Peter and Anne

Went to the zoo today...

2009-09-29T19:21:00.002-06:00

We kind of belong there...so it wasn't that much of a stretch!

So my group was at the hippo exhibit and there was also a high school group there writing observations about the animals. One of the girls in the older group noticed one of the hippos had a mark on his back and she goes "is that a scar?" and one of my little smart-a kids who was walking by goes "NO! It's a hippo! Duh."

Ha! Kids are great.

It's so much harder to blog when you're employed...

2009-09-28T20:20:00.003-06:00

Hey ya'll.

I'm in my fourth week of school now (wow...already?), so I guess it's time to try to get back to some of the "normal" parts of my life. Like blogging. And housework. And cooking actual meals.

I have, to say the least, been busy. My kids are...hard to explain. They are

genuine
frustrating
complicated
challenging
difficult
rewarding
hilarious
bewildering
infuriating
exhausting
so loveable.

I team-teach a grade 1-4 class of 20 students at a school for students with a variety of learning and behavioral disabilities. That means all my kids have one or some combination of the following:

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
Autism
Reading and/or math disabilities
Cognitive delays/disabilities
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
Kleinfelters Syndrome
Asbergers

Peter explains them as "the A-team of bad kids" and to some extent, he's exactly right! They are the kids every regular ed teacher secretly (or not so secretly) wishes she could get rid of. They are emotionally and physically demanding. I think I won't even tell you what our bad days look like, but rest assured, to the untrained eye they would look like a nightmare.

But. These are also the kids who have been made to feel worthless, stupid, neglected, and unloved by others and at our school and in our class, we get to make them feel safe. It is so amazing to build that safety net for them and see them start to trust us. These kids are not worthless, stupid or unloveable. They are affectionate, clever and funny.

I love them and I love my job!

P.S. tomorrow we're going to the zoo for our first field trip! Yay! Hope nobody jumps into bear exhibit or anything. No really...

Swimming

2009-07-27T17:16:00.002-06:00

This weekend we took Bella swimming at the Bow River first with Kathryn and Andrew and their lab Iggy on Saturday, then actually again with Tim and Christine and Rosie on Sunday (however, I only had the camera for Saturday's swim). Bella is a terrible swimmer. Granted, she's never really had the chance before this summer. Still. She is supposed to be a water dog, right? Retrieving ducks, etc? We thought she'd pick it up naturally. Nope. She swims like this:

Head as far out of the water as possible, and what you can't see, is that she lifts her front paws way out of the water and smacks them down in front of her which is what is causing all the splashing. I will have to try to get a video next time. I have to say though, at least she loves it and is not afraid of the water (or of looking silly either, apparently).
Bella and Iggy (who Kathryn said was a reluctant deep end swimmer, until Saturday when it all clicked and she figured out she's lab! And labs are great swimmers!)

Since they were swimming in the big river (which has an actual, dangerous current) Peter played the part of lifeguard and kept watch to make sure no puppies got swept away. Aww.

A month later...

2009-07-21T10:25:00.005-06:00

As you've noticed, I've been absent from the blogging world for awhile. This is not, however, due to me doing anything constructive or meaningful that is taking up all of my time. I'm getting sucked into the black hole of unemployment and I can hardly motivate myself to do laundry, much less blog. Here's what we've been up to, in a nutshell:

1. We went to Stampede. See July's postings from last year for details and pictures. This year's festivities were almost identical. I think we'll skip Stampede next year, sadly the magic has worn off a bit. Except we did see Kenny Chesney in concert this year, which was fun.

2. We (Peter, actually) has been working very hard and finished the deck. It looks gorgeous! We bought some beautiful deck furniture and a grill and we've been spending alot of time out there.

Before:

After:

3. Peter had to go to Edmonton for a day for meetings so I tagged along and went to The Biggest Mall in North America (West Edmonton Mall) and was decidedly horrified at the size and extravagance of the place. They have a trained sea lion who does shows for the shoppers every hour, for heavens sake.

4. I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was awesome.

5. On that note, I'm re-reading the HP series this summer. I'm about the start #7.

6. Missy and Bryan are coming to see us in August!! Not for long enough (hint hint, Missy). But it will be fun nevertheless.

7. I found out I will be teaching 4/5 grades combined with a partner teacher. We met for coffee a few weeks ago and she seems really cool. I've never team-taught or known anyone who has, so this will be a new experiment for me.

8. I've been working on my Canadian History course a bit. It's terribly boring.

9. I've also been walking/running two miles a day on the treadmill in the basement. I hate it, it's hard and it's not getting any easier. Today I ran the trails at the dog park and I NEARLY DIED. Running outside (though more interesting) is much harder. At least I had company - Bella ran with me which was fun.

That's all, folks.

I'm back...

2009-06-23T10:35:00.002-06:00

Stay tuned for pics and a synopsis!

I'm off to Oklahoma for two weeks!

2009-06-05T09:21:00.001-06:00

I plan on eating Mexican and/or barbeque every night!

Yah mon

2009-06-01T14:02:00.007-06:00

We're back from our trip to paradise and it was amazing!

We stayed here...

and this was the view from our room.

We spent everyday on the beach...

laying out...

and reading...

and playing in the water.

And this guy offered to sell us souvenirs and/or weed off his raft. We declined on both counts.

Then we went parasailing...which was awesome.

(please excuse the bad Jamaica accent during Peter's commentary and all the shrieking)

We also went scuba diving with an instructor who I've dubbed the Ocean Whisperer because during our dive with him we saw a sea turtle, a lion fish, three sting rays, an electric eel, a tiny jellyfish, two squids, and a zillion gorgeous fish. Sadly, our underwater camera was out of film already, so we can't really prove we saw all that, you just have to believe me.

And we enjoyed great food and entertainment every night!

In conclusion, we had a great time...

and everything else that happened in Jamaica, stays in Jamaica!

(Just kidding, nothing else happened)

Hello! You've reached the Mathews...

2009-05-22T10:51:00.000-06:00

we can't come to the phone right now because we're at the beach! Leave us a message and we'll return your call when we get back to reality!

Celebrating two years!

2009-05-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

Two years ago today I married my best friend and sweetheart. These two years have been full of joy, challenges, changes, and adventures and I love Peter so much more today than I did on our wedding day because of those experiences!

Here are some pictures of us along with way...

I think this was our first Valentine's Day together in 2004.

This was around the time of Kate's wedding, so...fall of 2005?

I don't know where we were going here, but it must have been 2005/2006ish because I rocked the big blonde curls my first year teaching.

This was at Huntington Beach in California during the trip where Peter proposed in August of 2006.

An engagement picture taken at OSU, spring 2007.

Our beautiful wedding, May 12, 2007.

First dance.

Easter 2008.

Summer 2008 in Calgary!

Skiing at Lake Louise, spring 2009.

Peter, I love you! You make me laugh, you teach me about forgiveness, patience and kindness and I'm so grateful for you!

My attempt at gardening...

2009-05-06T13:32:00.003-06:00

So apparently, it's really too early to plant much yet. End of May is when it's ok to plant things that are sensitive to frost. Pansies, however, are not all that sensitive. So to give my "garden" a little color, I got some yellow and purple pansies and also got some quaking grass, which will grow tall and will come back next year.

Looks a little meager for now, but in a few more weeks I'll add some more and hopefully what I've already planted will fill out a little. I'll also mulch later, so that will make everything look nicer. It's just too early yet...isn't that weird? Back home, the key is to wait until after Easter but then you're good to go. Different climate up here.

These little dudes popped up all by themselves and I can't decide what they are (because my knowledge of flora is so vast, you know). Maybe tulips? I wanted to move them because they're in an akward spot, but they have monstrous big roots and are all connected. So, they will stay where they are and we'll see what they turn into.

This is my next project. See all those little, obnoxious white rocks? Who would put those in their garden?? Someone before me, so I'm going to try to get them all out so I can plant pretty flowers here too. I'm in a gardening kind of mood I guess. I want to plant some big flower pots on the back deck too. All in good time...must wait for the weather.

Oh happy day...

2009-05-06T13:27:00.002-06:00

Happy, happy dishwasher day.

Notice anything missing?

2009-05-04T09:32:00.003-06:00

We had asked our wonderful landlord if we could cut down the awful shrubs in front of the house and Sunday he showed up with a chainsaw and did it for us! Look how sweet our house is without those monsters! I'm planning a pretty flower garden where they used to be!

Things we learned this weekend

2009-05-04T08:42:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning I looked out my front window and saw horrible, black smoke pouring out of my across-the-street neighbor's upstairs window. I yelled for Peter to look and then scrambled around for a phone to call 911 (who put me on hold!). Peter ran across the street to make sure the people in the house were coming out and tried to help them find their cats, but the smoke soon forced all three of them out of the house. The firemen showed up and we wrangled up the the people who lived in the house and tried to keep them out of the way of the firemen while they worked. The girl who lived there was, with good reason, quite hysterical. She had lit a candle in her bedroom and then gone to take a shower and her cat knocked it over onto a pile of clothes. She came out of the bathroom to her closet in flames. Between the fire upstairs and the water from the firehose, her place is destroyed. And, bless her, she had no renters insurance. But she and her roomate were unharmed, the cats showed up hours later saftely hidden in the basement, and her landlord seemed like a kind man.

So, what did we learn here?

1. Make sure your smoke detectors work. And that you have one upstairs and downstairs.
2. Don't leave lit candles unattended.
3. Renter's insurance is worth the money.
4. Know where your fire extinguisher is.

Do over

2009-05-01T11:25:00.001-06:00

We've rebooked for a trip to Jamaica...hopefully The Swine Flu doesn't ruin this one too...

Fingers crossed!

Thanks kid...

2009-04-29T15:46:00.001-06:00

You've ruined our trip to Mexico.

Big news for Peter (and a little something for me too)!

2009-04-26T10:14:00.008-06:00

The company Peter works for has reorganized itself entirely - it used to be 7 divisions that all operated under the mother company, Baker Hughes. Peter worked for Centrilift. It was decided that the company would be more effective/efficient if there were no such bounderies between divisions (which had lead, in the past, to a spirit of competiton instead of one of teamwork, since every division had its own bottom line to worry about). The new organization is done according to region, not division. To use Peter's handy way of explaining what this means for the exployees, they dumped the basket over and are now selecting who goes where, starting at the top and working the way down. For a little while, we were worried that we might be put back somewhere else...or left out of the basket entirely! Instead, they gave Peter a HUGE promotion and lots more responsibility by naming him the Sales Manager of Canada. But he's already a sales manager, you may argue. You would be right, but I said the Sales Manager for Canada, not a sales manager!

So...a celebration is in order, don't you think? I agree. To help get Peter relaxed and ready for this giant responsibility (and so I can hang with my hubby one last time before his company swallows him up!), we are going to Mexico!!! We found a great deal for vacation package to Mazatlan, Mexico for the end of May (thanks to westjetvacations.com) so we booked it yesterday! We've been talking about a vacation for months but haven't been proactive about planning anything, until Tuesday when Peter called me from work and said "I'm so ready for a vacation, let's go somewhere tomorrow!" and I said I'd see what I can do, but those "last second deals" don't actually mean The Last Second. So, the closest I could get to "tomorrow" was May 23, so we thought it over for a few days and decided to book it!

We are going here:

And staying at the El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel for 7 nights May 23-30!

I'm so excited I keep spontaneously bursting into song and dance. Sun and sand, here we come!

Spring in Calgary

2009-04-22T18:05:00.002-06:00

A fun weekend with Nathan and Katie!

2009-04-20T10:14:00.004-06:00

Our friends from Dallas, Nathan and Katie, came to see us this weekend! They got here Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday. It was a short trip and it went so fast!! On Friday we showed them around downtown and then had dinner and drinks at Earls. Saturday morning we drove out to Banff and rode the gondola up to the top of Sulphur Mountain and walked around at the top (it was so cold at the top!! Peter almost didn't bring his jacket because it was so nice at the bottom, but he changed his mind at the last second which was a good idea!).

Me and Peter on the gondola

Walking up the path to the top

There is an old research station at the top. A scientist lived up here for years studying the effects of cosmic energy.

Peter, Nathan, Katie and Anne at the top of Sulphur Mountain

The view from the top. That is Lake Minnewanka in the distance between the peaks.

At the top!

On Saturday night we went to Flames Central to watch game 2 (Katie is a hockey whiz, so I kept asking her questions and I learned alot!) and the UFC fight. Then on Sunday we took them for breakfast at the farmer's market and then to the airport.

It was such a fast weekend, but we had a great time! We love to show off our city and it's so great to see friends from home!! Nathan and Katie - thanks for coming!!

Some News

2009-04-17T09:33:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I went for an interview at a small, private school here in Calgary called The Third Academy. Their focus and vision is to create and deliver highly individualized instruction to special needs students (the majority of their population seem to have learning disabilities that have not been properly managed at their public school) with the goal of meeting their emotional needs/building self-esteem, teaching time and self management skills, and filling in gaps in their skill sets and then returning them to their community school when they are ready. They have very small class sizes (12 kids max!), specialists like speech and psychologists onsite, and the teacher really seems to valued as en expert (whereas at a public school, often the teacher becomes the vessel to pour out what the school board/state/government wants).

The interview went well. Really well actually. We had more of a conversation about what I believe and what they believe and then he took me on a tour of the facility. The school is...old. It's old and small and on one floor of a builiding they share with other businesses. But, the director knew the name of every child he passed in the hall. I get the feeling that this place is (not to be cliche) like a family. They are probably all up in each other's business in a good way - you know the saying "it takes a village to raise a child"? That's the impression I came away with. Probably all the teachers work together to rehabilitate these kids. After my year at Tulsa where I worked alone, rather than on a team I am so drawn to having that professional community again. And it's so tempting to not work at in public school environment.

Oh yeah...and he offered me a position as an elementary teacher for next fall (I wouldn't know what exact grade level until later because of the rotating nature of their population, but any elementary level is ok with me).

So...I think I'll probably take it. I dig the grassroots-ness of this little school.

I want to win a custom blog makeover!

2009-04-14T16:59:00.003-06:00

So. Thecutestblogontheblock.com is the best website ever for blog freebies. As you know, I change my background alot because I love all of them! I'm entering to win a free custom makeover from TCBOTB and to get an extra entry I'm supposed to tell about the contest on my blog (only don't enter because that will lower my chances of winning!! Kidding - sort of). Click here to read more and enter by April 16th for a chance to win.

Good luck to me! Mama wants a new blog design!!

What a mess

2009-04-13T16:49:00.003-06:00

Things are not going well in my quest to start teaching here. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Calgary Board of Ed had misplaced my security clearance form. As of Thursday, they had found it but advised me that I should have gotten a clearance from the RCMP, not the Calgary Police (Royal Canadian Mounted Police - like their FBI - versus the city police). I was specifically told (in person AND in a letter from CBE) that I had to get clearance from the Calgary Police, no one mentioned the RCMP. I really hate to seem like a damsel in distress here, but honestly, how am I supposed to know what the steps are if no one from CBE tells me? I did a tiny internet search of the process for getting an RCMP clearance, and according to their website it takes 120 days. 120 DAYS!! That's four more months! I called CBE back to verify that it is ABSOLUTELY necessary, but the lady who I needed to talk it is (of course) out of town until tomorrow.

So I'm waiting. Rotting my brain to Titanic to pass a few hours and waiting.

What am I going to do if she says that yes, in fact, I absolutely do have to have RCMP clearance? I've already quit the clinic and they've already hired a replacement. I can't see myself waiting at home for 120 days for this to go through. I'm losing hope here a little.

Please pray for me and this process because I think I'm stuck. Again.

Coming soon...a breakdown of the costs associated with this process. It'll rock your world, I promise.

Resolutions I have actually kept, and some I haven't

2009-04-09T09:45:00.004-06:00

1. Handwash all dishes - check. (our dishwasher is broken enough to leave horrible water spots and detergent residue all over the dishes, but not broken enough for the landlord to fix, so we have stopped using it cold turkey.)

2. Join a physical fitness class - check (yoga twice a week!)

3. Go skiing - check (we've been to Louise 3 times and Panorama once since Christmas!)

4. Quit working at the clinic and get a real job already - halfway check (I quit the clinic and will start subbing as soon as they finish processing my paperwork)

5. Brush Bella once a week - meeehhhh (I'm guilty of ignoring that one - but I blame it on the weather!)

6. Recycle - check (I just took a huge load of recyclables to the recycling center yesterday, and I got $11 back for cans and bottles!)

7. Use cloth bags at the grocery store instead of getting plastic ones - check (almost every time!)

So there you go. I think I'm doing pretty good with my resolutions this year!

I'm a dumbass

2009-04-07T15:04:00.004-06:00

Well, I seem to be having an inadvertant vacation week. I was supposed to start subbing this week, BUT I'm a dumbass who doesn't read directions so Friday when I took the last of my paperwork up to the board building, I actually took it to the wrong place. Wrong floor. Wrong building. Wrong quadrant of the city entirely. How was I supposed to know there is one location for recruiting and an entirely different location for processing?

Oh yes. Had I read the directions that came with my contract, I would have known exactly where to go.

So now they are looking for my paperwork, which is currently missing. I hope they find it. And send it along to the correct office.

I'll let you know if it works out.

The "Nazi Bus Driver" made me do it

2009-04-04T09:11:00.004-06:00

Ugh...so I joined Facebook. I had been holding out...just because...I don't know why...exactly. I really only joined because Kate sent me a link to a video on someone's Facebook. A priceless, hysterical, piece of my history. It is a video somebody took (which I didn't know until yesterday existed) during the ski trip I went on with my youth group as a sophomore in high school. I would have been 14. Each year there was a skit contest. The rules? 1. use every item in the provided "prop box" 2. do something funny and stupid in front of everyone else. At about minute 5:25 in this video, there is a gem of a skit, presented by OLCC's sophomore class, entitled "The Nazi Bus Driver" which is exactly what you would expect, kids doing things on accident to enrage an abnormally grouchy bus driver and then getting thrown out of the moving bus. I wish I could post the video, but I can't. Here is the link if you are also a memeber of the Facebook community AND you are interested enough to watch this wacky piece of history.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=157493895122&ref=nf

So, you can now find me on Facebook thanks to the Nazi Bus Driver.

Ca-razy weekend!

2009-03-25T18:50:00.009-06:00

Last Thursday we...

picked up our guests up at the airport...

partied till the wee hours (from left to right: Kat, Anne, Chris, Vinod, Taylor and Ashley)...

and played Spoons.

Then on Friday we...

toured around Calgary, had lunch at Flames Central and watched March Madness, and went for a nice dinner and drinks.

On Saturday we...

went skiing at Lake Louise...

and Peter showed off his crazy new trick...

oops...lets try that again...

then we went to the actual Lake Louise (which you may remember from earlier posts, is frozen) and Peter Walked on Water (pun intended).

On Sunday we...

woke up to 18 cm of fresh snow...

so Bell and I played in the snow.

Then it was time for everyone to go back to Texas. It was a great weekend!!