Virtute.org

I took a drive today while I listened to Conference, and took a few photos while I was about. Here are the shots:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

So I guess sleep is where our cats are Vikings.  Jill is surviving Charlotte so far, and even seems to like her well enough.  Jack and Eustace remain a little more cautious still, but they like the kids well enough.  All three have learned to co-exist well enough, and though they still tussle, it’s more in fun than anything else.  Jack is still the alpha cat, but Eustace has dropped to about theta.  Jill kind of beats up on him.

It was a gorgeous day out today, so the kids and I went with Aunt Heidi up into the mountains to see the colors on the trees and feel the nice cool air.  I snapped this picture of Isaac and Charlotte on the path at Cascade Springs.  We walked around, looking at all the little waterfalls and the fish in the pools.  It was a good afternoon in one of the best times of year.  The trees are changing, at the point where some are in full color and some are still green, but before any have lost all there leaves or turned brown. 

All the environmentalist nonsense in the media lately made me think of this title.  I was actually just going to write something like we finally painted, but we have such a big contingent of environmentalist friends that I thought I’d fool them all (well, at least the ones who didn’t notice the picture). 

 It’s late, my brain functions differently past 10:00 so I appologize for this blog.  We don’t actually have any environmentalist friends, but my pictures look out of place (or so I’ve been told by my beloved husband) if I don’t write enough text to encapsulate them in. 

So the point of this blog is to show a picturesof our newly painted green bathroom.  Unfortunately, it’s too small to really see much, but you can get the idea.  The color is actually called Candied Lime.  I think the person who named it had been spending too much time sniffing paint because candied lime makes me think of an obnoxious lime green.  I really like the color, so if you hate it, then you might not want to comment.

I’m nearing the end of my special education lisensure program.  I think if I had realized what this program entailed I would not have persued it, but it’s way too late for that now and I think when it’s all finished I’ll be glad I did (as long as I can pay off all my student loans quickly).   The point of writing that was to introduce the reason for my post, but I got a little sidetracked.  

As part of my ‘Capstone Seminar’ class I was required to write three goals for the semester and posting in this blog is one of the goals.  I committed to post once a week, so at least until the semester is over, I’ll be a better blogger.  So this is actually homework and I get points in class for it.

I don’t know if anyone reads this blog who doesn’t know what I’m doing this year, but just in case here’s the short version. 

As one of the last steps to getting my liscense to teach special education, I am required to complete student teaching.  Since I already have my bachelor’s degree I’m actually allowed to accept a full time positon at full pay and benifits and complete the requirements through my job.  So I went the extra mile and took two jobs.  Ok, it’s really only one job, but it’s at two schools.  I start off my mornings at Canyon View Jr. High (pictured above and to the right) at lunch I drive over to Orem Jr. High (pictured above and to the left) to finish out my day.  Let’s just say it’s been a difficult experience so far, but it’s getting better. 

I’m talking about extended family, with many exceptions, of course. We’re just coming off a visit from many members of Kathleen’s family, and it’s been one of those things where everyone is in everyone else’s space and conflicts are more likely.  Being the kind of person I am, it’s tough sharing my space, but the new house makes it easier.  Our tiny place in Springville would have been a disaster (and was, when we had visitors in the past). 

It seemed like an especially tough trip for Sarah, who hasn’t really traveled with Josh much.  It’s a lot of work going anywhere with a nine-month-old, but even more so when you don’t really have a place to stay or any transportation.  I remember how much work Isaac seemed at first, but it’s something you pretty much grow into, eventually.  I don’t really mind the “borrowed” diapers and clothes Sarah used, but I do worry that without someone to fall back on, things could have been a lot worse.  Anyway, everyone pitched in, and it’s behind us now.

So on top of Sarah’s troubles, Kathleen was just kicking off her job, getting classrooms ready, going to training and meetings, and in general being very busy.  With family on top of that, it’s been a rough couple of weeks.  I hope we’re getting to the point where things get into more of a rhythm soon.  We’ve got football starting in a couple of weeks, and Kathleen’s schedule should be more established, hopefully letting her leave more work at the school so she can be with us when she’s at home.

So I guess family reunions aren’t really my thing.  I think once it gets beyond aunts and uncles, it’s too far; my parents don’t see their cousins often, and it doesn’t seem like there’s really a point to me being there.  It’s nice to have second cousins, I suppose, but my life isn’t really enriched by having lunch with them.  We had a big reunion for some of Kathleen’s very extended family, and with all the scheduling issues and general business, it just seemed like an added stress rather than a good time.  The kids were pretty miserable with nothing to do, and I was pretty grumpy too (just on principle, really).  I really feel like we should put that kind of attention and time into people more attached to us; for example, I would rather have gone camping with Isaac than have him get yelled at by some distant cousin of Kathleen’s for playing with the curtains when he’s bored to tears.

Anyway, family is great, but the dose has been a little big these past few weeks, and I think we could all use some time to settle down.  And clean out the fridge.