Wednesday Already!

It been a seemingly short week this week. With classes canceled for me on Monday, the week has just flown! The detour to Brooke and Matt's Pizza Ranch fundraiser was a great time to see family and help them raise money to bring home another baby Lukowitz. We are SO excited for them! Class resumed on Tuesday as usual and homework is steady as Ty has a test on Friday that he has been diligently studying for...not a whole lot of fun. Yesterday I had night class and he actually had to go to the library to study because it was just too loud. Its crazy to believe that its midterms already. The big things are coming up and we are having to work a little harder, but that makes the weekend all the more worth it. Speaking of working a little harder, I should get back to work. 

Spanish Phrase of the Day

A quien madruga, Dios le ayuda.

Literal Translation: God helps those who get up early.

English Equivalent: Early bird gets the worm

Michael Scott translation: Early worm gets the worm

Snow, snow go away

I can remember seeing the grass peeking out from the snow banks last week. One day it even reached 50! It was so nice out that Ty and I took a long walk around campus and River Falls. We had our windows open. Then Saturday it was chilly when we hung out with Brooke and Annie (who were nice enough to come to visit) and now...look at it. Snow everywhere and we could hardly get out of our apartment. After seeing the weather that was Sunday, we are glad we didn't come home in that. Classes went on today as scheduled for those teachers would could shovel themselves out after a dumping of at least a foot of snow with more on the way. Lucky for me, both of my classes were canceled. Ty decided to skip out on his last class to study for the upcoming test and start heading back to Eau Claire for Brooke and Matt's adoption fundraiser at the Pizza Ranch. So, here I sit at Starbucks studying...(thanks Mom and Dad for the gift card...as you can tell we are putting it to good use). Please snow, just go away. 

Spanish Phrase of the Day

¡No más nieve, yo pensé que fue primavera! 

Translation: No more snow! I thought it was Spring!

A Protest on Campus

This week has been interesting. With Governor Walker trying to break up all of the unions in Wisconsin, campus has been buzzing about how students can show their frustration. This morning at 5 am buses left for Madison to protest. In about 12 minutes students and faculty will be walking out of class in protest. In one of Ty's classes his professor talked about the very real possibility that many of the faculty members may be looking for jobs in Minnesota, tuition will increase, and classes will be offered less often. This is a scary possibility. While they are talking about all of this at the state level, the federal government is talking about cutting financial aid. Ty said it is very interesting that they are so ready and willing to support the big banks and bail them out, but when it comes to the people who are trying to better themselves by going to school and the people who are bettering society by teaching our children, the government is ready and willing to make cuts...The more I think about it, the more I get frustrated. Ty and I are so close to graduation and I am going to be a teacher when I get out...how will this effect our lives and the lives of so many others in our families?

As Ty said when responding to the post on his Aunt Laura's Facebook that said: "A teacher somewhere in your neighborhood tonight is grading and preparing lessons to teach your children while you are watching television. In the minute it takes you to read this, teachers all over the world are using their "free time", and often investing their own money, for your child's literacy, prosperity, and future..." to that Ty replied: "Yeah. It's like my mom has two jobs with one paycheck...teacher during the day, and preparing to be a teacher at night. I am all for balancing the budget, but it seems strange that the Governor's starting place would be screwing over education. The people who were responsible for this mess get bailouts, and the people who are improving our society's prosperity by teaching are getting screwed. Makes perfect sense." 

Just something to think about today as there are so many who will be effected by this.  

 

Flat Carter even got involved

Valentines Day!

It started out like any other day, class and waking up early. But it was not as boring as usual because we had something to look forward to! It was Valentines Day! Right after class we headed to Starbucks for a nice coffee to tide us over until supper. Recently, our nephew Carter sent us a school project they call Flat Stanley. We are supposed to take pictures of the many travels of flat Stanley while we have him. So on the way to dinner we took a detour for Flat Stanley. Then it was dinner time. We went to a neat new (new to us) restaurant called Chino Latino. Their menu combines Chinese and Latin food. We decided to try some plantain nachos and plantain crusted chicken with a passion fruit sauce. That chicken was called banana boat chicken and came looking like a boat. After a very filling dinner it was time to go home and relax. That was our valentines day! Here are some of the fun pictures we took. Hope everyone had a great valentines day!

If this is a Tall, then Flat Carter must be 6 foot 5!

Had to take this for Carter at the flat roofed Metrodome

Mmmmm! Nachos with Plantain chips!

Flat Carter Riding in on the Banana Boat Chicken

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Espero que tuvieran un gran día de San Valentín

Translation: I hope that you all had a great Valentines Day

A Break in the Midst of Chaos

This week has been a very busy week, but we have still found time for fun. Last night, after my night class, we went to the Budget theater in River Falls and saw the Fighter. Ty had really been wanting to see that movie since it came out. There were a few scenes that were inappropriate and quite a few swear words, but overall, you definitely were able to get the sense of what the boxing scene is really like. We had a good time, and then it was off to bed since the movie didn't start until 9:10pm. Overall, its been a good week with time for homework and time for relaxing.

 

Since November, I have been waiting to see if I needed to study abroad to get my teaching license. Today I received an email from the head of the education department. He told me that I could student teach in an immersion school and that would qualify! As much as I want to go abroad, it is much cheaper and less lonely than having to leave the country. Maybe someday we will go to Spain or another Spanish speaking country, but for now, I will just find other ways to immerse myself in the culture and language. 

Well, I suppose its time for me to my reading for my class that is in an hour. I am a bit of a procrastinator...

Spanish Phrase of the Day

A mí me gustó la película y a Tyler también

Translation: I like the movie and Tyler did too

A Little Bit of Bonding Time

Another fun-filled weekend has passed and we are back in school anticipating the next time we will come home. We played a couple games of Ticket to Ride with the McD's and watched "What would you do?" Then it was off to bed and seeing Mia. We always love coming home to sleep with our favorite tiny Chihuahua. 

 Our Saturday began at 7:30 am so that Ty could make it to work and I had breakfast with my parents. After breakfast it was time for girls day! Hannah, Heather, and I shopped til we dropped and had Kobe's for lunch at the mall. It was just like the good old days in high school when there was never anything to do and we just hung out at the mall. Once we finally dropped, we headed home and just relaxed a little. Ty, Leslie, Brooke, Matt, Annie and I all headed to dinner in Eau Claire. Then it was off to a movie, "The King's Speech." Matt was kind enough to watch Annie so Brooke could come with Ty, Leslie and I. It had been SO long! A great movie with great people. Then we all scurried off to beds. 

 

In the morning Carter and Jackson had hockey so I got a little special bonding time with Treyton while I got ready for church...to all mothers who get ready with small children, I have a lot of respect for what you go through...its not easy. Trey was pretty good and easily entertained! After church Ty and I were able to have some extra bonding time with Annie and made a trip to Walmart and Aldi's with her. She was so cute saying my name and Ty's. After a late lunch/supper we headed back to River Falls to watch the Big game...although it didn't end the way Ty had wanted(yes mom,  the way Ty wanted I honestly didn't care who won), it was still fun for us to watch together. Now, we are back at school and gearing up for a busy week of classes...oh boy!

Spanish Phrase of the Day

La Familia, como el Sol, cuanto más lejos, mejor...

Translation: Family, like the sun, is better when its closer

The Bellybutton of the Week

It may sound weird, but today is the bellybutton of the week. This is the Spanish version of our phrase "Wednesday is hump day" the hump in our week. Man have we been feeling it this semester. With Tuesdays and Wednesdays being the toughest days of the week to survive and Thursday being the easiest day in our weeks, we get pretty pumped for Wednesday to be over. Today is freezing and we won't go home until 7:30pm when I am done with class. Then there is the blissful Thursday schedule...and before we know it, its Friday. On this freezing cold day, I have the warmth of knowing that Friday is only two days away and that the easiest day in my week is just a good night's sleep away. So Friday come quickly, and Thursday be productive because we are that much closer to the weekend, and home for a few days!

Spanish Phrase of the Day

El ombligo de la semana.

Translation: The bellybutton of the week