaped grill of sorts. You cook all this over coals. When we were in Thailand, we sweated our way through one of these meals and then proceeded to the nearest Big C to purchase Muu Kata cookers. As of late, I have been eating Thai food several times a week. This has set in a serious craving for Muu Kata so I suggested that we enjoy it while I was in Boise.

The only problem was that we didn't have the correct pot for the coals. So, we combined our Smith Family Genius to create one for under $3. I take credit for going to DI and finding angel food cake pans with tabs on the end to perfectly balance the cookers. My dad can take credit for using hardware mesh stuff to create a bed on which the coals could lay. He then drilled holes into the bottom so the coals wouldn't burn out. My mom gets credit for using paving stones as an insulator so that the cookers didn't burn through the table.

What resulted was a meal that took way too long to prepare. It was good though. There's nothing like cooking your own raw meat and then dipping it into Thai chile sauce. Muu Kata is definitely going to become more of a staple in my diet.

Ode to Avery (She's 5 Today!!)

Photos taken: 17 October 2008

Five years ago today Avery Caroline Smith joined the ranks of the living. Little did I know what sort of person she would be. Here are five things that I absolutely adore about Avery.

1. She has a memory better than any person I know. Don't ever promise her something unless you have sure plans to make that promise happen because she WILL remember. She doesn't forget anything. It keeps me humble and honest.

2. She is absolutely gorgeous. The pictures above are proof of this. She has bright, shiny eyes and hair that I would love to have. Her smile is totally charming.

3. She lines up her dolls and has a very specific way of doing it. Don't mess with Avery's dolls or princesses. You will live to regret it.

4. She makes me laugh. This weekend we were all in Boise. I sat down next to her at breakfast and she said, "Emy, did you know you are sitting by me?" I responded that of course I knew. Then she said, "My daddy's supposed to sit there." This same conversation happened a couple of times over the weekend. It was pretty funny.

5. She will always give you a hug and a kiss. Sometimes that hug is half-hearted, sometimes she squeezes the air out of me, but she always gives me one. Also, she's great at butterfly kisses.

Crazy Hair Day

I thought I was being quite crazy putting three ponytails in my hair until I came to school and discovered what my students had done to themselves. One kid dyed his hair gel bright blue with food coloring. Another student had black, red, and blue hair. But the definite winner was the student who put a plastic bottle on her head and pulled her hair up around it. The whole day I kept going to see what was wrong because her hand was raised when really it was just her hair. It was a great ending to a long week.

Some Really Awful Pictures

So, I really haven't taken any good pictures in the last 2 months since I moved back down to Utah. Here is a pathetic sampling of what I have taken. I promise to do better.



Me sitting at my desk in my classroom sometime in July. I sit there a lot.

Mom, Mike, Natalie, Avery, Aidan, and I went to eat Thai food at Sawasdee in July. I have eaten a lot of Thai food in the last two weeks (at least 3x each week) and it has been wonderful and glorious and spicy and delicious.

We took the 5th graders camping. We were all staring into the noonday sun in this picture.

This was taken as we were leaving for Utah in July. I filled the trailer, the back of the Explorer, and my own car. I have a lot of stuff but most of went into my classroom.

The One Word Tag

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Where is your significant other? hiding
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? Becky
5. Your father? Terry
6. Your favorite thing? Thai
7. Your dream last night? sweet
8. Your dream/goal? PhD
9. The room you're in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? real
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? school
13. Where were you last night? reunion
14. What you're not? boring
15. One of your wish-list items? ink
16. Where you grew up? Boise
17. The last thing you ate? spaghetti
18. What are you wearing? comfies
19. Your TV? none
20. Your pet? Moose
21. Your computer? fast
22. Your mood? social
23. Missing someone? siblings
24. Your car? wet
25. Something you're not wearing? earrings
26. Favorite store? IKEA
27. Your summer? interesting
28. Love someone? family
29. Your favorite color? black
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? September

My potential future...

When I first started at BYU, I was a human development major planning on focusing on human development. Then, I switched to psychology, planning to focus on cognition and neuropsychology. Then I switched to Elementary Education. I love teaching but it has almost always been my plan to pursue a masters or possibly a doctorate degree. My plan as of right now is to finish this year, teach one more year, and then go to grad school. I have been unsure what I have wanted to study for a long time. But, the thing that stands out the most to me right now is cognitive psychology/development. There are lots of really great programs around the United States. I think it is something that I could really enjoy studying. I guess only time will tell.

I won!

One day during recess I decided to visit uen.org and see if I could find a lesson plan on r-controlled vowels. I wasn't successful but I did notice a banner at the top of the web page saying that the first 300 educators to apply would be sent free tickets to see the Bodies exhibition that opened up in Salt Lake tonight. I've been in a few different cities while the exhibition was going on but have never managed to see it. So, I sent in my information. Today I got a free admission ticket in the mail. So, next Tuesday I'll be fascinated by 200 plasticized bodies....for free.

Update but no pictures

I don't have my camera cord with me today but I do have some time so I will give a quick update of the last 2 months. I was going to move to Provo but a couple of the places fell through and then I decided to move to Salt Lake. I found an adorable house in Sugar House with month to month rent. I really like the house but the 40 minutes one-way commute is getting to me and I don't approve of some of the practices of my roommates so I have contemplated moving basically since the day I moved in. It has been a stressful choice. Everyday I considered something new. But, I got a call from my good friend Havilah this week saying that a spot is opening up in her apartment in Bluffdale. Now, Bluffdale isn't really that exciting but it is a nice place, much closer to work, and I will have a friend living there. Also, my contract will end June 1 allowing me to go wherever I want this summer. So, I am moving in 3 weeks.

Things have been going with school. I start my 5th week tomorrow. Time is flying. My students are great. I enjoy being around them. We are starting to settle into a routine which is incredible helpful for me. I'm learning that being a first year teacher really is as stressful as everyone says it is.

I'll post pictures soon.

I haven't downloaded any pictures onto my computer yet and I am running off to church right now but I promised I'll make a post or maybe two this week. Life has been crazy with finding a house to live, getting my classroom ready, and starting school. But, things are finally starting to feel like they are settling into a routine.

Packing stinks. I have too much stuff. That's all.

You Know You're A First Year Teacher When...

In the last two nights, I've had two nightmares about the first day of school. They were funny when I woke up but not during.

Nightmare #1- I got a call from subfinder and agreed to sub for a Ms. Gilbert on the first day of school. She was really organized. An hour into the day I realized that I had my own class to teach. I got to my school late and my principal was totally unimpressed. I had no idea what I was doing because I hadn't prepared a thing.

Nightmare #2- I think I'm a student teacher but I get to the class on the first day and the teacher turns it all over to me. My 5th graders are sitting stadium style. They don't respect me. I have nothing prepared. Bad news.

I think these dreams are trying to tell me to get prepared. Or maybe they are telling me that I am spending way too much time thinking about the first day of school. (thanks to Ben Crowder for the pretty picture)

Cute Nephew, Not So Cute Zoo

Mom, Keyton, and I went to the Boise Zoo today. It was hot. The zoo was pretty pathetic but there were some interesting animals: komodo dragon, sloth bear, tigers, penguins, tamarin monkeys. Mostly Keyton was cute. These pictures are proof.

A Brief Look at My Classroom

Here are some shots of my classroom next year. It is big but I'm going to have 35+ students so I won't have a lot of extra room. I've got a lot of work to do.

Phuket Photos

Next time I go to Thailand, I will go to the beach again. But probably a different one. Phuket was so beautiful but so expensive. These pictures are from the day we went snorkeling on some surrounding islands. It rocked.

Islands near Phuket

Tom and I took this boat out to some surrounding islands near Phuket. It was gorgeous. Hopefully this video shows up.

Avery. Aidan, and Keyton are Adorable

Yea, they are pretty cute. They must get it from me.

Rasmussen Reunion 2008

Grandpa Rasmussen couldn't make it this year. Neither could Carma. But, of the 8 remaining Rasmussen children, 6 came. Crazy that my grandpa is second to oldest now. It was fun cramming 2 air mattresses, luggage, Dad, Mom, Keyton, Nick, Tom, and Me into a tent. My ear plugs worked well. Also pictured: Alex, Aidan, Avery, Sylvia, and Keyton.

Hulls Gulch Hike

I think it was Memorial Day that we went on this hike. Keyton did a great job. He hiked the whole way down. The foothills were really pretty in May. It was good walking prep for Thailand and Cambodia.

Middle Class White Trash

Come on in. The door's wide open.

Some More Thailand and Cambodia Pics

I Bought A Car...Tomorrow

I've been thinking about what sort of car I want for several months. I've gone back and forth between Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla. I wasn't really happy with either of those for various reasons. I finally decided that I was going to have to pay a little more to get the car I want. Mom and I went car shopping today and I found the car I want. It is a 2006 Nissan Sentra with 20,300 miles. Not tons of bells and whistles but it drives nicely and I think I'll like it. Fern is processing my loan right now and it should be ready for tomorrow. Then, I'll have my own car. I'm excited but not looking forward to a monthly car payment.

For Mike