HELLO to my blogging friends, random fb friends I hardly ever talk to anymore, creepy blog stalkers from India, and whoever else may happen to stumble across this blog.
I'm gonna make this short.
Soooooo, here is my update for the day, week, month, or year:
(depending on when I will blog next. It's never predictable)
Yesterday I wrote an entire 12 page paper.
How long had I known about this paper? Since the beginning of November.
Last week I wrote a 7 page paper in 2 hours.
How long had I known about that paper? Since the beginning of the semester.
I also wrote a 1 page paper in 20 minutes last week (I know, less impressive).
You would think that I would learn my lesson and run from the
procrastarynator when she comes around...
But seriously, that was one of the best semesters EVER.
I can't decide if there's a correlation there, but regardless, life is good.
Here's to another wonderful, procrastination-filled
This is a big deal when you have a huge art project/poster due
the next day and can't print anything off.
Luckily I have kick-awesome teammates (shout out to Addy Marsh!) who help me out.
Initially, I was worried that I couldn't find it though.
But then I realized that I would be MORE THAN HAPPY to have a new picture on my BYU ID card...
I would GLADLY pay the 5 dollars or whatever it is to get a new one!!
It's just something you wouldn't understand unless you've seen my picture.
Lets just say that it was another attempt at the following:
9th Grade class picture
Senior class picture. Yes this was in the yearbook my senior year of high school.
(Mama no likey)
But back to my ID card-- Something went terribly wrong when I took my picture and I resemble a constipated unicorn (hair sticking straight up and everything).
Unfortunately I came home and found my ID card sitting on my night stand.
No new picture for me I guess...
Maybe if I'd clean more often I wouldn't get my hopes up!
Take a wild guess at which side is mine. Nope not the left!
On another note-- GLOZELL and Antoine Dodson are in PROVO!!!!!!!!!!!
and Kristen got to see them today!
One of my unrealistic and stupid DREAMS is to meet Glozell...
watch this and you'll see why:
Ok maybe we don't see eye to eye on this, BUT I LOVE HER!!!!
Every Wednesday I get to go to an elementary school and tutor in a special needs classroom. The kids are so cute and I usually love every minute I'm there! But this teacher I work with.... is SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS!
A little girl finished her math test early today and got permission to draw, so she stapled a few pieces of scratch paper together and made a book about Unicorns (adorable!), and then proceeded to show her teacher her piece of work.
As a teacher, I think you have a few different options here:
1) Praise them for working hard on their test and then thank them for drawing quietly while the rest of the class finished,
2) Praise their piece of work (positive reinforcement!) so they'll continue to be creative in the future, or
3) Give them suggestions to make their work better.
What happened though, SHOCKED ME.
The ONLY thing the teacher had to say about it was:
"You are wasting all of my paper!
I had 50 sheets in there on Monday and now there's one?! Go sit down!"
SERIOUSLY?!!!!!!!!
AND WE EXPECT KIDS TO LOVE TO LEARN?!!!!
Emily turned around with a sad look on her face, and my heart melted. When she got closer I pulled her aside and told her how great her book was, and this ADORABLE little girl smiled and wrapped her arms around me. Then she skipped out the door with a
"See you next Wednesday, Miss T!"
I know this isn't the most entertaining blog post, but I never want to forget how upset this made me. I don't know what that teacher might be going through, or what kind of day she had, but I'm learning from this and making sure I NEVER treat my students like that (let alone SPECIAL NEEDS students).
Today I... wore shorts to school in frigid 52 degree rainy weather. I have NOT worn jeans ONCE this semester, hoping that if I'm defiant, it will stay warmer longer. Mother Nature is MESSING WITH MY PLAN!!
(PLAN: Wear shorts until either 1) it snows, or 2) my leg hair starts getting split ends. Whichever comes first)
Today I... fell asleep in class and flinched so bad that everyone 3 rows behind me laughed and the teacher wondered what was so funny.
Today I... am blogging when I should be napping-- to potentially avoid falling asleep in class tonight.... lets be real though. It's gonna happen regardless.
Today I... wished swimmers could shave their legs in-season.
Today I... wished I could sleep for a day and not suffer the consequences.
Today I... didn't match.
This week I... had a dream that there was a new Starburst flavor, and the wrappers were white. I liked that dream a lot.
This week I... ACCIDENTALLY kicked a volleyball straight at an unsuspecting male's.... sensitive area.
This week I... stayed up way too late on the phone.
This week I... have the first swim meet of the season!! COME. Blue vs. White. Friday. 6 pm. Richards Building.
This month I... have no idea what I'm being for Halloween, and don't really care.
This month I... am excited to go to California.
Right now I... am happy :) Right now I... am boring myself (I can only imagine how YOU'RE feeling :)
I walked up those awful RB stairs so slow yesterday (5:40.42 is my record) that a girl started cheering for me: "YOU CAN DO IT! KEEP IT UP!"
And then an old man passed me and chuckled.
I PROMISE I'm not out of shape...
Today I got a bloody nose while merging onto the freeway.
Cool right?!
Talk about adrenaline rush... I think it was scarier for the passengers in my car than myself ;)
I showed up to the BYU football game 3 HOURS EARLY to make sure I got a ticket on Saturday. And then watched them get squashed by the Utes... Come to find out that Arby's was giving out free "turnovers" after the game!... turnovers....hahahaha... get it?!
I TAUGHT PE IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!!!! BEST. DAY. EVER.
(Disclosure: this will NOT be an organized blog post)
I'm back in Provo, getting into the swing of things, and more motivated than ever to accomplish my goals.
(296 days to Olympic Trials!!)
I have the best major ever.... I absolutely love my classes and love that they're actually going to help me be a good teacher. (no more GE's, WHOOOOO!!!!!!)
Oh random-
Isn't it weird how certain things/objects remind you of certain people, places, or times?
Today I washed my hair with this:
Herbal Essences "Hello Hydration"
Don't ask me WHY I bought shampoo and conditioner that offers EXTRA hydration...
My hair is well hydrated thanks to my second home, the pool.
But that's besides the point-
This stuff reminded me of showering at Liberty Square before church last year... and made me miss sophomore year a little bit!
It's funny how a certain lotion can remind you of a certain person.
Or how a certain sound can remind you of being home.
Or how a certain song can remind you of a certain summer...
Ok, TOTALLY cliche but I have been obsessed with this song since March!!
I may or may not have listened to it on repeat every day for all of
March, April, May, June, and July.
(that may be an exaggeration, but probably not)
Anyways.
k. getting caught up:
So... one of my best friends in the entire world got married on August 18, in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It was a BEAUTIFUl day and it couldn't have been any more perfect.
Bachelorette party! and unsurprisingly, my eyes are closed. classic.
We got to spend a week in Cali after nationals...
I LOVE how goofy my family is
my little buddy enjoying the waves :)
my cute family!! minus dallin :(
drew taking a break from his active life ;)
Dinner with the Huberts on the pier!
no caption needed. hahahaha
my best friend and my mom!
This was a random night. Feeding ducks
Addy Marsh!
I was just feeling nostalgic... I love my buddies! They're so little in this picture!
Drew started kindergarten last week, and had to fill out a questionnaire about himself. One of the questions was "What makes you happy?"
He said, "when my sister comes home from college."
MY HEART MELTED.
I love my family so so much!
Anyways.
Long hot summer by Keith Urban... go listen to it!
This will forever be the theme song of the best summer of my entire life!
I can honestly say that I have never been happier than I am right now, but can't wait for this next crazy year and whatever trials I'm supposed to face!
Not really sure how to start this little documentation--
but "BEST MEET EVER!!!" just might sum it up.
It was a freakin PARTY... and definitely the fastest meet I have EVER been to,
let alone SWAM in.
Nats was held in Palo Alto, CA at Stanford University.
Since pictures speak a thousand words, here is my documentation:
ain't he cute? ;)
don't ask me why i'm sitting so awkwardly. I don't know
This was some random nice guy at the airport that wanted to be in our picture haha
MY CUTE FAMILY!
sweet scoreboard!
lane 9
photo props to my papa!
Carrie came to watch me swim!
my smokin hot teammates :)
FUN!
ew. haha
we only attempted to get a jumping pic like....2464234 times
LOVE THIS PIC!! Coach John and baby Ben
I don't know why it's sideways. sorry!
The Brooks'
SO CUTE!!! I fell in love with little B!!!
Who does that look like?! haha DEE!!!
And that's Katie Hoff in front of me with the blue cap. nbd.
Overall, it seriously was the most FUN meet I have EVER been to! They had a swimmer hospitality booth stocked with food 24/7 (I was in heaven;) and the pools were AMAZING.
I dropped time in both the 100 breaststroke and 50 free, but missed the trials cut by .37 in the 50 free.... so that is my next big goal...
OLYMPIC TRIALS 2012!
ps. today is the first day I've done my hair or put on makeup in 2 weeks.
Ever since I moved in with grandma, I have had THE WORST sweet tooth!
I've NEVER really been one to crave sugar, especially in-season.
(except for tropical starbursts. those will always be my weakness)
Well...
This morning I went to the grocery store to pick up some treats for my swim lesson kids.
This was a bad idea mainly because:
1) it was right after practice, meaning I was HUNGRY
2) You're never supposed to go to the grocery store when you're hungry, and
3) I obviously ended up in the candy isle to buy my swim lesson treats.
Walking through that isle and deciding what to buy STRANGELY enough (ha) gave me the most random craving...
MMMMMM!!!!
Lets just say I may or may not have eaten an entire bag of black licorice today...
And I enjoyed every minute of it.
Moving on:
I have the best job in the entire world.
Why? I get the combination of 3 of my favorite things into 1:
swimming, kids, and teaching.
But I have a little list to prove it, too:
Reason #1: I don't have to shower, put on makeup, or brush my hair or teeth before work! (JK ABOUT THE TEETH)
Reason # 2: I taught a boy a few weeks ago that resembled one of my favorite tv show characters...
MANNY!!!
Every time I looked at this little kid, I couldn't help but SMILE because Manny is so loveable and hilarious!
I just looked on youtube for a clip of Manny and unfortunately just spent the last 45 minutes watching hilarious clips from Modern Family with Trev. SO FUNNY!!! If you haven't seen this show (and even if you have) WATCH THESE and you are guaranteed a laugh!
hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
FUNNY YES??
I couldn't find any good ones of Manny, but trust me. He is THE BEST!
WHEW! (Tangent: if you haven't noticed this blog is nothing but tangents. I feel like that's just kind of how life is. Nothing in life is formally introduced; we don't get a preview of what's going to happen- life just kinda HAPPENS and we make it work! Ooo wasn't that deep?! but seriously back to my real tangent... ah shoot. Forgot what I was going to say. Dang tangents)
Numero 3 reason why I love my job: The cute things the kids say. For example, I was trying to get a little girl to swim backstroke with straight arms and told her to reach for a plate of cookies on the top shelf. She then went on to say: "What if mom says no?"
4. Yesterday I got a $50 dollar tip. NBD.
5. I taught a 7 year old girl who had a near death experience in a pool at the age of 2 and has since been extremely terrified of water. She screamed, cried, kicked, told me she hated swimming, and it just went on and on every single day for almost 2 weeks. My ears were ringing after her lessons because they were so miserable for her. She wouldn't leave the steps, and if I pulled her out with me she screamed harder and tried to climb up me to get out of the water. To be honest, I have NEVER wanted to give up on a kid until this little girl came along... I knew I couldn't though. It took almost 2 weeks, but yesterday she floated and today she swam to the deep end BY HERSELF! I was so proud of her for overcoming her fear, that I almost had tears in my eyes.
She told me today that all she could dream about the night before was how she could swim, and how it wasn't scary! THAT is why I have the best job in the world.
This experience has really made me realize how blessed I am to have the talents God gave me, and how lucky I am that I get to share my talent with these kids every single day. As EXHAUSTING as it is to teach for 4 hours after a long practice and little sleep, it's always worth it at the end of the session when the kids are confident and happy swimmers.
I. LOVE. MY. JOB. :)
The end.... this post has taken me a ridiculously long time to write. I blame youtube.
Winning stuff on the radio has never been so anticlimactic
or such a let down before this week.
Not gonna lie, I win tons of stuff on the radio. It's all random, but who would pass up:
Dinner for 2 at Sweet Tomatoes
Monster Truck Rally tickets
4 tickets to a Grizzly hockey game
Concert tickets to some band I don't even like
You all know how competitive I am...
I just get a rush from hearing the dj announce that caller 10 will win "this and that"...
and then calling in just to win, regardless of the prize.
Sadly, out of all that crap I've won, I've never gone to pick any of it up.
It's usually not worth the drive to downtown Salt Lake.
Plus, I just like to win.
BUT THIS WEEK........ I struck gold! With............
HARRY POTTER tickets!!!!!!!!
These tickets weren't just any tickets- they were tickets to an exclusive showing!! The winner watched the 1st movie (of the 7th book) at 6 pm and then watched the brand new one right after, with a theatre to themselves and their friends.
COOL RIGHT?!!!!
I was freaking out on the phone (like you're supposed to),
and then the dj asked where I was from.
(Still freaking out): "PROVO!"
The dj kind of laughed and asked me if i realized that the movie theatre that I had just won tickets to was in good ol' Farmington, UT.
FAIL.
If I can't even drive to Salt Lake to pick up prizes, what makes anyone think I'm going to drive all the way out to Farmington to use my prize?!
(Sorry to all the Harry Potter die-hards that read this)
This made me conclude that I'm a lucky winner when it is something I don't really care about (ex: Monster truck rally tickets). But when it's $50 at a junior high assembly or a free trip to Hawaii, I am the unluckiest winners of ALL TIME!!!
SOOOO... to all you unlucky ones out there! (I'm referring to the unlucky ones who don't even win crap on the radio) Feel free to give me a call when you HAVE to win that new CD. If I win and I don't want it, it's all yours ;)
(pardon the lame title) Life has been so wonderfully GOOD and hilarious lately.
First off:
I FINALLY (after MONTHS of trying) got to watch my odometer in my car turn from 999.9 to 000.0! Stupid I know, but I like stuff like this.
I always forgot to watch, or lost track of mileage.
Once, I got to 999.2 and made the mistake of telling Conner how excited I was (he happened to be in the car). He leaned over to "look" and RESET the odometer.
Boy was I mad. Ok not really.
BUT--
If at first you don't succeed.... blah blah blah you know the rest!
I even pulled into a parking lot at 999.8 and drove around for .2 of a mile.
Imagine that and then try to tell me that isn't discipline.
I love accomplishing goals ;) Even goals as stupid as this one.
I have tons to say and tons I could blog about...
Like how awesome summer is.
Or how much I love my family.
And how much fun this weekend was.
But I'll spare you :)
Instead, enjoy a very short story about my hilarious family:
This literally happened an hour ago- I was in my room and overheard this:
Trevor: "MOM!!!! TANNER PEED IN A BOWL!"
Mom: "What are you talking about."
Trevor: "HE REALLY PEED IN A BOWL, A BOWL WE EAT OUT OF!"
(just imagine a typical "Holly freak-out" right about now. We all sing this song when this happens)
The rest of the monologue isn't important, but you get the picture.
I haven't gagged and laughed so hard at the same time in a really long time. It's quite the experience.
Ps. Check out this link because it's funny and I promise it will only take a second!
