Crossfit, The Washington Examiner, and Hamilton

      So yesterday was just a day at school.  I didn't have to teach and so I spent most of the day working on lesson plans and my teaching portfolio type thing, more commonly referred to as a Teacher Work Sample (TWS).  We had a Relief Society activity last night and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to go.  It was a workout at a fitness center called Crossfit.  Well as you probably know, I don't go to the gym.  I was on the fence about going, but I knew that if I was going to make friends I had to go where the potential friends would be.  So I went.  I almost died, but I went.  We threw ten pound balls at the wall and jumped on 24 inch tires.  We did sit ups as fast as we could and did these tortuous things called "burpees".  I was so pooped by the end that every muscle in my body felt like mush.  I could hardly get them to do anything.  After the gym we went to a girl's house and had smoothies.  That's more my style.  I had three. I had to try every flavor, naturally.  I went home, showered my stinky mushy self, and went to bed as fast as I could.

      This morning I woke up still feeling like mush and pretty tired.  I got ready and went to school.  When you come up out of the Metro station, there are like six people selling different newspapers.  One guy (he always seems to be right in the middle) has a very distinct voice.  Every morning he says "I've got it right here in black and white" (apparently the newspapers these days aren't red all over) and then of course like every good advertiser he shouts the name of his newspaper, "It's the Washington Exam-NER!"  It's just not a normal morning if he isn't there.  Well today we came up and I could feel the tired, worn-out expression on my face, but I couldn't get it to change until he looked at me and said, "Put a smile on your face. It's Thursday!"  I was beaming the rest of the walk to school.

      When I got to school, I helped a group of boys with their homework.  Then I went to go see if any of the other students that had shown up early needed help.  That's when I talked to Hamilton.  He's in my Algebra II class.  He's really smart and really quiet.  I asked him how was and by his response I could tell that he was down.  Echoing the Washington Exam-NER man, I tried to make him happy with the fact that it was Thursday.  He didn't buy it.  I thought that he was just ready for it to be Friday, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  He was dreading Friday.  Friday was the day of the Winter Formal and they elected him to be "the stupid duke", the sophomore class version of the prom king.  He wasn't going with anyone in particular but he must have a lot of friends if got voted to be the duke.  I told him that I would bet that all the girls were going to want to dance with him.  He thought that it was just because he was going to be the duke.  I corrected him and told him that it was because he was cool and he was nice.  He looked back at me as if no one had ever told him he was cool or nice before and asked, "Really?" I reassured him and he seemed to cheer up.  I felt so good that I was able to connect with a student and make him believe in himself.

      I got to teach first period and then the principal asked if I could chaperon a field trip.  So thirty minutes later I went on my first field trip in four years.  It was so fun!  We to a dance performance that was put on by The Children of Uganda.  It was amazing! The whole thing was cultural dances from Uganda.  I was amazed that they could dance like that for that long.  I would've died.  Maybe I just felt that way since by then my mushy muscles were starting to become achy muscles.  We got back to school in the middle of lunch, I finished out the school day and went back to my apartment.  Tomorrow we're having a sleep over at our director's house and going to Gettysburg by dawn's early light on Saturday.  I can't wait! It should be a blast and a half!!

"All aboard!", The Buzz, and Institute Choir

      Oh goodness! Monday was great!  I was a little tired, ok I was really tired, but it was a great day.  The driver on the Metro on my way to school called "All aboard!" three times and it totally made my morning.  I'm not entirely certain why I enjoyed it so much and I think I'm the only person that did enjoy it, but it was great! (I also saw a mouse crawling down by the tracks while I was waiting for the Metro, but let's not think about that.)  School was school.  The kids were taking tests so I did a lot of lesson planning during the day.  I came home and had a nap and got ready for FHE.  We met at the church and carpooled to the bishop's house for our activity.  Three of my roommates and I rode with a kid named Russell.  He was really nice.  Bless his heart, he had a car full of girls that he didn't know, but he was a good sport about it and started getting to know each of us really fast.  He also pointed out a lot of good places to eat while we were driving.  He saw right through me and realized that I like food.  FHE was fun.  We played a game where you write down something no one in the room knows about you and then you guess who wrote what.  The person that is the last one to be guessed wins.  The winner jjust happened to be yours truly! I felt so cool in that moment. hahaha :)
      After FHE, Russell and his saintly self, treated us to cupcakes at The Buzz.  We only have one problem.  Now I can't decide which place I like better: The Buzz or DC Cupcakes.  I had the "9:30" special which was a devil's food cupcake with a vanilla cream middle and ganache on top instead of frosting.  Um....delicious is an understatement. From the outside it looked like a hostess cake, but in my mouth it was absolutely divine!
      Today I was supposed to start teaching.  I was supposed to take over the second half of Algebra II, but just when I got up to teach we had a surprise fire drill.  When the drill was over, they dismissed everyone early to lunch. So I guess you could say that my first lesson was smoking.  So smoking in fact that two hours later, the fire alarm went off again for a surprise not drill.  I thought it was really warm in that building today.  After school I came home, did a little reading to unwind, made dinner, ate ('cause what's the point in making it if you aren't gonna eat it) and went to Institute.  I went an hour early to go to Institute Choir practice.  It was so fun to be singing with a choir again and I'm really excited about the pieces we're going to learn.  We're singing a lot of the songs that I learned for All-State in Florida when Craig Jessop came that I never got to perform.  Sad news though, I'll be gone before our performances start, so I still won't get to perform them.  Oh well. I'm just excited to be able to sing them again. :)

Shout out!

       I'd like to give a quick shout out to a few people.  First, Mom and Dad.  Y'all are great! I'm so lucky to have parents like you that know what to say when I call you crying, know how to boost me up when I feel low and believe in me even when I don't believe in myself.  To, Amy and Dust - you're the best!  You're the best sister and brother I could ever ask for.  I can't wait to see you again and have some more crazy times together.  Mac, thanks for being the angel I rely on to get me through the day. I love you, Boo.  Grandma and Grandpa, I can't ever tell you how much you mean to me.  You're the constant source of optimism and encouragement.  Thanks for supporting me through my adventures whether they are big or small.  Woogie and Grandma Grant, (if you're reading this) Thanks for teaching me to laugh at myself.  Woogie, you're my favorite roommate I've ever had and, Grandma, I wish you could be out here seeing all the sites with me.  I think of you every time I go somewhere.  To my aunts, uncles and cousins - Thanks for loving me the way I am.  You make our family so fun.  I always brag that I have the best family ever!  Annie, you're the best friend I have ever had.  I wouldn't make it without you.  Thanks for being the shoulder to cry on, the friend ready to fight my battles with me.  To all my other friends, thanks for being there and making me feel special.  Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookies of life and what's a cookie without chocolate chips? :)
      Thanks for always telling me how proud you are of me.  It reminds to keep working hard so I don't let you down.  I love you all very much and I can't wait to see you again soon.  April will be here before we know it :)

A massive update

     It's gonna be another long one, folks.

     Thursday:  Today was an okay day.  I was struggling a bit with finding my place.  I felt inadequate and out of place.  I missed home and my friends.  My teacher has me doing a lot of the grading and some students came in to ask her why they got points off.  I felt like I was the bad guy because I wasn't as lenient as she is, but I was just doing it the way she told me.  It was just a day at school.  Nothing really bad happened, but at the same time nothing really good happened either.  I came home from school, got a little rest to help my cold, and watched the BYU basketball game.  That didn't really help my mood, so I just went to bed.

      Friday:  It was a half day at school today and I was super excited about it.  I took a trip down memory lane and had macaroni and cheese.  Mom used to always send us to school with mac and cheese or spaghetti-os on half days.  I didn't have a thermos to transport the lunch in, so I ate it when I got home. And I didn't have spaghetti-os, so I had mac and cheese.  I also had a donut and Dunkin Donuts hot chocolate that I grabbed on my way home from school.  Man it was good!  I think I have it all figured out.  I'll get a sandwich from Potbelly's, hot chocolate from Dunkin Donuts, and a cupcake from DC Cupcakes.  It's the perfect meal!  After school I took it easy, read a book, and took a nap.  I had a long distance movie night with a friend from school.  We watched "You've Got Mail" (one of my all time favorites).

      Saturday:  I slept in this morning.  I knew that the only way to get rid of my cold for good was to get a lot of sleep.  I thought for sure that I would sleep in really late (partly because I was up late watching "You've Got Mail" and partly because I was exhausted) but surprisingly I woke up at nine completely rested.  I got up and made myself a tasty breakfast.  It snowed overnight and was still snowing a little bit and it was actually sticking!  I made the executive decision to stay in today and get a lot of work done.  I went to the gym with my roommates and they all about died when I went.  It kind of made me feel worse.  I went to the gym to feel like I fit in with them better but instead I felt even more like I didn't belong.  I got really homesick.  I wanted to do something with someone, but all the people I wanted to be with were in Utah. I missed home.  I missed my family and my friends.  My roommates continued to do things together without inviting me to join in.  So I watched the BYU game on my laptop and went to bed excited for church the next morning.

      Sunday:  I went to church this morning, stepped out of my comfort circle and sat by people I didn't know in every meeting.  In sacrament meeting we sang "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" and I realized that that was the question I was asking myself all day yesterday.  I was aching for peace but didn't know where to turn.  I found my answer in the third verse.  "In my Gethsemane" the Savior is my friend and He is constant and kind. When I remembered this, I filled with instant peace.  I didn't feel alone any more and most of my lingering homesickness disappeared.  I took a big nap after church of course and went to a New Member Dessert Social after dinner.  I'm getting more comfortable in my ward and I'm making a lot of new friends there.  A friendly smile from a familiar face does wonders. :)

It's Wednesday, Miss Davis

     It's only the second day of the work week and I'm already wishing for the weekend.  Trying to fight this baby of a cold is tiring and long days at school and in meetings take the rest of my energy.  At school today the students were taking their chapter tests.  I did get to help a few before school, during lunch and after school.  Their starting to call on me and ask me questions.  I can't help but love it when I hear "Miss Davis" and find a pair of eyes eager to learn looking at me.  It gets me excited every time.  I get to go teach someone!!
      After school we had our weekly seminar.  It was two hours long and right through dinner.  I literally went straight there after school.  The whole time I kept thinking about the yummy food I just got at the grocery store.  Luckily I had some carrots in my backpack to munch on.  I felt like a rabbit, but I didn't care.  They kept me entertained and suppressed my hunger.  Our meeting this week was on management techniques.  Some of the techniques seemed like they would work better for a younger class than the ones that I am teaching, but I still found it useful to talk about them.  I guess there are some people in our group that are really having a hard time with management because they are coming into classrooms and schools where management is already an issue.  I'm really glad that my students aren't like that.  They aren't perfect but neither am I.  I feel like we still have a lot to learn from each other, but I also feel like we've got a head start because we don't have to worry about management as much.  I really do love my students.  The more I think about them, the more I realize how incredible they are.  They are funny and smart and a joy to be around.  I hope that when I take over as a teacher, I can instill in them a little bit more of a love for learning and that I will know the best ways to make learning fun and enjoyable for them.

Tuesday that really felt like a Monday but I really wanted it to be Friday

      I had a really hard time waking up this morning.  Despite my efforts to avoid a cold, my symptoms got a little worse over night.  The full thing hasn't hit yet, but my throat feels a little scratchy and I was exhausted all day.  School was really good though.  We wrapped up the chapter in each class and got them ready for the tests they have this week.  It's interesting to me to see the difference between the kids that really try and want to learn and the kids that really don't care.  I can't help but favoring the kids that want to learn.
      After school, I came home, went straight to my room and fell asleep.  I slept for about an hour and a half and woke up just in time to get a few things done and eat my dinner before Institute.   Institute was fun and I'm starting to recognize people by their names and not just "Oh they're in my ward but I have no idea who they are."
Now that I'm home from Institute, I'm going to hit the hay and try to sleep off this bug that I refuse to let my body catch.  Good night!

Mount Vernon, Game Night, and MLK Day

      Prepare yourselves for a long one folks.  I have so much to tell you about.

      First and for most, Mount Vernon was amazing! It was my favorite thing I have seen so far.  I LOVED it!!  We were there from 10:00 in the morning to closing at 4:30 and I still felt like I didn't get enough.  The grounds are amazing!  I always thought that I wanted to live in big ol' house like Mr. Darcy lives in, but I was wrong. Dead wrong.  I want to live on a plantation like Mount Vernon!  The house was exquisite with the best view no matter what direction you were looking in.  My favorite had to be the back porch.  It had a row of green chairs like they have at Cracker Barrel that you could sit in and look out over the hill that the mansion sits on all the way down the river.  You can also see across the river.  Everywhere you look is just trees and plants and flowers and just perfect.  It's amazing that a place that close to the bustling city of Washington, DC can feel so remote and separated from the world.  No wonder George Washington loved it so much!  The only downer of the trip was that our director kept us outside in the freezing wind for a long time and I think I made myself vulnerable to a cold.  Don't worry nothing has settled in completely, so I might be able to avoid it.

       Sunday we had church at the crack of dawn again.  I was so tired from our adventure to Mount Vernon that I slept through my alarm and woke up 40 minutes before we had to leave.  Whoops! A nice kid from our ward saw us walking and gave us a ride the rest of the way.  Bless his heart!  We had a munch 'n mingle after our meetings.  Egg rolls are a surprisingly delicious breakfast at 11:00 am.  We went home and I tried to take a nap.  I maybe slept for 30 minutes.  It wasn't very long at all.  A few members of the Relief Society came over and I felt like I made my first friends.  One girl even gave me a hug.  I didn't realize how much a I needed  one of those until she gave me one.  It was just what I needed to feel like I was starting to belong.  Later that night, my roommates and I got invited to a game night.  Holy fun!  We met like twenty people from the ward and had the best time.  A group of about ten of us played "Signs" in the basement.  I've never had so much fun playing that game.  I laughed most of the time.  The only times I wasn't laughing were when I was under pressure of not getting caught with the sign.  I'm really starting to feel like I'm starting to fir in around here.

      Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!  I started out my celebration of the day by sleeping in.  I didn't set my alarm and just let myself sleep until I was ready to get up.  A little before 10 am I got out of bed.  I got ready for the day and had a wonderful morning.  When we all were ready, we went to see the wonderful sites around DC that are related to MLK.  Our first stop was the Museum of American History.  They had a man there that half gave a summary of Martin Luther King's life and half acted like Martin Luther King.  We started the program with Martin Luther King's favorite hymn, which no one knew, and ended it with another hymn that it seemed like everyone knew but me.  Don't worry I was able to pull it off.  Like most songs, it was fairly predictable melodically and lyrically.  At the museum they had boards where people could post sticky notes with their own dreams written on them.  They had one board full of sticky notes of things that people believed were worth standing up for and in a little kids handwriting was written "No Spanking!"  Hahaha It was my favorite for obvious comical reasons.  From the museum, we hiked to the Abraham Lincoln Monument were MLK gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, braving the wind once again.  I was more excited about Abraham Lincoln at that point than I was about Martin Luther King.  My two favorite presidents in one weekend!  What fun!  Before heading home we stopped by the Martin Luther King Monument.  It's kind of like a one man Mt. Rushmore, except he's not in an actual mountain, just a giant piece of rock that they moved there.  It's a pretty cool monument.  By this time my feet were practically numb so we grabbed some lunch at Potbelly's (YUM! I"m getting hooked) and headed home.

      I did have to go back out once more to go to the grocery store.  I miss my car so badly when I have to go to the store.  Carrying all those groceries in my backpack and in my arms is a pain, literally and figuratively.  I have a feeling those new friends are going to come in handy ;)  Tomorrow it all starts up again.  I have a whole chapter's worth of lessons to write this week and Institute and lots of other things to do for school, but I have a feeling it's going to be a good week.

T.G.I.F.

      I never really understood how exciting Fridays could be, especially the Friday before a three-day weekend.  The thought that I only had a few more hours before I got three whole days off was the thought that got me through the day.  School was great! I've learned all the names for my first and third period classes and I'm about half way with the names in my second period class.  I found out today that I start teaching Algebra II in a week.  They're wrapping up Chapter 5 next week and taking a test on it at the end of the week.  Then, we start Chapter  6 and that's when I come in.  I'll be the big cheese before you know it!  While we are out here we have to do a lesson plan for a whole unit.  It's pretty much my entire grade.  It's not due until April but I'm doing it with Chapter 6.  I figure it's better to get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of DC.
      I came home from school, had my routine nap, got a package (Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa!), and did one of my mini-assignments (we have to write weekly reflections on what we learn about teaching).  We were thinking of going to that party tonight, but no one decided to go until after 9 and it was a 2 mile walk to the place.  I decided I would stay home and watch "Hello, Dolly" instead. I almost fell asleep during the climax that's how tired I am tonight.  Now that the movie is over, I'm headed to bed.  I've got a long day at Mount Vernon ahead of me and I need all the sleep I can get so I can take it all in. George Washington, here I come!

A case of the Thursdays

      Today seemed like a regular old day at school as a TA.  I was an annoying shadow that did a lot of grading. But, hey, I've almost got grading down to an art.  I graded the Warm-Up quiz and homework for each class and recorded the scores and attendance online before the period was even over.  I'd like to think that takes talent, but it really isn't all that hard.  You just have to be able to focus, and, when you have nothing else to do, focusing is really easy.
      Let me tell you about the metro.  I don't recollect that I've ever mentioned much about the metro before.  They aren't as bad as I thought they would be.  I still want to wash my hands every time I get off but that's just me.  You can meet some really nice people on the metro and some people would rather be left alone, especially in the mornings.  I get a lot of funny looks for laughing out loud at things, but hey, what else is new?  A few metro stations are common areas for promising musicians to play/sing with the hopes that their up ended hat will fill as they perform.  There are quite a few saxophone players in DC and today there was an A' Capella  trio singing as I got off at the stop by my apartment.  They were quite good and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.  I sometimes wonder what it would be like to perform for people for the sheer joy of performing.  Performing like that would make me so nervous.  I wonder how they do it...
      I came home from school and watched a movie in my bed with the hopes of falling asleep to it but had no such luck.  When it was over, I finished writing the answer key for the homework assignment that is due tomorrow and then I wrote a quiz for my Pre-Calculus class.  I think I've decided that Wednesday and Thursday are the hardest days of the week.  Wednesday is when you really start to get tired and Thursday, you want it to be Friday so badly but it just isn't.  The weekend can't come fast enough sometimes. Only one more day and luckily it's a short one, well at least it feels shorter.

A rainy day in DC

      Today was a blustery, gray day.  I played more of the role of observer in school today than I did teacher.  I did get to help a few students before and after school.  Chase even told Ms. Willerth that I was a good teacher.  Looks like he's getting a A. hahaha :)  I went to a few meetings today and met the Physics teacher at SWW.  He was nice but not as cool as Mr. Duncan.  I discovered the smelly first floor teacher workroom.  Teachers are hilarious!  They have the same kind of tiffs as roommates (Who's food is that that's making it stink in here?! If I find it, I'm throwing it away!") and some of them can't spell very well either ("This frig will be cleaned out on Friday.  Pls take ur food out by then.").  I graded a lot of papers and put all the grades and attendance in the grade book.  By the end of the day, I'm not entirely sure who was more excited to go home me or the kids.  There were more of the kids so their excitement was expressed at a higher decibel, but I think my headache caused by their volume outranked their volume.
      I came home from school and took a ten minute snooze.  It was more like a ten minute blink than anything.  Then we had our weekly seminar with our director.  It was two hours long!!!! That's about one hour longer than necessary if you ask me, but we had to catch up from what we missed last Friday.  We talked about Mount Vernon.  Keep your fingers and toes crossed, guys.  The plans have been put in place for Saturday.  I've gotta admit that I'm stoked! The weather last weekend would have been perfect for it, but I'd go see George in a blizzard.

Substituting

     I fell in love today.  I fell in love with my kids and I fell in love with teaching.  The day started off with Chocolate Drop coming in for first period.  He walked right up to me and said, "I got it! At first it was hard, but then I just looked at it.  Then it made sense.  It was still a little hard, but it didn't matter because I could do it."  I wanted to hug him and cry some of my happiest tears at the same time.  He got it! And the best part was that he knew he got it and had confidence in himself.  I loved it!  First period is Algebra II and it's the shortest class of the day and seemed to go by even faster than usual.  I see those kids every day, so it's been really easy to learn all of their names and get to know them better.
     Second period was Pre-calculus.  They're a little more rowdy and at times it was hard to keep their attention.  I think out of all my classes they were the toughest to manage.  They are mostly juniors and kind of have that "you aren't the boss of me" attitude.  One day though, they're going to see that Ms. Willerth (my mentor teacher) really nice to them.  Hopefully, for all our sakes, some of her patience will rub off on me before I become the boss :)
      Third period is two hours long.  It's another Algebra II class.  Maybe it's just the content, but my Algebra II kids are so nice.  They are just fun loving and are really easy to work with.  I kinda had a Freuline Maria moment though.  A couple of kids were trying to pull my leg and get away with things that Ms. Willerth doesn't do, and good ol' Sam stepped up and set them straight and helped me.  He was my own personal Grettel.  Things went smoothly after that.  I got a few new name requests in that class: Queen of the World and Chase (pronounced Chaw-say).  Haha kids! :)
      From the beginning of lunch to the end of the day, I had planning time.  I put the attendance in the grade book and graded the quizzes they took that day.  I came home from school, took a little bitty nap (substituting really takes it out of you) and then went to Institute.  I'm really excited for Institute! I still felt like a little bit of an outsider but once I get into a class and find friends it will all be so much better.  Oh! and my roommate invited all of us to someone else's party Friday night.  That could be fun...

Sunday and Monday

      OK. First of all, sorry I didn't write yesterday.  Church was at 8 a.m. (not gonna lie I don't like that hour too much).  Church was good.  The new ward seems great, but I kind of felt small and insignificant.  We have three Relief Societies and two Elders Quorums.  Yeah, it's a pretty big ward.  I felt like I was the only new kid and everyone else was already BFF's.  I wasn't exactly sure if I'd ever fit in.  I guess that will come with time as a I meet more people.  When I go home from church I crashed....sorta.  I was pretty much too tired to even sleep.  I did manage to get a little nap in though.  Then we had roommate dinner and went to the CES Fireside.  Overall, it was a good day.  I just can't wait until I find my spot in the ward and start to feel like I belong.

      It snowed out here for the better part of today.  Nothing really stuck until I got home from school which was a blessing because I was walking around in flats.  My feet got a little wet but it was not as bad as having my shoes full of snow.  I got to know a lot of the kids' names today.  I called roll in each of my classes and collected their warm-ups.  I can already tell that they are a good group of kids.  Some of them are absolutely hysterical (one kid asked me to call him Chocolate Drop instead of his real name) and they all are still very welcoming.  I helped Chocolate Drop with a problem and I watched his face as the light bulb went off and he got it.  We did a little handshake/ pounded each other's fists to celebrate and then he proudly explained how to do the problem to the class.  I was so proud of him.  He went from frustration to elation in 5 minutes.  Now I just have to get them all to that point every day.  My teacher wasn't feeling well today and decided she would take tomorrow off to get over whatever it is that she has.  That means that yours truly will be the teacher tomorrow.  I'm excited for it...and a little nervous.  It will be a good dry run for how things will be when I take over the classes here in a week or two.

      It was my roommate Sarah's birthday today, so we all went out to dinner to celebrate and then went back to our place for a little cake and ice cream.  We ended up missing FHE but that's ok.  We got to tell stories about our schools and get closer as friends and roommates.  I feel that is a little more important.  Plus, you only have one birthday a year.  You gotta make the most out of it.  Well, it's time for this student teacher to hit the hay.  Substituting takes a lot of energy, but it's so fun!!

The Pentagon, Arlington Cemetery, and Aunt Annie's Pretzels

      Today was the day that we were supposed to go to Mount Vernon, but our director wasn't feeling well so we had to cancel the trip.  Rats.  We took the opportunity we had to stay up late last night and sleep in this morning.  It was grand!  My roommate's sister picked us up last night and we got to experience a DC Friday night.  We went to Old Towne in Alexandria and just walked down the streets looking in all the shops.  It was a quaint, little place, just my kind of town.  They had lights in the trees still and the sidewalks were filled with couples walking hand in hand.  It was a beautiful night!  Oh and I think that Old Towne can give Provo a run for their money as being the city with the most ice cream places.  There were no less than twenty different types of ice cream/ frozen yogurt places down just one street.  I loved it! I would go back every weekend if I could, but you have to have a car to get there.
      This morning I slept in until 10.  I was going to wake up earlier but sleep felt so good.  Saturday is the only day that I don't have to be anywhere by or before 8 in the morning, so I feel justified in taking a little extra time to catch up.  Once I got up, Anna (another girl in the student teaching program) and I walked to the  Pentagon.  It's only three blocks from our apartments!  It was a beautiful day in DC.  You really only needed a light jacket and that was only when the wind was blowing and/or the sun was behind the scattered clouds.  When we got to the Pentagon we whipped out our cameras to start taking pictures and then we saw the "Photographs Prohibited" signs.  We thought it would be best to not try to sneak pictures on the nation's military headquarters.  We returned our cameras to their cases until we reached the Pentagon Memorial.  It was a beautiful memorial for the people that lost their lives at the Pentagon on September 11th.
      From the Pentagon, we went to Arlington Cemetery.  We watched the changing of the guard, went to the Arlington House, and the grave site of John F. Kennedy.  As we walked around I couldn't help thinking about all the men and women buried there.  Some of them I knew their names and saw them as extraordinary figures in our history.  As I thought about these people and learned more about their lives, I came to see them as ordinary people as well.  For the first time saw them as people that went through hard times, that lost loved ones, that had bad days.  It gave me hope.  If they could overcome trials, then so could I.  Then I walked passed the graves of hundreds of thousands of men and women that I didn't know.  These people became heroes in my eyes.  Some people might be sad thinking of the things that the fallen might have brought to life and all that they had to offer the world.  I was humbled with the knowledge that they offered their lives for me.  They gave the ultimate gift so I could live in the country that I live in.
      From the cemetery, Anna and I headed home.  On our way we stopped off at Aunt Annie's Pretzels for a snack and a little lemonade.  It's been tempting us all week and we needed to do a little refueling after all that walking.  Never has a pretzel and lemonade tasted so good and made me feel so much at home even though I was on the other side of the country.  I had a great time today enjoying the sunshine in the capital of this wonderful nation with a new friend!  Tomorrow is church (at 8 a.m.).  Let's see what friends I can make tomorrow.

First day of school!

      Today was my first day of school.  Despite what everyone said, the kids didn't try to eat me.  They just seemed like high school students.  They're are just at that age of finding out who they are and they want everyone to know it.  They say it like it is and are not afraid to be themselves.  They are extremely friendly too.  It might be that I'm new so they wanted to make a good impression, but they made me feel so comfortable.  A few of them even feel like people that I know. I'm starting to love them already.
      I will be teaching Algebra II and Pre-calculus.  We talked about solving quadratic equations by factoring today in Algebra II.  That was something that I loved as a student because I saw it as solving a riddle or a puzzle, but the first period moaned the whole time.  I think I found my first goal of teaching: Help them become excited about the content.  One kid asked for a real life application and I wanted so badly to give him a physics example but I left that to my mentor teacher.  Speaking of my mentor teacher, she's great! She is a patient teacher and you can see that she has a good relationship with her students.
      There are definitely some things that I am going to have to get used to, such as the School Without Walls doesn't have any bells either (thank goodness for watches!); there is very little board space because we share the classroom with at least one other teacher throughout the entire day; and I'm going to have so many teachers watching me (they're more intimidating than the students).  Did I mention that there are, at one point durning the day, three other teachers that will be watching me teach?  They might be the ones that eat me alive.  Not my mentor teacher though.  She's a good egg. I really like her a lot.  I can't wait to work with her and her students, to learn with them and from them.  What an adventure this will be!

The Library of Congress

      Today's message is brought to you by the word "awesome"!  I got to sleep in. Awesome. I woke up to three home maintenance guys coming into the apartment.  Not so awesome.  They fixed the shower. Awesome! We didn't get lost on the metro. Awesome!!  I got free gelato with my chicken salad sandwich.  Awesome!!!  We went to the Library of Congress.  AWESOME!!!
      We had a little meeting outside the Library, and I was too cold and too excited to sit there for long.  Luckily it was a short one. Then the tour began.  We spent a few minutes outside talking about the architecture.  The whole stinking building is symbolic!  The architecture, the sculptures, the books, it all represents knowledge and wisdom.  There were like a zillion quotes, a kajillion of which were awesome.  It's crazy to think that someone (or maybe a group of people) decided what quotes to include on the ceiling, what mosaics they wanted up there, what carat of gold to use, and what statues they should have all over the place.  And THEN they had to make it.  I can't even begin to imagine how much work must have been put into making something that exquisite!  It kind of makes you think that if a group of ordinary men (and maybe women) can make something that incredible, then maybe there's hope for me and I know there's hope for my students.  I just have to help them see that hope and help them realize that that hope is obtainable through their educations.  That's their ticket into making something of their lives.
      I also went downstairs to look at the Bob Hope Exhibit, the Gershwin Brothers Exhibit, and the children's reading area. It got me to thinking about the legacy that I would leave behind and what quotes might added to the ceiling in my own exhibit.  I hope that someday, every kid I ever teach will look back and remember that I thought they were special and that they could do anything, that I believed that there was more to life that arithmetic and I knew that they could find it.
      In short, today was the first day that it really felt like I was in DC.  All the other days I felt like I was trying to find this elusive exciting place and today I found it!

DC Cupcakes and the School Without Walls

      After a completely restless night, I arose early this morning and got ready for the day.  As I got ready, I listened to "Jet Lag" by Simple Plan.  My plan in doing so was apparently not so simple.  You see, it's hard for me to get used to this time zone thing.  All the people I want to talk to are two hours behind me.  That means I'm going to bed when their evenings are just beginning and my day starts right in the middle of their nights.  So  I thought I'd listen to that song because I could relate to it.  It just made me want to talk to everybody even more. I was proud of myself though.  I resisted the urge to disturb the peaceful slumber of each and every contact on my list at 5:00 am their time.
       Today we went out into three of the schools and met our mentor teachers.  The elementary school was the first stop.  Holy CUTE kids! I wanted to change majors on the spot! And the principal was AMAZING! She was so passionate about the kids and that's what it is all about - the kids.  Then we went to the performing arts high school where my roommate will be teaching math.  I couldn't get Step Up out of my mind.  I seriously expecting to turn the corner and see Channing Tatum standing there.  Unfortunately he wasn't in school today.
      We left that school and made a pit stop at DC Cupcakes.  Two words: YUM ME.  Seriously.  I want another one.  I could eat one of those every day. The two I bought were Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate^3.  The first one was just like a s'more but with chocolate graham crackers and ooey gooey chocolate and the other one was....well it was divine.
      After our delicious cupcakes, we went to the infamous School Without Walls, my school for the next three months.  I am happy to report that, despite its name, it has many walls.  It is actually quite the building.  It's right on George Washington University's campus and has the best interior design I've ever seen in a school.  The set up is awesome and it has all the latest technological hookups.  I also got to meet my mentor teacher.  She seems super nice and like a really good teacher for me to work with.  Oh and guess what! She did her student teaching out here in this same BYU program and now she's the head of the math department.  Cool story huh, Hansel?  I will be teaching Pre-calculus and Algebra, my two favorites!
     When we finished all of our school visits, we went back to the apartments and had another seminar about what we're going to be doing out here and the philosophy of teaching.  After a seven hour period of listening and driving around and sitting in meetings, I was pooped.  My roommates and I went home and watched a movie.  That late in the evening there's not too much to do around here for the time being (that is, while we don't really know where much is).  The museums all close kind of early and so by the time we got there we'd have to just turn right around and go home.  We've already seen the Costco and it gets too cold and dark for too much exploring.  So, we watched a movie instead.  I know. Not the most exciting of things to do in a city like DC, but hey, as long as your having fun right?  Besides tomorrow is all about the Library of Congress....and another meeting.

Potbelly's Sandwiches

      "Day One:"  ("Mulan" quote anybody?)  My oh my what a day!  I got into DC around 5:00 last night and managed to only get slightly turned around coming off the Metro for the shortest of seconds.  I met some really nice people that were willing to help me in so many ways.  A missionary talked with me all through the security line at the airport (He'll never know that for 30 minutes he was an angel in my life), the people sitting next to me on the flights were nice, encouraging and offered caring advice even though we complete strangers, an adorable older man helped me lift my suitcases up the 12 steps I need to go up to get headed in the right direction, and my roommates are a hoot.  We spent the night laughing and teasing and getting to know each other.
      My fatigue kept me from falling asleep at first but I was finally able to doze off.  I woke up to the sun shining in my window and I realized that the mountains of Utah gave me a little bit a later morning.  It gets bright so early here.  That should help me wake up early for school.....I hope.  We went on our first adventure today to get our fingerprints done so we can teach in the schools.  I found out that I will be at School Without Walls.  It's a more rigorous high school that students have to apply to get in.  The campus is on George Washington University campus.  Cool huh?  Again I met some really cool people.  I met a basketball coach and we talked about what in the world a griffin is (yes, it's still being used as a mascot).  I met the assistant superintendent.  She was the nicest lady and got us all excited for a new adventure of student teaching. When we were done with that meeting, a few of us went to get lunch at Potbelly's.  It was a mighty tasty sandwich and a great source strength, energy and comfort.  Travelling really takes it out of ya.
      Then, we all went back to our apartments, which are very nice I might add, and met our supervisor.  She kind of brought us all back to reality and reminded us that while this cake walk won't be easy, it will be worth it.  She told us a little more about our schools and what to expect.   "Oo-de-lally! Oo-de-lally! Golly, what a day!"  Oh and guess what! I'm going to Mt. Vernon on Saturday!!!