A New Year

The school year is off to a roaring start! Whew, am I tired today! Today was the first full day of school for us (yesterday was a half day). The first few weeks of teaching the first grade are very exhausting. I spend a lot of time and energy teaching them simple routines and procedures that make the classroom run smoothly. There are things these little guys just don't know- like what to do when a pencil breaks, how to walk in the hall, what to do when they have to go to the bathroom during recess, where to hang up their coats, how to put their name on their papers, etc. etc. etc. I can't tell you how many times I was asked, "Is it time to go home yet?". That question was first asked at 9:30 this morning, and was still being asked as they walked to their busses.


Despite the amazing amount of energy it takes to work with 21 six year olds all day (and try to remain cheerful and pleasant the whole time!) I really do have a lot of fun. Today I stopped at the restrooms as I was taking my kiddos to Music and told them they had a minute to take a quick break. Five minutes later I had to go looking for a couple of girls. I walked into the bathroom to find one little girl stuck in her pants. Literally. She couldn't undo her belt, but she was able to shimmy her tight little pants down her bottom part way. There she was, standing there with her butt cheeks puffing out of her pants due to the tightness of her belt, and the other girls standing around contemplating what they should do to help her. Anyway, I sucked in my laugh and quickly helped her undo her belt. She hitched up her britches and off we went to Music class.

After school I was chatting with another teacher whose son I happen to have in my class. She let me know that her son couldn't sleep last night because he was intent on wanting to go to Walmart and "get Mrs. Bryant a healthy snack"! He refused to bring in one of the peaches they had at home because "teachers need apples or oranges". I can expect to see an apple on my desk tomorrow. Hehe!

60th Anniversary

Wow, I know this posting is late! It has been a very busy week. My graduate class started, plus I went back to work, getting my classroom ready for the new school year. Anyway, last weekend was Grandpa and Grandma Bohle's 60th anniversary party. It was fun chatting with lots of relatives and it was a blessing to be able to spend the afternoon celebrating such a wonderful occasion. Below are some pictures from the party.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband! I love you!

My Thoughtful Husband

Yesterday my wonderfully thoughtful husband arrived home from work carrying this beautiful bouquet of flowers. Every once in a while Tyson surprises me with flowers that are for no special occasion. Thank you for the gorgeous flowers my wonderful husband! You always know how to brighten my day!

Upcoming Events

60th Anniversary Party- Grandpa and Grandma Bohle are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this weekend! In a society where staying married for even just ten years is an accomplishment, it is wonderful to celebrate such a milestone. They are celebrating with brunch and dancing on Saturday. What a great combination! I love breakfast food (I hear there will be crepes....yum!), and Tyson and I love dancing. We've been brushing up on the foxtrot and waltz. Tyson and I are looking forward to spending the weekend at my parents house, visiting with them as well as my brother and his wife (and of course, snuggling our niece!). I also am looking forward to seeing the house my parents are in the process of building. How exciting!

The Seal's- While in Rupert I'll be visiting my oldest and one of my dearest friends, Jenny. By oldest I mean number of years we've been friends, not age! Jen and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. She used to live across the street from me, and I would spend my afternoons standing at the end of my driveway waiting to see if she would come out of her house, as I was too shy to walk over and knock on the door! Throughout the years we have experienced quite a bit together. Though we often go months and even years without talking, we always pick up right where we left off! I can't wait to see Jen and her three little boys on Friday!

School, already?- I can not believe how quickly the summer whizzed by! I go back to work on Monday. All of next week is dedicated to working in my classroom, teacher trainings, and meetings. Then, on the 27th the kids officially start school. People have been asking me if I'm ready for the school year to start, usually with concerned faces and assuming I'm filled with dread, but I'm not. I am really looking forward to the start of this school year. I LOVED teaching first grade last year, and now that I really know what I'm doing, I can't wait to jump in and get started with my new batch of first graders! I can't wait to hear the silly things they have to say or get more hugs than I can count in a day, or be told "I love you Mrs. Bryant! You're my favorite teacher!" numerous times throughout the day. First grade is (I think) one of the most grueling grades to teach. I literally come home physically exhausted some days. First grade is such a transition year. I spend my year transitioning kiddos from kindergarten to preparing them for second grade. I have to teach them to read, and most leave reading chapter books! I have to teach them to write, and most leave writing complete stories, letters, etc. I have to teach them to add, subtract, solve story problems, count by 2s, 5s, and 10s, measure, analyze data, etc. And most leave able to do all of the above. And I have to integrate science, social studies, art, and character education into my thematic units. It is work, work, work. But is very rewarding, the parents are super supportive, and I work at a great school. I can't wait to get started!

I'll post some pics early next week of the anniversary party, hangin' with Jen, and maybe even of my classroom. Have a great rest of the week!

Laundry Time

This afternoon I went to grab the next load of dirty laundry to toss in the washer and found Moose snoozing right on top of it! Some help he is! Is that a good excuse to avoid doing my laundry?

Redfish Lake 2007

Tyson, Moose, and I went on our last camping trip for the season this week. We spent a few days at Redfish Lake, one of the prettiest lakes in Idaho. This year we made our campsite reservations way in advance, in order to make sure we actually got a campsite near the lake. Based on previous experience, if you do not have a reservation, you will never get near the lake. You will end up camping down the highway in the crappiest, dustiest campground (if you can even call it that) ever. Anyway, we ended up in Glacier campground, just a short walk from the lake.

We affectionately call our most recent campground experience ‘neighborhood camping’. While it was sooo nice to be near the lake in an established campground, it was rather crowded. We had campers right next to us. In fact, let us take a little lesson in camping etiquette here- the guy next to us set up a target for archery practice within just a few feet of our tents. Not only that, but his only backstop was a tree stump. Behind the stump was an open area with a road (and many pedestrians) behind it. If the idiot, I mean gentleman, had missed his target he would have either shot through our tent or zinged it toward the road. He spent an evening zinging his arrows near our camp. We felt like we really had to watch our backs while we ate dinner. We all felt that was just a little rude….but not everyone is graced with the knowledge of camping etiquette that we possess (haha..).

When all said and done, the camping facilities were great, and besides, we were really there for the lake, not the camping. The lake and surrounding area is beautiful! Last year we really enjoyed swimming and paddling around in our kayak, so this year we planned to spend an entire full day on the beach. Now, Moose has been less than enthusiastic about water in the past. I know, it was a great shame and embarrassment for us to own a Lab who despised being in the water. However, the first day we took him to the dog beach he watched the big dogs swimming and fetching in the water. And, being the puppy he is, he just cannot wait to be hangin’ with the big dogs. It was not long before we had a hard time keeping him out of the water!

Our day at the beach was so much fun. We set up our chairs, beach cabana, brought snacks and drinks, read books, swam, played with Moose, and paddled around. Moose even came along for the ride! We bought the cutest little dog life vest for him, in case he jumped out of the kayak in the middle of the lake. He did not like the vest too well, but he sat with me in the kayak and enjoyed watching the water whisk by. Unfortunately, we did not get any pictures of us all in the kayak.

Our friend, Dennis, camped out with us too. It was great having him along, as he and his wife have become great friends of ours. It was unfortunate that Larissa could not make it though! We missed having her along.

Now it is time to say ‘goodbye’ to our camping season ’07. We have had fun!

Moose was doing the wet noodle thing while Tyson was trying to put the vest on him.
Tyson is typically the camp cook, especially at breakfast!Our view from the beach.
Moose loved fetching in the water and swimming with Tyson. Here he was trying out his new vest!
What a swimmer he is now!
Moose has an after-water ritual. He rolls all around in the sand trying to dry off. Here he still has sand stuck all over his nose. How cute!
Moose and I were practicing sitting in the kayak together before leaving for our trip.

Hanging out at camp.
Our awesome beach set-up.