Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring Break 2015

This little boy was the center of my spring break this year. 

Friday, March 20, 2015

Last night my sisters and I were chatting before bed and the conversation of Laura Ingalls Wilder came up.
"I was just reading that her life wasn't all that it was said to be in the books," my eldest sister said. She then rattled off some surprising facts about the family. My mind was in and out of the conversation, as I was looking up things to do in town that would be fun for a two year old boy. All of a sudden Kristin said something about Almanzo and my mind came to a screeching halt.
"He...kidnapped children when he got older?!" I asked, my mind reeling. That was definitely something not in the books! I was relieved to find out that she had actually said that he had gotten a disease and he couldn't have children after it.
You know, that is probably how rumors start! We had a good laugh about it, anyways.
p.s. - I am lovin' spring break at the lake this year. I wouldn't mind if the weather cleared a bit but ah, sister and nephew time is the best.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

One of those days

There were two chairs flipped over, a desk over turned, the reading center chair flipped over, and shoes that were thrown furiously into the garbage can by my desk. I felt the tears just on the edge of my eyes as I sat down at my desk after the student was taken to the office after an episode. I was hoping to get an email that would take my mind away from the situation. I just needed to make it until the end of the day when I could let it go. As I sat there, it wasn't long before I felt two little arms go around me, and then four, and then six. "We love you Mrs. Vigesaa", came a voice. Oh great, I can't hold it in now, I remember thinking in my head as the tears began to flow. At just the right moment another teacher walked in, saw me just about to become a huge mess, and told me she would take over if I needed to go somewhere. I nodded, so so SO thankful, as I made a bee-line for the lounge and the sanctuary of the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, I pep talked to myself in the mirror, I can do this. Although, the face looking back didn't quite match the pep-talk. My eyes were red, my face was redder, and my nose was even redder. I did finally get a hold of myself and was able to make it back to my class in time to dismiss the kids for the weekend. "See you on Monday," I told them as they made their way out of the classroom.

And so, as I sit here on Saturday morning, I do feel better. With a new day comes fresh perspectives, a fresh mind, and a fresh feeling. Yes, Friday was awful but I'll be ready for Monday because I know there will be 17 kindergartners relying on me. I must say, after this first year of teaching I realized that it isn't always going to be butterflies and rainbows (I doubt any job is!) but I have got to let the pros outweigh the cons. A pro of being a teacher? I'd say impacting the lives of little humans and watching them grow, even now into 1st graders, is amazing! And as funny as this sounds, I know in May when they walk out the door after nine months together, I'm going to be a tearful mess again!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Since I've started teaching I've found it hard to say no when a student of mine is selling something! So we've gotten girl scout cookies, a Christmas wreath, magazines, and most recently Texas Roadhouse buns. I was proud of myself, though, I did say no to Butter Braids!

But anyways, today I was flipping through the Horse & Rider magazine that just arrived and I found a section that made me grin. Mostly because it is so relatable considering one of the horses we have - Rio. The title of the page was "Yup, My Horse Spooked at..." and here were some of the replies...

- "An Insect. Sam jumped sideways at a barrel with a "what the heck was that?" look. Peering closer, I saw a ladybug walking across the barrel's top."

- "Urine. It was a puddle of my mare's own pee, which she'd put there a minute earlier."

- "A Tiny Flag. My mare spooked at an American flag in a flowerpot."

- "A 'Pop'. After a relaxing ride, Dusty abruptly passed gas, scaring himself silly and almost jumping out from under me."

- "His Own Face. Mickey, my laid-back Appaloosa gelding, spooked at his own reflection in the water tank."

Horses and their personalities can be so funny. Makes me miss my boy, Tobey, and his side kick Rio. Looking forward to summer and horseback riding!


Sunday, March 8, 2015

PC Week 16

I missed last week of my photo challenge. Oh well. Life just got in the way and I didn't get a picture taken. So here is a photo for this week! Aaron is building an air line (or something) for the garage. I have lost track of what he does out there but thought a fire shot would be kind of cool!
The weather has been beautiful lately, which got me outside and running for the first time this year! I am not a runner by any means, but finally decided that I should be more active. Three times a week, that's my goal...and that's really not that much. We have a nice trail by our house so why not take advantage of it?! We will see how it goes.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

The trailer that aaron built

Aaron loves to weld. He also loves to build things. So I don't know why I was surprised when he said he wanted to make a trailer, out of the old boat trailer above, to haul his four wheelers.
After a few late, late nights (and into early mornings) this, below, was the end product. He's pretty crafty! Honestly, all the figuring and angles makes my head hurt. He loves math, I love reading. I guess we're opposites in that way!
Oh, by the way, those fancy boards that make up the trailer were the stubborn boards that were frozen together when my sister-in-law, Heather, and I went to Bismarck and had to pick them up. So I guess some of my own hard work went into this trailer!? :)