for your enjoyment

on tuesday during p.e. time we couldn't use the gym, so i told my kinders that it was their lucky ducky day because we were going to have p.e. on the playground. (yes, i was being a lazy teacher and didn't want to plan an organized outdoor activity.) after i assured them that they could play in the sandbox, james raised his hand.

"yes, james."

"you are a genius teacher."

classic.

kindergarten writing is quite entertaining. it takes great skill to decipher their writing... for you amateurs I will translate.

from london, who doesn't quite pronounce her "r's":

translation: i love you wile (really) much. your (you're) ur (our) bs (best) techr (teacher) evr (ever)

and finally... this one takes the cake.

we are writing i like me books for our super literacy day. sophie provided us with this little gem.

apparently she likes her boos!

translation: i like my fingernails because they are hot pink nails and i like my bows.

mellow yellow

Here are the latest Spring purchases...





As my kindergarteners would tell you, yellow is my favorite color (favorite colors are important in kindergarten). I am quite satisfied with the sunshine-y, spring-y quality of my newest acquisitions.  Let's hope it decides to be spring in Utah at some point. I was greeted by a fresh coat of powdery whiteness on my car when I left for work today.  C'mon, doesn't the saying go "April showers" not "April blizzards"?  (Blizzards clearly does not rhyme with flowers.) 

For now, I suppose I will just look dumb carrying around the yellow purse in the snow! 

Let's Talk About This

So if you know me, you know that I am a loyal and devoted MAC make-up user... however I am not one to rule out a great grocery store cosmetic find.  Here is my latest great find that I share with you my blogging friends: 

For a mere $7.50 (or something like that) it too can be yours. Yes 1/2 the price of good old MAC plush lash.  

Ta-Dah! Presenting...

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara 

Try it, you'll like it! In a box with a fox, in house with a mouse, here or there... anywhere!

Job interview

So typically when people think of job interview attire they think suit, nylons, heels, clean hair... 

February 27 I had a job interview. This is what I was wearing:

*Note: I also had day old hair. It had been a shower cap morning.

The recruiting lady from the district was here at the school on a Professional Development Day (hence the tracksuit) I popped in to ask her a couple questions about my contract and found out that I would need a new screening interview because I was moving from a part time to a full time contract and I was hired after January.  

A few minutes later it was just arranged that I could have the job interview right then since she was already there.  I apologized for my lack of professional attire and she just kept telling me how happy she was that I had stopped in and how much the district would love to have me work for them next year.  So over the next 30 minutes I grabbed my file and started pulling letters of recommendation, my BYU transcript, and student teaching evaluations.  I was asked if I would rather do my interview another day so I could prepare, but I decided to just go for it.  After all if I couldn't pass a basic screening interview then I probably shouldn't be teaching!

 Thankfully it went really well and I am now in the district candidate pool for the 2009-2010 school year.  I am anxious to see where I end up teaching next year.  Principals do interviews in April! I will be sure not to wear a tracksuit and to wash my hair!  

Time flies when you are having fun...

As you all are well aware, I seem to have taken a vacation from the blogging world.  With moving from Newport Beach, starting kindergarten, teaching every day, and Christian coming home it has been a busy 2009 thus far! Here is an update... photos included! Enjoy!

February 6th Christian returned home from Hiroshima, Japan! It has been so much fun having him home and being all together as a family.  

Here he comes

Christian and Me
The Kunz Family (Note the matching shirts... if he was embarrassed it is his fault because he gave them to us!)

Next up... I got lasik!!! I LOVE being able to see! It is the best thing ever! Truly a miracle of modern medicine! It wasn't painful at all... I would do it again! Definitely worth it! At night I sometimes forget and I lie down and spring right back up to take out my contacts.  I am not used to going to bed without the blurriness!  For your viewing pleasure... here is a disgusting picture of me in my "bug glasses."  I had to wear these the first 24 hours after the procedure and then just sleep in them for 5 nights after.  Every morning I had to peel goo off my face from the tape.  Lovely! I had to put lots and lots of drops in my eyes for about a week and couldn't wear make up for 5 days.  It was a quick procedure with an easy recovery. Cheers to 20/20 vision! 

I have 21 darling, spunky and busy kindergarteners! It has been so fun to be back in the classroom! Last week was report cards and two nights of Parent Teacher Conferences.  It is always nice to have that out of the way.

We have been working really hard on our Writer's Workshop using "spacerman", word wall words, stretching words with our "sound slinkys" and punctuation.  Take a look at this courtesy of my little London J.  How could I not love my job? 
Here's to being a better blogger this month!

A Kunzie Family Christmas

It seems crazy that Christmas has already come and gone. Here is one of the quick highlights from yesterday (more to come later):

We got to call Christian-it was so good to hear his voice. He comes home in just six weeks!  For Christmas, our favorite missionary sent us matching shirts with his photo on them. Of course we all sported them yesterday.... 

(oh and the shirts came with some pretty sweet headbands) 

Merry Christmas everyone! 

 

Enjoy the rest of December until clean-outs, diets and strict work-out regimens commence!

Run run as fast as you can...

During the month of December my kindergarten friends and I compared different versions of the classic The Gingerbread Man.  As a culminating event they got to decorate their own gingerbread houses.  My mom, Caroline, and I spent the evening building 45 gingerbread houses from graham crackers. We melted sugar to act as glue and tried not to burn ourselves as we constructed these little beauties. I took them all to school the next morning for my kindergarteners to decorate. My little friends LOVED every minute of it; however, I am not convinced that I am doing this again next year.

turkey, stuffing, and pie... oh my!

This year for Thanksgiving we had dinner at my Aunt Mary and Uncle Gordy's home. They have 5 kids... Charlotte, their youngest, provided us with some good entertainment! She couldn't remember my daddy's name so she would say, "Uncle (long pause) Uncle." So yes my daddy was dubbed "Uncle Uncle" by Charlotte.  Grandma and Grandpa Kunz were there too. 

I just love the holidays! 

01. everything is so cozy

02. being with family

03. the spirit the holidays bring

04. delicious holiday food

05. decorations

Good food and good times! Until next year...

Mom and Lucy

Mom and Daddy

Charlotte and her Thanksgiving pie goodness

Lucy, Caroline, and Annabelle

Me and Charlotte

 

Miss Kunz's Kindergarten Friends

Yes you read it right... I am going to teach kindergarten... in Utah! I will be teaching at the elementary school I student taught at, in the classroom I student taught in, and I will be sharing a contract with the teacher who mentored me! It will be a change to go from first grade to kindergarten, but I am so excited.  I will teach full time during Emily's maternity leave and then I will be teaching afternoon kindergarten from February on.  Of course come fall I will need to have a full time position, but for the next few months this is just the perfect opportunity. 

I learned so much about myself during my Newport Beach adventure--most of all that I find my greatest satisfaction in teaching and that there is no place like home.  So on Saturday I will be clicking the heels of my ruby slippers together and heading back to Utah...just in time for winter I might add! The few months I have lived out here have been a great chapter in my life and something I will always be glad that I did!

I will miss Kate, my cousins, and the new friends I made here, but I can't wait to get back to the beautiful mountains, my adorable 5 year olds, and my family and friends in Utah!

This is how my darling six year old cousin Julia feels about my decision:

I promised to mail her some Junie B. Jones books and now it seems that we are on good terms again! I love you Julia! x o x o

 

announcement!!!

My mom just got Christian's flight plans in the mail today!!! He is arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport on Friday, February 6th at 3:55pm!!! Wahoo!

P.S. I have another fabulous announcement... but not enough time to spill the beans... so I will just give you a hint.. (hint: Miss Kunz)

P.P.S. I hope the suspense doesn't stress anyone out!