Rainy Saturday Morning

I am writing this morning in an attempt to prolong the official beginning of my day. I have been highly motivated all week and have big plans for today. However, the weather is not being very friendly. Its raining and cold and disgusting outside. Isn't it amazing how the weather truly can effect your mood. I also had a big (and yummy) breakfast this morning. So I'm full, warm and cozy in my PJ's and fuzzy sock (Oh how I love fuzzy socks.) I don't foresee me leaving my spot on the couch for a while. So to make myself feel a little less guilty, I am "journaling."

This week was a good week. I woke up early every day this week to do some type of a work out. It was nice to feel refreshed before work and to have a little extra time with Mike in the morning. At work this week I tried my very best to have saint like patience. I instituted a rewards system in my class that is working, SO FAR. Each time they are quite in the hall, get in line properly and quietly, get a good report from a specials teacher and all behave during circle time, the get a token. Once the get 20 tokens they get a treat. It is working well. They have really been trying and are getting a lot more positive reinforcement. Thats not to say that by the end of the week I was trying a lot harder to have patience than at the beginning.

Funny Story: My pre-k class and the 2 kindergarden classes are located on a different campus then our 1st-5th grade classes. We rent out 5 classrooms inside a Jewish temple. It is interesting but we make it work. Passover began on monday night this past week. So on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we were not able to bring grains or pork into the temple in our lunches (which was very challenging for me, I would eat my triscuts on the playground outside.) We are also not allowed to celebrate easter or anything in the temple. So we read a passover book to the students to help them know why they couldn't have sandwiches for lunch. We gave them matzah and macaroons. Then we decided since most of the kids in our class celebrate easter to read the story of easter (the real one, with Christ and his death and resurrection.) After the story one little boy was very interested in the story about Jesus. He asked me questions like "Why did they kill Him?" and "Who killed Jesus?" So lets think about this. I have a student asking me "who killed Jesus" in a Jewish temple... what do you say? I paused, knowing full well that if anyone else asked this question I would answer simply "the Jews." But I'm in a Jewish temple, I can't say that. Can I? I stood there stumped for a few seconds and he asked again. Finally I told him a man named Pontius Pilate. Haha. It was close enough for the situation I was in. I had to laugh though.

On a different note I feel much more organized in my calling. My close friend Cynda was called as my advisors. We are going to have a lot of fun with these girls. I think it will be fun for the girls to see me with one of my good friends on Wednesday nights. I am one of the stricter leaders, I expect a lot from the girls (where much is given, much is required) so I think it would be easy for them to see me as a more disciplined leader that they can't relate to. But I think they will be surprised to find that... I have a sense of humor, I'm fairly sarcastic and that I love the have fun and laugh. When I think of my youth leaders that I loved it was in the moments that I saw them being themselves and having that I really felt connected to them. So I hope my mia-maids will feel the same way. I can't wait to start having more class activities!

This morning I made crepes for the first time and made a caramelized banana filling for them. Not to shabby. Unfortunately after I had mine I saw how many cal. per serving there were on the bottom of the website recipe (600!) Guess I will have to wait till dinner to eat again.

Yesterday I had some girls over to color easter eggs. I had a blast. It was so fun to spend time with a few friends while doing something fun and crafty. I had one of my new friends from work come and spend time with all my other girlfriends from church. She probably felt like she was part of a "Mormon Invasion." It was a lot of fun. I also made my easter cut-out cookies. I have to decorate them today. I hope I have enough and don't have to make any more!

They are pretty right? My favorite is one that Shelley made. It says "Utah... This is the place." then has an outline of the state of Utah on it. LOVE IT!!

Last night Mike and I went to the temple for ward temple night. It is the first time we have gone as an organized ward thing. That was fun. We left at 5:00 for the 7:15 session worried we would hit traffic on the way into NYC. Traffic was perfect and we were parked and ready to go by 6:15. Since the temple is in the Lincoln Circle area there is a lot to see and look at around it. Our friend Camille came with us and we all found a little pizza place to grab a quick slice and kill some time. It was really great to go to the temple on Good Friday. We hope to make it a tradition.

I have been feeling that winter weight lately and wanting desperately to get ride of it. It is however I little more challenging with the arrival of our girl scout cookie order, easter candy/baking and my new desire to become a master pastry chef. So I went to the gym yesterday to do some interval training. I went on the treadmill and I would run at a comfortable speed for 2 minutes then move it up a speed for a minute then move it up one more for another minute. Then I would walk for 2 min then start again. My dad said that is a good way to burn fat. It was pretty hard since running hasn't been my main form of exercise for a while. I went visiting teaching right after and didn't stretch... MISTAKE. This morning I can barley walk up and down the steps. I feel like I did after I climbed Timp! That is also why I'm struggling this morning.