Chloe Lost her First Tooth

Saturday morning Chloe lost her first tooth.  She was painting a picture to take to the Primary talent show.  She couldn't open one of the bottles, so I guess she used her teeth.  And out popped one of her bottom front teeth.  I don't know if that tooth had been loose, because every time we asked her we wouldn't get a good response.  Kyle would ask her, "Have you been wiggling that tooth?"  I don't know if she is scared to answer because she doesn't want to admit to doing something wrong.  She of course hasn't done anything wrong, we just want to know if it was time for that tooth, or if this is a premature departure for that tooth.

So, she goes to the Primary Talent Show that morning with her picture.  It is her turn, she gets up on stage, tells everyone that she lost her tooth.  Shows her teeth, and then, oh yeah, she shows the picture that she painted.

Then at church, during Relief Society we have a good news minute, so I shared that as my good news.

When she comes home today after school I'll get a picture and post it here.

Recruitment Fair and District Showcase

So tonight I went to a Recruitment Fair and District Showcase.  There were representatives from various school districts in Utah to recruit new teachers.  This was for Special Education.  Most everyone from my cohort was there.  I went because I need to find a school for my internship.  If I were student teaching, BYU would pair me up with a school.  But since I am doing an internship, I need to find the job on my own if I can.  I will be paired up with a professor and a mentor teacher at the school where I will be hired.

I talked with three school districts that are my top priority; Nebo, Provo and Alpine.  Nebo is the Spanish Fork area.  This is the school district that I live in and that my kids attend.  Provo is where I worked as a Special Education Paraeducator for 12 years.  Alpine is north of Provo and is a big district.  Alpine has more job openings than the other two and has a higher starting wage.  The benefit of Nebo is I wouldn't have as far of a commute.  The benefits of Provo are that I know lots of people there and am already familiar with how that school district runs.

I also checked out some other school districts: Weber, Davis, Granite and Jordan.  I got lots of free stuff:  magnets, pens, a lunch box, candy, wooden box, pads of paper, water bottle, toys

There were also representatives there from Utah State University and Brigham Young University.  I got some information from BYU about their Master's program.  There were representatives for the Council for Exceptional Children.  I signed up for this, got to enter their raffle/drawing and I won a book.  Since I pre-registered for this event, I also got $25 as an incentive/bonus. 

They served a dinner there.  It was a great night.  I got lots of information, I was able to place a resume with my top 3 desired districts.  I even have an interview with one of them on Monday morning at 9am.

Top O' the Mornin' to Ye.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Green is one of my favorite colors and I look good wearing it.

Here is an Irish Blessing for you all:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again, 
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I don't have any specific St. Patrick's Day traditions.  I am thinking of making food that is green.  Maybe I will make some Irish Soda Bread, or Irish Potato Bread.  I could make some potato pancakes.  I asked Kyle if he would like to have corned beef and cabbage today for dinner.  He looked at me, with a disgusted look upon his face, and said, "How about some pizza instead."

I need to look through my videos and see if I have a copy of Darby O'Gill and the Little People.  Maybe I can find it at Blockbuster or Comcast On Demand.  I think the little kids would enjoy watching it.

Dinner with Dad (well, lunch, actually)

My father was in town on business. He's also been helping my sister with some home projects.  I was hoping that I would get a chance to visit with him, but I have classes in the evening until 7pm.  I am home sometimes in the mornings, but that's when he's working.

This morning I had plans to go to the temple with the Relief Society sisters.  I have some family file names that I am working on for my mother.  Just as I'm brushing my teeth and getting ready, my dad calls.  I answer but have to pause to spit out the toothpaste.  He said that it sounded like I had a mouthful of donuts.  Ha, Ha.

Anyway he wondered if I was available for lunch.  Of course I can squeeze him in for lunch.  I usually eat lunch with the sisters at the cafeteria in the temple after our session, but I can ditch them.  So he picked me up at the temple for lunch.

We decided to go someplace that I have never been, and to eat a food that I often don't get because my hubby and kids don't like it.  We went to a Chinese restaurant.

They bring you this hot pot of soup.  You get to choose some raw meats and veggies from the bar and cook them in your hot pot.  I had never done anything like this.  It was very good.  We got the hot & spicy soup.  We tried crab, shrimp, chicken, beef, pork, mussels, meatballs, fishballs, tofu, tofu skin, cabbage, zucchini, squash, bean sprouts, potatoes, seaweed, and mushrooms.  It was very tasty.  Except, I didn't eat the mushrooms or squash.  I thought that I would try a mussel, but backed out at the end.  The table next to us had dumplings.  We never got a menu so I didn't know that I could have ordered noodles and dumplings.  Next time I will try those.

Anyway, we also had rice, and there were some sauces we could use, a peanut sauce and a hot sauce.  Other things at the bar that you can use were noodles, broccoli, eggs, and lotus flowers.

They also had an ice cream buffet, which was good because after all that hot & spicy soup and sauces my nose was running and I was working up a sweat.  Then when they bring you your check, it comes with a little sesame seed candy.  It tasted like eating a Butterfinger but without the chocolate.

You can check out this restaurant here.

Resumes

I don't know how often you've had to write, update or revamp a resume, but that's what I've been doing this month.  I am preparing for a teacher fair, and a school district showcase.  I've download different resume templates trying to figure out which one I like best.  I had gone to a teacher fair prep workshop, took notes and am trying to get my resume to fit what those district people said that they look for when they are hiring. 

It is weird talking about myself and trying to showcase my skills and talents, and yet, trying to not sound boastful, or like I am padding my resume.  I mean, I'm all for being the center of attention, but...

I've changed my resume from showing my experience first to showing my education first.  That way they can see when I am graduating and from where.  I had put things in chronological order, and then I read somewhere that you can put your resume in reverse chronological to show growth.  So, I've done that.  So, instead of showing my first job first, and then the next job second, I am showing my current job now, then the previous job, and then the job before that. Whew!

Now, I have listed employers, job titles and job tasks.  I want to put in everything I've done to show my experience, but that seems wordy and takes more than one page (it is good to try to limit your resume to one page because a potential employer doesn't want to read a book about you right of the bat).  So, I've had to edit my experience and list things that I think will stand out, and really showcase my skills and talents.

I also read not to put, "references upon request" but to actually put some references on there.  So I contacted a few of my former bosses and coworkers to see if they would be a reference for me.  It seemed kind of awkward.  It is like asking, "Will you be my friend?"

Everyone I contacted said yes.  Yay, people like me, they really, really like me!

So I've got my one page resume.  Then at the workshop I was told to also have a resume packet.  What the he** is that?  This is something you might bring with you to an interview.  It is a cover letter explaining your interest in a certain job or position.  It is also a place where you can showcase more skills and talents or awards that you didn't put on your resume.  Then there is your resume, this can be one that is a little longer and more in depth.  And then a page of references and their contact information.  You can also include a picture of yourself.  So this is what I need to work on next.

After this, I need to start preparing for the forthcoming interviews.

My Gas Gauge is an Optimist, Not a Realist

Some of you may know that I am a research assistant for a project called Book-in-a-bag.  Well, I had the opportunity to present our research at an undergraduate research conference called UCUR at Southern Utah University (SUU) in Cedar City, Utah.

I woke up bright and early Friday morning (4am) so that I could get on the road  bright and early.  I was on the road by 5am.  I  made a stop at the Payson Walmart to buy some nylons and batteries and a Diet Pepsi.  I needed batteries because I was going to listen to a book on tape while I drove.  I need to read Dracula for my Humanities class.

Well, I continue driving.  I stop for breakfast in Fillmore, which is 90 miles from my house.  I remember looking at my gas gauge and thinking I could get gas, but I had enough to make it to Beaver and I will just get gas there.  Besides I was going to be eating my breakfast while I was driving.

Onward I travel.  I pass Cove Fort, the I-15/I-70 interchange, a sign that says Beaver 20 miles, and then my car dies.  This is about 7:30am.  I'm not sure where I am because I didn't bring a map.  Well, I know where I am, but I don't know how far away I am from anything.  So I call my husband.  We try to think of who we know in Fillmore that we can call and see if they could come rescue me.  We can't think of anybody.  Then I remember that Kirby, a guy in my ward, grew up in Fillmore.  So hubby calls Kirby.  Kirby calls me to figure out where I am.  He determines that I am closer to Parowan, so he calls his brother there.  His brother Kipp comes with a can of gas for me.  He then follows me to Beaver to make sure I make it there.  I offer to pay him for the gas I used and to compensate him for the gas he used to come to my rescue.  He just has me pay to fill up the gas can for future use.

After being rescued and driving on to Beaver to fill up the tank, I realized how close to Beaver I was, and also on the return trip home I saw how close I was to Cove Fort.  I probably could have walked those 8 miles.  But, I was in a dress with heels, and it was still dark out.  Also, that section of I-15 is out in the middle of nowhere and I didn't know which way was closer to civilization. I suppose if I had gotten out and started walking, that someone would have picked me up and driven me to a gas station. 

In this day in age it is sad to say that I was too scared to just start walking.  You don't know what kind of crazies there are out there.  I'd rather have a stranger that is a friend/relative of a friend of mine than a total unknown.  I need to get Kipp's address.  I want to send him a thank you card and maybe a gift card to show him my appreciation.

I've realized that my gas gauge is a liar.  When it says 1/4 of a tank of gas, it really means, STOP NOW AND FILL UP!!!