VIDEOS!!

Playing in the yukon....

And a tour of my house... I hope you don't get motion sickness watching these. Ha!

Short week--HPB Inservice

So it was a short week of school... The kids loved that. Ha. Today we were supposed to get out at 2 to catch the flight at 245 and 4. THEN our principal came on the intercom at 1250 and said for reasons beyond her control school would be out at 1... HOLY CRAP!! Talk about change of plans... Haha. My kids were freaking out, they were a bit confused. But we all made it.

Then we jumped on the plane to come to HPB. I got to sit shotgun and I was SOOOOOO excited!!!

The pilot was talking plane talk to me because "you seem interested." Ha. It was fun--we talked about the weather and how that affects the smoothness of the ride. He also talked about some of the controls and cruising speed and blah blah blah. You'll have to just sit on your head for that picture--I can't figure out how to turn the picture around in blogger... 

Now, I'm laying in bed in Hooper Bay (HPB). We went to their beach today-- Jana and I spotted a jellyfish, so we took some pictures with it but didn't disturb it. Then we found a dead jellyfish and played with it a bit... 

Played about 2 1/2 hours of volleyball and am proud to say, I've still got my serve... :) And I've got a floorburn on my left knee to show my hustle. :) 

Here are some pictures from the beach today. It was beautiful, sorta chilly, but soooo nice!! Jana found a sand dollar, yay her! 

Will write more tomorrow after a day of training--I'll upload more pictures too. :) Love and hugs!

Beautiful Sunny Sunday!

So this week is a short week!! WOOOO!!!!! :) Today I slept in, well until 730 when Dad called me.... But I went back to sleep a little... Then I enjoyed a morning of coffee and watching Animal House. Miss my dad!!

Sarah and I walked down to the dock because it was such a beautiful day. The tide was out so it was WAYYYYYY low.... We took a bunch of pictures. I'll post them below. Then I came to school and have been here for about 5 hours... Trying to get ready for a SHORT WEEK!! I have my lesson plans done... Maybe I won't have to come to work until 7 tomorrow morning! Haha.

I took 2 videos today... One of me walking in the river.... Its kinda dumb, but entertaining for sure. Ha! The other is a tour of my house and where I walk to school... I'll post them if I can get them to send to my computer.

 Sunset the other night... The sky was a beautiful blue and the clouds created a distinct contrast.

 Sunset on the other side of my house on a different night... Totally leaned out the kitchen window to take this picture! Ha.

 Beautiful clouds.... The river was way low.... Tide was out.

 Reminded me of clam digging with Uncle Goonie!

 Yukon River pedicure! haha.

 Beautiful afternoon.

 Roommate bonding time in the rocks and driftwood.

 "Thinking about our awesomeness." --Sarah Rhoads

 So artistic... Ha!

Walking back toward home from the river.

Diet Pepsi tower

Hahaha.... Here is what 931 dollars worth of diet coke and diet pepsi looks like..... :)

Two new experiences this week...

Hahaha!!! So.... A few weeks ago the teachers here put together a bush order... I didn't really need much, but thought I'd get some Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke so the shipping would be cheaper.... Well, what I THOUGHT I was ordering was 1 pack of 36 cans.... What they sent was 36 packs of 36 cans.... I'll take a picture of the stack later... Moral of that story?? Be so unbelievably clear on bush orders.


Next new experience.... I've been sick for like almost a month so I decided to go to the little clinic here to make sure it wasn't turning into pneumonia or something... I walk in and the health aide asked what I was dying from today... I said bronchitis and this is why.... So he checked my vitals, listened to my lungs then got out this rather large book.... Its what I like to call the "choose your own illness" book. He said, "Oh its page 263 for you" then started asking me questions of what symptoms I had.... I kept thinking I could've totally come in here complaining of heart attack symptoms and he'd have diagnosed me with that.... But I didn't. He gave me an inhaler for my bronchitis.... Hopefully I'll get better soon. However, I did cough until I threw up twice last night... not fun.


Back to work I go--lots to do before my munchkins come in an hour! Have a fantastic day everyone.

XOXO

What a week....

Holy cow its been a while since I posted last.... Lots has happened in the last week and a half.... Last weekend I learned how to filet a salmon... Clark was kind enough to show me how to cut it up and I really enjoyed it. Last weekend was a quiet one... Sarah was in training in Anchorage and Michael and Jana were at Marshall for Cross Country... So, I spent most of the weekend enjoying me time...

The week went SUPER fast... It was thursday before I even knew the week had started. The kids are getting better with behavior, but I find things everyday that I need to take ten steps back on.... This week our focus is on modeled writing... I didn't realize how badly they need to see a writer write in order for them to be able to pick up on it a bit...

This weekend wasn't much of a break. Ha! We had the cross country meet here in Alakanuk and kids showed up Friday before school was even out... So, I spent lots of time at school this weekend helping out and hanging out with kids. It was fun. I danced like a crazy woman friday night--I know, big shocker, right?! Haha. The kids did fantastic at the meet, we have one girl and two boys going to the regional meet this weekend.

Saturday my friend Clark shot--or as they say here, caught-- a moose... So we spent part of yesterday afternoon cutting up the moose... I loved it. Everyone kept asking if I cut up deer and other game before because I just jumped right in... Nope! But I'm no stranger to giving it a shot. :) I really had fun cutting up the moose... I can't wait til Paul gets his moose so I can do it again! :)

Now, its almost time for kids to come--well in like an hour, but I better finish my lesson plans and get my day started... I'll upload some pictures of the salmon filleting and the moose butchering later this week.

Oh! I am also looking at snowmobiles.... And I think I need a pistol to carry with me on the snow go... Just gotta call dad about that. :) Have a fantastic week everyone! :)

XOXO

A weekend of peace and quiet.

Rainy season is upon us.... With rain comes LOTS of mud puddles. :) Haha. However, since I'm still coughing from what I am fairly certain was bronchitis, maybe I should avoid the puddles today... Or maybe I'll say to hell with it and go have fun anyway. :)

Last night I got a call from Becca at like 10 to come get some salmon... The fish and wildlife guy brought a bunch because they're doing testing or something... Anyway, I've never cleaned a salmon before and even though I don't really like it, its free and I'm up to try new things... So Clark was very kind to show me how to filet it and stuff... It was great fun. I really enjoy visiting with Clark and Becca and making faces at baby Emma.

I don't really have much new to report... My roommate is in Anchorage for the weekend--training for an afterschool program that we'll be job sharing. Zoey was in Mtn. Village for training. Michael and Jana are in Marshall for cross country... So I'm just chillin without my "family." We're gonna have a sleepover and a lazy night of movies and relaxing when they get home...

Becca took a few pictures of me cleaning fish last night... I'll post them when I get them from her... Until then, I don't have any other to post... I'll work on the video tour today maybe. I'm headed home to knit some dishcloths and watch some Grey's Anatomy on DVD. Lesson planning tomorrow, so I gotta enjoy the relaxation today. :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the sun and warmth this weekend.... I'm looking out my window at sideways rain... Yay. Ha!

Time to go home and make some bread--pancakes for dinner so we don't break Saturday tradition on the third week in... :) If anyone wants to skype--please add me! :) I had great chats with some good friends this morning, and would love to talk to more of you!!!

XOXO Have a fantastic weekend!

Starting week 3 already!?!?

How is it that I've been in AUK for 3 full weeks already?!? We're starting week 3 of school, but I've been in my village for going on 4 weeks... CRAZY!!!

This weekend was much needed.... Thursday after school Michael and I went to watch some basketball at the school. It was a fundraiser tournament for a young boy who has liver cancer. He's currently in PDX at the hospital getting medical care. It was fun to watch some of my students' fathers playing. We witnessed an ALMOST fight... There was some good ball played--pretty scrappy... Reminded me of the good old days of Sisters tournaments with the Lakeview kids!! :)

We released the kids at 1230 on Friday and had some districtwide PLC until 1530... It was a long afternoon, and I didn't get much done after work on Friday. We went to the tournament again and watched some more ball... I got to be at a reasonable hour and was able to sleep in Saturday morning.

We seemed to have started two Saturday traditions for our little family... The first is pancakes for breakfast made by my dear husband, Michael... The second is making a batch of Grandma Robison's white bread... MMMMM, and of course eating one loaf while its still warm... I'd love to just squeeze Grandma Robison everytime I make the bread. :)

The rest of the weekend consisted of card games, board games, sleep, reading The Help, and playing some basketball.

I have to say that I am really glad Michael enjoys basketball as much as I do... I'm all about just shooting around, but we've played some 21 where its basically a free for all and you are defended... Anyway, it was fun. A little bit of exercise and we all know how much I love to play basketball. :)

Yesterday and today I've spent some time in the classroom getting stuff ready for the week. I really wish we had 3 day weekends every week.... :(

I don't have much to report about my classroom.... The kids are doing fine, its an adjustment period for all of us. We're working on it. Oh, I do have an elder from the village who is now with us every morning until lunch. She's a wonderful little lady and she is great helping the kids with their writing or keeping them on task.

This week I'm jumping into the reading curriculum, wish me luck!!! :s

I'm going to do a video tour from my classroom to my house. I'll post it tonight or tomorrow for you all to see... :)

OH MAN!! I can't believe I haven't already posted the pictures of us playing in the mud...... Hahhahaha. Last Tuesday we had dinner at Jana's house... Then I was really wanting to jump in some mud puddles.... Well, that turned into an hour or more of mud war. Here are a bunch of pictures from that. I'll try to get more pictures of the village and stuff up this week.

 This is how it started.... The crip and Sarah in the baby puddle... I quickly got tired of that though, so.....

I moved on to bigger and better things.... This puddle is where we spent the next hour or so playing....

 See what I have to live with?!? Yeah, care packages are welcome. :)

 I was totally going to tackle her.... Then I realized that the puddle was really shallow and there could be sharp rocks....

 Happy birthday, Sarah! Haha.

Been gone almost a month

So.... Its been ALMOST  a month since I left Paisley... I am completely exhausted this week.... Been at school by 6 every morning and go home so tired every evening... I need to figure out a routine and stick to it... Gotta start working out some... Can we add like 2 hours to the day so I can get more than 5 hours of sleep!?!? AHH!!!!

I am excited for the long weekend.... But I'm also sad... Its the first Round Up I've ever missed... So you all need to eat some fair food and think of me. :) Haha. And think of me while you're in the Re-Ride room. And having a beer Monday at 1 watching the Grand Entry... UGH!!! I am so sad to be missing it...

Its been a long week, but we started reading groups and I think thats going better. It makes the afternoon go faster... We only have a half day tomorrow--district wide PLC from 1230 to 330... I better go get some stuff done, just wanted everyone to know that I'm missing them... I miss the beauty of Lake County sunrises and sunsets. I miss the smell of Summer Lake--yes, I did just say that... Its funny the things you take for granted until they're no longer there at your disposal.

Talk again soon! Be safe this weekend, have fun.