the sunday post, 39th ed.

I know you've been waiting for this all week--to hear about my first week of school with my cute little 2nd graders!  So it is a little bit long.  I'll be better next time and just post highlights and cute/funny things the kids say.


1st Day:
I fell in love!  The kids are so cute and so innocent and so good!  I found out right away which boys I will have to keep separated and which girls are my divas.
I had a little line of students waiting to give me a hug after school.  I love it!  And they loved James Danger.  Like obsessed with him love him.


2nd Day:
I read a story and then introduced the rules = crack that whip! Our rules?
1.  You can do anything you want as long as it doesn't cause a problem for anyone else.
2.  You can do anything you want as long as it doesn't cause a problem for you.
3.  If you do cause a problem, you are responsible for solving it.
Rules were fun to talk about--they first thought of their own.  Some were very interesting.  And then we talked about how their rules {no hitting, pinching, pulling hair, etc.} fit into our classroom rules.  


3rd Day:
Just keeps getting better!  We do this thing called King / Queen of the day.  This is what I wrote about it for our classroom newsletter, 
"This week we began our King/Queen of the day.  This is an excellent opportunity for the students to get to know their fellow classmates—his or her favorites and interests.  The king or queen becomes the helper for the day, which includes feeding our turtle, James Danger.

       King/Queen also serves as a review of different components of phonics as we study the names of each student and compare them to past kings/queens.  A few of the things we have reviewed so far are syllables, vowels, consonants, and capitalization."

King/Queen is like my favorite thing.  We interview the king/queen and then the kids also write a letter to the king/queen:  I like you. You are special because (you like meatballs and so do I) or (you went to Alaska). 

We also sing "Willoughby Wallaby Woo" and the kids love it.  And I have so much fun with it!  I will go really fast or slow or quiet and they follow me and just get a kick out of it!

We started reading James and the Giant Peach on the first day of school.  The kids pretty much love when I read to them, especially that.  I am a pretty good read aloud-er.  I'm so animated.  {I'm tooting my own horn, can you tell?}

4th Day:

Love, love, love!  I was slightly sad for the week to end!  Only slightly--I need my weekends!  They are so precious.  Friday was a little more eventful than the other days.  One girl hurt her nose at recess and had to get ice from the office. nbd.  Then a little boy in my class gets migraines and so his mom gave me a box of Ritz crackers if he ever needs one.  We sat on the carpet for a story and he had his head down.  Now this boy is just fabulous--excellent work, fabulous printing, listens, quiet, just good little boy.  He comes up to me in his sweet little boy voice and says, "I-I don't feel well."  "Oh no!  Do you need some crackers?"  "No.  I want to go to the office."  lalala and we took care of it all.  This is the same little boy that has to give me a hug everyday.  

Also, the King/Queen gets to eat lunch with me and have some one-on-one time with James Danger [and then I kick 'em out of the classroom for the last 15 minutes of lunch].  Well, the boy that was in King on Friday is quite the talker and quite animated.  

"Miss Kendrick!  I really really like that your classroom is like, all ocean animals and all sea animals.  And you have James Danger and all of the shells.  I like it!"

I love 2nd grade! They just want to hug you and they love you and they are so good!  I pray for them every night and for myself that I can help them.  There are some students that struggle in reading, or writing, or math, or a combination or all of them and I just want to help them in any way I possibly can!

Okay, so I never got an Open House or 1st Day {or 2nd, 3rd, or 4th} picture.  I kind of showed my outfit before.  Well, I was taking some pictures of my apartment and snapped a couple of myself--self-timer, there is nothing more embarrassing than that, okay?  This is what I will be wearing for Back-to-School Night on Thursday.

This was just so awkward.

Erin made that necklace for me.  I love it.  It's our Sisters Necklace--she made one for all of us.

Erin gave me that blouse that she got from Old Navy of all places like 4 years ago. Still love it.  Still wear it.

G.Ma bought me the sweater on our summer '10 shopping trip.

I got that belt from Down East Basics on sale with a store credit.

And I got that skirt from J.Crew on sale.  Oh, I want everything from J.Crew.  [Gift cards accepted daily.]

And I got those shoes from Gap like 3 years ago.  And I haven't worn them in like 2 months, weird.  And I looooove them!  

mi casa

i know i've been saying i will post pictures of my cute little apartment forever and haven't.  well, today is your lucky day!  we are trying to sell one of the rooms still so i took some pictures for that and decided to post them on here--finally!

the bathroom

{katie and i did share, but now she's in the master so it's just mine, for now.}

don't worry, it only took our landlord like 2 months to pick this color. which was about a shade lighter than what we chose. well, ours actually had a tint of gray to it, too.  it was more classy. and matched the red wall in the kitchen better.

yes, that is the valance katie made. and the pillow cases [except for the 2 from target.]

and yes, that is our lovely picture of the Newport Beach Temple that i just love.

and yes, those two pictures on the side were taken by yours truly.

we will probably most likely paint that red wall chocolate brown within the next month {perhaps on labor day} so that it matches the green better.

cute, huh?

i like it.

Look, Mom, I'm a teacher!

Okay, so I don't have a first day of school picture because, well, I left before 7.30am, which is before Katie was awake, because she doesn't start school until tomorrow and she stayed up late last night moving to a different room and even though I wanted a first day of school picture, I didn't have the heart [of gold] to wake her up, just like I don't have the heart to sweep the dang pigeon egg off my balcony--yes, they're back...with posterity!
[that was a long sentence--on purpose!]


I am eating watermelon. I love watermelon.


First day of school!  It was so fun.  Yesterday was Open House and I met all of the parents and my new second graders.  That pretty much p.u.m.p.e.d. m.e. u.p. for today!  I was busy all last night--last minute preps for the first day.  That included a trip to Staples where I dropped another $55--$14 was on last minute laminating that needed to be done.  $14, seriously?  The district office would have cost me like $2--not joking.


Here's how the day went.


first my outfit: 

this skirt

with a cute paisley short sleeve button up blouse with subtle ruffles around the collar that g.ma bought me on our girls shopping trip last week

oh, and this is the skirt i wore yesterday with my coral knit. did i look cute? yes.

well i was going to give a complete rundown of the day, but i don't want to anymore.  i'll just tell you a brief synopsis.

It was so much fun!! And I am a teacher!  It's kind of crazy--but so fun!  I loved every minute of it!!  And, I was too busy to workout yesterday.  And to be honest, today I am just too lazy too.  I have a meeting later and I'm just too lazy to get ready again and I have things to do and I am justifying it all for you.

Oh my goodness, I'm a teacher!

It will never make me rich, but it is the most rewarding profession.

When that little boy walks into his first day of second grade with red eyes from crying and after a few minutes of coloring his fish for the bulletin board and a full day of fun later he waits to give you a hug before you leave, you know you've done something well.  And you feel so good.

I love this.

Funny stories to come.

the sunday post, 38th ed.

today's post features some critical sunday morning post news as well as some memoirs.


sunday morning post news:
 i don't think sunday morning post is a good title anymore.  church is moving to 9.30am [rather than 1.30pm].  i'm pretty pumped for early church. 
    pros: long sunday afternoon naps AND sunday drives (trips to temple square--anyone? anyone?) AND making dinners [not rushed] AND friend time AND family ichat/phone time AND reading and studying my favorite stuff--the Gospel. 
    cons: sunday morning post will be done after church [probably sometime between all my other things as listed above. so if it doesn't happen, don't fret.]


memoirs.
this may be long, but just scroll through them. they are funny. to me.

memoir one:

remember when i fell off the treadmill at the gym? [click here]

memoir two:

remember G? [click here]

memoir three:

remember when we went to katie's river house for troubadours [high school choir] and we made a mud bath? then we jumped in the river. it's like an orbit commercial "give your mouth a good clean feeling, no matter what!"

memoir four:

remember when i met my sisters for the canoe trip last year? [click here]

memoir five:

remember when i became a cougar?

first football game is on september 4th.

erin and mike are coming.

i   am   pumped.   go   blue.

[click here]

memoir six:

remember when i donned the red lipstick all of christmas break (and then some)?

i think i need to bring it back.

i think those little 2nd graders might love it.

okay, probably too sassy for 2nd grade.

[click here]

memoir seven:

remember when i ran a marathon!?!?!

(and remember how i was going to do another one but made a wise decision, with the help of my wise mother, to not because i don't have time to stress myself out more than i will be?)

[click here]

memoir eight:

remember when i bought james danger?

he was transported to my classroom on wednesday.

and he loves it.

really, he does. he swims all over the place!

and yesterday he played with some kids for the first time! get ready, james.  school starts in 2 days! but tomorrow you'll be seeing lots of kids and families!

[click here]

memoir nine:

remember when erin (right) came to visit from england and we took her to ruby's on the pier and some crippled boy on crutches got in our picture?

come back, erin. you're married with a baby now. mm, actually i just come to england.

memoir ten:

remember when i went to germany and austria right after i graduated? and we got gelato like almost everyday (and one day jenna got it twice)? yum, that was good. and i think i might wear that dress again. i can only wear it when i'm tan, so now is the time.

memoir eleven:

remember log rides in the bathtub?

and wooop! awwww.

memoir twelve:

remember how i looooove flowers?

[you can send me some!]

memoir thirteen:

remember when jordan told me he had a black honda and i opened the car door and some random boy was sitting in the passenger seat and jordan, claire, steph, and adrianne were not in the car. and they were just laughing so hard and couldn't even yell out the window to me? haha, that was funny.

memoir fourteen:

remember how my dad is also randi, with an i?

[click here]

memoir fifteen:

remember how i start teaching second grade in 2 days? well, kind of one.

yeah, me too. i need to put name labels on folders.

so that concludes today's memoirs. for more click here [and click the link to dana's, here]. (they're shorter----quick read.)

22, 22, 21

i hope this is not me.

in 5 days, i start my 1st day of 2nd grade [that is, teaching]
i have 22 students, but that could easily become 23 or 24, but i'm hoping and thinking it will stay at 22.
i am 22 years old.
i am in room 21. would have been cool if i were in room 22 since i have 22 kids in my class and i am 22, yeah?  but in about 3 months, i'll be 23, so that would spoil everything.
oh, and i have 11 boys and 11 girls.
cute, huh? and perfect. we can do some ballroom dancing or square dancing, or i can make them line up in boys and girls lines and link arms on their way to lunch. awww. 


i left my house half past 7 and was at my classroom a quarter to  8. we had a 3 hour faculty meeting, and then i spent the rest of the day in my classroom. i found/was shown the extra, 5th 2nd grade teacher set of teaching supplies and materials = goldmine!  i left the school a quarter to 6 and stopped by walmart.  i have such a love/hate relationship with that place.  love: i can get EVERYTHING there--grocery shop, craft shop, school supplies shop, hardware...you get the point. hate: lines. why are there 40 check out lanes and only 9 of them open? and why is the "speedy checkout" lane a 15 minute wait? and it's always so busy. and i am target bias. those are my reasons for the hate.  but now that i'm teaching, i go there like once a week. to further deplete my bank account.

and now i am watching project runway and writing names on clothespins and popsicle sticks. double sided, two sets of each. so that's 4 sets x 2 = 8 times.

oh, and today in my faculty meeting my new principal [whom i love! she had a turtle in her classroom too. oh, that reminds me.  JAMES DANGER has been transported to his new home--miss kendrick's class, room 21.] anyway, my new principal asked if anyone's had the nightmare yet.  i had a semi-nightmare, more like a panic bad dream, a few weeks ago--my first day wasn't planned and erin taught next door to me and i had to bring her in my classroom and say "this is the other miss kendrick, she's going to teach you."  but the teacher nightmare will come.  it's all still a little surreal since i haven't actually had the first day of school or been teaching my class yet.

i'll let you know when i do...

the sunday morning post, 37th ed.

so, i tend to be long winded. i can't help it. i have a lot to say, always. and i can type super fast. so the combination just means a lot of writing. and i think it and read it fast so it doesn't seem like too much to me until i look at it. i'm doing it right now!! anyway, the goal is to write less. i'll just face it: no one really cares or wants to read it, anyway!

highlights of the week!

monday

stats final = NO MORE STATS EVER

road trip home with katie!!

tuesday

home!!

family beach day

farmer's market on main st.

wednesday

kayaking with em, dana, paparupa

downtown disney for disneyland fireworks

thursday

breakfast

reagan library

friday

beach day with dana

eat pray love

[liked it/loved it. there were things i didn't care for from a moral perspective, however, it made me evaluate some things in my life. plus, i loooove the soundtrack. and i bought it. harvest moon by neil young was in it and i love that song so when it came on in the movie i was so happy. except, i already had it so that's not why i bought the soundtrack. i bought it for the nice and easy joao gilberto and bebel gilberto songs. same reason i love the soundtrack from the movie "a good year" with russell crowe--another good one. rent it. watch it. love it. buy the soundtrack.]

saturday

lazy day--

budget with mom [aka, "how poor am i really?" oh, poor.]

planning schedule [9 days til school starts! yikes!]

bank

target with dana

[it took every ounce of my being for me to not buy any tshirts or blouses or skirts. instead i bought some cool teacher stuff from the dollar bin!]

ipod

[bought some new stuff, got some new stuff from the fam, made some playlists, etc. will post on new favorite music selections soon--you will not want to miss it.]

just dance on the wii with em. first time. spice girls fo liiife. and mc hammer can't touch this. i'm good. real good.

family movie time. + popcorn.

sunday

favorite day of the week!!

church

then grandpa and grandma's!

then g.ma's for dinner

then paaaarty! [that means t.b.d. (to be determined)]

and now for the long awaited, much anticipated photo shoot pre-eat pray love with em.

i fell asleep.

?

n, p.

sisters!

this is what i studied/thought about this morning:

ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

then alma 26:11-12

11 I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

and moroni 10:32

32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

hello, mr. reagan

yesterday the fam + g.ma took a trip up to the reagan library.

oooo yeah.

it's pretty cool! i highly recommend it.

we started out the morning at the sugar shack on main street. yum!

us girls were a little bit pumped up. here are a few pictures from mom's camera.

erin's camera has the really good ones.

also, we got a picture of us on air force one. that was so cool! the real air force one (of course obama has a new one--747, this was a 707) is in the library!!

after our library trip we drove down highway 1: Pacific Coast Highway. i absolutely loooove driving on pch. but i never go as far north as we had. we were up by malibu---the beach is so beautiful there! none of this huntington beach brown stuff. and less crowds.

then we hit up santa monica pier / 3rd street promenade and went to california pizza kitchen. yummy thai chicken pizza! except, i won't be going back there for awhile. i ate a lot of food yesterday, but i've done that before. something upset my stomach last night and let's just say that i won't be eating ANY pizza, chocolate covered almonds, trail mix, or CPK for awhile. or white bean chili (which was good) or cornbread which gave me a horrible stomach ache on tuesday---but nothing like last night. that did not end pretty.

i digress.

here are the pictures from mom's camera.

reagan loved jelly belly's.

so does mi madre.

that picture of reagan is made out of jelly belly's!!! crazy!! a jelly belly mosaic!

our album cover.

a piece of the berlin wall.

cool, huh?

bored?

never.

mr. reagan!

i mean, president reagan!

also, there are some new features on the bottom. leave a thought or two. or like it, or love it, or want some more of it.