Decisions, decisons

To coach cheer or not to coach cheer that is the question!

TWILIGHT!!!!!!!

Okay things have finally calmed down!! But, now it is time to get the party started because Twilight the movie comes out on 3.21.09. Have you pre ordered yours?
Has anyone actually located a vampire, because I kind of...want one?

Is it possible to live with out gossip?

This isn't the most positive blog, but I am sure that all of us has experienced this at some time or another, maybe we are even guilty of it. My wonderings are...what the heck is wrong with people? Are people so unhappy with their own lives that they must do what they can to damage mine? At the moment this comes from a parent that crossed the line, now she is so mad at me for calling her (politely) on it that she isn't saying very nice things...mind you this parent requested that her child be in my classroom and this isn't the first problem that I have had with her this year. The things that she is saying are not true and anyone who really knows me knows that they aren't. UGHHH!!! I swear it is impossible in a town this size and a school district that size to lay low. I thought that if I just left it alone it would blow over (as I have with other things in my life). When will I learn? I don't like confrontation, but one bad comment can develop people's opinions of you and it takes about ten good comments to chang their minds. There, after that vent now I feel better!!!! :)

Tucker AKA Marley

If anyone has seen or read Marley and me, you know, what a horrific spaz he was. Well, I think that my yellow lab Tucker is equivalent to if not worse than Marley. I was out of town this weekend and he was horrible!! He is like the child that acts out when you leave town and then you spend the rest of your time gone, wondering if the person that you left them with is surviving.

I took my cheerleaders to Tacoma for wrestling state this weekend and left my 19 year old niece in charge of the house. Tucker took full advantage of having a teenager in charge. When he wants to play he will grab anything in site if there are no toys available. So, to him Ashleys cell phone, the remote, shoes and her friends cell phone were perfectly acceptable to grab and run with. It was wonderful to him because when he did this he would get an immediate reaction from the girls and the chase was on. Game initiated!! When he does this you have to be very firm and tell him to "LEAVE IT" any smile, giggle or false move and he thinks that it is play time and off he goes. Poor Ashley now needs a new cell phone and I think that I am down a house sitter. Why oh why did John Grogan beat me to writing Marley and me? I am pretty sure that I have the sequal in Tucker the Terrible.

Tucker is sick :(

My poor baby Tucker is sick. If anyone knows Tucker and would like to see him calm for the first time in his life, now is the time. He has kennel cough which is equivalent to a cold.

Simple things

This morning I was so excited!!!! I saw not one but two bald eagles. To some this might not be super exciting, but it is freezing here and it was 7:00 in the morning! I did text my brother that I saw them, but he didn't text me back. It was then that I realized maybe no one would be as interested in this as I was. So, I decided I could enjoy it alone because it is the simple things in life that make us happy!!
Things like:
1. fresh baked Cinnamon rolls
2. wild life
3. family dinners
4. pets
5. pictures
6. clean sheets
7. road trips
8. a good song
9. a cup off coffe (or cocoa)
10. babies in any species
11. new clothes
12. a good laugh
13. a good movie
14. a good book
15. hugging
16. kissing
17. a hot shower
18. a comfy blanket
19. laughing
20. chocolate
What are your simple things??? There is a lesson here too, someone else's happiness might not come from the same simple pleasures that you have, so always embrace the moment from someone else's eyes and remember: people see what they want to see.

SNOW!!!!

Yakima has not seen any shortage of snow!! No matter how hard I prayed we got snow snow and more snow. Even though the dogs love it, I do not!!!!!!!! It could have been made a little better with a few late starts or snow days for school, but one can only wish!

Faith like that of a child

As I was driving to work this morning. Yes, I am back to work. Anyway, as I was driving to work this morning thinking about greeting my students and listening to positive life radio two things came to me all at once. The first was that Jesus reminded us many times that we should have faith like that of a child. This started my brain working as I was also preparing my rule reminding speech for my third graders. What if the whole world followed my three simple classroom rules? Wouldn't the world be a better place? Think about it: BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL and SOLVE THAT PROBLEM (with out my assistance). Could you imagine if everyone, world leaders and all followed these? Phew what a world that would be!
This also reminded me of the very old show "Kids say the darnedest things!" and the many stories I could contribute to that show after 7 years of teaching. So here is a story that might start your weight loss New Year's resolution off. Many of you know that I broke my foot this summer and started the school year off in a cast. My student's loved this, not because I was disabled and they could get away with breaking the rules but because it gave them tremendous opportunities to be the "teacher's helper" (see if only the world worked this way). Anyhow, I eat lunch with all of my homework heroes on Fridays. On this particular Friday due to the pain killers heat and cast I did not eat very much of my lunch. I asked a near by student if he would please throw my tray away (very difficult on crutches). He was more than willing, but after he took a couple of steps with my tray he turned around and said: "Ms. Hammerstad you didn't eat your lunch?!" I replied " I know I am not that hungry." He thought for a minute and very seriously said "you have to eat otherwise with out your vegetables your foot will not get better!" Morale of the story EAT YOUR VEGETABLES! Happy New Year!

family pics

Time to go home and the pressure is on.

Well... my stay in Utah with my family has been great! Spending time with Isaiah is priceless. Now, that it is time to go home my good byes are bittersweet....I can't wait to go home, but I will miss EVERYONE here. The family feel that the Fieldings (my brother's in-laws) have given is very welcoming.

Why am I writing about this? Well it seems that Nick is not the only one that thinks that Utah should be my home. During my very short visit a minimum of 6 people commented on my moving here more than once. Emily (my sister-in-law) said to me on multiple occasions "You could live with us." "Your mom could move too" every house we drive by Emily says "that one is for sale" Today she enticed me with: "You could go yard saleing and boutiquing with us all of the time!" "When you come this summer we are going house hunting" She even promised tickets to Oprah and a trip to Disneyland!! I think that Emily might know my weaknesses. Emily's final promise: "I will find you a husband (not that she hasn't tried the entire time I have been here)." Emily caught me in the promise that if Erin would teach me to sew I would move. BIG MISTAKE! She is still reminding me that I promised. Cami (Emily's sister) told me "You should totally move here" and "Your going to teach here?" Alicia (Emily's other sister) stated "If you lived down here you could see Isaiah ever day." Erin made many suggestions of school districts to teach in, salary, even the benefits I would receive. Her final comment "Ohhhh we could find you a husband" as if it was the best challenge she had ever heard of. Mark (Erin's husband) said "We have an extra room." Even when I told him that I had three labs he said "Bring them!" they have one of their own (that would be 4 labs). I am sorry if you ever read this Clint, but everyone around here has our entire wedding planned (or at least that it should happen), including your parents the only one who doesn't.... Nick (well Emily did say that she didn't like that because she wanted to remain the favorite in-law). The final attempt to have the last Hammerstad in Yakima move to Utah was... Nick job searching for me. Even looking up what it would take to get a Utah teaching certificate.
Does anyone but me feel the PRESSURE?????? AHHHHHH!!!!!