the last 2 weeks

Arrived home from Ed Week on Saturday the 21st. On Sunday the 22nd, MacAfee downloaded an update...and after that this computer refused to work any more.

Glen brought it in to the Tech Club at the high school and Shiva was able to fix the irreconcilable differences in the programing and after 10 days of using dial-up on our old computer which uses old versions of everything (therefore limiting its usefulness to not much more than checking email), we are thrilled to have our computer back.

We were fine with using the old computer for the most part...it was the fact that Eric started his 3 online classes on Monday that was really making life a little difficult. But, all is well, at least for now.

So, I had a great time at Ed Week. I guess I'll post of few notes at a different time.

The kids seem to be off to a great start to the new school year.

As I mentioned, ERIC is taking 3 online classes: pre-calculus (which it turns out his cousin Megan is enrolled in it, too), English 101, and Psychology 102-psychology of personal and social adjustment. He is also in the WNC production of "Cinderella" where he is cast as a butcher and some other part like a villager. His cousin Michael is cast as the baker.

RYAN is taking French 4 (don't ask me why...since he has only had French I and II, but since the  French teacher retired at the end of last year, she is only coming back for this one class to let those who started French finish it...in the past she has taught a French 3/4 combined...why they don't call this class French 3/4 puzzles me, but that's OK and really of no import...just makes me wonder...). He also is a TA for Mr. Holt's Algebra 1B math class. He then has statistical elements, modern physics, English, and psychology (which is something he has been gaining a big interest in over the past many months).

HANNAH starts off her day with a heavy load: English honors followed by Geometry honors followed by Modern Biology honors. She then gets to relax a little in Glen's Theatre II class. Then it's Health, Volleyball PE, and Spanish I. And, since she made the tennis team, she has practice or games everyday after school until 5. Their first match of the year was on Tuesday, however, she didn't play in it. Today they will be in Reno at Galena. Don't know if she'll be playing or not.

ALEX is settling in to his new school, EC Best, but isn't 100% happy...he misses his old friends from Numa. But his teacher is fantastic and he seems to be really enthused about the class work. He did come home from school the first day and said that he had 2 new friends...so as he develops friendships we hope he will feel happier about the change.

GLEN is getting used to the new schedule (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays he sees all his classes for about 45 minutes each; on Thursdays it's a block schedule and each block lasts almost 90 minutes and he has his 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period classes; on Fridays it's a block schedule and he has 5th, 6th, and 7th classes with school being over early). He starts off at the HS M-Th teaching Intro to Theatre, Stagecraft 2 & 3 (set building), stagecraft 1, and Theatre 2, 3, and 4. Then he has his prep and then he ends his day at the Junior High teaching 2 theatre classes (with his nephew Joseph being one of his students). So Fridays he has his prep, then his 2 JH classes.

My paragraph for me is not going to be about school, but about our book that we read for book club this month. It was The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. WOW. What a book. It's been on my "want to read" list for years, but I tend to shy away from books that I'm afraid will be emotionally hard to take--so I've been putting it off.  I will admit that I cried like a fool towards the end...so much so I almost couldn't see the words on the page, but it was so worth it.

I'm so glad I finally read it. What an uplifting book. How inspiring she and her family are. The way they relied on the Lord, tried to listen to His Spirit, served others, and were just plain good. So, I highly recommend it. Makes you think how you'd react if such a thing were to happen today. I believe that reading that book has made it so that if that were to happen today, I'd react better and be a better person that if I hadn't read it. And that makes for a book worth reading.

P.S. It was pointed out to me that I neglected to mention ANDREW in my post. Other than to say he's doing well and might be transferred next week, I don't really have any news on him. We think of him often and pray for him daily and enjoy his weekly emails. He has 10 months left to serve. It's amazing how quickly his mission is passing by...

almost Camelot and dorm life at BYU Ed Week

You know the Camelot song about how it never rains till after sundown...

Monday it rained...during class only.

Wednesday it rained. After lunch I headed out 5 minutes early to my next class...it was raining but the bad part was the wind was really blowing. It even bent my umbrella. But, by the time everyone else was out of their previous class (5 minutes), the wind had stopped and it was gently raining.

Thursday, once again, it rained. As I sat in a class (taught by Lynn Scoresby) I watched through the huge windows as the wind tore at the trees and the rain fell heavily for most of the class. By the time class was over, it was still raining, but once again the wind was gone. And, since I had 2 umbrellas in my trunk, I had exchanged my bent umbrella for a good one, so I was set (it's amazing how many people don't carry umbrellas...then again there was a bit of lightening and I kept picturing myself getting fried...).

As for dorm life, I got up to use the community bathroom at 2 am. There is a light directly across from our dorm door (one of the few that is left on all night), so I had covered my eyes with my hand to avoid that painful first contact of when eyes adjusted to dark see the light. I stepped on something in the hall.

There was an index card with 2 mini-$100,000 candy bars attached to it. Above the candy it read, "Hope your week was worth..." Cute. I go to the restroom and see a sign on the door that says "Merrill Hall Potty Party." It gives me a chuckle.

I go into the bathroom this morning and I head to the stalls which are on the right, and for some reason my head looks to the left. On the wall above the urinals (Merrill Hall is a guys' dorm during the school year) is a sign saying something about welcome to the party. Then underneath are 3 signs: cookies--plunge in--lemonade. It's then that I notice what is in the urinals. The first one has a plunger in the middle and is surrounded my those cheap, fake vanilla/chocolate oreo cookies. In the urinal next to it is a yellow liquid (which I believe was just yellow-colored water and not lemonade...or anything else...). Too much fun.

I would have loved to take a picture of it, but I left my camera at home so Glen could take a photo of the kids on their first day of school...I forgot to remind him, so don't know if that happened. But it does sound like the new year is off to a good start for the kids and for Glen (well, Eric doesn't start at the community college, yet).

Having a great time. I would say this is heaven, but my family's not here with me, so Camelot will do. Been to 33 classes so far and will probably go to 8 today (taking time off to maybe buy a pressure cooker and find some peaches).

Tomorrow will be a long day in the car, but it'll all be so worth it.