Happy Valentine's Day!!

Best Wishes to all of you from my cute Valentines!

Avoiding Homework!

Yes, I have a paper to type up and 3 chapters to read, so it seemed like a great time for a blog update! I really need to get to work so here's a BRIEF update.

I got my room packed up!!! It took a lot of hours with two late nights and all day Saturday, with a lot of packing every other chance I could get. But, I did it!!! I went through boxes that haven't seen the light of day in years and I trashed, recycled, and will "D.I." a lot. Unfortunately, I now have a new room FULL of boxes (it seems I still had to keep A LOT). Tomorrow and Wednesday my students will be rotating around the school with different teachers, activities, etc. So, I'll have 2 days to unpack and hopefully get pretty much set-up. Thursday I'm back to teaching for real again -- I hope. The students are ready for a regular schedule and so am I! Wish me luck!!

By the way, we just had a great FHE on Martin Luther King Jr. and it just hit me how he really was just teaching what our Savior has always taught -- Love one another. It's sad that it is such a hard lesson to teach and learn. I was touched by his courage and hope that my children have a little glimpse of what an impact he had. We watched his "I Have a Dream" speech and it was very touching. What a dream he had! If only we were all as influential in fulfilling our own dreams. I guess as long as we focus our our family and our dreams for this small circle of influence, we really will be making a huge impact on generations to come! Anyway, Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Augghh!!!

I'm back and sadly it's to vent! Life is busy and back to being busier again now that school is back in session. I'm back to my schooling as well. Well, I was taking everything in stride. We were making it work and had a new 2010 schedule for our family with Dave taking quite a bit off of my "plate" -- including making dinner most days (yeahoo!!). So, it was looking do-able!! But, then Thursday my comfort zone must have needed some shaking! I know I must need a little bit more to build up my empathy bank, but I got some shocking news. My principal came and met with me and the second grade teacher (P.S. we've been teaching at the school the longest now!) and told us that they were no longer going to move our 5th and 6th grade teachers into our new school building (we'll have two buildings now). (By the way, that was the plan since last school year.) Instead, they want to put K, 1, and 2 out there. I respect my principal and am good friends with her. I know that she has put her heart and soul into this decision (and yes, even fasted about it too -- we are in Happy Valley!). So, how can you get mad or even upset. I know in the whole scheme of things that it will be a great thing, but for now I'm in overwhelmed mode! The hardest part of the news is that we just found out about it yesterday and I have to have everything cleaned, sorted, and packed by January 19th. Oh, and I have to teach too. Yes, my attitude is less than stellar, but give me 2 weeks and I'll see the wonderful silver lining in it all! For now, I have 12 years of cleaning and sorting to do. I'm moving into a smaller room with less storage space, so I have a lot of getting rid of to do too! But....

The positives are:

I will be close to Mason still. (We knew he would be in the new building.)
I will be able to park close to my classroom.
I will do a lot of cleaning out that I haven't had time to do.
I do work well under pressure -- I guess adrenaline is my friend!
The carpet and paint are brand new. (It's formally a church that has been remodeled.)
I'll be close to our newly moved library.
They are bending over backwards to find opportunities for us to get extra time to pack and
get moved. (And offering help!)
I'll get a new start for a new decade. (12 years in the same classroom -- I surely needed a change!)

So, thanks to "blogging therapy" I already am feeling much better. My room isn't any more packed up than it was earlier, but one way or another I'll be up and teaching in a new room in 12 days. Wish me luck!

2 1/2 Months! Wow!!!

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted, but looking back at how busy I've been, I guess it's not shocking!

Today's post is just a few pictures and a reassurance that we are alive and ticking! I'd love to say that I'll catch up on what we've been up to, but I'm not sure I'll ever have time for that! So, for now here are some cute pictures of a few of my favorite things!! (Not necessarily in perfect chronological order!)

Scottie getting some awards at Pack Meeting. 12/8/09


Scottie (a.k.a. Tiny Tim) in the school's production of "A Christmas Carol"
(Yes, he was bribed into doing it!)



Tiny Tim 12/11/09


Provo Town Centre Mall (12/11/09)

Tanner Family Christmas Party 12/12/09

Three Cuties after Church 12/13/09

Their True Personalities Shining Through!

Our 1st 2009 Snowman and All on Their Own -- Yeahoo!!
12/13/09

Gingerbread Cookies (12/6/09)

Scottie - Still Loves to Live Out the Stories

12/6/09 The next picture was possible because

I promised to let them do this one if they would smile!

12/6/09

One of the pictures they actually smiled for -

All at the same time too!!!!!

(We won't mention the number of other pictures I took

and the sheer frustration their mother was experiencing!

Kids these days!!!! Hmmphff!!)

Mason the Clown - His true personality!!

Tanna on Halloween! Just couldn't resist posting this one!

10/31/09

So, there's a couple of months in review! At least through a few pictures! We are happy and busy! Life is passing us by, but we're trying to enjoy it as we go!

Guess What?!!!

We're alive!! Life has been SO BUSY! I am actually excited to see September end. It is hard to have 3 birthdays in a month and have all the comings and goings of a new school year. Each night I look to see if we will have a night at home and we usually have something going on. I really should count my blessings that we are a busy, productive family. We have "healthy" and happy kids and so much to be grateful for. Tonight I went to a sealing of a woman to her late husband. He died one year ago Friday. She got her endowments out a year ago and tonight was sealed to him. So, I count my blessing that my husband is here with me and that we are able to enjoy the blessings of our temple marriage during this life too.

So, yes...although I complain, I am so glad to be busy. My friend told me that the secret to keeping your teenagers out of trouble is to keep them so busy doing good things that they don't have time to get into the trouble. I guess that's what I'm trying to do -- stay out of trouble!!

Out of Order!

To Whom It May Concern:

As a courtesy to all of you avid Shanks' Blog readers, this blog is currently out of order. Apparently the blog originator has put blogging on the back burner. Summer vacation does not seem to have helped Shanks Family get any better about blogging. So much for all those great excuses about not having enough time in the day. Hmmph! Clearly blogging is just not a priority. Too bad for any posterity that may have appreciated knowing a little of their family history. Not going to happen here. Aw well, everyone has their cross to bear in this life. Clearly they'll have to make up stories for their children about what it was like in the good old days. Poor kids. For the rest of you just keep on blogging. At least these poor children can piece their childhood together from your mention of them in your comprehensive journal entries. Happy Blogging and don't waste your time here anymore. (Perhaps the guilt trip will get Shanks Family going again -- I hear someone has a big "guilt button" over there!)

Sincerely yours,

Blogger

Busy, busy!!

It's super late -- as usual -- and I'm really just going to leave a quick update. Yes, maybe even shorter than last time's "brief" blog!

We finished a full week back to school and it was long! The weather got nice again after a not-so-nice spring break and now it's back to being cold and rainy again.

Scottie had his first Kyuki-do test for his yellow stripe belt and he did really well. I've never attended a testing session for karate before and had no idea how big of a deal it is. They brought in black belt instructors from all over the area and they rated the kids. Scottie did all his "moves" with the group of students on his level and he did very well. He really is a natural and looked really good to me! (P.S. I know very little about karate!) I guess the person watching him told him he looked really good and just needs to work on kicking higher. We'll see the formal evaluation next week with the presentation of the belts. (Pictures will come too, but we used the Sony camera and I can't find the correct cord -- I think I must be tired!!)

Mason was sad not to be able to test, but he sure has a fan club of older girls in his karate class (its multi-age, multi-level) that just love him. They give him a hug every time they see him and tell me how cute he is. I even overheard one mom say, "Oh that must be Mason that the girls talk about all of the time." He really is cute in his uniform and his winning smile really does win over the girls.

Tanna is just fun to watch grow up. She picks up a play phone and has the most amazing conversations with the mystery person on the other side. She is so funny to watch. She is also a Mini-me of her brothers -- yes, that means all the bad stuff too! Ugghh! She may never be the most lady-like girl around, but she will be able to take care of herself!! She is also NOT shy. She loves to go hop up on the laps of men (i.e. the home teachers, older "grandpas" in the ward, and her male nursery leaders). Ho hum, I know I'm going to have to watch her. She also has learned to ride our little battery powered 4-wheeler which is a funny sight to see. She goes "cruising" down the sidewalk and has even gotten herself all the way to our swing park by herself. She is going to have to be chained down this summer!!!

I am just relaxing after having our next door neighbors over for dinner tonight. Dave loves to entertain and invite people over. I would probably be a hermit if I had my choice! But, it always ends up being a fun experience and we've met a lot of new people in our ward/neighborhood this way! Blessings on Dave's head for being so neighborly! None on my head because I wasn't completely excited about giving us some vegetation time!!

I did get to go to the temple last night though and hopefully that will help me get a blessing or one and a half!! Dave watched the kids so I could get there -- he went Thursday night. It was very nice and a good way to refocus and refuel. I really want to get there more often and hopefully our plan to divide and conquer will help us with this!!

I also got to donate blood Saturday afternoon. I really do enjoy this easy way to help someone else. But, I was very unproductive after getting home and I didn't get nearly what I should have done!! Dave folded the laundry though and that was a huge help!! Now to put it away...tomorrow!!

Dave went and helped clean the grounds at the Developmental Center and I took the kids to a couple of yard sales. It's getting harder to take them, they always want so much that we don't NEED! We'll see how this summer will go with taking them. Dave will be cycling, so I will have the whole gang.

Well, that's enough midnight rambling -- that will explain the lack of coherence in my thoughts! For now... to bed to bed the doctor said. (Well, not really, but he probably would!!!!)