Marianne Likes To...

My friend Abbie had this on her blog, and since it's a Saturday morning and I have at least ten minutes before I'm off to my first thing of the day, I thought I would try it out and see what happened. You go to Google and type in "(Your name here) likes to" (with the quotation marks) and some seriously funny stuff pops up. One of mine had to do with a lesbian couple but in the interest of current events I will withhold. Although I thought it was terribly funny. So here's what Marianne's like to do...

When she's not working in the office, Marianne likes to read and write poetry. One of her favorite things to do is attend get-togethers with all her family,

Marianne likes to tell students how important doing the research is, and that all of her books are checked by experts.

Marianne likes to cook, eat, read and talk and loves people, films, opera and warm socks.

Marianne likes to photograph people, but her interests also include landscapes, sunsets, animals and children.

Marianne likes to go shopping during off hours and is trying to improve skill in order to get ahead professionally.

Marianne likes to hike, go to the theater and cinema, read, knit, and fence. ...

In addition to singing, Marianne likes to jog, ice skate, travel and to listen to the music of Céline Dion.

Marianne likes to receive picture postcards which she collects on her kitchen wall.

MARIANNE likes to live on the edge - and has the skills to do it.

"Anything is possible" is what Olympics swimmer Marianne likes to stress to audiences who come to listen to her motivational talks.

Some of them are really quite accurate... especially the parts about liking warm socks and listening to Celine Dion. What do you like to do?

Where we get along swimmingly...

The title is indeed from a childhood favorite, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," but it is actually in reference to the 5A state championship swim meet over Valentine's Day weekend. My siblings Maddie, Morgan, and McKay all competed and did great! McKay took 1st in two events and Maddie and Morgan both took 9th in their events. McKay even won Swimmer of the Year! McKay is a junior this year and Maddie and Morgan are both freshman. My mom also coaches the team. We are so proud of them! Here are a couple of pictures to document.

Ha Ha Ha

I'm sure Paul won't mind if I post this... but there a few things he's done lately that have made me just roll on the ground with laughter. They remind me of Jill's post about her husband putting "a few" Cheerios on her baby's high chair tray.

#1 Setting: Christmas Eve. 11:00 pm. Paul and I are in separate rooms wrapping each other's gifts. (Time- another thing in short supply!) I walk into the room Paul is occupying and see him wrapping.

"Paul, do you have the tape?" I ask as I peek through a slit in the door.
"Nope. Sorry" He says. I hear wrapping, so I'm a little confused.
"Well then how are you wrapping?" I ask quizzically.

I look. He grins. Band-Aids.


#2- Sunday. Getting ready for church. My slip is too long, just by about an inch, and has been for a few dresses. He's totally ready for church so I ask for a favor.

"Hey Paul, would you mind cutting roughly and inch off of this slip for me?" I ask him
"Sure," he replies.

Ten minutes pass as I finish my hair. Paul enters the bathroom.

"You said roughly an inch, right?" he asks tepidly.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, here you go Tinkerbell." He says with a smile as he throws my slip to me.

I hold it up... he cut roughly and inch all right. Jaggedly. I laughed out loud for a solid ten minutes. I'll have to get a picture, however this is a pretty accurate picture! The difference between boy and girl brains!!!

we may wait...

After experimenting with this Paul and I may just wait a while to have kids...



After a few attempts a more normal version of a human being appeared...

hopefully our genes combine a little better than these photo's predict:)

so this is what teachers do on their breaks...

Hello again!

We hope all is well with all of our loyal blog followers and that you all had a wonderful Christmas:) Paul and I are enjoying some time off of school... I've completely forgotten that I am a school teacher for the time being and am enjoying some extra sleep. Paul finished the semester really well and is going to be a TA for anatomy this coming semester! He's really excited, and I am excited for him! I am looking forward to seeing all of my darling 5th graders again... next week that is! Here is a few pictures...


The first ever Mt. Mahogany Chorus concert!
My darling students writing tehir spelling words in the snow!

Paul and I watching our friend Noelle at a Skeleton race in Park City... it was cold.

Not to shock you...

I know- two months without a post and then 2 in one day? I saw this on Emily's blog and I started thinking about it- it was nice to not think of school things for once! I decided to do it in school teacher fashion as best I could though...


I am - A 5th grade teacher.

I think - reverse psychology is a God send.

I want -to score well on my evaluation Thursday.

I have - 25 students.

I wish - I could keep my bookshelves organized Or anything organized for that matter.

I hate - after school meetings.

I miss - being able to see the sunshine.

I fear - that I won't get grades entered on time.

I feel - overwhelmed 95% of the time.

I hear - someone's watch going off. I've told them multiple times that it must go, but by the end of the day what 5th grader remembers to turn their watch alarm off so it doesn't drive their teacher crazy?.

I smell - the lingering scent of 25 5th graders who are hit and miss with deodorant.

I search - for information on plotting graphs for tomorrow's math lesson.

I wonder -If teaching will ever be easy:)

I regret - that I didn't talk to each one of my kids today.

I love - that I get to interact with 25 wonderful, kind, beautiful children everyday, and that some of them leave me little notes all over my stuff.

I care - so much about my loved ones, it's hurts sometimes. I can't change this of Emily's. Its so true.

I always - lose my whiteboard markers. And then find them in my pockets at night.

I am not - a good multi-tasker.

I believe - in not asking stupid questions.

I dance - for my kids when they sing for the traveling show. They are the only people on this entire planet that truly believe that I can moonwalk. I think I tore my ACL last time I tried.

I sing - to myself in the car. On the way home from school.

I don't always -hold my tongue. Sometimes I have to apologize to 10 year olds. I hate that.

I write - on the whiteboard the daily schedule so I don't get, "Mrs. McAllister, what are we doing today?"

I win -#1 teacher award. The post it note from Table 2 on my computer says so.

I lose - Everything that enters my hands.

I never - finish my work day before 5.

I listen - to what my kids are saying to their peers. This is a scary world we live in.

I can usually be found - sitting at my desk from 8-6 every day :)

I'm scared -that my kids won't score well on the end of year testing. Stupid NCLB.

I read - my kids papers so I can decode who's handwriting is whose, because once again, they didn't put their name on their paper.

I'm happy about - going on a run while its still light out.

One Year

I realize its been forever since I have actually sat down to compose something for all of our "faithful" blog followers. (Ha ha) but I frequently think about it! Paul and I are both doing well. We are living in Salt Lake and have a whole house to ourselves. We are about to celebrate our first anniversary this weekend! I can't believe how fast time flies. I don't know about all of you married people, but I feel like we're just getting started :) I'm still teaching 5th grade and I love it. Paul is working so hard in school. Put those two things together and our "together" time pretty much consists of sitting in the same room while he does homework and I do lesson planning. Some of the things we've done lately:

-gone to numerous swim meets to watch BOTH sides of the family (My mom coaches and my brother and sisters as well as Paul's younger brother all swim on the high school team. Its nice to be able to support multiple people at once:)

-had an uneventful but fun Halloween (from a schoolteacher's standpoint, Halloween should ALWAYS be on a Friday!!)

-Helped start the school's first ever choir:)

-Missed Michael (He's been gone more than 6 months already!!!)

- Had the hard drive on my computer crash and lose everything (That was not a highlight so much as an event of epic proportion.)
I have no other pictures- so here's a blast from the past (a whole year ago Saturday!)


Till next month:)