I am VERY Behind...... So here is an Update!

I will work backwards today.  Recently, we have been just plain busy.  Rich is filling some big orders for tendons with Jake, I am still working every morning except Sunday, LL is playing basketball, Sammy is just busy being Sammy, and the boys are busy with school.  I think that the mornings are catching up with me even though I go to bed really early.  I don't think humans are meant to rise for the day at 3:30 AM.  I still enjoy teaching the kids, I am just getting burned out.  I have taught every week since I began at the end of November, just not on Sundays.  I am really glad that I have bookings, though.  Lots of people get hired and then are frustrated because they don't get any classes to teach.  I have been really lucky.  I have about 20 regular students that come back consistently now.  I hope it continues.  I was just certified to teach Level 2 which is a beginner level and I have only taught 1 of those so far.  I really enjoy teaching the kids that can hold a conversation.  One mother sent this to me on the feed back one day:

Haha!! I show the kids who are age ten Luke's picture sometimes and say "I have a son who is 10 years old!" so that they can know I am a mom and that I can relate to kids.  Luke joked with me and said, "Do they say-- oh look! That boy has ears like a monkey!"  He has been very self-concious about his ears but he has learned to joke about it!  Obviously, they don't think he is strange because they want to send him emails!! hahaha!

I also have had a few girls ask me for my email address because they want to write to me.  They discourage email, WeChat, etc., but I am taking a risk for these little gals.  They are so sweet and they love to practice their English.  A lot of teachers do WeChat which is like the Chinese Facetime with their students, but I need some space from teaching! 

We went to parent teacher conference for the boys on Friday.  They both got glowing reports from their teachers about them in class.  Luke's teacher Mrs. Shaw said he is super kind and he works hard.  She said that he is so polite and his is a good writer and reads way above his level. Spencer's teacher, Mrs. Adams, said that he is very detail oriented and accurate.  She said that he is very helpful and knows a lot of history.  She said his handwriting is super neat and that he is really good at math.  Mrs. Adams showed us a writing assessment they did in class. She said Spencer wrote more than most of the class, and he did an excellent job.  He said, "I put a dot on my paper to where I want to go, then when I get there I try and write just a little bit more."  His teacher asked him if she could share his method with the class.  She said that he and only three other students were able to figure out a difficult two part math problem the other day.  He was glowing, but trying really hard to look humble through all this praise!

Last week, LL played at the Cache Valley String Festival up at USU.  It is the usual thing of play for judges, they give you a score, etc.  She has been so busy that she felt she didn't do that well.  I thought she did fine.  I was just relieved I could sit back and listen to her this time.  Her teacher hired an accompanist to play for all her students.  It was nice to not stress about playing, but I think it threw LL off a little because she only had one time to practice with him, and we are very used to playing together.  I know exactly where she does the ritardandos and her dynamics, and he wasn't quite used to that.  She was a little flustered about that, but I told her it's good to learn how to play with other musicians-- especially at the last minute! You learn to listen better and pay more attention when you are in an unfamiliar situation.  When you are comfortable you kind of just play through the motions and don't concentrate as much!

 And here is Luke, ready for school!  They trend this year is for the boys' hair to be long on the top so they can swoop it back.  Spencer got sick of his mop so I cut it off.  Luke still has his locks and we have fun playing with them!

 Sammy loves any opportunity to pose for a shot.

And LL loves to open her mouth when she is playing ball.  Her friends on the team told her she always opens her mouth when she is going to shoot, and that she always looks happy while she is playing  Well, I have documented proof of an open-mouthed smile. 

LL got asked to prom.  We found this on the doorstep one afternoon when she didn't have school.  She was at a ball game, so we brought this in.  The name of who asked her was cut up into single letters inside the egg so she had to guess.  Sammy and her friend came home that day together and had it figured out in 5 seconds, and they don't even know the kid! His name is Tanner Jenkins and his lives in North Logan.  LL knows him and he is a very nice boy.  She said yes, because we would never let her say no unless he was a creepy kid.  Now we have the arduous task of finding a prom dress.  There is little here in Cache Valley.  We have looked online, and she may just have to borrow from one of her friends. 

Next, Sammy had a day off from school so I took her on a date.  I had promised her long ago on her next free day I wouldn't work.  I forgot, and I told my sis-in-law Lisa that I could watch her kids all day long that day.  When Sammy found out, she was really bummed and a little upset.  She gets stuck watching Lisa's girls a LOT.  Even when they come over just to visit, Lisa pawns her kids off on her all the time.  Whenever we do anything-- Lisa tells Sammy to take her girls to the bathroom, or play with them.  I understand that Lisa needs a break, but Sammy starts to feel a little bit ticked that it happens all the time.  LL never gets asked, but Sam is so friendly and good with kids she just gets the job!  So, I risked in-law relations and told Lisa I couldn't watch her girls that day (from 9 in the morning until 5 or 6 that night.  She was going shopping in Farmington with a friend).  She texted me and said that was okay, but I haven't heard from her for 2 weeks.  I usually get a call every few days from her (a lot of times it is to see if I can watch her girls) so I am guessing she is a little ticked at me.  I don't blame her, I just love my kid more.  So-- Sammy and I had a good day together.  We went to the new Mexican Restaurant that is quite inexpensive and got some horchata, fish tacos, and beef tacos.  It was super delicioso!  We also went window shopping and came home and just relaxed. Hopefully Lisa will forgive me someday when she finally has teenagers. 

A week or two before that, the Tylers came to visit! It was fun to see them.  They haven't been here for a while, so we played with them.  They were very generous and treated us all to a shake at the Bluebird Cafe where Rich and I had the wedding lunch.   My deprived boys had never been there, and it has been years since I took the girls.  We don't eat out much, really.  They thought it was so fun.  Then we walked up on campus at USU so that Missy could show her girls where she went to school. 

On January 6th, LL and I went to SLC for her Christmas present which was Hilary Hahn tickets.  It was seriously a mesmorizing performance.  The audience was just silent and still the whole time.  It was so nice to share the concert with LL who appreciates true musicianship and beautiful music.   I wish I could afford to go to more concerts-- but it is more special when it is a rare occasion!!

And continuing on backwards, we had Spencer's 8th birthday and baptism.  He got a BB gun for his birthday, so they went out shooting in the backyard that cold, frosty morning. 

This is a pic of the girls with their cousins Allie and Sadie for Christmas.  They are all growing up so fast! Sadie attends USU now, so we see her every once in a while. 

 And Christmas morning.  I was up at 3:30 am, so I got up before them this year!  Yes, I taught on Christmas-- they don't ususally celebrate it there in China for some reason :)

And we made sweet rolls.  I made the girls pose for this to send our friends in the Czech Republic.  The Miglova's had sent us a pic of their Christmas Eve feast, and that included lots of delicious things, except the carp that was floating in the tub ready to be killed and eaten.  Their little friend Zuzka said that she doesn't like eating carp anyway, it's just a tradition. 

Zuzka with the carp.

That is just about where we left off last time.  Now I am somewhat caught up!