What ever did happen to predicitability?

Child: What is the name of your mom?
Me: Allison.
Child: What is the name of your dad?
Me: Roger.
Child: What is the name of your sister?
Me: Jessie.
Child: Like Uncle Jesse!
Me: Who is Uncle Jesse?
Child: That man from the funny show!

To do list

1. Church

Status: booked
Date: October 1
Time: 2:00 pm

One down, about 4 million other things left to do.

Wedding Bells

That's right peeps! I'm engaged. As of last Friday, Grant is now my fiance. It was obviously a very exciting day and despite how long we have been talking about getting engaged and should have seen it coming, I did not see it coming at all. At times, it seemed like it was never going to happen but in the end, it was well worth the wait. The ring is beautiful and I could not be happier!

I am all ready to start planning and have no idea where to begin. I am excited and overwhelmed but I am sure that is will all work itself out. And I have already decided, there will be no problems in planning this wedding, only challenges!

So get ready for an entire year of "wedding theme" website posts because I have a feeling that that is all that will be on my mind for a while!

Here is how one of my students reacted to the news:

Child: You're getting married!
Me: That's right! Isn't it exciting!?!
Child: You need a boyfriend.
Me: ????

Super Cute!

just as a cloud covers the sun a child says....

Child 1: Miss Heather, why did it get dark?
Me: I don't know! What happened?
Child 1: I don't know!
Child 2: It is just the sun playing hide-and-seek with the clouds.
Child 1: Oh yeah!

Now isn't that a much better explaination than any teacher ever would have given? I think so.

No, really, it's fine, take my $2000.00.

Yes, that's right. Someone stole my wallet and had a lot of fun spending my money. Approximatly $2000.00 dollars in fact. It looks like I am not going to be held liable for any of it, but right now, I am just waiting for the fraud departments of my bank and credit cards to review my case. So as it stands right now, I have don't really have access to money. Sure did put a damper on my weekend mood.

Luckily, I was able to forget about my misfortune on Saturday and spend a beautiful day at the beach celebrating my nephew's 2nd birthday. And to be honest, Saturday really did put this whole losing my wallet thing into perspective. Yeah, it sucks, it's a huge inconvenience, but on September 11th, I was thankful for my life and the time I spent with my family. That's all that really matters anyway.

Here's to a better week ahead.

Conversations with kids

Child: Teacher Heather, look! (pointing to the bracelet on her arm)
Me: Wow! You have a beautiful bracelet on today!
Child: No, not that. I have arm hair!

Why I need a camera phone.

I was driving to work the other day, just like any other day, and I noticed a pick-up truck in front of me. In the back of the truck there was a dog kennel. At about the same time I noticed the kennel, the strangest looking dog I had ever seen came out. I stared at the dog for about 30 seconds thinking to my self, "What in the hell kind of dog is that?" And then it hit me. This "dog" was not actually a dog at all. Nope, it was a baby cow. Of course! Why wouldn't there be a baby cow in the back of a pick-up truck headed north bound 880 during morning rush hour!

Conversations with Jessie

Scene: Driving past Cold Stone at the Fremont Hub.

Jessie: Did I ever tell you about my date fiasco at Cold Stone?
Heather: No.
Jessie: Well, the guy ordered the biggest scoop you could possibly order, in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl of course, and this was after he had eaten almost all of the pizza we ordered at dinner. And even though he kept saying "Uhhhh.....I can't eat anymore," he finished it.
Heather: Oh yeah...didn't he keep farting while he was eating his ice-cream or something.
Jessie: No, the farting happened on the second date.
Heather: Ah yes, he was a winner.

Needless to say, there was never a third date.

P.S. Happy Birthday Love!

Well this can't be good.

I am driving home from work today and the dj says "Up next, we have Ashlee Simpson's Pieces of Me." And even though it was just me, sitting alone in my car, on the drive home, out loud I said, "Oh, cool!" I then proceeded to turn the volume up and sing every word of the song from memory.

Now, it is not like I am going to run out and buy her album from Target or anything, and it is not like it is my favorite song right now, but I just can't resist the catchy lyrics. And hey, I am a self proclaimed "Newlyweds" junkie. I just can't get enough of the Nick and Jessica! However, I am really not a fan of Jessica's work. And to be honest, I will often turn the channel when a Jessica Simpson song comes on. But I feel differently about little punk rock Ash.

Don't get me wrong, I am fully aware that she only has a music career because of the huge success of her older sis. And, as my very talented musician of a boyfriend pointed out, it doesn't really say much about you as a musician when you are already a signed recording artist but you have never had a sound check because you have never performed before.

So maybe you think I am a total loser for singing along to this new radio hit and maybe I am. That's why I keep Grant around anyway; to keep my music library well rounded. But Allie, you got my back, right sista?

P.S. Check out all the "Pieces of Me" (heh heh) on my new profile!

A letter to all of my 5 readers

Dear Fans,

I know that it has been a long and agonizing wait for you because it has been so long since I have updated and for that I am truly sorry. I guess I just haven't had the time or the stories that I felt were worthy or funny enough to share with all you.

My best friends, Brittaney and Ryan, were married on June 26th. I was one of Brittaney's two maids of honor. It was, by far, the most fun I have ever had at a wedding. This could have been for one of three reasons:

1. I have never been in a wedding before.
2. It was two of my best friends.
3. I was of legal drinking age.

Most likely, it was because of reason number three. Anyway, it was beautiful and every engaged couple could have learned something from that wedding. Couldn't have been more perfect!

Other than that, nothing much new is going on. My sincerest apologies to the handful of you that check my site bi-monthly to see what's new with Heather. I will try to better meet your needs from now on. Take care and I will see you in a couple weeks (or months, whatever)

-Heather

A Guessing Game

Me: I am thinking of something that you can eat.
Child: Chicken! A Fish! Squid!

He was close; I was thinking of a pizza.

Klamath 2004

I just returned from, as Grant called it, a "special" trip down the Klamath River. The trip really had it all...laughter, tears, no privacy when using the bathroom...here is my story.

I would have to say that the drive there, the first night of camping and really the first morning before put-in was quite possibly the worst 24 hours of my life. We did not arrive at put-in in Happy Camp, CA until 2:45 a.m. on Friday night. Since it was so late (or early, depending on how you want to look at it) we did not set up tents. Instead we slept on the ground. I for one was really excited about this part of the trip seeing as it was freaking freezing outside and the rocky ground was my mattress. Brittaney and Ryan however, slept inside the warmth and protection of their Xterra. No bitterness here. Luckily, I was so tired that falling asleep was not a problem. I just had several layers of clothes on, a beanie pulled down over my face and a mummy bag wrapped 17 times around my body...but really, it was great. And just when you thought it could not get any worse...it does (yay!) I think it was 14 degrees when we woke up on Saturday morning. Yeah that sounds about right, give or take. (This is the point of the story where the tears that I mentioned earlier work their way in.)

Although this was a very low point in the trip for me, it proved to be the only one. Even thought I did freeze my ass off for several hours that morning, the fog burnt off, the sky turned blue and the trip was awesome from then until take-out. The Klamath is one of the most beautiful places I have traveled. I saw a deer, several frogs and even two bald eagles (a very cool experience).

I learned so much on this trip as well...like how to squat and pee without taking my pants completely off...or that I actully like to sleep in a mummy bag...that "back paddle" is my favorite of all the paddles...always beware of dogs jumping out of the boat...and my favorite lesson is, of course, to always breathe in the trough! (Erica!)

So many memories were made that I will never forget and I am so lucky to have friends like Brittaney and Ryan to take Grant and I on adventures like this one.

Thank you Brittaney for your wonderful organization skills and for being sensitive to Grant's fiber needs.
Thank you Ryan for changing the "left turn, left side back" command to "left turn, Heather back!"
Thank you Julie for the PBR.
Thank you Kyla for driving us and more importantly, staying awake!
Thank you Erica for being the only one who fell in the river.
Thank you Werner and Ayla for not barking at night.
And finally thank you groover...for taking away all the feelings of privacy I once held about all my bathroom habits and for sharing the bathroom habits of others with me as well.

Goodbye Klamath...see you next year!

What can I say...they crack me up!

(It is Wednesday during small group activity time. Three children are playing office.They are having a phone conversation. The mood is "urgent")

Child 1: Can I speak to Alexa please?
Child 2: She is not here.
Child 1: Where is she?
Child 2: Well...um...she lost her company. She doesn't know where she put it.
(Alexa whispers to Child 2) Tell her I'm having a date.
Child 2: She is having a date.
Child 1: Fine. Tell her that I will see her at the prom!

Little business men and women in the making!

Kids are random

Child: Are you a mom?
Me: No.
Child: Do you have a mom?
Me: Yes.
Child: Where?
Me: She is at my house.
Child: Oh...do you like hot Cheetos?
Me: What?
Child: What?

Oooo that feels good!

My attitude going into this "Professional Development" class that I am taking was very different from the attitudes I have had about school in the past. I went into it thinking, "I don't care about this class; as long as I pass I will be happy." But, I guess for those of you who know me, this of course was not the case. On the very first day I caught it...the school bug. It is a sickness that makes me act like the best is never good enough. I would not call it contagious...repulsive is probably a better word. What can I say, I LOVE to get A's. So this class that I was "not going to give a crap about" turned into almost every other class I have had all my life. But luckily, it was a fairly easy class and I thank God for the BA in child development that I have already earned. I finished my final tonight and it was very fulfilling. I felt like I really accomplished something and it felt really good.

Then I thought, how sad. I should, at least I think I should, be accomplishing something every day. I am teaching the young children of America, low income children no less. I am hopefully increasing the likelihood that they will do better in kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and beyond. But because somebody doesn't give me an "A" at the end of each day I don't feel a sense of accomplishment?

I know it doesn't make sense. But even though I am fully aware, I am still praying that I receive no less than an A- on the final I just finished and will be handing in tomorrow. I want to know so badly that I am providing my professor with a self-addressed stamped envelope to get it back as soon as it is graded. And for my sake, and for the sake of my loved ones, it better be an "A"

I know, there is something seriously wrong with me.

The water was turned off at my school so I have been subbing at other sites that need help. In my experience, a new face in the classroom becomes the "instant favorite" of all the students in the class. Several of the kids immediately took a liking to me. One little boy, who happens to be an exact clone of my cousin Cameron, told me I was pretty at least three times today. Everyone wants me to sit with them, everyone wants to sit on my lap and it is all very cute.

Here is a very funny conversation I had with a little girl who had three flowers in her hands.

Child: Which flower do you want teacher?
Me: I get to pick one?
Child: Uh-huh.
Me: Ok, this one.
Child: Ok, but first you have to spend the night at my house.
Me: I can't have a flower unless I spend the night at your house?
Child: Uh-huh.
(Child pauses and stares at me)
Child: So when can you come?

The happiest I have ever been about a failing grade

I only scored a 4.7% on this test making me a geek "poser." Whatever, at least I am less geeky than Grant.

And now I'd like some answers, thanks

I seem to be questioning everything these days. Well, mainly my career choice. It is not that I don't like my job; I like many things about my job. I guess I have just come to realize that it is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. And I know that this isn't a bad thing because I know that no one is forcing me to be a preschool teacher forever. But what is frustrating me is that I don't know what else I want to do. Because the thing is I like to have everything all nice and planned for me. (Just ask Grant, he loves it, especially when it involves planning things like our future.) So basically what I am asking for is for someone to hand me a nice clean worksheet that indicates what job will make me the most happy. So if someone could just get on that, it would be great.

In other news...I got business cards (yeah!). But, my name was spelled wrong (damn). They actually asked if I would use them anyway. Ummm, no. Why you ask? Because I don't think that "Heather Anderson" really wants me to hand out invalid business cards.

Jack's post

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Heather: What does it say, Jack?
Jack: Um, it says "Jack."

Teacher Heather's to do list for March 11, 2004

1. Bang my knee on the puppet show theater.
2. Curse at the puppet show theater.
3. Drop the water table lid and hit my shin with it.
4. Curse at the water table lid.
5. Get flipped off by a child.
6. Realize, (with great relief) that the child is not actually flipping me off but showing me his new ring.
7. Have to choke down a tuna sandwich containing way too much mayo and eat anything but "vegetable soup" to set a good example for my students. Yum!
8. Go home.
9. Thank God that tomorrow is Friday.