Pictures of house and classroom :)

Sorry they are a little blurry.

Here's where I spend most of my time!!!

 Classroom:

 Shape Monsters!

Friend Tree!

 Our Rules

First Graders: Fricken CUTE!

First week of teaching first grade, new school, new district, new city, new state, new demographic SO GREAT! I love love love my school, my kids are super cute, my plans are going smoothly, they understand my Spanish and I have free time, things are going well!!

Of course they are first graders, so they act in certain ways I don't want, but all but one when I redirect or give an instruction listen right away. At the end of each day we always say "what was my favorite part of the day" and by the end of the week almost half of my kids were saying "todo"-everything!

My school is so supportive, they've been very helpful and the climate at school is just very happy and fun; people work hard, but they know that work is not life and they head home at decent hours!

Even with it being the first week of school, and having to stay after a little late, I've had lots of free time; enough to finish one of my wedding presents: Paris Puzzle

 

This weekend we have been able to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Played tennis right by our house yesterday,  walked the "bog walk" http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=356 today (walking distance from our house) and have been able to have the windows open almost 24/7! Last night I got to celebrate with my one Minneapolis friend Julie for her bachelorette night, and we went to Uptown, danced the night away and people watched!

 Today was a true Minnesotan, put on my Adrian Peterson Jersey and watched the Vikings win with Mark and our friend Tyler. We ate normal football food....huge vegetable tray and delicious cookies.

Overall, I'd say great first week. I've started normal schedule again, fall is coming, I've got a ticket booked to go to NC in a month, I'd say September is starting out well :)

Kids Come Monday!

So this week has just flown by! It was so great getting to meet everyone on my school team, in the district and my grade level team! Everyone is super friendly, helpful and just seem to love their jobs!

I got to meet my kiddos yesterday. They are soo stinking cute! And tiny! Some of them wouldn't even let go of their mom because they were so shy (wonder how long that will last!) I know that they will still present challenges, and that I will get frustrated at the things they can't do, but I'm actually embracing the chance to teach the little ones and have had a fun time getting my class ready for them!

Below you will see one of my bulletin boards for the Daily 5 (In Spanish of course) and my latest project is painting book covers on canvas! (Thanks to a fellow 1st grade teacher at my school's example!) I have done one so far, No, David! A book that I will read to the students the first day of school.

Mark and I have still been making time to do fun things (it's amazing how much a couple hours each day extra can add!)

This past weekend we went to the Minnesota State Fair (biggest in the country!) and I wore my new dress I made (See below) It was really fun, we didn't really do a ton, just walked around for a few hours, admired all the food on sticks, saw an old professor of Mark's, watched a bird show (that was for you Paul) and ate some food (turkey on a stick not worth it, don't do it!)

This week I also got the opportunity to babysit little Maxwell and went for a walk with my one Minnesotan friend (aside from my sister in law of course) and we got to enjoy the super hot weather we were given this past week (In MN "Super hot" is 92.... I'll take it over KC 105).

Other than that the house is pretty much done! Below you will see a picture of our kitchen island, that makes our little kitchen complete. I also included my delicious gluten free donuts I made this morning... because they are fallesque and it makes me excited that fall is now arriving! We are still waiting to furnish our guest room (pending guests to visit) but otherwise we feel very much at home.

Soo excited to see what next week brings! I'll keep you posted!

Life in the land of 10,000 lakes

So things are really coming along here in MN! Our house is 90% live-in ready. The only thing we are really waiting on is the kitchen table (which we ordered a while ago) and then we will have a fully furnished home!

For the dining room I have created a little menu board, because I love cooking, and preparing meals and trying to go to the grocery store less to save more money! Below the menu board you will see the first thing we had this week, the caesar salad :)

In addition, since school has yet to start I've been spending a lot of time going to the gym and working on projects. Below you will see the first thing I made with my NEW sewing machine (thanks Grandma :) ) Our front door had a little window, and we didn't like the thought of creepy people staring at us, so for a long time were using a bunch of post it notes. Now we have a MINI curtain :)

 In addition, we've really been enjoying our neighborhood! We have a tennis court 2 blocks away, then access to a trail along a creek. A few blocks further we have access to cross-country trails through the woods, that lead to Wirth Park and lake. (There is also a bog walk which we have yet to explore and a garden (NO DOGS ALLOWED :( ) ) Then going the other direction we have many times been to our favorite so far, Cedar Lake, which connects to Brownie lake (some more trails unexplored) and Lake of The Isles (a  little more crowded because it's closer to the city) and Lake Calhoun, the most well-known. Below you will see Cici and my exploration of Cedar today. We found a new trail that goes around it and she had fun in the water.

So pretty much that's what we've been doing the week leading up to work. I start on Wednesday, kids don't come until September and I'm GLAD because I'm a little nervous to teach those little baby 1st graders! Until then, I'll just keep enjoying the lakes :)

Memories

Whirlwind....that is the only way to describe the last few days. Not only was it a crazy summer.. but the last few days may have been the most intense!

Wedding, amazing. I don't know any other way to describe it. Yes, it was 105 degrees, Yes, we ran out of plates (and the caterer told ME!) and yes not everyone we invited came, but it was one of the greatest experiences of my life and so moving for me to see all the important people from two families come together as one.

Honeymoon, well it started with the geo breaking down.. BUT it was only 8 miles from our hotel, we were on the strip, we walked to the beach, called a tow truck and managed quite nicely on foot the entire weekend.

Then to living with the inlaws for two weeks. (Great way to start out a marriage right?) :) And it was nice. It was CRAZY, at one point there were 40 people in the house (14 of whom were kids and babies) but it was a really great experience getting to better know Mark's side of the family.

Then we drove BACK to KC, rented a truck, packed up all our furniture (once again 103/4 degree heat) and thanks to the help of a couple great friends were even able to fit the too big couch through the too small apartment and safely to our new home. We had our last time of local Kansas City barbeque and we said goodbye to a place that had been home.

It was funny, the last night we stayed in our apartment, Mark and I were lying in bed and we were pretty quiet. All of a sudden Mark realized I was actually crying. In his sweet and sensitive fashion he exclaimed "Are you crying!?!?" I, in fact, was! As much as I hated to admit it Kansas City was a place I had come to call home. I had become an adult there, I had my first real job, I learned what it was like to live in the city, I learned how people who are much less privileged than I myself had been grew up, I met great friends, I cried... a lot, I learned to appreciate places that have mountains and beaches and lakes and most of all I met my husband.

During that night I found it very hard to sleep reliving all my memories of Kansas City, those before in college, before that cheerleading competitively and traveling the country, hiking with my family, playing tag with my brother and dad, playing barbies with my mother, swimming in Miami beaches and swinging on a "mile-high" swing.

I realized that in life change is to be expected. All change is hard, but I realize with it brings new great things and memories. Even though this move to Mn has been hard, I look forward to the adventures it brings for me and my new family, and know that even though it is sad when one thing ends, it just marks the beginning of a new great adventure :)

Wow. I can't believe that I am where I currently am, because of so many different reasons. This past year starting a reformative charter school in Kansas City was amazing. There were so many ups and downs, and tears and frustration but to see how it all played out and ended just fills my heart with pride. Seeing my students grow over 2 years of growth on average in EVERY single subject (according to the NWEA assessment) just shows how hard both we as teachers and they as students busted their butts this year. They TRULY made me proud!

 On the last day of school telling them (thankfully with Mark by my side ;) ) that I would not be teaching the next year and that I KNEW they would be in great hands brought tears to my eyes and theirs but they took it almost more maturely than I did myself. Of course there were the comments "We are going to adultnap you "(opposite of kidnap), and "Why do you have to leave you are one of the good and fun teachers!" all the way to "You can leave AS LONG AS you promise to come to our middle school, high school and college graduation!" I'm not sure I can describe the love I feel for these kids even though anyone close knows how often I would complain about them not listening, or not trying hard enough etc. etc. These kids have truly changed their mindsets and behaviors for the better and I KNOW that if they stay at that school they will meet our joint goal of going to and graduating from college!

And now, begins a new chapter in my life, starting with in 8 days, marrying my best friend :) I can't believe I will soon be a wife, but I also never knew I could care for our love anyone as much as I do him! I'm SO thankful for the 10 days I get to be here in NC before the wedding. Mom and I have been doing yoga, pilates, zumba. She's helped me buy ALL the things I'm going to need for the wedding. She's gotten me a massage ( I think she's trying to make sure I stay relaxed!) Dad has helped me with all the technology, fixing a virus on my computer the DAY I arrived. I am just so thankful for these two and know without them I would be a mess! Paul arrived today and we have already gotten to enjoy our new favorite event together, GETTING FROZEN YOGURT (yes this is just one way he is better than my fiance :)) And we've all gotten to love seeing the new Jack Russell puppy terrorize everyone else in the house, yet be SOO sweet and cuddly at the same time. (Just don't get too close or she WILL bite, and it WILL hurt!)

 So now in 1 week I will be becoming a part of a BIGGER family, and be a Gerlach and an Aronson :) I'm excited to spend a couple of weeks with Mark on our honeymoon, get to see one of my close friends get married in July (then another in October, then November, then June, then July) and then move and start a new chapter in Minnesota! While it will be quite a change for this Carolina girl, I know that it is going to be great and I'm excited to start my new job teaching in Spanish again at an immersion school, teaching.... FIRST GRADE! Essentially this is a year of new beginnings for my husband-to-be and myself. We are excited to embark in the adventure together and know that even though there will be twists and turns we have so many great things happening and amazing people who will always be there to help us along the way.

So to new beginnings and a crazy road ahead!

Spring Time!

So apparently I'm the WORST blogger in the world> I always promise for everyday updates, but apparently my every day is just too busy!

Right now it's starting to get closer and closer to the end of the year which means big changes, wedding, moving, new jobs and life! We are very excited just anxiously waiting interviews and calls from principals! We've spent the past couple of days getting more stuff ready for the wedding and we're feeling pretty good about it. All the attire is planned for now as well as the food and gifts :) We have also booked a hotel in the Outer Banks for the first part of our honeymooon, before we fly to Wisconsin to spend the second half in Lake Superior! (Best of his world and mine )

School is going well, I'm amazed at how far our kids have come. Does that mean they are perfect? No, but I'm feeling confident as we move into state testing that they will be prepared, comfortable and confident in their abilities to score at least 50% proficient school wide (Over 25% higher than the district!)The kids have also grown a lot in their responses and respect to each other and teachers! I remember the beginning of the year it was like watching them with hawks eyes to make sure they didn't turn the wrong way or step out of line, but now they are becoming leaders for each other and want to make sure that they and other people are proud of their school. I still hear the "I hate this school!" At least once a day, but they are middle schoolers, and that is to be expected! All in all I know the majority of them love school, and amazingly enough I find myself looking forward to seeing the students everyday! I will definitely miss both the kids and teachers next year!

In other news tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY :) yay! I'm so excited (25!) Mainly because it's an excuse for me to get excited and enjoy a nice start to my week! It's only a 4 day week and then I'm headed to NC and get to see my family and celebrate a late birthday and easter with them! The following weekend I'm headed to Minneapolis (with Mark) to do a sample teach lesson in a Spanish Immersion school, so that will be first In-person interview. I've had a few over the phone, with a few schools in NC but it seems as though no one is looking for teachers yet!

I think the rest of the year is going to fly by! I'm excited to spend a few weekends in Kansas City hanging out with some people who have become such close friends with me, going to baseball games, city Market, Yogurtini and long walks! Also goin to have the opportunity to head to Boston with my college Suitemates for a Bachelorette weekend as well as a couple of field trips (including an overnight!) with my students! And not to mention I'll have a few visitors, my cousins Lindsay and Katie, as well as anyone else who wants to come by!

For now that's about it! That was a lot of updates since I haven't blogged since NOVEMBER! Still cooking lots and trying new creations for Mark! I'll try and start keeping those more up to date! For now I leave you with Kansas City in the Spring!