Almost Friday...

Well, another week is almost gone and here I am just posting for the first time since last week. Its crunch time and things are starting to get a little crazy around here. This last weekend was productive and fun too. We went to Menominee and studied for awhile. Leslie came up and had coffee so we chatted and went to an antique store. Then my parents came with Taylor and Alyssa who we haven't seen in awhile. We went to dinner and then to have more coffee and play a game of Ticket to Ride. What a blast! After they left we studied more and then headed back to River Falls. Sunday was another productive day for Ty. He was busy doing homework and I went to Goodwill and talked wedding with my friend Maggie who is recently engaged.

Ty is finally getting going on the GIS portion of his research and has been working hard every night while I sit in night class. This was the first week of observing in a middle school ESL classroom and my first week teaching Spanish to Kindergartners. I love my ESL placement. It is so fun to learn more about resources for ESL and what teaching is really like. As for the Spanish for Kindergarten...not my proudest moment. I guess I didn't realize how abstract the concept "my name is" and "I like" can be to kids in Spanish. I figured out I needed to change my style a little. like that song,  a little less talk and a lot more action was needed to keep the kids interested. They loved the commands when was having them jump up and down, but after that, they were bored.

Well...needless to say, this week has been anything BUT relaxing. I have been go go go since Monday and this afternoon is the first time I was able to just sit and relax...(well I did dishes but it seemed so much more relaxing than writing lesson plans). This has been a nice break, but I have some Spanish homework to get to.

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Un poco menos se habla y mucha más acción

Translation: A little less talk and a lot more action

The Long Week

Well, its been awhile so I will recap on our LONG week this week. Monday was nice. Just a little chilly. We hung out, went to class and worked on homework. Then it was up early Tuesday morning. I had to teach a lesson at the Hudson Middle School. What a blast! The kids were doing a story with actions to help them remember their vocabulary and I was the one in front of the class showing them what to do...exhausting, but fun. After the lesson teaching i got a short break and then I had to go back to class. I found out that my teacher was only going to count 4 of the 6 hours I spent in Leslie's classroom observing over Spring Break. She wants me to go to a 5th grade classroom too now.

Then there was WEDNESDAY... terrible, terrible Wednesday. SNOW everywhere! Then of course we got stuck in our parking lot for 20 minutes and I was late for class and soaked to the bone...should have put the hood up ;). I thought it was Spring. On the bright side, I had one class canceled so Ty and I went home early and were able to relax. The sun came out just in time to head to night class...LAME! We still got out of class a little early though. Thursday was another teaching day, and learning day for me...the second lesson did not take off like the first. I learned a lot about writing and creating lessons and how presenting them is SO much different...that was the last day at Hudson...only 27 hours to go.

Now its Friday...one more early day and preliminary meeting with the last placement I have. Then we rushed back to school for class at 10. Now here we sit, waiting for class. Writing this it seems like it wasn't a very long week, but it sure seemed long to me. Its time for the weekend. Only one more class for me and two for Ty, then we are freedom bound!

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Ponerse como una sopa

Literal Translation: To put on yourself like a soup

English Equivalent: Soaked to the bone

St. Patty's Day

As my grandpa would say, "I am 100% Irish." Though that is not the case, on St. Patty's day we let the Irish in us shine. Both Ty and I come from some Irish background so we thought this year we would celebrate.  This year we headed to St. Paul with Brooke and Annie and saw the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Annie didn't know what to do with herself, but Ty, Brooke and I had fun. Annie pretty much stared blankly and was overwhelmed by all the noise. When we got back to the parking ramp we asked if she had fun and her reply was, "Uh" which means yes. Here are a few pictures.

Walking to the parade...cold....

Trying to keep warm

The biggest Annie Smile I could  capture

Bagpipe players

Overall it was a fun day. After the parade we headed home and stopped off for a bowl of soup at Panera.  Then it was nap time for Annie and shortly after returning home it was nap time for us too. 

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Tengo sueño, voy a tomar una siesta

I am tired, I'm going to take a nap  

Life Lately

Spring Break is here and I will finally have the chance to do something besides sit in a classroom and watch teachers teach. Don't get me wrong, it has been fun, but I am looking forward to some fun that is not centered around school. YAY! That will be tomorrow.


Monday and Tuesday I was in a Spanish classroom at Hudson Middle School. I forgot what that setting was like. Worrying about who was going to sit at your table in the lunchroom and what person of the opposite sex was trying to get your attention. From a teaching standpoint it will be much different. I am excited to teach a lesson to the 8th grade Spanish class and see what it is really like to have to manage my own class for a short time. After my observation we headed home for dinner with the Perrenoud clan and relaxed the night away.


Today, I was observing in Leslie's 1-3 grade class at the Chippewa Valley Montessori school in Eau Claire. That was interesting. Going from 7th and 8th graders to 1-3grade was not as different as I thought it would be. Oh, well. Thats what observing is all about. Seeing what to expect. Now to top it all off, I just finished watching my niece Anne and we are going to have dinner and Idol night with my parents!  Great day so far!

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Asi es la Vida

Translation: Thats life

One More Day

Its finally Thursday! The most relaxing day of the week. With each of us only having one class, there is plenty of time for homework and studying. Today is special because we are going to see Taylor when she drives through on her way home for the rest of her Spring Break. It feels like its been forever since we've seen her. You know, when I think about it, its been like three months! That's a crazy long time. 

We are so excited for the week to be finished! We are jumping out of our skin just itching to leave for home on Friday. Maybe we will get some quality time with friends and family and some much needed Mia time. Lately we have been looking for somewhere to live where we can have her here. Wow, the semester is almost half over and it is just amazing to think about how the time has flown. After Spring Break it will be crunch time, but for now we are just going to focus on the relaxation to come... Here is a little song about Spring from Mexico.

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Antes que lo sepa será la primavera

Before we know it, it is will be Spring

Another week

Well, its time to get into the swing of things again. The weekend was was so restful. Friday night, Ty and I just had a nice time relaxing together. While Ty went for a run, I went a got a pizza and a movie. After a crazy busy week with midterms and papers due, we needed to unwind. Saturday morning we met Brooke, Leslie, and Annie in Hudson and hit the antique shops. No one really found any treasures, but it IS always fun to look. Then When it was time to go our separate ways, Ty and I made our way to Woodbury. Our computer seems to be on its last leg and no college student can really survive without one. We never did find one. After looking around a little longer, we headed home for another relaxing night. 

Sunday was fun. We hadn't seen my parents in about 3 weeks with their trip to Las Vegas and our staying in River Falls for a whole weekend before they left. Soup and salad at the Olive Garden and the Adjustment Bureau was just what we needed before we were headed back to another busy week. Afterward we played with Carter, Jackson, and Annie. They are always so much fun. 

Now we are back to reality. The reality that we are only one week away from Spring Break! That's right, Spring Break! This week we are just focused on pushing through. WOW! Where did the semester go!?

Spanish Phrase of the Day

Las vacaciones de primavera aquí venimos

Spring Break here we come!

What a week!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Even now I am thinking that there is something else that I should be doing, but I need the break. This weekend we were home  visiting with family. Saturday, was a bridal shower for Tyler's cousin Rachel. While Leslie made food and Brooke got her house ready for the many guests that were coming, I watched Annie. She had a cold, but such a trooper. The shower was filled with fun games,  great food,  getting to know Ty's family better. Sunday we went to church and ate the left over food from the shower. It was just as good the second time! After eating and playing with the kids a little, we headed home to play with more kids. A missionary couple with ties to Chippewa recently moved to River Falls and asked if we would watch their kids for a short time. They were so much fun! We learned a new game and were able to get to know some pretty great kids. Then the week began....

Monday I woke up with a terrible cold and that was just the beginning of the craziness for the week. That meant a lot of tea for me. We have been studying and trying to fight a nasty cold while still trying to make it to class. I can't wait for this week to be over. Thank goodness Friday is just around the corner. Only one test to go and then we am home free for the weekend. Well, this has been a nice diversion for my day, but it is time to get to work. 

Spanish Phrase of the Day

A diario una manzana es cosa sana

English Equivalent: An apple a day keeps the doctor away