While i was home - After the wedding

After the wedding, things went right back into the routine.

I continued my job. my five little boys asked me non stop questions about my "mysterious" boyfriend. One of them, who was in self-proclaimed love with me said, "He's tall. he's cute. I bet he's like really rich and really smart and can build cars and houses and stuff. stupid Karl. I can't even compete with that!"

hahahahahahaha

I loved them. 

I read these books to the boys at recess in the time i worked there:

both were DELIGHTFUL. quick reads, great messages, completely appropriate, discuss important emotional issues, address stereotypes and friendships. mmm mmm mmm, they were great. 

I'd say Wonderstruck was an 8 + year old range if they're reading alone. 6+ if you're reading aloud (several instances of smoking cigarettes, and the assumption of an illegitimate child might make some people stay at 8+ even if reading a loud. I politely disagree.)

Zorgamazoo was adorable and Series of Unfortunate Events-y. It's completely in verse! but you don't even notice after the first chapter. Also, there are a TON of big words, but they totally make sense in context. It's a 8+ range alone, 6+ a loud (there is a creepy lobotomist, an evil aunt, evil creatures, and gang members that threaten to beat up the main character, but if you're reading Harry Potter or Percy Jackson to your 5 year old, then this is nothing.)

Karl and i continued to skype for an hour a day to read scriptures and talk about our days. He cut his hair and it was so cute. 

we kept accidentally making the same face at the exact moment i went to take a screen shot. 

He kept being adorable in general. 

my job kept making me nostolgic. 

Lady kept making me head-cold-ish because i'm allergic to her, so we had to be through-the-window friends. 

my students kept professing their love for me. including one literally making me a fake engagement ring one day in class. AND it was purple. priceless. 

I tried to introduce more and more art into their subjects, but i wasn't the head teacher, so i didn't have control over the activities. But whenever i saw an opportunity, i grabbed it. 

They were going to make alphabet books, where each letter's page had an animal or creature whose name began with that letter, and then glue in a picture of that animal. I suggested that they draw the animal instead!

So they chose the animal they wanted to draw, and then they made a page for their alphabet book based on the first letter of the animal's name. 

These were 2 of the pages in one of my boys's books. 

ADORABLE. 

also, i would draw and color with one boy to help him calm down some days and this he drew after his family had decided to move to a neighboring town:

"I'm happy, because i'll have my brothers, but I'm sad, because i won't have any friends at school or anything. Mom says we'll have each other, though. that's good."

a little piece of my heart is in that little boy's hands, i tell ya. 

I got to babysit my brother Donny's daughter one last time! We DANCED and danced and danced, and watched Robin Hood sporadically as we colored and played house and did puzzles. I love this little chika. 

we've been homies since fall 2013 in good ol' Rexburg. 

This sweet girl is actually very special to me. 

she was instrumental in pulling me out of an emotional slump. Her coos and teeny baby laughs were something i looked forward to, and i liked feeling like she needed me, and liked me. 

Also, because i got to babysit her sporadically, i became better friends with her mom! My sister in Law Christine is incredible, but it wasn't until I started watching my niece that Christine and I really hit it off. now, we homies. I'm so excited to see her again at my wedding! I've missed her since they've moved to Monterey, and i can't wait to meet their new baby!