What are chicken nipples?
Questions and questioning………..I’ve had some great questions and great answers this week.
“Would you like to come in for an interview?”
Over three weeks ago I read a Standard Examiner article, written by executive editor Andy Howell, that explained who writes the paper’s editorial opinion pieces. After describing the process as a group one and identifying the members of the group (all of whom are newspaper employees), he reported the creation of a community-at-large seat on the newspapers’ editorial board and invited interested members of the general public to apply.
On a whim I wrote an essay applying for the position. Describing myself as an open minded conservative, I urged them to “pick me”. I was very hopeful for a week; watching my email inbox like a hawk. Nothing. After two weeks with no response, my hopes faded. By the third week, I had forgotten about the essay and moved
on.
Tuesday I received a phone call inviting me in for
an interview; I am one of three finalists. Oh
my!
“Mom, would you like me to make dinner?”
Driving home from work Monday, I took a call from Tanah. Without preface or preamble she asked if I would like her to make dinner. In my world, there is only one answer to that question.
"I got 51/36 on the Calculus test. Would you like me to explain how?”
Yes. Apparently the AP Calculus teacher gave the class a test in preparation for the upcoming national AP exam. Through a series of calculations probably beyond my ability to comprehend, the teacher determined that 36 on his practice test would be the equivalent of a “4” (the highest possible) on an AP exam and therefore decided 36 points=100%. Chick scored 51. He was pleased. (Me too)
“Mom, would you like to see ‘Les Miserables’ at Pioneer Theatre Company with me? If you come, I will pay for part of your ticket…..”
What’s not to love about that? I was touched that she wanted to see the play with me. Having her help with the ticket price was an unexpected bonus. We shared the experience Thursday night and it was worth every penny…..hers and mine!
“Will you hold this snake?”
Miles and Josh found a snake in the grass on their walk home from school. Miles asked me to hold it after he had taken it into Randee’s house. Good thing both Randee and I are snake-friendly moms.
“Where did this guy come from?”
Dazed by the sunshine or inspired by the warm weather (I am not sure which), I engaged in a fit of spring barnyard cleaning. When I tipped over the bathtub-that-serves-as-a-hay-trough, I found a 6 inch tiger salamander nestled in the mud underneath it. “Tiger salamanders can be found in virtually any habitat, providing there is a terrestrial substrate
suitable for burrowing and a body of water nearby suitable for breeding.” (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/59072/0 , http://mesalight.com/wp/?p=53 ). There isn’t a body of water within miles of our bathtub-turned-hayfeeder. Hum…..
What happens when you leave a 2003 Toyota Sienna van unlocked, keys in the ignition, motor running for an hour in the Wal-Mart parking lot?
Apparently nothing…… Saturday night, after having spent over an hour in Wal-Mart picking up food and supplies for the Yellowstone field trip that starts Monday, I returned to the parking lot and was not surprised to find my van exactly where I left it….until I got inside and discovered I had left it unlocked, keys in ignition, motor running. Then I began to wonder why it was where I left it. Are people in Utah too honest to steal my van? Or too picky to take a 10 year old van? (I’m going with the honesty theory.)
Why would anyone take 30 junior high students camping in Yellowstone for four days in May when night time
temperatures are still below freezing and hungry mother bears are emerging from hibernation?
I do not have a good answer to this question. Hopefully I will have a good answer when we return on Thursday.
What does it mean when you earn an award for the most teacher volunteer hours?
Our school has a federal grant that mandates matching funds. Hours spent working outside contract time are multiplied by an hourly wage and can be counted as donated matching funds. I will receive an award as the OPA teacher who donated the most time. The time I counted does NOT include any time spent at home doing lessons plans, correcting papers, etc.; all tallied time comes from direct contact with students (Havasupai I volunteered 4 of 6 days; Yellowstone 2 of 4; science fair I volunteered the entire day…). Does that mean I am an honorable altruist or a hopeless sucker? Ask me again after
Yellowstone……
What were the results of the SBO elections at SAA?
Last year Grace ran for class officer. She poured her entire heart and soul into the effort. She was not elected and she was broken-hearted. I ached as I watched my little girl mourn. Words and wisdom are worthless at that point; time only heals the wounds.
This year Grace again entered the election arena. Again, she poured her heart and soul into the effort. She and Chick and Tanah spent hours creating a campaign video. She and I were up late working on a 3D campaign poster. She had a VOTE GRACE flyer for every 7th grader at the school. Heart and soul.
What were the results? She was not elected. Not all questions have happy answers initially.
But all do eventually. “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). What does not kill us
makes us stronger. Grace will survive SBO elections and be stronger for it. I will (probably) survive Yellowstone and will be wiser for it. We love God and our questions are clear evidence that He loves us.
YEA!
May the answers to your questions be happy ones this week.
Love,
Teresa
P.S. What are chicken nipples anyway?
Questions and questioning………..I’ve had some great questions and great answers this week.
“Would you like to come in for an interview?”
Over three weeks ago I read a Standard Examiner article, written by executive editor Andy Howell, that explained who writes the paper’s editorial opinion pieces. After describing the process as a group one and identifying the members of the group (all of whom are newspaper employees), he reported the creation of a community-at-large seat on the newspapers’ editorial board and invited interested members of the general public to apply.
On a whim I wrote an essay applying for the position. Describing myself as an open minded conservative, I urged them to “pick me”. I was very hopeful for a week; watching my email inbox like a hawk. Nothing. After two weeks with no response, my hopes faded. By the third week, I had forgotten about the essay and moved
on.
Tuesday I received a phone call inviting me in for
an interview; I am one of three finalists. Oh
my!
“Mom, would you like me to make dinner?”
Driving home from work Monday, I took a call from Tanah. Without preface or preamble she asked if I would like her to make dinner. In my world, there is only one answer to that question.
"I got 51/36 on the Calculus test. Would you like me to explain how?”
Yes. Apparently the AP Calculus teacher gave the class a test in preparation for the upcoming national AP exam. Through a series of calculations probably beyond my ability to comprehend, the teacher determined that 36 on his practice test would be the equivalent of a “4” (the highest possible) on an AP exam and therefore decided 36 points=100%. Chick scored 51. He was pleased. (Me too)
“Mom, would you like to see ‘Les Miserables’ at Pioneer Theatre Company with me? If you come, I will pay for part of your ticket…..”
What’s not to love about that? I was touched that she wanted to see the play with me. Having her help with the ticket price was an unexpected bonus. We shared the experience Thursday night and it was worth every penny…..hers and mine!
“Will you hold this snake?”
Miles and Josh found a snake in the grass on their walk home from school. Miles asked me to hold it after he had taken it into Randee’s house. Good thing both Randee and I are snake-friendly moms.
“Where did this guy come from?”
Dazed by the sunshine or inspired by the warm weather (I am not sure which), I engaged in a fit of spring barnyard cleaning. When I tipped over the bathtub-that-serves-as-a-hay-trough, I found a 6 inch tiger salamander nestled in the mud underneath it. “Tiger salamanders can be found in virtually any habitat, providing there is a terrestrial substrate
suitable for burrowing and a body of water nearby suitable for breeding.” (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/59072/0 , http://mesalight.com/wp/?p=53 ). There isn’t a body of water within miles of our bathtub-turned-hayfeeder. Hum…..
What happens when you leave a 2003 Toyota Sienna van unlocked, keys in the ignition, motor running for an hour in the Wal-Mart parking lot?
Apparently nothing…… Saturday night, after having spent over an hour in Wal-Mart picking up food and supplies for the Yellowstone field trip that starts Monday, I returned to the parking lot and was not surprised to find my van exactly where I left it….until I got inside and discovered I had left it unlocked, keys in ignition, motor running. Then I began to wonder why it was where I left it. Are people in Utah too honest to steal my van? Or too picky to take a 10 year old van? (I’m going with the honesty theory.)
Why would anyone take 30 junior high students camping in Yellowstone for four days in May when night time
temperatures are still below freezing and hungry mother bears are emerging from hibernation?
I do not have a good answer to this question. Hopefully I will have a good answer when we return on Thursday.
What does it mean when you earn an award for the most teacher volunteer hours?
Our school has a federal grant that mandates matching funds. Hours spent working outside contract time are multiplied by an hourly wage and can be counted as donated matching funds. I will receive an award as the OPA teacher who donated the most time. The time I counted does NOT include any time spent at home doing lessons plans, correcting papers, etc.; all tallied time comes from direct contact with students (Havasupai I volunteered 4 of 6 days; Yellowstone 2 of 4; science fair I volunteered the entire day…). Does that mean I am an honorable altruist or a hopeless sucker? Ask me again after
Yellowstone……
What were the results of the SBO elections at SAA?
Last year Grace ran for class officer. She poured her entire heart and soul into the effort. She was not elected and she was broken-hearted. I ached as I watched my little girl mourn. Words and wisdom are worthless at that point; time only heals the wounds.
This year Grace again entered the election arena. Again, she poured her heart and soul into the effort. She and Chick and Tanah spent hours creating a campaign video. She and I were up late working on a 3D campaign poster. She had a VOTE GRACE flyer for every 7th grader at the school. Heart and soul.
What were the results? She was not elected. Not all questions have happy answers initially.
But all do eventually. “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). What does not kill us
makes us stronger. Grace will survive SBO elections and be stronger for it. I will (probably) survive Yellowstone and will be wiser for it. We love God and our questions are clear evidence that He loves us.
YEA!
May the answers to your questions be happy ones this week.
Love,
Teresa
P.S. What are chicken nipples anyway?
 "Listen to your shoulder angel" was Grace's campaign theme, based on an episode of Studio C.  Who is this lovely lady playing the clarinet in her last ever band concert?  Where did this guy come from? |  Is this the same girl who was literally paralyzed with fear when she tried to give her first talk in Primary?  And where is his water bed? |
RSS Feed
