Moments From My Life

Christmas Open House

2011-11-11T21:33:00.013-07:00

You’re Invited!

What: Christmas Open House
When: Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 10:00-5:00
Where: Dawn’s House (1721 N. 2560 W. Lehi)

Check out all the great projects you can do…

"25 Days and Counting" Christmas Advent

Set of 25 bags with toppers.....$12.00

Display can....$5.00

This daily count down to Christmas will be the highlight of your family's holiday season. The mini cello bags hold small candies, prizes and notes to make each day fun.

This is a close up shot of some of the bags and toppers.

Christmas BINGO

Set of 4 bingo cards and calling pieces....$5.00

This fun Christmas activity is the perfect thing for family night or a gift for someone you love.

Large Cellophane Treat Bags

Set of 4 for $5.00

You know the perfect treat to give your neightbors this holiday season, and now you have the perfect way to give it to them.

This is a close up of the bag topper.

Toppers will be customizable with different images and sentiments available.

Hot Cocoa Trio

$1.50 each or 4 for $5.00

This trio of mini cellophane bags perfectly holds all the makings of a yummy cup of hot cocoa! They work great alone as a quick gift for your kids to give their friends. You can also pair them with a holiday mug full of chocolate for a great gift.

This is a close up of the bag toppers.

Snowman Treat Boxes

$2.50 each or 4 for $7.50

These boxes are incredibly cute, and deceptively easy to put together. Fill them with your favorite holiday treats and wow co-workers, neighbors, friends or family.

This is a view of the inside of the box.

Gift Card Holder

$1.50 each or 4 for $5.00

These adorable gift card holders make giving gift cards easy and fun!

This is a close up of the bag topper.

Toppers will be customizable with different images and sentiments.

NOTES:

*Registration and payment are required by November 22nd

*You will need to bring your own adhesive…or order $20 worth of projects and I’ll buy your adhesive for you!

*Can’t attend the open house but you want to purchase kits to make your own projects…you got it! Email me for pricing and timing details.

*Want me to make the projects for you…you can have that too! Email me for pricing details.

Email me with your wish list or questions:

dawnrtaylor@yahoo.com

No...MY mom is the best!

2011-05-08T18:48:00.003-06:00

It's Mother's Day. I think there is some sort of unwritten rule about writing a blog post about my mom....so here we go.

I know that I am biased, but I truly have the most remarkable mom in the whole world. She has spent the better part of her life raising five kids...by herself. As a child I did not appreciate everything she did for me. As a teenager I made her life ridiculously difficult (sorry mom). As an adult I have come to love her for the incredible person she is, for the amazing mother she was and continues to be, for the being one of the greatest grandmas ever, and for being one of my best friends. Over the 30 years of my life I have learned a lot of things from my mom...here are a few.

Fair isn't everyone having the same thing...fair is everyone having what they need.
In life you only change one set of problems for a new set of problems.
Family comes first, always.
Put others needs before your own needs.
Cookies are helpful...in pretty much every situation.
It is ok to feel happy, sad, frustrated, tired.
I am good enough...and so is everyone else.
Accept people for who they are.
There are lots of times when it is best to keep your opinions to yourself. (I'm not very good at that one yet)
Work hard and do the best you can. And after all of that if things aren't perfect...you'll survive.
Life isn't fair. Deal with it.

I love my mom so much and I know how lucky I am to have her.
Happy Mother's Day!

hate. Hate. HATE.

2011-04-12T20:47:00.005-06:00

I hate cancer. I seriously HATE cancer. I want to punch it in the face. I want to kick it in the shins. I want to make it cry. And I'm sure I don't feel or understand even the tiniest bit of what it is like to have to face cancer. But I do know that I hate that people that I love have to face it, have to deal with it, and have to accept how it alters their lives forever.

I've been thinking a lot lately about that hatred and what I can do about it. What I want to do is to find a way to somehow help families whose lives have been turned upside-down by cancer. But here's my problem. I'm not a crazy brilliant scientist who can solve cancer. I'm not a multi-billionaire who can give money to the crazy brilliant scientists to help them solve cancer. And I'm certainly not a celebrity who can wear a pretty dress to a party to raise awareness of the need for multi-billionaires to give money to crazy brilliant scientists so that they can solve cancer. I'm just Dawn.

But then I thought...I can plan a party. And sometimes I can make people laugh. Is there a way I can use these two "skills" to make a difference? I'm sure gonna try. But I need your help too.

Join me...

Saturday, May 14, 2011 for the

i HATE cancer

POINT 5k

10:00am

Olympic Park in Lehi Utah

Registration Fee: $5 per person

(additional donations will definitely be accepted!)

Oh wait...does that say a "POINT 5k?" Yes it does. And here is why. Did you know that a 5k is OVER 3 miles!?! Come on. I would never make it. Black out, heart attack and death would surely set in before I ever made it to the finish line. So I thought and thought about how to make my fundraiser more accessible and then it came to me.....a POINT 5k!! (you know .5k). That is approximately 0.311 miles or 1640 feet. That seems much more realistic. I mean, if I (dawn rachelle taylor) can do a POINT 5k then anyone can do a POINT 5k!

So please come! Please Come! PLEASE COME! And bring your family, friends, neighbors, former boyfriends, former girlfriends...EVERYONE! Let's show cancer just how much we all hate it. And more importantly, let's show the families dealing with cancer just how much we LOVE them.

I "heart" Monticello

2011-03-14T11:41:00.005-06:00

I love Monticello Utah. Most people don't even know where it is (my answer: about 45 minuites south of Moab...and no it is NOT warmer there). But I have loved it for as long as I can remember. Being here this weekend has, like always, brought me relaxation and peace that I just can't seem to find at home. And I can't seem to stop making a mental list (I do love a good list!) of the things I "heart" about Monticello.

I love that the air smells fresh and clean...except when it smells like wood burning stove (which is a smell I love even more).

I love that I can see so many stars here...I had sort of forgetten how many stars there are since I never see them.

I love the sound of the wind chimes...which is fairly constant since the wind is ALWAYS blowing in Monticello.

I also love the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.

I love that you can literally go to the store, buy something, and get home within 10 minutes.

I love the 1 stop light sitting right in the middle of town...and I love that I'm not sure it is necessary.

I love that I can really think here...things seem to slow down for me here and make it possible to really work things out in the crazy jumble of my mind.

I love that people wave and say hi...even though they don't know me, they are sure they know someone I'm related to, so that is good enough.

I love the mountains behind grandma's house.

I love the way you can see for miles and miles because there is only open space.

I love my family here.

Now if they could get a Super-Target here...I might think about moving here.

I Didn't Die

2011-02-03T20:28:00.002-07:00

HUGE relief, right?
I know all of you were so worried (maybe) about me since I posted about turning 30, and how I was going to blog about all my exciting (maybe) new experiences...and then I haven't. I know some of you were thinking, "Did she try to read 30 books in 2 days...and her brain exploded?" But no worries, I am fine. I am working dilligently (maybe) on some of my list, but my life has just been too crazy to post. But I promise some awesome (maybe) blog posts in the near future.

I Am 30 Years Old

2010-12-13T20:12:00.004-07:00

I am 30 years old. I can say it (barely).

Over the past few weeks, as my birthday loomed in the future, I "might" have been obsessing about what it means to be "30." And the conclusion I have finally come to is that I have absolutely NO IDEA what it means to be "30." I cannot seem to define this age and this moment in my life. There is so much I love about my life and so much that I do not want to change...but also I feel as though my future is this huge open space in front of me and it is my responsibility to fill it...and (because I'm a perfectionist) to do a fantastic job of filling it. 30 years from now I would love to look back at this day as the day I truly took control of my life and made it what I want it to be!

So I have created a list (me make a list...shocking I know) of things I want to experience during this year that I am "30." My plan is to do these 30 things before December 10, 2011 and (lucky you) blog about them all.

Please to enjoy my list: (in no particular order)

1. Celebrate my 30th Birthday in Vegas!

2. Learn to cook with Tofu.

3. Go somewhere completely new to me.

4. Read 30 books that I have never read before.

5. Try rock climbing.

6. Sew something, on a sewing machine, all by myself.

7. Teach Emma to cross stitch.

8. Spend an entire day at a movie theater, going to movies one after the other all day long.

9. Re-pierce my ears (the 4th time is the charm?)

10. Get my arm pits waxed.

11. Make Beignets.

12. Take a dance class.

13. Go paragliding.

14. Learn to make Grandma Allie's Rolls

15. Figure out (and implement) the best possible skin care regimen for a woman in her "30's."

16. Go real camping, in an actual tent, for at least 2 nights.

17. Write a children's book manuscript.

18. Try Indian food.

19. Live 2 weeks without spending ANY money.

20. Spend an entire day (open to close) at a bookstore.

21. Go on a random road trip.

22. Make, write, and mail a card to 30 people who have influenced my life.

23. Learn to crochet.

24. Be caffeine free for 3 months.

25. Keep a plant alive for 6 months.

26. Do something that absolutely terrifies me.

27. Take an art class.

28. Eliminate 30 items, that I don't actually need, from my life.

29. Learn to make toffee and caramels.

30. Buy myself something with a diamond in it.

I am accepting applications from people who would like to join me for any of these (hopefully) super-awesome experiences.

Stay Tuned..........

Potty Time

2010-12-05T22:34:00.003-07:00

The question that has been nagging me lately is this:

Why won't preschoolers flush the toilet?

I really can't figure it out. It takes mere seconds, seconds! I know that they are old enough to know that it isn't a monster that is going to get them. And it doesn't take an abnormal amount of finger strength to accomplish. But it seems like a very large percentage of preschool aged children I work with are not inclined to flush the toilet after they go. I swear I say "did you flush the toilet?" at least 20 times a day...really I'm not exaggerating. I haven't been able to come up with an answer...I think it is one of those great un-answerable questions (related to the chicken and the egg one) so I suppose I'll just have to try to move on.

But while we're on the subject, here are some funny moments...

Little Boy: "Hey, Miss Dawn. I have the itchies, the bum itchies."

Me: "Oh really?" (in my head: "GROSS!!" but I am a professional....sort of.)

Little Boy: "Well, I haven't really been wiping my bum very good lately."

Me: "That doesn't seem like a good idea."

Little Boy: "Yeah, usually I just use one toilet paper to wipe when I go poop. But my mom said to use 3 toilet papers to wipe when I go poop."

Me: "That sounds like a really good plan. And also, don't itch your bum at school."

Another day and another little boy...

Using my "super-spidey-sense" I *knew* that one little boy needed to head into the bathroom.

Me: "Do you need to go potty?"

Little Boy: "No."

Me: "I really think you do."

Little Boy: "I don't."

Me: "Then why are you dancing around?" (okay so maybe it's not a super-spidey-sense)

Little Boy: "I just want to practice my dance moves."

Me: "Oh really? Then stop dancing."

Little Boy: "I can't."

Me: "Because you need to go potty. Please go into the bathroom and go."

Little Boy: "Oh I know! I can just pinch it...then I won't have to go anymore."

Then he did in fact pinch it (yup...it's exactly what you think) and apparently didn't need to go anymore because the dancing stopped.

I have to say that although I LOVE being a preschool teacher I do sometimes day dream about having a job where I am not required to care about the bathroom needs, habits, or issues of anyone other than myself. I wonder what a day would be like if I never said "Do you need to go potty?" or "Did you flush the toilet?" or "Did you wash your hands?" or (and this more than any other) "Did you have an accident?" I don't think I would miss that...but I would miss "my kids." So I will keep worrying about what is (or isn't) going on in the bathroom in exchange for all the painting, silly jokes, games, singing, giggling, pictures that are drawn for me, and hugs that I get. Oh yeah, and also all the funny things they say.

But I will still keep trying to get them go when they need to, to wash their hands after and mostly to flush the damn toilet!

My Grandpa

2010-11-16T12:09:00.004-07:00

I have always loved coming to my grandparents' home in the tiny town of Monticello Utah. A large part of that are my wonderful grandparents. Well, them and the 'candy cupboard'. Today I am in Monticello again, sitting in my grandpa's office surrounded by two or three desks cluttered with envelopes, invoices, computers, checkbooks, and piles of papers. I can see him sitting in this very office working on all the paperwork for his cattle operation. In fact, everywhere I go in this house there are memories of my grandpa. In the kitchen I can remember him from when I was a child, getting out his recycled milk jug of frozen water as he headed off for a day of hard labor on the ranch. When I smell the wood burning stove I remember him chopping wood in the garage and countless trips from the garage to the house with arms full of wood. I can picture him at the kitchen table playing barnyard rummy with a handful of grandchildren, games that he regularly won because he never played favorites or let anyone win at cards. I can imagine him in his recliner in the family room, flipping channels on the TV until he found the weather channel or a news channel to fall asleep to. Outside there are handfuls of memories of riding horses, learning about different plants and flowers, and piling into the back of his pick-up to go for a ride. I can still hear him on a Sunday morning as he walked down the hall dressed in his suit and tie as I asked, "Where are you going Grandpa?" and without fail his answer was "Crazy. Wanna come?" Not that long ago he sat in the red chair in the living room and told the unbelievably romantic story of how he carved his and grandma's initials on the mountain side by knocking down hundreds of trees. But my favorite memory usually took place in the dining room, just moments after I entered through the side door. He would always get up to come hug and kiss me and welcome me into his home. That was my favorite moment of being here. And it was the lack of that moment this weekend, when I arrived and he wasn't there with his ready kiss and warm hug, that broke my heart. My grandpa passed away a week ago and I miss him so much, and I always will. So I will hold on tightly to all the memories I have of him and to the knowledge that I was his "Favorite Granddaughter" (just like all the others!)

I love you Grandpa!!

My Family

2010-09-13T16:45:00.010-06:00

I really do love my family...I know I'm not always great at showing it (to the grown ups that is). There are times that these people are my favorite people in the entire world....and then there are times they make me want to move to Australia...but mostly they are great.

This is a quick "snapshot" of our family during our recent family vacation

(yeah we just hang out in semi-wooded areas near ponds with expensive cameras and tripods)

But I personally like this version better....

I feel like it's a more accurate portrayal of our family dysfunctionality

(if you want to really see how awesome this pic is....click on it)

But even when we were "randomly" snapping this photo we knew it would soon be outdated..(just check out the baby bumps on Cami and Lindsay!)

Just a few days ago Lindsay delivered Adam Washburn Taylor.

And only 3 weeks before that, Cami delivered Eddie Samuel TimothyI am grateful for my family...my sisters for having babies so I can be an auntie....my sister-in-law for taking great "snapshots"....my brothers for reminding me of all my short comings (but secretly thinking I am pretty amazing?)....my niece and nephews for being SO adorable!!

And mostly for my mom being the most amazing mom I know!

Back To School 2010

2010-09-02T15:28:00.003-06:00

School has officially started again at Discovery Corner Preschool! Here are the top ten ways I can tell school has started:

10. My thighs are sore from the work of sitting down on and getting up from chairs made for 3 year-olds.

9. I get free lunch at mom's house everyday!

8. I get to see my good friends at Maverick almost every morning....as my need for caffeine has sky rocketed.

7. I keep checking things off my preschool "to-do" list.

6. My preschoool "to-do" list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter...regardless of number 5.

5. There is constantly some combination of paint/sharpie/yogurt on my hands.

4. I am staying up way too late and not sleeping nearly enough.

3. I ask "Did you flush?...Did you wash your hands?....With soap?" at least 20 times a day.

2. My pile of To-Be-Read-Books has (sadly) sat un-touched for several weeks.

1. I am almost always smiling or laughing...how can I not when I'm surrounded by 10 little smiling faces.

I love being a preschool teacher...it is the best job I have ever had!! Now if I can just back into a regular sleeping routine I'll be set. :)

For Real

2010-08-08T17:54:00.004-06:00

I swear these quotes are real! Kids are so funny...please to enjoy.

Cami and Emma were planning Emma's recent baptism:

Cami: "You need to choose someone to give a talk at your baptism. How about Auntie Dawn?"

Emma: "Dawn doesn't want to give a talk."

Cami: "It is a short talk, only 2 minutes."

Emma: "Dawn really doesn't want to give a talk!"

I love that Emma knows me SO well...but I probably would have said no anyway.

At the daycare there is this little girl who cracks me up...every single day:

Me: "Go put your purse in your cubby!" (this was the 5th time in a row I told her to do that.)

She ran off but then came back with her purse still in her hand

Little Girl: "I can't reach my cubby."

Me: "Then go hang it on the hook."

She ran off again...but still came back with her purse

Little Girl: "What is a hook?"

Me: "It is the little silver thing under your cubby."

She ran off again...this time she came back without her purse

Little Girl: "Teacher!! I found the hookers!!"

(I did manage to keep the prostitute joke in my head...but it wasn't easy.)

Another day with the same little girl:

Little Girl: "Teacher. Me underwears is stick in me bum." She was simultaneously picking said underwears out of said bum

Me: "Oh no. Sorry to hear about that."

Little Boy: "Sometimes me underwears stick in me swimming suit and get me poop out."

Me: I really don't think I responded....I didn't know how to.

A different little girl:

Little Girl: Throws a toy zebra and toy horse as hard as she can against the floor.

Me: "Why did you do that to the toys?"

Little Girl: "The horses are in time out!" (said very angrily)

Me: "Why are they in time out?"

Little Girl: "They were hitting! They are so naughty!"

Me: "Sounds good!"

Just now:

Brent: "James, what did you learn at church?"

James: "Me a child of God."

Me: "Is mama a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Is dada a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Is grandma a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Am I a child of God?"

Brent: (interrupting as usual) "No. Dawn is the spawn of the other side."

Me: "Way to go Brent...he is going to remember that."

Me: "Lindsay, guess what your husband taught your child...watch."

Me: "James, is Dawn a child of God?"

James: "Nope."

My Reunion

2010-07-25T22:04:00.004-06:00

After the annual Washburn Family Reunion it is always interesting for me to read other people's blogs about the reunion...there are always things like "We played softball" or "We went for a hike." It is at this point I always think "Really?! Where was I?"

So this year I paid attention and at my Washburn Family Reunion I...

-Rocked out to 80's karaoke with Emma on the way to Monticello
-Went through a box and a half of tissues due to my cold (thanks a lot immune system)
-Took a nap on the deck (short nap)
-Tried to find out what dead animals were mixed into my food without anyone seeing me trying to find out. (answer: too many)
-Attempted nap (lack of being able to breath made it mostly impossible)
-Played (but never won) several games of Barnyard
-Read 2.25 books
-Reminisced with Aunt Connie (whose attendance was a complete and happy surprise for me)
-Took a nap in my bedroom (yay! for a 3 hour long nap)
-Held my tongue during all political conversations
-Counted dead animals hanging on the wall of the cabin(I already forgot)
-Worked my way (with help) through two containers of "Monticello Salsa"
-Played with other people's cute babies (although due to "Favorite Auntie" status I am required to say that Emma, Pratt and James are the cutest kids in the whole world!)
-Hung out with Alyssa and McKale (who always laugh at my jokes....so I really like to hang out with them)
-Went swimming at the hotel (in the freezing cold pool for 5 minutes....and the ridiculously hot hot tub for an hour)
-Got Mat in trouble with Brittany (can you smell that?)
-Ate at least 30 otter pops (YUM!)
-Sat with my Grandpa (best part of the whole time!)

I didn't go for any hikes (or do any sort of physical activity), shoot guns, see (living) wildlife, play sports, golf, get dirty, or get up early. So all in all I would say this reunion was a huge success!

Thank You to all those Washburn Women for their hard work in making a great weekend for all of us!!

This Week's Favorites

2010-07-09T15:23:00.002-06:00

My favorite things I heard this week:

"I've become too practical for romance. I'll probably end up an old maid." -Anne Shirley

"I miss my dad...I wish he wasn't in jail." -5 year old

"It wasn't me." -Pratt (in reference to everything)

"My dad was WAY off the hook...he pinched my ear WAY harder than it really hurt!" -Emma (on how painful her birthday ear piercing was) *PS...I don't think she really knows what "off the hook" means.

"Show me that you don't have a baby in your tummy." -2 year old (sorry...not cutting my belly open to prove it to you.)

"The thing about being single is that you only have to explain your behavior to yourself." -Me quoting a TV show...because it's SO awesomely true!!

Summer is fun right?

What's Your Name Again?

2010-06-17T10:27:00.001-06:00

During the summer I always miss the funny things that kids say....but this year I'm covered because I am spending my summer working at a child care center. This is a conversation I had with a little girl on my first day.

Little Girl: "Um.....what's your name again?"
Me: "My name is Dawn. The friends here call me 'Dawn' or 'Teacher Dawn' so you can choose what you would like to call me."
Little Girl: "OK."
(Long Pause)
Little Girl: "So how about I call you 'Teacher Sparkle'?"
Me: "Well....sure. Why not."

I thought it was cute and funny but I never thought she would remember it the next day. I was wrong. We are now 3 weeks in and I regularly hear things like;
"Teacher Sparkle, can I have more juice?"
"Teacher Sparkle, will you put piggy tails in my hair?"
"Teacher Sparkle I want to color."

The name is really starting to grow on me....maybe I should make a T-shirt....I'll use glittery iron-on letters.

The Phone Call

2010-06-13T22:55:00.002-06:00

Setting: my comfy bed

Me (in my head): 'What is that noise? It should stop.'
Other Me (in my head): 'It is the PHONE! Answer it!!!'
Me (out loud but very groggy): "Hello?"
A Brother: "Did I wake you up?"
Me (in my head): 'You seriously need to ask that question...isn't it obvious?'
Me (out loud): "mmmm"
A Brother: "It is 11:00 am." sounding equal parts judgemental and incredulous
Me (in my head): 'Is that supposed to mean something to me?'
Me (out loud): "OK"
A Brother: "I need your professional opinion."
Me (in my head): 'I guess this isn't one of those conversations that I can be partially awake for and then quickly go back to sleep when it is finished. Ugh.'
Me (out loud): "OK"

Note to my readers: I have no spouse or children to interrupt my beloved weekend sleeping routine (which consists of sleeping as long as I possibly can) and I make the most of that situation. Please do not judge me simply because you are jealous.

Boston!!

2010-06-03T10:52:00.005-06:00

Things I learned on my recent trip to Boston:

Day 1:
*I am easily bored when forced to sit in one seat for 5 hours.

*Veggie Burgers from UBurger are quite yummy...and their fries and onion rings are even yummier.

*Red Sox fans are serious, and I mean serious, about their team. Here's a note to the girl sitting in front of me...your date was WAY more into Ortiz than he was into you.

Day 2:

*Utah is lame...because we don't have Dunkin Donuts.

*Duck Tours are actually a cool tourist thing to do in Boston (truthfully I was a little worried that it would be completely uncool.)

*I am a descendant of 2 men that came to America on the actual Mayflower...how cool is that?! (This is relevant to my Washburn relations)

*If you are at all interested in dressing up in period clothing and speaking in a British accent for several hours a day...you should definitely move to Boston (and surrounding areas) because there are lots of jobs available.

*If you are interested in that kind of job, you should hope that I don't visit your place of work because I will mock you mercilessly and refuse to speak to you.

*Pad Thai is actually really delicious. (well that one kind of pad Thai that I ordered at that one Thai restaurant I ate at in Harvard Square was really delicious)

*Eric seems strangely invested in making me try new foods. (This happens every time we travel)

*If being super excited to see the place where Car Talk is located makes me a nerd...then you can call me a nerd!

Day 3:

*The glass flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are so incredible..and no I am definitely not overstating that...they are incredible!

*Harvard is a really beautiful place that made me want to be smarter (don't worry the feeling only lasted for a few hours.)

*There are a group of people in Boston who apparently believe tourists are the dumbest species on the planet and have therefore made a line out of red bricks and paint that guides the stupid people all over the city to famous historical sites.

*The red line made of bricks and paint is quite useful.

*There is a Holocaust Memorial in Boston that is intensely powerful and emotional.

*I LOVE pasta...and the homemade pasta with marinara and 4 cheeses that I ate in Boston's North End was quite possibly my favorite thing that I ate on this trip.

*The line at "Mike's Pastry" will be long...but the cakes, cookies and cannolis that you get after waiting 45 minutes will definitely be worth it.
Day 4:

*I am officially in love and want nothing more than to marry the object of my affections...who is this man? The talented, brilliant, visionary, and all around perfect man who invented toffee chip pancakes. (PS...if that man is reading this, please call me!)

*It is possible to visit the home where Louisa May Alcott lived. Her classic book Little Women is one of my all time favorites and I was fascinated being there. I didn't even know about it, so thanks to Eric for taking me (although I'm sure it wasn't on the top of his must do list!)

*It is difficult to enjoy the beauty of Walden Pond and the surrounding area when you are hiking in sandals and are trying not to trip over roots and rocks. But the times I dared look up it was beautiful, and I can completely understand why Thoreau lived and wrote there.

*If you place a stone on the pile of stones that marks Thoreau's home site at Walden Pond, you can make a wish that will come true on the 4th day. (I'm not telling but my wish may have had something to do with the inventor of toffee chip pancakes...)

*I saw lots of beautiful Coach Handbags in the swanky shopping area of the Back Bay. They wanted me to take them home with me, which of course I couldn't, but I can barely sleep at night because I am still haunted by their cries...truly heartbreaking.

*It is possible to partially satisfy ones craving for a Coach Handbag by buying a super cool Johnny Cupcakes bag instead. (which was significantly cheaper and more unique)

Day 5:

*I think it would be so fun to live in a charming little house in Marblehead Massachusetts, it was the most adorable town I have ever seen.

*The fact that there is a town called Salem Massachusetts does not mean that that is the location of the famous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. (which seems rather deceptive if you ask me)

*There was a woman named Susannah North Martin who was hanged for being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials...and she might be my ancestor! How cool is that?! (this is relevant to my Taylor relations...and I'm still investigating the definite-ness of this claim...fingers crossed!)

*Apparently the red line making people took their cause to Salem.

*I still don't know where that line was supposed to take me...

General Info:

*$50 shoes that are made specifically for comfort during walking and that have been broken in for several weeks by the owner are apparently worse than the $8 "sandals" (really a piece of plywood with a 1/2 inch leather strap wrapping around one's ankle) when it comes to getting blisters...and I have the 1000 blisters to prove it.

*Being a vegetarian in Boston is significantly easier than being a vegetarian in Lehi.

*Humidity is not my friend.

*People on airplanes are weirdly friendly...we are complete strangers!!!

*Eric is a great driver/tour guide/travel agent/and provider of lodgings! Thanks Eric!!

Spring Break 2010!!!

2010-04-18T19:03:00.002-06:00

(blog title to be read in the voice of a female 21 year-old college student drinking something alcoholic on a beach somewhere in Mexico)

All winter long I have been looking forward to April 2nd because that was, of course, the start of SPRING BREAK 2010!!! I really needed to do something different than my everyday routine (sleep too late, play at preschool, possibly go to second work, read, hang out with Tera, field a strangely high number of blind date requests, and avoid doing laundry). Now I am not saying that I don't love my everyday life....I absolutely DO LOVE all those things (except maybe the blind date situation). It was just that I needed to do something different....even if it was just for a couple of days. So that is exactly what I did.

For 4 days I went to visit my grandparents in Monticello Utah. I love both of them so much, and I love Monticello almost as much. It seems almost impossible for me to feel overwhelmed or anxious while I'm there....and this visit was no exception. I read books, crocheted baby blankets, ate too many treats, talked with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. I endured a little Fox News Network and Weather Channel (my grandpa's 2 favorite channels). It was also nice to spend 8 hours alone with my mom talking about anything while we drove.

Then I spent a couple days at home, including a trip to the Dinosaur Museum with Pratt, Lindsay, James, Tera, Kim, Jackson, Ellie and Jane. It was so fun to get to do some of the fun things I tend to miss out on since I am always working! Then I got ready for yet another trip.

I spent another 3 1/2 days visiting my friend Jill and George Skouson in (or around) Denver. I absolutely love getting together with Jill (a former roommate) because we have so much fun together. We played games, stayed up late talking, laughing and crafting (I did take some pics but can't figure out how to upload them on my computer so....). I laughed more and laughed harder there than I have in weeks and it was so nice. Still to this day I can remember some joke we laughed at(meow!) and start laughing by myself (as I'm walking through the grocery store....which does make me look like a crazy person). They are so nice, and I really appreciate their letting me escape from my life and crashing in their life for a few days. And I even won 1 whole game!

I had a great week off and returned to the everyday routines more relaxed and able to handle all those things....although I still have a suitcase of laundry to do.

Glitter!

2010-03-25T18:03:00.002-06:00

I do love glitter (who doesn't?) Here are the reasons why I love glitter:

1. I am a girl
2. It makes boring stuff un-boring
3. It is sparkly

But today my love of glitter increased because a bubbly little 3-year-old was dancing around me and sang this....

"I love glitter! I love glitter! It makes shit shine!"

I'm pretty sure she was just trying to say "It makes it shine" but the combination of an 's' at the end of the previous word and the 'sh' at the beginning of the next word made it impossible for her not to say shit...I mean it.

Laughable Moments

2010-03-12T15:24:00.002-07:00

This week has been full of laughable moments and I'm here to share some of those moments with you, please to enjoy....

On Tuesday afternoon I was driving with my 2-year-old nephew and his most beloved stuffed panda in the car. For a solid 20 minutes Pratt and Panda had a conversation. Below is my favorite excerpt of the conversation: (imagine Panda's voice as a mixture of a squeaky little mouse and a kitten)

Pratt: "Hi Panda!"
Panda: "mew-mew-mew-MEW!"
Pratt: "What doin' Panda?"
Panda: "MEW-mew-MEW-mew-MEW."
Pratt: "Panda wanna snack?"
Panda: "Mew."
Pratt: "What want Panda?"
Panda: "Mew-Mew"
Pratt: "Oh. Panda want candy."
Panda: "Mew."
Pratt: (to me this time) "Dawn! Panda want candy!"
Me: "I don't have any candy."
Pratt: "OH MAN!"
Pratt: (back to Panda) "No candy Panda."
Panda: "MEW-mew-mew-mew-mew."
Pratt: "ok Panda," said in a reassuring tone as he gently cradled and and stroked Panda.

It was so adorable. Pratt doesn't even open his mouth when Panda "talks" so it is all the more believable. I was trying SO hard to not laugh because I didn't want him to be interrupted and stop.

Not long after this Pratt and I picked up his big sister, Emma, at the bus stop. I suggested we drive to the store to buy cupcake supplies and then head home to bake them. Both kids were excited, but as we drove Emma's comments took a turn for the worse:

Emma: "Dawn?"
Me: "Yes?"
Emma: "I need to tell you something."
Me: "Ok. What is it?"
Emma: "It's not me, like I SWEAR it's not me! But.....some people, not me!....but some people think you are really rude."
Me: "Oh really? Who are these people that think I am 'really rude'?"
Emma: "My friends."
Me: "Why do they think I am rude?"
Emma: "Well, they think you are rude 'cause you don't let me do stuff."
Me: "Oh. Well, I guess I'll just have to live with that."

Seriously, where did a 7-year-old learn "I SWEAR!" and when did she learn the 'blame bad things on your friends' bit? (for the record I am actually a really mean auntie and I don't let her do everything she wants to do and can often be heard telling her no, so I do understand that she, I mean some people, think I am really rude.)

In preschool this week I heard these comments:

Joseph: "Chris, can I use that block?"
Chris: "No."
Joseph: "Please?"
Chris: "Sorry no. This block says 'Jo-seph is al-ler-gic to this block' on it. So you can't use it 'cause you are allergic." (he very carefully tracked his finger along the imaginary words as he "read" them.)

Joseph strangely accepted this logic even though there is absolutely no writing on the block.

Sara was playing with the little people and said to the little people boy:

Sara: "Do you want to go to juvee?"
Little People Boy must have answered in her head because then she said, "Well, if you don't want to go to juvee then you need to do what I say."
Me: "What's 'juvee'?"
Sara: "Juvenile Detention. Bad kids go there."

Question: Where did a 5-year-old learn about "juvee"?
Answer: I have no idea and I'm not sure I want to know......

Luke: "Hey girls! Can I play at the kitchen with you?"
Grace: "Yes. You can be the daddy."
Lucy: "Yeah! And we will all be the mommies," gesturing to the three girls playing there.
Grace: "Here daddy, these are all your babies," handing Luke 4 baby dolls.

Do I really think they were playing 'polygamist family'? No, but it sure did sound like it.

A Driveway Moment

2010-02-28T19:56:00.004-07:00

This post is dedicated to Eric, who I know secretly reads my blog!

Yesterday afternoon while driving home from running errands I caught the beginning of "This American Life" on NPR. I was immediately hooked and I wanted to hear the end of the hour long piece. So I spent the next 50 minutes sitting in my car listening while I snacked on a muffin and diet coke (luckily I had just been to the store!) When the program was over I got out of the car, now behind on my "To Do" schedule, but glad that I had chosen to listen instead of replying to emails.

And for the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about Eric, my older brother who introduced me to "This American Life" on his iPod during a road trip. He also taught me what a "driveway moment" is...which is what I did yesterday afternoon. Being in the car with Eric usually means you can count on listening to only NPR for however long it takes to arrive at your destination. This used to make me want to claw my own skin off.....now I only feel that way during the really boring news parts. In fact, these days, I often find myself changing the radio to the NPR preset to see if there is something interesting on.

I definitely don't listen to as much NPR as Eric does....but I might be slowly converting.....a little bit.....thanks to him.

My Car

2010-02-22T15:16:00.002-07:00

Yesterday as I was driving I started to notice a few things about my car....

My cup holders weren't holding beverages because they are full of necklaces and bracelets....I wear my jewelry everyday but then by the evening I am sick of it and I shed it right into the cup holders

My backseat currently serves two purposes (neither of which is allowing people to ride in my car) it is half shoe graveyard and half hanger collection facility.

The floor of my front seat is where all the really important bags of clothes go (I always need a change of clothes handy....just in case) which makes sense since the backseat is already pretty full.

If anyone is in need of bobby pins, clips, or pony-tail holders they need look no further than my stick shift....it just works so well!

And the little dip under the emergency brake is the PERFECT size for my favorite lip glosses...it easily hold 3 to 4.

and I realized...it's really more of a transportable closet than simple car.

Anne (with an 'e') and Me

2010-02-07T19:41:00.003-07:00

Once there was a girl named Anne, who was not a boy, and this was a real problem for the people who wanted to adopt a boy but got her instead. So they made a plan to send her back to the orphanage. This upset Anne and she said, to her would-be-adoptive-mother Marilla, "I can't eat! I never can when I'm in the depths of despair!"

Lately I have been feeling like I'm slipping into the depths of despair. Certainly, life is not as bad for me as it was for Anne. I'm not being returned, unloved and unwanted, to an orphanage. The problem is that I can't come up with an easily identifiable reason to explain it all away, in fact I think that it is oh so many little reasons that have just piled up....

I'm heartbroken and angry over the struggles my friends are going through. And completely frustrated over my inability to do anything to help. I'm jealous of some people...but I don't want to be jealous. So I'm also tired all the time from trying to not be jealous (which doesn't really work because I'm still fairly jealous). I feel cranky, but I can't be cranky because I am a preschool teacher and under "job description" the 2nd bullet down says "Cannot Be Cranky." So I spend all day not being cranky with my cute preschoolers (of course it's not their fault) and then, inevitably, all my crankyness explodes all over some innocent (if rather annoying) person that I encounter later in the day. I am entirely out of patience for winter...enough with the cold, precipitation, disgusting air quality and piles of black snow everywhere (people think snow is pretty....this is not always true.) I'm bugged because 2 weeks after my foot injury, my foot is still swollen and bruised and won't fit in my cute boots (yep...still whining about it). I'm stressed about doing my taxes. I hate doing my taxes. I'm sickened by the gray hair I found and plucked out (I AM ONLY 29 YEARS OLD FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!!!) And also...I'm infuriated that when I'm in the depths of despair I, unlike Anne, want to eat fries and chocolate all day long.

At this point you might be thinking, "That Dawn needs a reality check. She has a pretty great life." Or possibly, "Snap out of it!" And you would be right...I do have a really great life and I know that I am so very lucky to have all the things I have! And I'm trying to "snap" out of it....but how?

Our friend Anne perked right up when she met Gilbert (typical) and spent the next several years flirting with him before he proposed marriage and a future full of diamonds....this is not the solution I'm looking for. But I am looking for a solution....maybe that also lies in all the small things. Playing with Pratt, James and Emma. Going to a movie with friends. Eating In-n-Out cheese fries and chocolate shakes (in moderation). Reading. Planning trips out of Utah (watch out denver and boston!). Watching my huge pile of favorite movies. Buying a new dress. Having a few valentine's day parties in preschool. Blogging my issues for all the world to read and judge. Laughing...talking...and sometimes crying it all out with Tera. I'm already feeling better....

In case you don't know (and shame on you!) Anne never did have to go back to that orphanage and she did marry Gilbert.

I'm Back!

2010-02-03T15:35:00.002-07:00

I do realize that it has been quite a long time since I graced the blogging world with my hilarious stories and amazing prose....but not to worry I am back. And for your enjoyment today I have some preschool stories:

A little girl drew a picture of a person with a huge purple mouth, giant red dot cheeks and dark blue circle eyes. She told me "That is you Miss Dawn, with lots of make-up!"
She was so excited and proud of her picture while I became obsessed with my make-up application habits. So truth time all my blog readers...do I wear too much make-up?

In preschool we sing a song called "Once There Was a Snowman" (you know the one where the snowman melts?) well to mix things up a little bit I taught the kids to sing the song backwards...instead of melting, the snowman grows taller in the snow. The other day:

Me: "Everybody stand up and we will sing the snowman song."

Little Girl: Jumping up and down yelled, "Can we do it the AWKWARD way?!?! PLEASE!!"

***I'm not really sure how that would go....although a few "conversations" from my past blind dates might work.

I recently sprained my ankle (you may have heard me whine about it....) I thought I was at the bottom of the staircase, but as it turns out there were still 2 more steps....so my foot was in bad shape.

Little Girl: "Miss Dawn, why are you walking like that?"

Me: "I hurt my foot and it really hurts to walk."

Little Boy: "Why did you hurt your foot? Do you think that was a good choice or a bad choice?"

Me: "Bad choice, I guess. But it was an accident."

Little Boy: "You're right, it was a bad choice. Next time you need to make a good choice."

We obviously talk A LOT about choices, good and bad. And it would appear at least some of it is getting through.

Just this week we were discussing Groundhog Day. I was trying to explain the superstition behind the day.

Me: "A long time ago there weren't TVs with people telling us what the weather would be like, so people had to find other ways to find out about the weather."

Little Boy: "Oh. So they would just check the computer."

Me: (while trying not to laugh because he was so earnest) "Well, no they didn't have computers either."

Little Boy: "No TV and no computer? Wow."

Me: "Yeah...I wouldn't like it either"

Happy Birthday To Me!

2009-12-10T15:51:00.003-07:00

I know that you are all extremely faithful readers of my amazing blog....and being such you will know that in the past I have been "less than excited" to get older. (and by "less than excited" of course I mean "completely depressed and hateful of everyone and everything.") But not this year! I do realize that I am older today but I just don't care! Seriously. I couldn't be happier about being 29 today. So when I had this conversation I did not burst into tears and consider getting Botox....I just laughed. Out loud. And my class thought I was nuts.

Little Boy: "Tomorrow is your birthday?"
Me: "That's right."
Little Girl #1: "How old are you gonna be?"
Me: "29."
Little Girl #2: "That's old."
Little Boy: "Are you gonna die?"
Me: "Do you think I am going to die?"
90% of the class nodded
Me: "Why?"
Little Girl #1: "Cause you are SO OLD!"
Little Girl #2: "Who is gonna be our teacher when you die?"
Me: (through the laughter and trying to scrawl this on a sticky note) "I am NOT dying. So I will continue to be your teacher."
Little Girl #3: "Ok." (said in complete disbelief with a look on her face that clearly said I was delusional.)
Won't they be surprised to see me tomorrow morning....alive and SO OLD!!

Random Comments

2009-12-02T16:14:00.002-07:00

Two random comments that made me laugh today:

Little Girl: "Miss Dawn, I saw a Jesus play."
Me: "Oh really?"
Little Girl: "Yeah it was about Jesus."

And a different child
Little Girl: "Are we having apple juice for snack?"
Me: "Yes."
Little Girl: "Oh good. My mom says I can only drink apple juice today."
Me: "Oh really?"
Little Girl: "That's because my poop is really hard."

Seriously...what an awesome day.

Gratitude

2009-11-27T18:33:00.003-07:00

Over the last couple days I have (obviously) been thinking about things that I am grateful for....and here is what I decided. It is super easy to be grateful for things you already have. Duh. So instead I decided to make a list of things I KNOW I would be thankful for IF I had them:

*A car that never needs to have anything worked on.
*A magical credit card...magic because the balance is magically paid off every month by not me.
*A Disney cruise vacation (I know I'm a grown up but seriously they look like SO much fun!)
*The ability to say no...even just sometimes.
*Good AND cheap health insurance.
*A laundry fairy.
*An extra day every week that is just for laying in bed/reading/eating chocolates (and none of the food you ate that day would count)

Well, now I've made you all feel bad about yourself because I really stepped up and was grateful for things I don't even have while you were just sitting around being grateful for your family. Sorry. (I of course mean "sorry that you are lame and I am amazing...but there is really nothing I can do about it.")

Happy Thanksgiving

I sure don't know....

2009-11-19T15:22:00.005-07:00

Today I had the following conversation with one of my 4 year-old students:

Little Girl: "Does your husband know when my birthday is?" (maybe just a little ego-centric...)

Me: "I don't have a husband."

Little Girl: "YOU DON'T!!" (thanks for the surprise in your voice...i think?)

Me: "Nope." (wanting to add that most days I'm not even sure I want one....and I'm sure I don't need one...but what good would that really do)

Little Girl: "But WHO is gonna marry YOU?!?" (now I'm definitely insulted)

Me: "That is a really good question, I sure don't know." (I kept the swears out of my response which took a great deal of self-control.)

Just when I feel like a valuable member of society in spite of my single/motherless status, along comes somebody else to remind me that I live in Utah County and therefore am far too old to live such a non-conformist lifestyle.

Except Cows?

2009-11-17T15:34:00.003-07:00

You may or may not know that I am a vegetarian (yes really.) but the other day I heard a couple of little girls talking and I was very surprised to hear this from a 5 year old....

Little Girl #1: "I like animals."

Little Girl #2: "Me too. Did you know that animals have to die for us to eat them?"

Little Girl #1: "What?"

Little Girl #2: "Yeah. That is why I don't like to eat animals. It is gross."

Little Girl #1: "What?"

Little Girl #2: "Except cows....I eat cows."

The other little girl was very confused about this conversation (that seemed to be going on whether she contributed or not) and I was just laughing while I tried to write the whole thing down.

Back at School

2009-11-10T12:04:00.003-07:00

If you read my very last post then you know I was sick and stuck at home for a solid week. Boring. I have really enjoyed being back at school since the sick days. Just a couple funny things:

(Jill this one is for you)
Little Boy: "Hey Miss Dawn! Did you know Michael Jackson had a heart attack?!"

Me: tried to respond but this was difficult due to my laughter (which was because of the randomness of the comment and because of my friend Jill) I was finally able to say "Yeah, actually I think I did hear that..."
Meanwhile all the other kids just stared at me like I was a crazy person...but I don't blame them.

Another day there was a little boy who I believe learned a new term and was practicing it...a lot.

"Come on Ladies, let's go play at the blocks!"
"Ladies! It's time for snack!"
"Where are the ladies?"
"Ladies watch out for the crocodiles!" (they were pretend crocodiles...just in case you couldn't figure it out.)

Did he watch a "Ladies Man" sketch from classic SNL? Seriously where does a 3 year old learn the term and understand the appropriate use?

I love those kids...it is only a couple months into school and already I love them all so much! They make me laugh, they make me think, they make me very tired, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Swine Flu.

2009-11-01T18:03:00.004-07:00

I got it. I got the stupid swine flu. I was not happy. I am beginning to wonder what horrible karmic offense I committed to deserve my un-lucky fate....I can't think of anything bad enough. I came down with my symptoms on Saturday night, I felt sick but not the sickest ever. So I figured I would either have a fairly easy go of it OR I would get worse before I got better. And that is exactly what happened.

For 72 hours I alternated Tylenol and Advil, taking something every 3 hours. Also, being the slightly crazy person that I am, I also religiously took my temperature every hour. (If there had been a paper and pen handy...I definitely would have tracked my hourly temperature readings but alas there was not.) My fever hovered between 100.0 and 101.7 (the highest point) for 3 days straight. Then a day and a half after my initial symptoms, I added nausea and vomiting as well as rattling breath to my list of symptoms. Awesome. I was grateful that Lindsay was nice enough to get me the sprite that I desperately needed to help with my nausea (she left it on my doorstep and then called to tell me it was there!)

I remember lying on the couch and watching the clock for literally an hour and the whole time I was thinking, "man, time is moving really, really slowly." All I really wanted was for someone else to do everything for me but it turns out I am a grown up so I should do it for myself AND no one wanted to be within a 20 feet of me (except Tera who somehow braved living with me and listened to me whine and cry...thanks Tera.)

After a few days my fever finally broke, and at some point after that I stopped obsessively taking my temperature every hour (which I felt was the real turning point for me.) I am now a week past my first symptoms and 3 1/2 days past my fever so I can say with confidence that I am no longer contagious! :) The undeniable proof of my non-contagious-ness is that my mom will actually be in the same room with me and even hug me again! YAY!

I am SO glad that it is over. Oh. I've also put away the thermometer.

Procrastination

2009-10-11T17:47:00.003-06:00

I am a procrastinator. I will always put off everything until the last possible minute, always. The other night I headed home with my trusty plan book, brand new mechanical pencil, and a fresh stack of post-its with the good intention of planning multiple weeks of preschool. This did not happen. Instead I covered the back of my plan book with my orange post-its then proceeded to make a crossword puzzle that included the names of everyone in my Washburn side extended family. I mean everyone. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousin-in-laws, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

After the hour or so that I spent working on my little project (while watching TV) I looked at my plan book and thought, "Seriously Dawn? Seriously!" So I took this picture then I ripped off the post-its and threw them away. I still didn't do any preschool planning.

"Dreaming"

2009-09-30T19:43:00.004-06:00

When I woke up this morning I was surprised to find myself dressed. Yes. Dressed. I was not wearing the cozy pajamas I had put on before climbing into my bed. Not anymore. I was wearing an entire outfit (layers of shirts, bra, socks, jeans and all). I had set out my clothes the night before (because I had to make sure I had clean ones...not because I am crazy) and when I woke up I was wearing them. The problem is that I don't actually remember getting dressed.
As the day progressed I began to slowly remember fragments of a "dream" I had last night. I remember "dreaming" that I was afraid that there would be some sort of catastrophe, like a fire or an earthquake or something, while I slept. (You know the kind of thing where you run outside in whatever you are wearing and you're screaming, and all your random neighbors are doing the same thing.) And so in my "dream" I put on some clothes so I would bot be embarrassed about running outside in the early hours of the morning in only my pajamas.
This is kinda creepy. But even creepier is that this is not the first weird experience like this in recent history.
About a week ago I "dreamed" that there was a giant spider on my ceiling and I was not okay with that so I jumped out of bed and screamed at someone else to "check it." (I'm not sure who I was talking to or what "checking it" was going to accomplish....) then I carefully wrapped a blanket tightly around me because, obviously, it would protect me from the giant spider. The next morning I awoke tightly tangled up in my blanket and very confused (as I usually cannot sleep if I am tucked in tightly) and while talking to Tera realized that I had actually screamed during the night (oops...sorry.)
A month or so ago I "dreamed" that a colony (or is it a school) of spiders was using my blanket , a corner of which was dangling off my bed, as a means to climb up into my bed and climb all over me (shiver of grossness). I threw the blanket, all 3 of my pillows, and another blanket (all of which I feared were spider contaminated) as far away from the bed as possible, then promptly shook out my hair over the side of the bed, you know just to make sure there weren't any stray spiders in there. At some later point I woke up uncomfortable and cold. Because my neck was bent at a strange angle with my head half hanging off the bed, and all my pillows and blankets were in a heap on the floor.
I really don't know what to make of these "episodes." Should I see a therapist... because I clearly have fear issues? Or a sleep specialist....because I clearly have sleep issues? Or maybe even a sales person at Best Buy....because clearly if I filmed my self during the sleeping hours it would be amusing to watch during the waking hours.

Help.

Big Trouble

2009-09-21T16:10:00.003-06:00

We are now 3 weeks into preschool and I have obviously spent a lot of time talking about the importance of listening to Miss Dawn (my favorite and all inclusive rule!) I felt that my message was clear and that I was getting said message through....but now I don't know. This is the picture a little girl drew last week....

(the spider is top center and the 'people' is bottom left corner)

In case you can't read what she told me it goes a little like this:

"It's a big spider and he's going to try to eat that people; 'cause she is not listening to Miss Dawn." About the item in the bottom right corner she told me; "It's a big ball of web stuff to catch the people."

Apparently I need to go back to the drawing board to find a new way to deliver my message, ideally one where the kids don't hear "listen to Miss Dawn or get eaten by a big spider" when I talk.

So Big

2009-09-11T23:22:00.002-06:00

I think one of my favorite things about preschool is when these little 4 year-olds say something so grownup....

Little Girl: "Um, that's awkward!" (said to her friend as they played)
Miss Dawn: "What is awkward?"
Little Girl: "I don't know."
Miss Dawn: "Well, what does 'awkward' mean?"
Little Girl: "So, when I accidentally punched my friend in the face...that was awkward."
Miss Dawn: "Good to know. By the way...how do you accidentally punch someone in the face?"
Little Girl: No Answer. Turns back to playing.

Little Boy: "That is RIDICULOUS!" (said to a friend at snack time)
Miss Dawn: "What does ridiculous mean?"
Little Boy: "It means what that's what my dad says when you hit your brother."
Miss Dawn: "Well, I guess we probably shouldn't hit our brothers."
Little Boy: "I guess." (very non-committal)

I had just read the class a poem called "I'm Glad I'm Me."

Little Girl: "I mean, I'm glad that I am me....but I would be OK if I was one of those girls who gets out of cars."
Miss Dawn: "What? What girls are you talking about?"
Little Girl: "Oh you know! The ones who get out of the back of those cars."
Miss Dawn: (magical moment of understanding) "Do you mean famous/rich girls who get out of Limos?"
Little Girl: "Yeah! I remember that's what they are called. And those girls always wear pretty clothes."
Miss Dawn: "I must say that I too would be 'OK' if I was one of 'those girls'."

My New Job

2009-09-07T21:59:00.003-06:00

During some recent self-reflection time about what talents I do have (not many) and what talents I don't have (quite numerous) I had a personal realization....I have a talent that I am sadly wasting. I am, of course, referring to my incredible skills of rationalization! I do believe that I was born with a natural inclination towards rationalizing, but I have spent countless hours practicing and honing my skills. So naturally, I began to wonder how best to more fully utilize my talents.....and (drum roll please) I am now offering my services as a "personal-rationalization-coach!"

Don't want to go to your in-laws family party but think you might "offend" someone? Call me.
Want to watch your favorite guilty pleasure but worry that it is "inappropriate"? Call me.
Don't want to clean your house but feel like others will call you"lazy"? Call me.
Want to buy a shirt but you think you "can't afford" it? Call me.
Don't want to let go of that grudge but feel it is beginning to "ruin" your life? Call me.

With my toolbox of emotional skills including; imagined feelings, sense of entitlement, anger, denial, projection and self-righteousness, I will be able to talk you down from the metaphorical ledge of making a "good" choice.

Want proof that I am as good as I claim...just know that as I type I can count at least 16 things I should be doing but I'm not! And do I feel guilty about it? Absolutely not!

This skill-set and coaching does not come cheap, in fact it is very, very expensive....but it will be worth it when you wear that new shirt to a girl's night out while your husband takes the kids to his family party and the newly hired housekeeper scrubs the toilet.

Back-To-School Season

2009-09-03T22:51:00.003-06:00

I love "Back-To-School" Season! I love the smell of crayons and paper. I love the freshness of it all. I love the excuse to buy new clothes and shoes. I love settling back into a routine. I love all my favorite TV shows coming back. I love how "my" kids still find my jokes funny. I LOVE hearing the funny things the kids say! Please to enjoy:

Little Girl: Upon arriving the first day and seeing the other kids in class she pointed to a little boy and said, "I hate him." (What? You just saw him!!)

Little Boy: "Can we have pan fried noodles for snack today?...No?...Can we have them tomorrow?"

Little Boy: "Why do you have a upstairs?"
Miss Dawn: "Because I have to have a place to eat dinner and go to bed?"
Little Boy: "Why?"
Miss Dawn: "Because I don't live in here."
Little Boy: "Um....I think you do."

Little Girl: "OOH! Miss Dawn, I just want to keep you forever!"

Where Have I Been?

2009-08-12T23:16:00.004-06:00

I realize it has been a VERY long time since I posted anything....in fact I am now officially overwhelmed by all the things I have done this summer that I didn't blog about (yet)! I have had a super fun summer vacation....here are the highlights:

*Playing "Killer Bunnies" with Jill and George....and staying up til 3:00 am talking with Jill.

*4th of July spent: making a flag out of cupcakes; eating BBQ food; watching the fireworks; joking (and maybe just a little gossiping) with Taylor Cousins!

*Lots! of laughing with Jill and Robi at the Gateway....and yummy Haagendaz Ice Cream (but we missed Sara...the other 1/4 of our roommate reunion)

*Spending lots of quality time with a large portion of the Washburn Clan in Monticello.....with the compulsory card playing of course.

*Craig and Dayna becoming Mr. and Mrs. Michael Craig Taylor.

*Back to Monticello for more quality time with Grandma and Grandpa with an added bonus of seeing Uncle Reid as the King of Siam.

*Vegas road trip with Donna, seeing The Lion King at Mandalay Bay and eating LOTS of yummy food! (Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake....Frozen Hot Chocolate....In and Out....Deep Fried Cheese....Cupcakes in flavors including Lemon and Blueberry and Chocolate and Cinnamon and Peanut Butter and Mint and...OH MY!)

*Not quite enough time spent with Emma, Pratt and James....but we did manage to get to the farm, the aquarium, mini golfing, the park and grandma's house (to name a few).

*Oh yeah...and throw in teaching some summer camps and getting ready for preschool to start again!

now what? sleep....because I'm very tired.

My Blog

2009-06-14T23:05:00.005-06:00

We all know I have a great blog because I've got all the makings for a great blog:

Cute background? Check.
Link to the best preschool in Utah? Check.
Colored text? Check.
Amusing anecdotes? Check
List of other people's blogs? Check.
Abundant sarcasm? Check.
No ads? Check.
Links to blogs about food? Check.
Witty writing? Check.

So lookin' around here you'd think, "gee, she's got everything!" But for quite some time I have felt like it is missing something.....something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Until now. I need to en-cute-ify my blog...and there is really only one way to do that. That is why I have created the following ad:

Blogger Seeking:
2 or 3 adorable children whose pictures I can use on my blog and basically pretend to own.

Requirements:
cute (preferably with blond or red hair, blue eyes, and freckles)
ages 4 and under (gotta keep it realistic)
preferably 2 girls and a boy or 3 girls
twins are a plus
a bunch of pictures of them at various locations and times...so that I don't have to do that stuff
the "rights" to "name" them whatever I want and create entire lives for them that have little or nothing to do with their real lives.

Pay: I'm a teacher so.....there really won't be any pay.

If you're interested give me a call and I will set up a time for your kids to come take the test photos and IQ test.

Summer Livin'

2009-06-04T10:48:00.002-06:00

With two weeks of no school under my belt I am now fully entrenched in my summer vacation! It is definitely good times but so different from my regular life. These days.....

I get to sleep in instead of groaning at the alarm at the unholy hour of 8:00 am

No one asks to sit on my lap

I can go for a walk or bike ride on the river trail whenever I feel like it (although now it is really getting too hot to spend any prolonged period of time away from air conditioning)

I am finding it difficult to remember what day of the week it is

I am doing a lot less sweeping

I am eating actual food for breakfast instead of chugging a couple diet cokes before 9:00 am

I find myself not saying my "favorite" phrases..."Did you flush?" and "Did you wash your hands?" (I feel fairly confident that I can trust Tera)

I have found that TV during the day is mostly pretty boring

I don't have built-in snack times to eat my string cheese

And probably my two favorite things about summer vacation...
I don't have to wipe anyone else's bum!
I am free to spend hours on end in my pajamas!

Oh The Otter Pop!

2009-05-29T23:52:00.003-06:00

I am confident that I have previously shared my love of otter pops with all of you, my faithful readers, but how can I embark upon the summer months without a tribute to my most beloved treat?! Obviously I can't....so I have compiled the following list:

Things To Love About Otter Pops:

-They are cold
-Not a single "bad" flavor in the box
-They aren't a dead animal
-You can eat all six flavors in one sitting....and you've still only consumed 90 calories
-There are regular flavors....
-And there are "tropical" flavors
-A "bulk" box is available at Costco
-At their most expensive you can still buy 100 of them for only $3.50
-"Gelatin" is not on the ingredients list

I hope all of you will enjoy some otter pops this summer.....just not any that come out of my freezer.

Stolen Story

2009-05-19T23:27:00.003-06:00

So if you haven't read Tera's latest blog post about The Intruder(s)......you must read it! It is super funny but there are a couple of things Tera left out:

1. my over use of swears during this incident....I mostly screamed but I did manage to squeeze in a few choice words. Tera claims she "didn't even hear any swear words" but I don't believe her!

2. how hard Tera was laughing while she typed that post. She just kept laughing.....and then I would start laughing at her......and then she would laugh more. It was definitely worth it to hear that gross-bug-smashing-noise for the laughter later on!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T14:48:00.003-06:00

As a child I remember thinking that my mom was sort of weird. It was strange to me that she would take care of the yuckiest things (like cleaning up throw-up or mopping up after the toilet overflowed or even just scrubbing the toilet on a weekly basis) and wouldn't even complain. I could not understand how she could do those things without throwing up herself or crying (the two things I would do if asked to do any yucky jobs as a 'child'). Of course at some point I realized she actually had very little choice in the matter....if she didn't do it no one would.

I love my mom so much for doing all those yucky things, and everything else (which seem far too numerous to name) and mostly for loving me for me. She is an amazing person who I look up to and want to be like someday when I have my own children. So I work at doing the yucky jobs....I do scrub my toilet weekly (although I admit it is with a long-handled toilet brush and gloves!) I even cleaned up someone's (not my) throw-up not too long ago (with only 20 or so personal-throw-up-close-calls!) However, I do want to make it clear that although I do those things....I will happily let anyone else do them for me!

And today I want to wish my mom a Happy Mother's Day! I know she hates any kind of recognition but she deserves it......and I think there were just enough throw-up references to keep this from being overly sentimental! I love you mom!

DIY?

2009-05-01T12:14:00.003-06:00

Recently I decided that it would be a good idea to switch out my regular shower head to one of those ones that is detachable and has all the different settings. Easy right? Totally. I headed out to the local Target and spent 20 minutes trying to make the best choice...it was rough.....but I made it through and headed home with my shiny new shower head.

Then a couple of nights later it was time and I began to attempt my "do it yourself" project. I snooped around and found Tera's tools and then selected what I was fairly certain would be an appropriate shower-head-changing-implement. So I climbed onto the sides of the tub to give myself a better view and little more leverage. I "opened" the wrench and positioned it onto the shower head (which conveniently had these little flat parts which I, correctly, assumed were for the wrench.). Then I tried to turn it. I tried to turn it some more. But I soon discovered that whoever put it together in the first place was obviously some sort of super-human. I was getting no where in trying to loosen this thing....but I kept at it.

That is until I began to have these images of me standing there and breaking off the whole pipe thing, where upon gallons of water would gush from the wall knocking me down, thus causing me to hit my head on the tub and make me loose consciousness and then Tera would come home to a flooded house and me still unconscious in the bathroom. I did not think this sounded like a good idea.

So I immediately stopped and called my dad. I know he is handy and figured maybe he could help reassure me that I wasn't going to break anything or end up in the hospital as well as maybe give me a few pointers on getting this project done. (My friend Jill later asked me how I thought my dad was going to be able to "walk me through being stronger over the phone"....valid point Jill!)

One of the first questions I asked my dad was if I needed to turn off the water for this type of project (I am NOT handy and kept having gushing-water visions so I was beginning to doubt myself). He was quiet for a long time and then asked in that gentle I-must-be-dealing-with-the-dumbest -person-ever-voice "do you mean in the shower?" No! What was I multi-tasking? I was not showering and trying to do a little bathroom update at the same time. I explained that I meant all the water to the whole house (not that I actually would know how to turn that off anyway.)

I then went on to try to describe to my dad that there was some white stuff on the ridge-y part of the pipe-y thing where the shower-head part twisted on. I mistakenly assumed the white stuff was caulk (I do know that is some sort of sealer stuff). At this point my dad gave up and told me he would be over later that night to help me. Now I really did NOT intend on my dad coming to do the job for me, but.......well I didn't exactly cry about letting someone else do it.

And, as it turns out, the white stuff was not caulk but some sort of required tape that I didn't have anyway (but my dad did), and that I am a the weakest person on the planet because it took my dad ten whole minutes to complete the project (white tape stuff and all!) So Thanks Tons! to my dad for his help....and now I am going to look for a bow-flex on e-bay.

True Love

2009-04-23T15:41:00.002-06:00

One of my preschool moms shared this story with me about her adorable little boy. He is one of those kids that can just smile at you, with his eyes all crinkled up, and you seem to forget that he was climbing on the play kitchen! Since she told me I figured she wouldn't mind my sharing it here....

While tucking him into bed his mom said, "Goodnight, I love you."

He responded, "I love Miss Dawn."

I laughed so hard when she told me! It seems like I can get every 3-5 year old boy in the world to fall head over heels for me....but I don't have the same effect on the 33-35 year-olds!

Innocence

2009-04-06T16:02:00.002-06:00

Today I noticed a little girl had written her name on a table (where she had just been sitting) and when I asked her about it....

Miss Dawn: "Did you write on my table?"

Little Girl: "No."

Miss Dawn: "Are you sure? Please tell me the truth."

Little Girl: "No."

Miss Dawn: "Um...it says your name, are you saying that someone ELSE wrote YOUR name on the table?"

Little Girl: "Yes."

Miss Dawn: Sigh....

(Of course we had a nice little talk about respecting property and not telling lies. Just another Monday.)

Last week I overheard the following conversation:

Little Girl: "I am going to marry you."

Little Boy: "What?!"

Little Girl: "When we grow up, I am going to marry you."

Little Boy: "Why?"

Little Girl: "Because I want to."

Little Boy: "I don't think I will marry you."

Little Girl: "You will. When you grow up you will change your mind. I know."

Little Boy: Gave her a look that clearly said, "I'm not nearly as sure as you are....but I think I will just let this go for now."

Oh the innocence of youth.....to actually think that all ones hopes and dreams will come true, and better yet, in precisely the way you imagined they would. (Oh and to think you can get away with scrawling your name all over a piece of furniture without getting caught!)

'TREATS'

2009-03-28T19:12:00.003-06:00

If you know me....you know I have a sweet tooth. I came by it honestly, I have "washburn" stamped in big chocolate brown letters all over my DNA. It is a battle I am never going to win (partly because it is a battle I am never going to start!)

Wouldn't it be great if there were an awards show for holiday candy? I like to think it would be called 'The Real Enjoyable Award Treat Show' or the 'TREATS' (for those of us in the know.)

I think one of the closest races would be in the "Best Holiday Shaped Reese's' Peanut Butter Cup" category. I mean you've got Hearts at Valentine's Day, and Eggs at Easter, Pumpkins at Halloween and Christmas Trees at Christmas! Honestly, I don't know how the judges make that call.....

And the biggest award (which the producers predictably save for the VERY end of the show so that you will watch the whole production, including the poorly executed Snickers and Milky Way musical number) would be "The Very Best Ever Holiday and/or Seasonal Candy in The World." And "Easter Candy Items" would take home the "treats-ey" for that without a doubt!

And I applaud you, Easter Candy, for your outstanding commitment to taste, and chocolate, and holiday enthusiasm, and color presentation! Congratulations on your well deserved win!!

Bad Dream

2009-03-24T20:39:00.003-06:00

The other night I woke up from a bad dream in a sweat, my heart was racing, and I couldn't catch my breath. What, you might ask, was this terrible dream. What dream could be so awful that it woke me (a well-known deep sleeper) at 2:00 am in full panic mode?

I will tell you but I must warn you...some material may be inappropriate for children under 13

I dreamed that my hair would NOT grow! It was the year 2012 and my hair was exactly the same length as it is now. It was desperately disturbing.

Sometimes...

2009-03-16T18:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I can forget to go to sleep when I am reading.

Sometimes I go to the grocery store just to read ingredient lists on food (right now I'm on the lookout for gelatin).

Sometimes I burst into tears when I am singing along with "For Good" from Wicked.

Sometimes I wonder how it is that the weirdest people I meet are married...maybe I am just too picky.

Sometimes I can sleep for more than 10 hours straight.

Sometimes I write out my budget like 20 times in a week (not that it helps me stick to it!).

Sometimes I forget how good my life is.

Sometimes I write blog posts and then end up deleting them....but not this one I guess.

Friendship

2009-03-13T15:11:00.002-06:00

During preschool we usually take a few minutes to stretch our muscles and breathe deep (especially when any one of us needs to calm down!). This is what happened one recent afternoon during stretching time:

Miss Dawn, "Put your legs out straight then reach way down and grab your toes."

One little boy complained, "Miss Dawn! I can't grab my toes, I can't even touch my toes!"

His friend who was sitting next to him immideatly thought of a solution, "I will touch them for you!" And he reached over and grabbed onto his friend's toes.

The first little boy grinned, "Thanks for your help!"

What thoughtful little boys!

Safari Soap Opera

2009-02-27T23:10:00.002-07:00

This last week we have had some zoo/safari animals in the block center. The kids did the obvious roaring, fighting, and eating each other for the first couple days but today they took it to a whole new level:

"Giraffe, you are my mom." (said by Hippo...adoptive mom?)

"Yeah, I am your mom, Baby Hippo."

"You are my best friend Zebra, you can come to my birthday party by the water."

These parameters were expressed and accepted by all.....and happy playing ensued, well at least for a few minutes. I'm not sure exactly what happened....

"I don't like you Zebra! We are NOT friends!"

"Baby Hippo, be nice to your friend." (Mama Giraffe scolds)

"You are NOT my mom anymore. You are Zebra's mom."

"I don't want to be your mom or your friend!!" (Mama giraffe exclaims in frustration)

"You guys can't come to my birthday party by the water anymore."

Zebra charges and bites..Hippo's death is finalized after a few moments of ripping and roaring noises.

All they needed was for the Hippo to come back to life as Elephant and live among them for a few years before revealing his true identity, and only because his Cheetah sister (a biological twin) is in desperate need of a kidney transplant and he is the only match. Or maybe the Lion (who we all thought was a male) could announce that he was really a she and that she was the actual mother to this unlikely family. (Of course this is possible because at the time she gave birth to the Hippo and Cheetah twins she was an unfit mother and the state took them away and gave them to her sister, the Giraffe.....but the real twist is that Lion and Giraffe are not related at all!!) Zebra has also recently escaped from maximum security anger rehab...for "killing" Hippo.

Then it would have been the perfect day on "The Days of Our Safari!" (Oh wait...there should probably be some sort of wedding, maybe between Crocodile and Gazelle....an unlikely match to be sure, but now you are hooked!)

You should also know that I had a really hard time trying to decide on a name for this post because the options seemed so endless: "Days of Our Safari," "As The Safari Turns," "One Safari To Live,"...I guess I am quite un-original.

Secrets

2009-02-25T18:46:00.004-07:00

This afternoon in preschool this was the snack time conversation:

Little Girl: "You know what?"

Little Boy: "What?"

Little Girl: "When my daddy really has to go to the bathroom he is in there for a really loooong time."

Little Boy: "Yeah, my dad is like that too. When he goes in there he stays there for like fifty-one-hundred hours."

At this point some of the others children chimed in with commentary on their own father's bathroom rituals;

Girl: "When my dad goes in we have to go use the other bathroom, downstairs," her voice full of annoyance at this inconvenience.

Boy: "My dad always takes a book," his voice tinged with confusion

Boy: "My dad is SO slow in the bathroom..." his voice trailed off leaving the unsaid "I don't know why he is so dumb" hanging in the air.

I did consider intervening to change the topic of conversation, I mean they were eating snack for heaven's sake! But it was just too funny to hear them and they didn't seem to care. There is just something about a 4-year-old spilling family "secrets" that makes my day.

Spring....

2009-02-23T22:05:00.002-07:00

Today I looked out the preschool window to look at the giant pile of snow that refuses to melt from the back corner of the yard. (This is actually a little bit of a ritual...I look at it and I curse it silently in my head). But as I stared and cursed I saw something new....

A slightly darker green strip of grass! I could not believe my eyes so I quickly scanned the rest of the yard for more and amazingly the entire perimeter of my back yard is surrounded by a green-ish border of grass!!

All this did was make me want more...

My pedicured toes are practically begging to wiggle freely in brightly colored flip-flops

My skin needs to be more freckled by the overwhelmingly hot sun of summer

My eyes look forward to being hidden behind giant sunglasses all day long

My ears long to hear the laughter of kids playing in the street in the afternoon

My taste buds are impatient to eat otter pops and snow cones

I officially need it to be spring....

Better

2009-02-15T21:12:00.002-07:00

Just A Few Of The Things My Cousin/Roommate Tera Does Better Than Me:

*Bake Muffins
*Get up on time
*Work on projects while I sit lazily and watch TV
*Make Lasagna (without meat I might add!)
*Be nice to people
*Support me when I have a mini (or not so mini) breakdown over bingo cards
*Floss regularly
*Drink Water
*Make her bed EVERY day!
*Plan an actual meal (like side dishes and stuff) on her nights to cook.
*Help her family and friends
*Be an amazing friend and cousin and roommate to me!!

I love living with Tera because since she is so much better at all these things than me...I can be a slacker!!

Why Be a Preschool Teacher?

2009-02-12T16:06:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday night I was talking to one of my preshcool moms about the Valentine's Day party her little girl would be attending the next day (Thursday). We were going over the names of kids in the class and talking about what we would be doing during the party when I heard very loud crying in the backgroud coming from the little girl in my class:

Preschool Mom: "Oh, she is so upset. She really wants to say hi to you. Is that okay?"

Me: "Of course!"

Little Girl: Sobbing....sobbing...sobbing

Me: "Sweetie, what's the matter?"

Little Girl: "I (sob) just (sob) miss (sob) you (sob) so (sob) much (sob)!"

Me: "Oh it's alright! Don't be sad....remember I will see you right after breakfast tomorrow."

Little Girl: "Ok (gulp) Miss Dawn. I love you!"

Me: "I love you too. See you tomorrow."

It was so sad but so very cute and as I tried to fall asleep last night I couldn't help but thinking how glad I am to be a preschool teacher. :)

Are You Smarter Than A Preschooler?

2009-01-30T16:02:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I had the following exchange with a very sweet little boy (although this particular moment probably could not be classified as sweet.....)

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn, ah you smaht?"
(He doesn't pronounce his "R's" very well yet which makes the whole thing that much cuter!)

Me: "Well what do you think?"
(This is a favorite response of mine to questions because then I get to hear funny things...)

Little Boy: "I fink you ah not smaht."

Me: "Why do think I am not smart?"

Little Boy: "Cause I am so smaht! And you ah not."

Then today was another funny moment when it was time for show and tell. One little girl stood up during her turn to display a blue paper heart she had cut out. Then I asked her to tell us about her show and tell.....it was then things started to feel more like a testimony meeting than a show and tell;

Little Girl: "I got this heart because it is valentine's time. I know that valentine's time is special because it is a time you can show others that you love them."

I was just waiting for her to say that she also knows the Book of Mormon is true, maybe at the next show and tell....

Efficiency

2009-01-27T17:30:00.004-07:00

I am all about efficiency.
When you can do more than one thing at a time....great!
When you can delegate something you don't really want to do....awesome!
When you can make the most of those 5 spare minutes....amazing!
When you can get your point across with a minimum of effort....spectacular!

But there is a point that even I have not gotten to yet...word combining. Today a little 3 year old in preschool taught me all about it:

"Look Miss Dawn! I am sitting Craplesauce!"

"Wow....that's great. You are sitting criss-cross applesauce."

"No. I am sitting craplesauce...it's easier."

How can I argue with that? I can't. Espeically with this little guy who also FIRMLY believes that his heart is located above his right ear and cannot be convinced otherwise. He even used the real stethescope to "listen" to it and when I asked what it sounded like he replied "Bum-Bum-Bum." (I had thought NOT hearing his heartbeat there would help to convince him...no luck.)

So from now on watch out for more efficiency from me.......

Barack Obama:

2009-01-23T16:03:00.003-07:00

As Seen Through The Eyes of Preschoolers

My "Big-Kid Class" was all a buzz with conversation about our new President. I think they are mostly intrigued by his name....it sure does have a ring to it doesn't it? And what kid (or grow-up) wouldn't want to practice saying it a few hundred times? I swear I heard his name (or an attempt at saying his name) at least 50 times.

Here are a few of the comments they made:

RACHEL: "Well I saw him on TV cause he won. But my family didn't want him to."

NICK: "Was he the guy with the red tie or the blue tie?"

EVAN: "He is in charge of the whole country."

MICHELLE: (in response to evan) "No he is in charge of the whole world!"

EVAN: "No he's not....that's Jesus!"

JANET: "He's the nicest prophet ever."

Miss Dawn: "No....he's not the prophet. Barack Obama is the President of where we live...President Monson is the President of the Church."

JANET: "Well, which one is the more important President?"

Miss Dawn: "Ummm..."

KYLIE: "Duh....President Monson!!"

HDVRDD (My Disorder)

2009-01-15T15:54:00.005-07:00

There are not many of you who know about the disorder I struggle with every single day of my life. I have never been great at sharing the hard things in life, but recently I have thought that perhaps my honesty and openness on the matter might be able to help others who are struggling with the same issues. So I will now say that I do in fact suffer from HDVRDD.

There are many symptoms associated with my disorder, and it seems (quite sadly) that I suffer from nearly all of them. These symptoms include:

*automatically reaching for the television remote every time a commercial comes on no matter what.

*having a strong feeling of anger (or even hatred) when the "viewing live TV" button appears on the television

*deliberately pausing live television just to be able to fast-forward through commercials later.

*a general, and overwhelming, need to record everything that looks even slightly interesting on the program guide.

*a giddy-ness followed by giggling when one realizes that they have actually NOT been viewing live television. Typically because one is excited that they will be able to fast-forward for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

*an avoidance of all non-approved television sets

*feeling a strange sensation in one's "rewinding finger" every time that someone says something like "what did that character, or television personality just say?" or "what strange thing did I just see?"

*random throwing of non-approved remote controls, which can often result in the damage of property or other people.

*language additions that many people do not understand, including "I plan to dvr that!" or "will you please dvr that for me?" or "I dvr-ed it!"

So it is true....I suffer from "Hyperactive DVR Desire Disorder" (also known as HDVRDD). I am organizing a fund-raising event to fight this fast spreading disorder from ruining any more lives...I will keep you posted. Your love and support are greatly appreciated.

Resolutions?

2009-01-08T11:47:00.002-07:00

The new year is here with all it's exciting promises of "new-ness" and "change." And to that I say "BLAH!" What is the deal with these resolutions anyway? Isn't all this just another way for society to stick it to me, to remind me of all the things that I am not doing that I should be doing? Yes. I think that is exactly what society and the new year are trying to do. Well guess what society and the new year....the joke is on you, because I already know that I am a slacker. Because of all this I have decided that setting challenging, and insightful resolutions is SO last year. These are MY new year's resolutions:

1. Drink caffiene.
2. Spend too much money on lip-gloss and nail polish.
3. Be a preschool teacher.

And by the way, I totally rock because it is only January 8th and I have already reached all of my goals. So now all of you get to feel terrible that I am SO accomplished and you have to wait months to be able to check off anything from your list.

Take that New Year!

Snow Expose

2008-12-13T23:20:00.003-07:00

Snow. Is it a beautiful winter precipitation which is also enjoyable for people who desire to engage in winter sports? OR is it just another mess? Let's have a look at the facts:

Fact 1: While snow may be somewhat pretty when it is falling, it is far from "beautiful" when it is all mixed up with road salt and being sprayed onto your windshield by giant trucks on the freeway, and now that your car is covered with snow-salt sludge you have another mess to clean up.

Fact 2: The extra snow in your driveway is not desired and must be removed which is just another mess to clean up. (and it is not fun to shovel said snow.)

Fact 3: The salt stuff you have to sprinkle on the sidewalks makes your hands yucky so then you have to wash your hands which means having to use more items than you normally would and then you have just another mess to clean up.

Fact 4: Cleaning up after all the wet, slat sprinkled shoes that come in your clean house is just another mess to clean up.

Fact 5: People getting in car accidents are just another mess for the police to clean up.

Fact 6: Having to wear additional clothing to keep warm in the stupid snow makes for more laundry which is what? Just another mess to clean up!

So the facts speak for themselves. Snow is officially just another mess to clean up. So enough with the "snow is so beautiful" and "snow is so cool" and "snow is so Christmasy" talk. The only thing you can factually say from now on is "snow is just another mess to clean up."

Happy Birthday To Me

2008-12-10T18:31:00.002-07:00

There isn't any big exciting story to share with you on this my 28th Birthday. I am not excited about turning 28 but I am trying this thing where I just keep saying 28 over and over in hopes that it will loose some of its horrible power! But I do have 2 funny preschool stories to share that are both birthday related.

Today one little boy came up to me and gently touched my arm and said,
"Miss Dawn. I am glad it is your birthday. You are beautiful."
I replied, "Thank you, that is a very nice thing to say."
He answered, "Well, that's my job!"And he shrugged as he walked away (as if he was some old man who had spent years doing the same job day after day and was resigned to the fact that this was just the way life was.)

For my birthday I brought cupcakes for snack for all of my classes and today as one class was eating them one little boy said, "Miss Dawn, these are SOOOOOOOOO good. Will you give my mom the recipie?" I thought that was so cute that he obviously comes from a family where recipies are shared regularly and he really wanted to make sure this one made it into the loop. Then all the other kids also wanted me to share the recipie with their moms. So if you are one of those moms here is how I made them:

Step 1. Have someone go to the store and buy a yellow cake mix and package of chocolate frosting for you.
Step 2. Convince someone else to bake the cupcakes for you.
Step 3. Frost the cupcakes with the chocolate frosting that someone else bought at the store.
Step 4. "Decorate" the cupcakes with a few holiday M&M's (because you happen to have a bag of them sitting right in front of you)
Step 5. Eat the yummy cupcakes

I know it is a labor intensive project...but the result is definately worth it!

Sad Story

2008-12-07T19:05:00.003-07:00

Emma called me the other day to tell me a sad story....a story I know well. It is a story of little brothers and broken dreams (okay maybe just broken toys) and I had been there and I felt her pain vividly. She sighed as she told me, obviously holding back the flow of tears.

Emma: "Pratt broke my doll." (sniff sniff)

Me: "What doll?"

Emma: "The little one." (exasperated that I don't immediately know...but she has a lot of dolls)

Me: "Oh Emma. That is really too bad." (I still really have no idea which doll she is referencing)

Emma: "Grandma is trying to put it back together....with glue. But you can still see cracks in it." (her voice cracks somewhat poetically)

Me: "What does this doll look like?" (up to this point I was envisioning a soft baby doll and I did not see how the glue worked in to the equation)

Emma: "Oh! Auntie Dawn! Don't you know? It is the guy who watches sheep in heaven!!"

Me: (stifling a giggle) "Oh it is from the nativity scene."

Emma: "Yes. And I just can't believe he got it."

Me: Continuous consoling for several more minutes followed by suggestions for keeping things away from baby brothers' hands.

Today you choose your "moral of the story"
Be grateful there is already someone assigned to watch the sheep in heaven.
or
Take time to explain that the nativity scene actually happened on earth, not in heaven as the angles in attendance might indicate.

One Word

2008-12-05T23:31:00.003-07:00

This is a blog tag that you have to answer each question with just one word. Tera was doing it and then she tagged me. I thought it would be easy....turns out, it's not so easy!

1. Where is your phone? Purse??
2. Where is your significant other? Dunno
3 .Your hair color? Red-ish
4. Your Mother? friend
5. Your Father? helpful
6. Your favorite thing? shopping
7. Your dream last night? forgot
8. Your dream/ Goal? vacation
9. The room you're in? full
10. Your hobby? sleep
11. Your fear? shower-curtains
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? beach
13. Where were you last night? mom's
14. What you're not? predictable
15. One of your wish-list items? house
16. Where you grew up? Orem
17. The last thing you ate? salsa
18. What are you wearing? jammies
19. Your TV? on!
20. Your pet? none
21. Your computer? on!
22. Your mood? sleepy-ish
23. Missing someone? yeah
24. Your car? dirty
25. Something you're not wearing? jeans
26. Favorite store? Pebbles
27. Your Summer? short
28. Love someone? likely
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today

So if you are up for a challenge go ahead and consider yourself tagged!

Thankful

2008-11-29T10:08:00.003-07:00

Of course at this time of year it is traditional to ponder on and express gratitude for our many blessings....and I feel that mine are especially abundant. I thought I might share with you the list of things I came up with that I am grateful for.

1. Notebooks and pens (particularly the cute kind) because they allow to make lists such as this.
2. Mountain Dew and/or Dr. Pepper........they receive equal billing because they both provide the caffeine I need daily.
3. The chance I have to play with Little People toys and call it my "job."
4. $4.00 Prescriptions at Target
5. Mascara and Lip Gloss......my two favorite make up items because they make a difference in under 5 minutes.
6. Peanut Butter Cookies....especially the amped up kind with Rollo's, or Kisses, or tiny little Snickers bars.....so yummy.
7. Websites that offer free shipping!
8. Gas Prices..........yes I know they are just another sign of the weakening global economy and that I should be distressed over them......but I just can't be distressed over $1.66 a gallon, I tried and I can't do it. So I'll just be grateful instead.
9. Novels, and not just any novels, I am talking about the kind that are pure fluff. The kind that require minimal brain power to read and enjoy. The kind that DON'T make you think about anything important.
10. Disneyland.....the happiest place on earth.
11. All things Internet.........I am starting to wonder how I ever accomplished shopping, learning, finding things, communicating, knowing the news, or wasting countless hours before the Internet.
12. My preschoolers who when asked what they are thankful for say "Miss Dawn!"
13. Clorox Anywhere Hard-Surface Spray.......every germ haters dream-in-a-bottle.
14. My DVR at my new house......ahhh.

There is really so much to be grateful for! And obviously I am also immensely thankful for my home, my freedoms, my Savior, my preschool, my education and I am most thankful for my family and my friends....who are really just an extension of my family. (Well, to be entirely honest, caffeine and friends/family are probably tied.)

LOL (times 5)

2008-11-20T18:23:00.004-07:00

So the past couple days in preschool have had a few funny moments that I thought I would share:

Moment #1:
Miss Dawn "My friends should be sitting on their bums with their arms folded." (trying to get them to focus)

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn! I CAN'T do that!"

Miss Dawn: "And why not?"

Little Boy: "I can't sit on my thumbs AND fold my arms!!"

Moment #2:
Little Girl: (addressing the whole class) "You better listen to Miss Dawn!! Don't you know the reindeers are seeing if we are good?!"

note: I have not said anything about Christmas yet....let alone threats of Santa's wrath.

Moment #3:
This week we were learning about the letter "U" so we were naming things that start with that and I said umbrella. Then a little girl starts singing "ella, ella, a, a, a, a, a!" These are the lyrics to a popular pop song and she was totally dancing while she belted them out.

Moment #4:
Little Boy: "Miss Dawn can I use markers?"

Miss Dawn: "No. You can use the crayons that are out."

Little Boy: "Well, there are no more crayons left."

Miss Dawn: "Oh really?" (I of course know that there are 4 rubber-maid boxes FULL of crayons). I turn and look, "I see a bunch of crayons right there."

Little Boy: "I guess I meant that I don't want to use crayons."

Miss Dawn: "I guess you did mean that, but the answer is still no markers."

Moment #5
A little girl walked up to me and said "Hold still....you have a spot" as she licked her pointer finger and proceeded to rub her finger back and forth on my chin. Then she looked upset and so I asked, "Is it not coming off?"
She shook her head and I said "It's called a freckle. I have a lot of them, and they don't come off."
It was a little gross....but SO cute. And the cute totally outweighed the gross.

These are the moments when I wish there was a camera constantly recording the goings on of the preschool.

Christmas Treats

2008-11-10T22:39:00.002-07:00

Today I was walked through the store I thought to myself:

"Man it seems a little early to have Christmas stuff out. What happened to Thanksgiving?! (Grumble, Grumble, Grumble)"

But then something caught my eye......delicious cadbury mini eggs (the Christmas edition). And I thought, "Well, I guess they will put the stuff out as long as there is money to be made!' (As I put a bag of the treats in my cart.)

Then a little while later as I strolled past the ice-cream section of the store I saw something else that grabbed hold of my attention......peppermint ice-cream. And I thought, "Not everything is horrible I guess." (As I put a container of ice-cream in my cart.)

Then as I stopped to grab some crackers for preschool I saw some intriguing candy-cane oreos. (The cream part has a candy cane flavor). And I thought, "That is a new and exciting Christmas twist." (As I put a package of cookies in my cart.)

Then as I was on my way out I saw Candy-Cane Hot Chocolate. And I thought, "Well, by the looks of my cart I guess I am quite glad all the Christmas stuff is out already!' (As I put a container of hot chocolate in my cart.)

And then as I stood in line I thought, "I think the real problem with Christmas stuff being out already is that everything is sugar-related." (As I took an item or two out of my cart.) I figure I have 6 weeks to enjoy all the splendors of the Christmas season!

If You Chance....

2008-11-07T22:32:00.003-07:00

So obviously a part of being a preschool teacher is singing songs....a lot of songs. And while I can boast that I have many songs in my repertoire....I will admit that sometimes it gets a little boring (they always want to sing the same songs over and over and over). So today I thought I would introduce a song we hadn't sung in preschool yet. A classic from my own childhood, many of you will recognize it. The classic "If You Chance To Meet A Frown." I type the lyrics for you below because it turns out that they are important to this post and perhaps some of you will not be familiar with them or will have forgotten them.

If You Chance To Meet A Frown:

If you chance to meet a frown,
Do not let it stay.
Quickly turn it upside down,
And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowny face.
Change it for a smile.
Make the world a better place,
By smiling all the while!

So as I sat in my chair watching 10 adorable little faces look up to mine as I sang the words I started thinking two different things:

1. I began to wonder what messages a 4 year old might take from this song. I would hate to think they would feel like they couldn't feel and express their feelings!!! I want them to know that it is okay to feel sad, and mad, and hurt, and scared, and frustrated in addition to the always popular: happy. I want them to know that everyone feels these things and that they are loved no matter what!

2. I was also thinking about how much influence my attitude can have on everyone around me and how this song could really help me remember to smile instead of frown...(even if someone was dumping their water into their yogurt cup and back again making a disgusting mess. Because is it really the end of the world?) The power of a smile is truly great and I have always appreciated those people in my life who are quick to smile. It is a trait I have always envied...with a frown I might add.

So, you the reader might ask, what has been gained from this moment of reflection? Well, dear reader, I will tell you. I have decided that I will most likely be removing this particular song from my preschool song list. And on the other hand I will also be trying to find ways to remind myself of the positive benefits of smiling more. :)

P.S. In case you were wondering I actually do have very insightful thoughts during the most random moments of preschool...singing, reading, painting, cleaning up yogurt-water, etc.

(This post is dedicated to Tera since I am using her laptop while she sleeps on the other couch!)

Un-Married

2008-11-03T15:34:00.002-07:00

Most of my preschool kids know that sometimes my mom is upstairs during preschool, and whenever they hear a noise they can't immediately identify they ask, "Is your mom upstairs today?"

Today they heard such a noise (it was really just the furnace) and asked the inevitable question.
Miss Dawn: "Well yes my mom is upstairs today, but that noise was not her. She is asleep today because she worked all night last night." (Of course I had to explain to them why anyone would stay awake all night and then sleep during the day...silly nurses.)

Then came a new question:
Little Girl #1: "Miss Dawn, is your dad upstairs?"

Miss Dawn: "Nope, he is not upstairs." (I was really hoping this was the end of this line of questioning)

Little Boy #1: "When is he coming home?" (I guess it was not the end of the questions.)

Miss Dawn: "Well....................my dad does not live at this house so he doesn't come home to here. He goes home to his own house."
(You know, the place where he lives with his wife and my step and half siblings.)

Little Boy #2: "Why doesn't he live at this house?"
(Because it would be a little awkward for everyone involved if he lived here. It is probably better that he live with his wife, rather than his ex-wife...duh! And my mom is also probably quite content with him going to his own home.)

Miss Dawn: (There was a VERY long pause here...what should I tell them?!?! What if something I tell them scares them about their own parents? I scan the faces and nope, no know here has divorced parents.) So finally I start talking, still quite unsure where I am going to go with this. "Well do you know what married is? Your mom and dad are married to each other. And when I was a little girl my mom and dad were married to each other. But then they decided it would be best if they got unmarried. So they did, and my dad moved to a different house. But it is okay because my mom and dad both love me and I get to spend time with both of them and now they are both happier."

This is the point where I literally hold my breath....I don't want to talk about it anymore and I am already worried that they are going to be traumatized by this discussion.....

Then, silence. Glorious silence. There are no more questions about my dad or his whereabouts. Thank Heaven!!!

Oh Wait!....This IS My LIfe!

2008-10-31T22:06:00.002-06:00

I don't know about you but sometimes I get caught up in thinking ONLY about the future. Often I think things like, "My life will start when...." But the other day I realized, "Oh Wait!...This IS my life! And guess what-- it is GREAT!" Is it what I expected my life to be at this point? No. It is nothing like I ever imagined it to be....

I didn't imagine I would feel so much intense pain....but I also didn't imagine I would feel so much joy....
I certainly didn't think I would be 28 (almost) and single (gasp!)......
Nor did I think I would have my own preschool that was so successful....
I wouldn't have believed I would be considering writing a children's book......
I didn't plan on loving 40 kids (who weren't mine) as much as I do.....
I didn't guess at who would still be a part of my life....and who wouldn't....
I didn't hope I would have the struggles that I do...but I also didn't have a clue how strong I could be......
I definately didn't realize the impact my decisions would have on my life...
But mostly I couldn't know how blessed I would feel to have this life.

So my life isn't perfect. And my life isn't what I imagined, or planned. But the truth is that I am grateful for what my life is. So I am going to stop trying to make my life what I thought it should be and start enjoying what my life has to offer.

Pig-Tails in Preschool

2008-10-25T22:32:00.004-06:00

I have an absolutely adorable little boy in my preschool class who is fascinated by hair. It all started, his mom tells me, when he was just a little baby and loved to play with her hair as he ate or was rocked to sleep.

The other day in preschool we were all sitting at the carpet for class time (singing songs, reading stories, etc.) when this particular little boy caught my attention. His mission was quiet....silent really, and slow.....so slow I was actually able to observe the whole thing while I led songs.

First he noticed the blond pig-tails on a little girl sitting in front and slightly to the right of him. Soon he was staring at the pig-tails. Then he carefully, almost tentatively, reached out and gently touched the soft, blond pig-tail. The owner of the pig-tails was completely oblivious to the entire thing....she didn't even know he touched her hair. Then he was done and he turned his attention back to me. It was HILARIOUS!!

(This post is dedicated to his cute mom....you know who you are. You are a great mom...I hope I can be like you when I grow up!)

Obsession

2008-10-14T21:44:00.002-06:00

I often find myself locked on to a particular task, idea, song, wish, etc. I have come to accept this about myself but this week I have come across something rather ironic...I am currently obsessed with making lists of the things I am obsessed with. I know. So I thought perhaps if I shared my list I would be able to get a laugh and move on. So here ia today's 10 item list of things I am obsessed with....at least they are the things I am obsessed with today. (Oh yeah....making it into a nice round list of 10 items makes me very happy.)

I am obsessed with.....
1. Getting warm (I am SO cold!!)
2. Watching Tina Fey spoof Sarah Palin.....I think I could watch those clips a million times and never stop laughing.
3. Cream potatoes (I would happily eat them for every single meal)
4. Having my fingernails painted red.
5. Learning how to do a good job of painting my own fingernails red. (see item #4)
6. Learning the words to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (the Broadway musical version)
7. Making the perfect hot chocolate (see item #1)
8. Cleaning off the build-up of soap that accumulates around the dispensing area of soap containers. (This is all soaps that I come in contact with...dish, hand, shampoo, face...you get the idea)
9. The new shoe website Cami told me about where you get free overnight shipping and free return shipping; it is AMAZING. And I found 2 things I had been specifically looking for a LONG time. (In case you are curious those 2 things are a pair of rain boots, and a pair of red dress-ish shoes) And I didn't even want to return anything.
10. Making lists (hence this list....it is sort of a vicious cycle)

Now you have all had a sneak peek into the "obsession center" of my brain....and you're welcome. By the way, do you think there really is an "obsession center" in your brain like the "speech center?" Great something else to be obsessed about.

The Outsiders

2008-10-07T00:00:00.004-06:00

The other day in Preschool there came THE MOMENT. You see every day there is one moment where the noise level suddenly jumps from the acceptable (7 or below) to the unacceptable (10 or more). Even after years of surveys, consultations, and experiments I have NO idea what causes this moment. My working theory is some sort of telepathy between the kids that goes something like this: "Hey guys let's see if we can't make miss dawn's eyes get big!" then after a few moments: "YAY! We did it!!!"

So anyway we were at this moment and I pulled out one of my handy "teacher" phrases: "Friends, let's remember to use our inside voices, please." It sounds cheesy but it usually works (and if it doesn't I just scream at the top of my lungs that I will sneak into their bedrooms while they are sleeping and steal away all their Halloween Candy if they don't stop RIGHT NOW!...that works too). After I said the nice version, one little boy looked right into my eyes and said,
"Miss Dawn, YOU are outsiding."

Me: "I'm sorry? I don't know what you are trying to tell me. What do you mean?"

Little boy: "You just told us to insiding but you are outsiding."

Good point.

What am I supposed to say to that? Is a 3 year-old really going to understand that I need to use a slightly louder, and authoritative voice to convey important messages...I mean I am the teacher here. (I did attempt to explain this concept to him.) Apparently, though, he's not going to fully understand. I think he left the moment understanding that I am just a big old hypocritical "outsiding" grown-up.

(P.S. this post is dedicated to Alisha...who I know has exerienced the moment lots of times...in fact she handles the moment better than any teacher I know...I aspire to be you!)

Mind Control?

2008-10-02T12:03:00.003-06:00

Today I told my morning class that we were going to be going on a fiedtrip in a couple of weeks. When I said it 7 super-excited cheers erupted from the kids. I was a little surprised by their reaction considering that they had never been on a preschool fiedtrip before. Then one little boy said, "Um....what is a fieldtrip?" That was the reaction I was expecting.

I thought it so cute and funny that they were SO excited even though they had no idea what I was talking about. It may have had something to do with the excited expression on my face when I told them. The good news is that my plan for mind control is going QUITE well....{insert evil laugh here}.

A Whole New World!

2008-09-28T17:18:00.004-06:00

(Please sing the title of this blog the way Aladdin and Jasmin did.)

So in the frozen food section of every grocery store there are about 2 shelves dedicated to vegetarians. While aware of their existence, I had not previously shopped these shelves until recently. I decided I would try ONE thing. So I stood there looking at the green boxes (I'm not sure why but all the boxes seem to be green) for a really long time. But I had a problem:

If I don't like the way meat tastes why would I want to buy a veggie-burger that tastes like meat? I wouldn't.

At this point I was officially grossed out and decided to choose something other than a veggie burger. So I picked up each box and carefully studied the description, ingredient list, and picture until I decided on a box of little breaded things (to this day I do not know what they were supposed to "replace"--chicken nuggets maybe). They were small and round and filled with spinach, artichokes, and mozzarella. And considering I liked all those things I figured they couldn't be TOO bad. And actually they were really yummy. (Now I would love to put a picture of them here, but seeing how I already ate them all and threw away the box I guess I am out of luck.)

The next time I was at the grocery store I decided that since my first experiment had gone so well I would try something else. This time, I firmly told myself, I would choose a box of veggie-burgers. Because, I rationalized with myself, how would I know if I liked them or not if I didn't try them. So once again I stood carefully reading every single letter printed on the box to try to determine if it would taste like meat. I eventually decided on a box that claimed nothing about meat taste or texture (although I have to say I'm confident none of them have accomplished a meat texture with vegetables, come on) and I put it in my cart.

Flash Forward: I still haven't been able to try them...I am a total wimp. And so they sit sad and lonely in my freezer. So this whole post has just been one big lead up to this: an invitation to anyone who would like to come over and help me try veggie-burgers. I know Brock and Uncle Reid will jump at the chance but I have 4 burgers so that leaves 1 more spot.....call me!

Why...I Mean REALLY, WHY?

2008-09-24T00:10:00.003-06:00

So my cousin Amy told me on Monday that she likes that I have been posting so much lately, and that is enough for me to post every day! Ok not every day but a lot and I also dedicate this random (basically useless) post to Amazing Amy Johnson. Now to the actual post, please to enjoy:

So right now it is a little after midnight and I am thinking "why?"
Why is it that at 3:45 in the afternoon I find the world dull and boring to the point of taking a completely unnecessary nap OR spending about $5000 in a smallish online shopping venture.
And Why is it that after midnight I find everything interesting and I suddenly feel able to AND desirous to do my laundry (at least until it is time to carry it upstairs) and I am the farthest thing from sleepy. You see, I know that even if I crawled into my little old bed right now, I still wouldn't sleep for at least an hour so why not watch a little more "What About Bob?" on TBS?
Why can't these be reversed?

Vegetarian? (again)

2008-09-21T14:42:00.004-06:00

A long time ago I posted that I was "leaning toward" vegetarianism. Over time things have only continued on the way they were heading and now I am officially done eating meat. Most often when people learn this about me they just really can't imagine why I would want to do such a thing. Here is a fairly typical conversation:

someone: "You really don't eat meat?"
me: "Nope."
someone: "Like, not ANY meat?"
me: "Um...no."
someone: "What about _____?" (You can fill in this blank with every type of meat you can imagine because we usually go through them all.)
me: "Well seeing how ______ is meat....no, I don't eat that."
someone: "why not?"

I don't mind the questions, I know people are just trying to understand. I do find it amusing though, I must admit. I think that I am more concerned with people understanding my reasons for not eating meat rather than anything else.

While many people choose to be vegetarian for moral reasons (and good for them) I am not in that group. I think my cattle-rancher grandpa might disown me if I told him I believed we shouldn't kill animals for our own purposes. (which by the way I don't really believe. I mostly go with the "moderation" in all things theory). And I really don't want to be disowned by my grandpa!

I don't eat meat for 2 basic reasons; 1. It really makes my stomach turn to think of eating the flesh of another living creature (but I don't care if other people eat it...go right ahead!) 2. It tastes gross to me.

For a long time I have been adverse to be called a vegetarian. I'm not sure why I cared, but I think mostly I just didn't want to be labeled. But now I am feeling more confident in saying: I am a vegetarian.

Letter Of The Week

2008-09-17T20:16:00.002-06:00

This week's letter is a great one, good old reliable letter 'I'! We do different things with the letter all week long. Today we were making a list of things that start with the letter....

Miss Dawn: "Well...no, eyeball actually does not start with I. It starts with E. I know it is very confusing.....(attempted explanation). Does anyone else know something that starts with the letter I?"

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn?! I know something that starts with the letter I!!!"

Miss Dawn: "Okay.....what?"

Little Boy: "i-pod!"

Miss Dawn: "Yes it does."

Not one of the kids had to ask what an i-pod is....they all know already!

P.S.-Can I just say in response to the "eyeball" starts with an I situation, Are you joking me?! I mean REALLY?! Could we make it any more difficult for 4 year olds to understand phonics?

Giant Sunglasses

2008-09-15T22:11:00.002-06:00

So you always see the "celebrities" wearing those huge sunglasses that cover half of their faces and I always thought, "Well....they wear those because somebody, somewhere said it was the THING to do."

But this summer I was at a fair-type-experience-thing and I had forgotten my sunglasses so when I saw a booth selling sunglasses it wasn't difficult to convince myself to buy a new pair. Problem was all they had were those huge sunglasses. They were cheap, and I needed sun protection for my eyes (I really don't want to get eye wrinkles prematurely) so I just bought the pair that Emily said looked good on me. Over the past couple months I have come to realize that there are MANY useful reasons to have GIANT, face covering sunglasses.....

1. They are virtually impossible loose in your purse, even the black hole purses that I always seem to choose.
2. Covering up laziness induced make-up free (scary looking) eyes.
3. Hiding annoying people induced eye rolling.
4. Covering up a large portion of your face so that you can "hide" from people you may not want to see or talk to. (particularly great in combination with a hoodie and/or hat)
5. Covering up crying induced red eyes.
6. Covering up actual crying.
7. Holding your hair out of your face when you forget a headband.
8. Covering up sleepless night induced black bag undereyes.
9. Being able to flat out stare at people without them knowing and therefore thinking you are a crazy person. (I love people watching...people are so interesting)
10. Covering up drunken night induced blood-shot eyes. (A really big one for me actually.)
11. Protecting the all important eye skin from the deadly sun. (I really don't want to get eye wrinkles prematurely....or even at the regular time you are supposed to get them)
12. Making it possible to have new, important, and really deep things to ponder....such as the reasons that it is great to own really big sunglasses.

I HATE FOOTBALL

2008-09-12T12:04:00.002-06:00

My mom recently asked me why I hate football so much, am I harboring unkind feelings towards it because she neglected me to watch it when I was a child? No. I don't think so. I just think it is stupid.

So football season has started again.....LAME! And every Monday night there is nothing good on TV because the programers know that everyone else is watching football. So I was whining about this to myself but then I thought to myself that instead of complaining about it I should just DO something about it!
So I am! I am instituting Monday-Night-Movies! (Obviously in replace of Monday-Night-Football)
The plan is this:
Week One (September 15th): Go out to a Movie--I am thinking Mama Mia (I haven't seen a new movie in forever) but I don't have times yet.

Week Two (September 22nd): Stay in for a movie at my house--Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (to get ready for week three).

Week Three (September 29th): Go Out To a Movie--Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2. Again time to be announced.

Anyway you get the basic idea, alternate between going out and staying in. I know it is Family Home Evening night-so we will try to schedule this for the evening (after you do your family home evening...might I suggest 5:00pm for FHE?)

Let me know if you are in so we can start making a plan!!

Tagged

2008-09-11T20:16:00.003-06:00

Tera tagged me with what I think is a rather difficult tag--

5 Things That Not Many People Know About Me Or That Are Unique To Me:

1. I am fascinated by this TLC show "Mystery Diagnosis" where everyone on the show starts by having a bad headache as their symptom and then they end up having some impossible to pronounce disease that only like 1 in 20 billion people get. And while I am not a hypochondriac-I do spend HOURS completely terrified that I will get whatever random disease I heard about recently.I should probably stop watching that show.

2. I love to look at baby clothes in the store but I refuse to buy them because I think it is bad baby karma (you know if I buy the clothes I will never have a baby) but then I think about the outfits for days and lament that probably when I do have kids the clothes available then won't be half so cute as that one outfit I didn't buy. Sad Sigh.

3. Now that I am only working 1 job I feel like the biggest slacker on the earth. I think that I am wasting my day from 3:30-10:00pm. Lindsay suggested I get a hobby--but I can't think of one...at least one that doesn't cost a ton of money.

4. I think my best feature is my blue eyes. I love the way they look when I go to the effort of applying eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara. I can't fathom leaving my room without AT LEAST mascara on.

5. My favorite place in the store (namely Target) is the organization section. I will often go stand there, look at all the beautiful containers, smell the wonderful organized smell (yes there is a smell if you are in tune to it) and let my thoughts drift to how I would use each of these marvels of plastic in my life. Happy Sigh.

So now I am supposed to Tag 5 people. So I Tag Lindsay, Kelsi, The Manzuscrpiters, Alisha and Amy Johnson. :)

Attempted Sneakiness

2008-09-08T15:26:00.003-06:00

Recently in preschool:

A handful of little boys had built guns out of duplos, this is expressly against the rules. (I know that it is fun for little boys to play guns but I don't allow them because 1. They ALWAYS cause fights and 2. I HATE guns)

Miss Dawn: "Friends, remember that we don't build or play guns at school. Why don't you build a spaceship or airplane instead?"

Little Boy #1: "Ok Miss Dawn."

Little Boy #2: "Yes Sir!!" (I mostly just shook my head at that)

A few minutes go by....and because they couldn't see me over the shelf they assumed that I could not see or hear them. Silly boys.

Little Boy #2: "Look at my gun!"

Little Boy #1: "Miss Dawn said no guns."

Little Boy #2: "Well, just don't show Miss Dawn." (Insert his eye rolling here)

Little Boy #1: "Oh! Good idea!"

Miss Dawn: "No. Not a good idea. Boys, it is not okay to build guns even if I DON'T see them." I further elaborated on the rule, why we have it, and how if their mom says they can play guns at home that is fine but not here, yada-yada-yada.

I know that negotiation skills are an important part of learning at this age, but sometimes I think they twist negotiation into manipulation and down right sneakiness! I sure do love them though!!

P.S. To any parents reading this you will just have to wonder if it was your little boy or not....I'll never tell. :)

Pie Karma

2008-09-07T20:44:00.004-06:00

I generally believe in Karma...just last week I let someone with only one item to laminate cut in line because I had like 200 items to laminate. While the results were not immediate I am confidant that this lamination Karma will catch up with me eventually.

Tonight I discovered a new, and very relevant, type of Karma. Pie Karma. (In case you didn't know we Washburns place a rather large emphasis on all things dessert.) So here is what happened to bring about this discovery.

Not long after we had finished eating it was time to break out the pie.

Mom: "What kind of pie does everyone want? I have apple, rhubarb, and peach."

It seemed that everyone was saying "peach." This concerned me because that is the only kind of pie I like.

Cami: "I want peach with whipped cream."

Me: "Um..Cami you like apple pie so why don't you eat that? I know you like apple pie and I only like peach so why don't you leave the peach for me?"

Cami: "Well, I do like apple pie. But if I eat peach pie now, I know mom will give me the apple pie when I go home."

Me: "That hardly seems fair." But what was I to do....absolutely nothing. So I ate my peach pie.

Later that evening as everyone prepared to leave my mom began to hand out the leftovers for everyone else to take home.

Mom: "Brent would you guys like some apple pie to take home?"

Brent: "Yeah."

Cami: "NO! I am taking home the apple pie."

Mom: "There is plenty of apple pie, you can both have some. I also have rhubarb so you can take some of that too."

Cami: "I don't like rhubarb."

Cami was not happy about this situation, and that was the moment that Karma hit, but not just any Karma.....

PIE KARMA!!!

Sore Throat

2008-09-05T22:44:00.003-06:00

So I think the worst part about being a grown-up is when you get sick. When you were a kid and you had a sore throat a lot of great things happened:
1.Getting to stay home from school and watch TV all day.
2.Having your mom fix you whatever food you wanted.
3.Your siblings having to leave you alone.
4.Not being required to do any of the regular everyday things like clean your room.

Being sick as an adult is really LAME! All I want is my mom (and by that I mean "anyone with a valid driver's license") to make me something to eat (and by that I mean: "go to jamba juice and get me a big old Caribbean Passion") and then dote over me for awhile (and by that I mean "do my laundry and clean my bathroom").

*As a side note I give a big shout out to all the moms I know who not only take care of their kids but also have to take care of their kids when they themselves are sick. I don't think I could do it (and that's probably why I don't have any kids yet. Well, that and throw up....gross)

Preschool

2008-08-29T22:00:00.011-06:00

This summer we spent re-doing pretty much everything in my preschool.

Things I DID NOT like about the re-do:

Sore arms from painting all the walls and the ceiling.
Standing in my garage painting baseboards-BORING!
Dust on ALL my furniture and toys.
Staying up way too late every night so that now my sleep schedule is completely ruined.
A new complication every day.

Things I DID like about the re-do

Realizing what great neighbors I have that were willing to help me for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
Remembering what great friends I have that were willing to help me for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
Remembering what a great family I have that were willing to help on short notice and with really non-fun jobs, for little payment (or really none whatsoever).
The BEST thing about the re-do? IT'S DONE!!!

So here are a few after pictures-I didn't take before or during pictures because the whole thing was just too overwhelming for me.

(Warning:there are a lot of pictures-I guess I am just so proud)

The block area is in the center with the art/snack tables on either side of the photo.

This is the "library" and behind that is the math/manipulatives table.

This is the dramatic play area featuring the play kitchen (which is probably my most favorite thing I ever bought for the preschool. The 4 year-old me was THRILLED with it. :)

Our class-time area (notice my preschool shoes that made it into the picture-oops. But they sure are cute huh?)

This is a shot of the art/snack tables and in the background some of my storage/organization.

This is where all the kiddos hang up their backpacks.

The math/manipulative table from a different angle-with a bathroom shot to boot!

The NEW door. I love my new door and I have to say that the money I spent on having the store install it was the BEST money I spent all summer.

As far as closets, storage and organization goes we have a couple different options:

Option #1: The good

Isn't this beautiful? All of the matching containers and their perfect, pretty rows really make me happy.

Option #2: The Bad

There is some organization-and I am REALLY trying...but I still have a little work to do.

Option #3: The Ugly

The Really, Really, Ridiculously Ugly

Now you all know what "labor" I will be doing this labor day weekend. :)

And just to clarify--no one can see "the bad" and "the ugly" so they are my little secret. (except I guess not anymore.)

Too Late!

2008-08-25T18:37:00.004-06:00

The other day I was tending Emma and Pratt when Emma and I had the following conversation:

Emma: "Auntie Dawn, I want to see the picture of you in your pretty white dress." (She indicated to one of Cami's wedding pictures.)

Me: "Emma, I don't have a picture like that because that picture was taken when your mommy and daddy got married, and I am not married."

Emma: "Oh. Do you want to get married?"

Me: "Um, if someday I met someone who I really loved and they really loved me, then maybe we would get married."

Emma: After thinking about it for a moment, "Well, isn't it too late."
(I didn't know that 6 year-olds knew how to ask rhetorical questions.)

Me: (answering anyway) "No, I don't think so. I'm really not THAT old you know."

And with that Emma shrugged and trotted off to play.

Wemberly Worried

2008-08-24T21:05:00.005-06:00

Tonight I am trying to finish up all the loose ends to be ready for preschool to start tomorrow (like writing 40 names on 10 different things) and I realize that I am feeling sort of nervous.
I don't know why I should feel nervous. This isn't my first year teaching preschool, I'm not going to high school worrying about trying to impress some guy, and I am basically ready.
But I can't seem to talk myself out of it. I try to think about something else and eventually my mind returns to worrying about what to wear tomorrow,(which is silly because I wear the same thing everyday) that I might oversleep (if you know me, you know this is a fairly valid fear) and that something semi-catastrophic will happen (like paint being spilled on my beautiful new floor).
If only I (like Wemberly in one of my favorite picture books) had a bunny with soft ears to rub to calm me down....oh well I guess I will just try to put my nervous energy to good use finishing everything up. :-)

Question: Who's In Charge?

2008-08-09T23:56:00.003-06:00

The following happened at the child care center where I worked** on Thursday morning:

Two Boys: "Teacher Dawn, can we go play outside on the hill?"

Teacher Dawn (thinking it is way to early for questions-I mean it's only 8:00am!) "Well, ask teacher Cherish."

The boys look at Teacher Cherish expectantly.

Teacher Cherish: "Why ask me? Who do YOU think is in charge here?" she gestures to me and herself.

The boys look back and forth between us, obviously weighing the importance of their answer. Then in perfect unison they reply, "Teacher Dawn!"

(The question just seemed SO Dwight that I couldn't help phrasing it the way he would. :)

**Friday was my last day of work at Kid Stop (IHC owned child care center in American Fork). I was an emotional mess, there may have been a moment (or 20) when I was laughing and crying at the same time. I am excited to be able run my preschool at full capacity, but I will miss so many of the teachers and children that I worked with there. Thanks to everyone at Kid Stop for all the fun and memories! (and great blog stories!)

Two Great People

2008-08-07T17:32:00.007-06:00

Two of the greatest people I know are my cousins Tera and Kevin Jeffs. I have learned so many lessons from them both and love them so much. Kevin, and the example he set through the way he lived his life, have had a powerful impact in my life. Also, I will never be able to walk down a cereal aisle without thinking of him. Kevin passed away this week after a very long battle with cancer. I will miss Kevin. My deep condolences to his sweet wife, Tera, and all of his family.

And The Not So Big City

2008-08-03T18:33:00.010-06:00

So I got home from my trip to New York City on Wednesday night (around midnight) and left for our family vaca to Cedar City on Thursday morning. (No I really didn't sleep that night).

I always look forward to this trip, spending time with my family, being in Cedar City (which is a really nice place even if it is small-ish), seeing some good shows, etc. We had fun this year. I saw 3 shows my favorite of which was Fiddler on The Roof. I thought it was a really touching story (no my eyes did not tear up at the end....okay they did) and it was really well done.

Quite possibly the best part of it all is being with the niece and nephews. Here are some pictures of them.

James really liked the new fake Dolce & Gabana bag I got Lindsay in New York. He NEVER wants to hold still and he has the most infectious smile and laugh ever. (check out lindsay's blog to see James laugh.)

Pratt was playing with my sunglasses at the Greenshow. He was dancing up a storm during the greenshow-and yelled when the music stopped or switched to a slower song.

Emma watching the green-show. She really does enjoy watching the dancers and eating the treats that you can buy there. She also had a great time with a little photo shoot she produced. I went looking for Emma and Eric and my camera and I saw them by the "swamp" as Emma calls it. (Really just a little water-feature). Anyway I watched as she directed Eric to the right places to stand in order for her to take pictures of him! (Eric would do ANYTHING for her.)

Please to enjoy:

I am just so glad that she used MY camera so that I can own these pictures forever! I wonder how I can use these to torture him......

Emma also directed herself in a couple of shots that she made Eric take.

The Big City

2008-08-03T18:00:00.008-06:00

Saturday: "I was MADE to live in a big city! I LOVE EVERYTHING about this place!"

Wednesday: "I REALLY want to go HOME! I NEED to see my mountains again."

These are the bookends of my super-fun trip to New York City this last week. So here is the whole stroy. I have some great friends-The Boyer Family-that I have known for like 13 years now. My friend and their daughter (Samantha) got married in June and is living with her new hubby in New York City for the summer. So my friend Donna (sam's mom) decided to go visit for 10 days. And joy of joys she invited me along! I obviously couldn't stay as long as Donna but I sure wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to visit New York with a free "hotel." I got there early Saturday morning and left on Wednesday morning. I saw so many things; museums, statue of liberty, world trade center site, brooklyn bridge, empire state building, everything! I was a classic tourist and I loved it!

My favorite part: Seeing the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. It was absolutely magical. I mean Marry Poppins actually flies! And that is only one tiny part of the magic in the show. There is really no other way to describe it than magical. I highly recommend it. It was amazing. (Thanks to Donna)

My least favorite part: Being completely disoriented. Without my mountains surrounding me I honestly had no idea which way was which. Where was north? I don't know! It was very frustrating because I usually have such a great sense of direction and can get almost anywhere. (I know this may seem a strange choice considering such un-fun things like urine smelling subway stations and sticky humidity heat but this is me. :)

Coming home was a bit of a joke and I ended up spending like 7 hours in the Long Beach "Airport." (I use the word airport generously...more like an elementary school satelite trailer with a secruity checkpoint). It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I found a little restaurant and I made some great new friends while we were all sitting around for hours and bonding every time they announced our plane would be delayed AGAIN! Thanks for the fun Nicole and Jenny!

It was such a great trip! Here are some of my pics.
This is Donna and Sam only moments before Sam threw up her Garretts carmel and cheese popcorn over the side of the boat! That was a real highlight for me....becasue I didn't throw up. :-)

The city with Central Park smack in the middle (I loved the park, it was so peaceful and beautiful) as seen from "The Top of The Rock" observation area.

Dylan's Candy Bar-quite possibly my favorite store that we went in. Shocked? I didn't think so.

Feel The Love?

2008-07-23T23:23:00.002-06:00

On Tuesdays at the day care I take the "big" kids (kindergarteners) to the movies at the theater in American Fork. We usually have to wait for a little while after the movie for our driver (teacher Lisa) to pick us up. The kids love climbing on the rocks in front. The other day the following happened:

Dawn: "Oh, Ethan. Don't jump from one rock to another. That is dangerous."

Ethan: "I don't care."

Dawn: "Well I do. And anyway what if you fell down and broke your arm or got cut and started bleeding. That would be bad. When teacher Lisa got here she would probably be REALLY mad at me...she might even tell me I can't come and work at the school anymore."

Ethan: (Thinking this information through) "Well....you're not really my favorite teacher anyway."

Dawn: "So you wouldn't care if teacher Lisa told me I couldn't work there anymore?"

Ethan: Shrugging his shoulders, "No."

I really feel like I am making an impact in these kids lives....it is the reason I get out of bed each day.

I just forgot!

2008-06-22T20:23:00.003-06:00

The other day I was at work at the daycare (where I have worked the last 2 or so years for additional income/insurance coverage in addition to my preschool) and I was a part of the following:

A little girl came to me in tears: "Brad scratched me."
Me: "Brad, please come talk to me." He comes quite reluctantly.
Me: "Did you scratch Missy?" He nods his assent. "Why did you scratch her?"
Brad: "Cindy told me to scratch her."
Me: "Cindy, please come talk to me." She comes very reluctantly.
Me: "Cindy, did you tell Brad to scratch Missy?"
Cindy: "No! I told him to scratch the wall."
Me: "If you told him to scratch the wall, why did he scratch Missy?"
Cindy: "Well.....I just forgot to say 'THE WALL.'"

She obvioulsy thought this clever explanation would take care of any problems.....it did not. It took everything I had not to laugh.

It's Just a Matter of Time

2008-06-15T15:00:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday I taught my mom's primary class for her while she was in Monticello. I enjoy teaching primary-but I am glad that I don't have to do it every week! During singing time the music leader gave each child a cookie--YAY! I asked my class to wait until we got into our classroom to eat their cookie (I was thinking it would be a great way to "eat" up a few minutes of lesson time that I wouldn't have to fill!) So we were all munching away when one little boy dropped a piece of his cookie onto the ground,

Me: "Oh, that is yucky now. Throw that part in the garbage."
Little boy: Obviously hesitating: "But..."
Me: "I know, but you should probably just thow it away."
Little boy: "But is hasn't even been on the ground for 10 minutes yet!!"

April 2009!

2008-06-01T20:59:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that the dates for Wicked to play in Salt Lake City are officially announced. Wicked will be here from April 8, 2009 to May 3, 2009 at the Capitol Theater. Unfortunately, tickets are not yet on sale....but don't worry I will probably be checking everyday because I think there would be nothing worse than missing Wicked when it is so close to home!! I am so excited! Only 312 days to go!!

Shoes

2008-05-30T22:23:00.003-06:00

Disclaimer: While I generally consider myself to be a fairly practical person (although my brothers may disagree) I do have my moments of complete and entirely blissful impracticality--this is one of those moments.

Backstory:
I hadn't bought shoes for quite some time and my "Sunday" shoes were looking a little sad, so I headed to the Famous Footwear. It was like one of those movie moments where the hero and heronie see each other across a room and both seem to be enveloped in a heavenly light and now neither of them can see anything but each other. So it was like that but with me as the heronie and the shoes as my hero. I fell fast and I fell hard. They are ridiculously adorable black Steve Madden heels. They have a peep-toe and a little bow. They also have WAY too high of a heel for me(considering when I wear them I am at least 6 feet tall). But I just didn't care. I bought them and I took them home and I look at them everyday and I love them.

Moment of complete and entirely blissful impracticality:
The other night I really needed to do a little cleaning and laundry and I (shockingly) didn't want to do it. Then I saw the shoes sitting there and I thought "Dawn, it might be kinda fun to clean while wearing THE shoes." So I slipped them on my feet, and magically they went prefectly with my pink plaid pajama pants and grey Old Navy flag tee (from like 1999)! I looked amazing-seriously like runway ready. I will admit now that I did clean and do laundry while walking around in 3-inch heels at midnight in my pajamas. I know it is silly, but it was fun....and I secretly plan to do it again soon. (or I guess not so secretly now.)

Fun in the Sun

2008-05-15T22:27:00.002-06:00

Today in preschool we went on a fieldtrip to the Farm at Thanksgiving Point. I was just glad that it wasn't raining or anything! But before we left for the farm I had the following conversation:

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn, why do we have to wear sunburn?"
Miss Dawn: "Um...what?"
Little Boy: "My mom made me put on sunburn before I got to school."
Miss Dawn: "Oh! Do you mean, Sunscreen?"
Little Boy: "Yeah" (and pulls a face, he obviously doesn't enjoy getting sunscreened)
Miss Dawn: "Well we have to wear sunscreen so that we DON'T get a sunburn, because sunburns really hurt."

Here is the irony of it all--I didn't wear suncreen and I got a sunburn.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T21:09:00.006-06:00

Well today is mother's day and so I post in honor of my mom today...even though this is not a typical mother's day post. I will share a preschool story that is my mom's favorite story (and she has been telling me to blog it for a couple of weeks now.) So here is what could have been overheard in preschool several weeks ago.

Little Boy: "Miss Dawn how does a volcano make?"
Miss Dawn (thinking: um..I should take a geology refresher course) "Well, there is stuff called magma deep down in the ground. And it is really hot, and when it gets SUPER hot it can't hold still anymore and it bursts out of the ground out of a hole that it can find."
Little Boy: "But like how does the volcano make?" (gesturing a mountain-like gesture)
Miss Dawn: "Oh do you mean the mountain part of the volcano?"
Little Boy: "Yeah."
Miss Dawn: "Well the magma comes up and then it cools when it gets out of the earth and after a lot of it comes out and cools then it builds up a mountain-like thing."
Little Boy: Obviously frustrated with my stupidity, "I will just google it when I get home."
Miss Dawn: "Sounds like a good idea-let me know what you find out!" (shoulders shrugging)

So happy mother's day to my own fantastic mom and to all the moms out there who must "google" things for their 4 year olds!

Research

2008-05-10T17:01:00.002-06:00

With all the free time I have had lately (see last post) I have been doing some VERY important research. Otter Pop Research. I have been trying to figure out the exact formula for creating the perfect otter-pop. Now to be clear the perfect otter-pop is not one that is completely frozen. The perfect otter-pop would be better described as a "partially melted-slushy-slightly-liquidy-gushy tube of sugar-joy!" So I have been trying different techniques for getting a solid-frozen otter-pop to that point.

Technique #1: Letting the otter-pop defrost on the counter.
Problems with technique #1: It is difficult to know the exact amount of time that the otter-pop should "rest" on the counter, also one might forget that one had left the otter-pop on the counter resulting in a totally melted otter-pop (gross!) Oh and WAITING-who wants to wait?!

Technique #2: Running hot water over the otter-pop.
Problems with technique #2: Temperature control is far from exact, and the results tend to be more liquidy than slushy-gushy.

These are the only techniques I have tried. If anyone has any other ideas, or perfectionary tips for my current techniques please let me know!

I was going to take a picture of some otter-pops or me eating one to include in this post....but then I realized I had eaten ALL of my otter-pops. I guess it is time to go back to the store.....all in the name of research of course. :-)

I miss blogging!

2008-05-05T23:10:00.004-06:00

I have been SO busy lately! Since January I have only had a few things going on in my life, including;
Taking about 6 credits at UVU at night.
My preschool; 3 classes of 10 children. (this may seem easy to some, but if you are one of that "some" I invite you over to spend 2+ "relaxing" hours teaching my class while I go get a pedicure and listen to grown-up music)
Working part-time at a child care center
And we must not forget my ridiculously crowded social calendar!! (I am always having to turn people away, I just don't have time for everyone who wants to date me).

So now that the semester is over and I don't have class and homework to eat up my evenings (after working 2 jobs) I am feeling like I have all the time in the world. So maybe now I will remember to blog a little more.

First order of blogging business a little bragging about my grades:
Education=A (I should hope so)
Biology=B+ (which if you know me is really like an A++++)
maybe someday I will finish a degree.....maybe not.....no promises.

Lucky Lesson Learned

2008-03-17T22:54:00.004-06:00

In years past during preschool we have been so lucky to have magical leprechauns leave a "treasure hunt" for us leading to a pot of gold. And not that useless money kind-the good kind.....chocolate gold. However, this last weekend I was somewhat preoccupied (blah-I hate last week) in my thoughts, and failed to, shall we say "cooridinate" just such a visit from the leprechauns. I was undisturbed by this fact (because I had not remembered it) until I heard:

Boy: "Remember last year when there was that pot of chocolate gold?!"
Girl: "That the leprechauns brought for us! And Miss Dawn didn't even do it!"
Boy: "I bet we do that again today!"
Girl: "That is going to be SO fun!"

Miss Dawn's Thoughts: "Oh monkey! I forgot!! I am a terrible teacher!" (just in case you were wondering, I do acutally use monkey as an expletive)

So then there was a frantic scramble to, um what was the word we used....oh that's right, "coordinate" such an event. Without giving away any of the magic we can safely say......everything worked out!! Yay for leprechauns!!

After we carefully divided up the treasure, I was explaining to the class (as I ALWAYS do when we get a treat) that they needed to wait to eat their chocolate until AFTER mom says you can. I suddenly heard some sort of gagging-coughing sound (my first thought was of course throw-up). I jerked around with fear in my eyes, only to be relieved that there was no throw-up. However, one little guy had apparently NOT listened to the instructions because he was eating the chocolate. But not just eating the chocolate--he had bit straight through the "gold" outer layer...and while it was not an intentional lesson....I will take credit for an important lesson learned. Always, ALWAYS, look before you bite!