ON THE MEND

Illness Update
Sinus infections are no joke for me. When I say it can take 2-4 weeks to get over, I mean it. When you add other illnesses, allergic reactions, and extremes in weather (like cold & windy OK), it makes it an uphill battle.

Still, I can say at the end of this week, I am doing much better. I could tell as the week progressed how things were letting up. The beginning of the week had me still so exhausted, barely able to speak, and sleeping for hours - usually between Seminary, study, and VIPKid teaching. By mid week, I was still somewhat tired, but down to one-hour naps. I had to deal with the horrid pain of sinus congestion (Tuesday night I could literally hear and feel the stuff breaking up in my sinus passages), but hot showers, hot compresses with heating pads, and Vicks Vapo-rub quickly helped get things draining. Most of it has cleared out, with only a little I have to expectorate, usually after I get up in the morning and gravity takes over.

And Saturday...I didn't take a nap at all! Not that I didn't want one, but I was super busy. I had to cook a turkey dinner for my family and the sister missionaries and that - along with another VIPKid appointment -  kept me going all day. Still, by then I knew I was over the hill. Thank goodness!

PH - Sick Kid
I don't really want to say I was a sickly child. I don't think, on the scale of things, I was. But, being a kid, exposed at school to a myriad of germs and who knows what, I did get sick from time to time. Also, being a normal, active, yet clumsy, kid, I was bound to get injured from time to time. Multiply that by six, and my mom spent a lot of time at the doctor's office. She used to joke that she just needed to set up a play pen for the little ones and stay there all day.

For general ailments, I think my mom's modus operandi stands in use with me today: rest and fluids. Back then, Mom made something she called "Jello water," a concoction of watered down gelatin that she used for hydration purposes. As a grown woman, for me I've switched to Gatorade, but the concept was the same. But rest was always a must! If you were sick (meaning home from school or church) you were to stay in bed! Luckily, if I was really sick, that was all I wanted to do and, on the mend, I could always read! If you were slacking, however, this was a terrible infringement of personal liberties. My kids will tell you so!

As far as being REALLY sick, the only thing I can think of was when I had appendicitis. I don't remember how old I was, under eight, I think. But I remember being in the hospital for several days. They didn't operate, however. Along with the appendix, I apparently had pneumonia. I guess it's not a good idea to operate on someone with pneumonia; don't go in with an infection to start! So, as I was given (probably) antibiotics to take care of the pneumonia, the appendicitis was also taken care of. I think the doctor knew I was on the mend and ready to go home when he came into my hospital room and saw me doing somersaults on the floor! And, to this day, I still have my appendix. Never gave me a problem again.

Being hurt, that's another story. I'm notoriously clumsy. That'll have to wait for another week. As will allergies, which have their own tale, though I will admit that most of the down-and-out illness like colds or flu generally start with me with a terrible allergic reaction. My immune system drops and I catch whatever's in the wind.

Teaching English
I didn't have Seminary Monday for the MLK holiday, so I opened my VIPKid slots for Monday morning and someone booked a class! I woke up, still feeling yucky, and prayed to get through it. This was an assessment with the boy I taught last week. I've never done an assessment. In some ways, it's easier than a regular lesson. We did get through with it in good time and I gave my feedback and filled out the assessment form. I survived!

I have made a goal to take two workshops (at least) every week. However, I absolutely zoned out on Thursday and didn't make it. Eeep! I don't get penalized, but I don't like making a commitment and not keeping it. Don't fret, I re-upped and will take it again Monday. I was more careful to make the second one on Saturday. I guess I need to set a reminder on my phone.

And I had a second class on Saturday morning with the same boy. I was very prepped for this one. It was a regular lesson, but not well written (Don't believe me? You should have read the teacher comments about it!). It took some thinking and finagling to make it work without being overly-wordy and time-consuming. Also, it was loosely pirate-themed. So I had fun... I made a reward chart of a pirate looking for treasure,

made a paper hat (not my best work, but I made do),

and found a funny "sticker" to use on a selfie.

I showed that to my student and - quiet shy, boy laughed! We had a great lesson and by the end, I'd taught him to say "Argh!" like a pirate. Hopefully, I taught him other things, too, but I KNEW I'd hit it off right with him. That was fun!

China is gearing up for their New Years' Celebrations soon (Feb 5th - Year of the Pig), so bookings are down. I don't have anything so far for this week. I hope to start up soon again.

Sharp-Shooter
Ken is gaining experience and confidence at the Corrections Center. There was a fight Saturday on one floor and he was the first one at the scene. Recalling it to me, he was very proud of the voice of "power" he was able to summon to stop or pause the fighters.

He's also been working on equipping himself. He now has two pair of handcuffs, with his name engraved on them. I thought it was vanity until he told me that it was so that they could be returned to him if used on an inmate being transferred. Since they have their own handcuffs, that makes sense.

He's also on the lookout for a gun for work. Saturday, he went with a co-worker and his brother (our Branch clerk) to look at different weapons at a local store, then went out to Norman to a police shooting range for some practice. He was quite pleased with himself when he came home with the targets he'd shot at. He's not bad at all!

Still, he's figuring what he needs, that fits in our budget but isn't poor quality, and that suits his personal style with fit and little kickback. It's all Greek to me, but Jonathan drooled over the pamphlet his dad brought home.

I've jokingly said that maybe we should have a Family Home Afternoon/Evening at a shooting range. Everyone is up for it! Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!

FUZZY WEEK

Fighting the Battle
I spent most of my week sleeping, trying to get over the sinus infection/whatever. Things are sort of fuzzy... I did not write in my journal, which I reference for my blog. I pretty much did what I HAD to do, then slept.

I did do Seminary. I would get up, wake Analiese, and we'd go. I'd teach, which at the beginning of the week was a pretty loose word for what probably went down, then we'd go home. No walk. I'd pop right back into my nightgown and hop into bed. No timer or alarm. Usually, if I take a nap, I try to keep the time down to an hour; any more time makes me sluggish. But when I'm sick, all bets are off. Sleep is my greatest ally.

When I was awake and compus mentis, I would study: for Seminary, for VIPKid. Later in the week, feeling somewhat better, I did manage to do some things, like laundry or cooking. But if I could find someone else available to help me, I let them do things. For one, I do not think I had the energy to drive my big ol' vacuum around!

Friday, having completed my Seminary week with a spiritual upbeat (always makes me feel better), I did a little grocery shopping. It only took half an hour, but you would have thought I'd been on a ten-mile hike. I was exhausted. Improving, yes. All the way there, no.

Regardless of my illness
I had a moment of panic on Tuesday: the VIPKid IT people wanted me to update my PC app (versus my iphone app - yes, they are different). I did it and...three teaching appointments disappeared! I hurriedly emailed support because I was supposed to teach on Thursday! By the next day, I'd found that the family had rescheduled for Saturday instead. This ended up being a blessing because on Thursday, my energy and my voice were still flagging.

How did Saturday go? My appointment was at 7:00 a.m. (our time, not Beijing!), so I was up early on a weekend. Ugh, but necessary. Student was an 11-yo boy, either tired or bored or distracted, but I managed to make him smile. He did try very hard and even added on to his sentences. I'm still working on the timing: I run out of it at the end. I think that will come with practice. I am supposed to see him again on Monday morning (no school/no Seminary) for an assessment - the first one I've given. I want to work on our rapport. If he's going to continue with me, I need to "pal up"!

I also attended three workshops this week, two of which were at 9:30 p.m. (on Friday and Saturday with the same person). That seemed really late, but the guy (American) lives in Thailand, so I can understand. But it was worth it because he was excellent. He was teaching about how to build up your business (cuz that's what it is!) and market yourself. Apparently, he only teaches trial classes because he's so good at it he has the highest company sign-up rate! He's used to TV and video and gave us great pointers on how to appeal to our "audience." We're "edu-tainers!" In a class of 65 Saturday evening, he complimented me. We were all muted, so he couldn't hear me, but could see me as I reacted (like the ham I am) to a comment he made. When he noticed that and said something, I mimed something funny back. He said, "What level are you focusing on? Level two (younger kids)?" I gave a thumbs up. He said, 'You'll be perfect!" That made me feel great!

Made it to Church
So, I missed last week. I didn't want to this week. Partially, because it's my month to play the organ and since it was conference last week, I didn't feel guilty about missing. But Ken was working this Sunday (he has every-other Sunday off) and Jonathan has been working from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. in Duncan and other places (hour+ away), so he dragged home and went to bed right after. Analiese and I went by ourselves.

By the time the now two-hours was over, I was tired again. I still had to do some talking: one of my MS's is pregnant and ready to pop - what could I do? I had to sign the missionary dinner calendar - next Saturday. And there was Seminary set up: oh, but those kids did it for me! Brownie points...love ya' guys!  Then....go home and sleep.

SOOOOOO
This is my pathetic week. No pictures. No great, exciting news/adventure/what-not. I usually get one sinus infection (at least) per year and it'll wipe me out for at least a week or two. I'm at the tail end and can function, with a little help from my naps and a whole lot of Kleenex (not a sponsor)!

SO MANY NEW THINGS

Back to Seminary
I frightened two of my seniors...I made them realize that this was their LAST semester before graduating. No pressure! LOL

We spent the whole week in Section 76 of the Doctrine & Covenants. Trust me, there was a lot of information to cover and the section is 119 verses long! Still, I think I was able to clarify any misconceptions of the Three Degrees of Glory. The kids, too, got a kick out the ability to use a certain "H" word in the class as part of the discussion (not as an epithet).

They were spoiled, too, on Thursday. I was supposed to take the ingredients for bread and a slice of bread to talk about recipes (recipe for bread, recipe for a Celestial Person). I decided to MAKE a loaf of bread and serve it to them alongside discussing the ingredients, etc. They were thrilled; I think most of them went back for seconds (at least) and I came home with a very sad end of a loaf! Luckily, the recipe made two, so there was one for home. As my students learned, there is no substitute for homemade bread!

Prison, Jail, Detention Center, Correctional Facility, Whatever
Ken's doing fine. He's on a regular schedule now, from 5:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. He'll work 3-4 days and then have 2-3 days off. The new trick is finding things to occupy his newly-discovered free time. NOT following his wife around the house. That's just creepy (or annoying).

They (inmates & co-workers alike) are quickly learning that he's not easily ruffled. He's very good at deadpan expressions and it's very hard to push his buttons. That probably is a good thing. He's also very meticulous and a rigid rule-keeper. That's autism. Still, his superiors seem to like him well.

No self-defense training yet, though now he officially has his own set of handcuffs (goody). I would NOT let him try them out on his daughter the other day. Go traumatize some person you're not related to, okay? I don't think of them as toys, at all. I could have a panic attack just imagining them on me!

Allergies, Colds & Other Yucky Stuff
Something's been in the air the last week or so. Analiese and I were sneezing a lot at first, then it was just me. Oh joy. Ken had caught a cold last week, which transfered to Jonathan the middle of this week. He came home from work yesterday early because he wasn't feeling great. By yesterday, my immune system knocked out by allergens, took that cold and twisted it into a sinus infection.

Saturday night, the sleeping was random, interrupted constantly by coughing and a need to spray my throat, which was alternately tickling and hurting. As I went to bed yesterday, I could feel a little sinus build-up coming on. By this morning, it was full-blast. Guess who didn't make it to church today? Fortunately, I'd asked Ken yesterday evening to go on a fluids run - OJ & Gatorade. I'm constantly sipping on something to try to calm my throat!

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
I did it! I finished my Foundations course and have my TESOL International certification. I did the second half all afternoon and evening yesterday (with a small stop for dinner). It was literally hours of reading (scientific/medical journals, professional articles, etc.) and video-watching and note-taking. By last count, I'd taken 26 pages worth of notes...in ONE DAY!

Those notes came in handy, however, when I took the second quiz (I did the first part on Dec. 31st). It took a couple of tried, but I passed! VIPKid immediately posted my certificate

to my Bio page for the parents to see my qualifications. There is an advanced certification and I might work on it during the summer. But for now, this will do.

And I got my second booking for next week! Hooray!

Mary Poppins
Analiese has a blog now and, if you've read it, you'll know all about her audition for the local community theater. She's been interested in trying to be in a production since we moved here. I had stipulated that she needed to have her math "under control" before I would allow her to do that. She's kept her part of the bargain, so Tuesday, she and a friend from Church went to the theater to audition for the Spring Youth Production.

They're doing Mary Poppins. Analiese was nervous about her singing ability (I know I'd feel the same), but had a good time. She didn't care if she only had a little part, she just wanted the experience. Besides singing, she read lines and learned some of the choreography. She came home happy.

Wednesday, she got a call back! She ended up not going to YW so she could read for a couple of parts they had in mind for her. By Thursday, the cast was posted on Facebook. Analiese is Katie Nana (two lines, she's just fine with that) and is in the Chorus. So now, on top of Ken's new schedule, my VIPKid teaching, Jonathan's work and school schedule, and Analiese's work, school & YW, we now have her rehearsal schedule to work around until the beginning of March. It'll be crazy, but it's an experience she wants that I'd like her to have. She's thrilled.

Niles
For those of you who don't know, my brother Niles was baptized Saturday. My brother, Andy, flew up to Fairbanks, Alaska to baptize him. It has been a long, hard road for him, with many years of heartache and struggle. I am very proud of him for working so hard to come back. The two brothers were ecstatic to be together and I hear it was a moving, wonderful spiritual experience. I just wish I could have been there!

Right! How many degrees below freezing was it? 30+?  I'm leaving it to the guys. I'm just really really glad it finally happened and pray it'll be a benchmark day that will mean continual upward movement for Niles. I want only the best for him!

PH
Not happening. I'm sick, and this is about all you're getting. I want to go back to bed.

WHITE AND ORANGE

 PH - Happy New Year

I'll be honest. New Year's hasn't really been much a big deal to me. I'm not a big partier and, like Ebeneezer Scrooge feel that a night of unbroken rest is more conductive to my welfare. I'm a big sleeper, I guess.

Growing up, we didn't stay up so much as get up in the morning to watch the parade. Not just any old parade, THE parade was the Pasadena Rose Parade. Sometimes there would be treats or Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, but the big thing was the parade. No, we never went to see it. That would have meant camping out amongst a bunch of strangers in the cold (remember Scrooge?). We could see it just fine (probably better) from our living room. I never went. Sorry, ME. I'm kind of a party poop about it.

As a Young Adult, I did go to dances and parties. Jumping between two parties one year (and by parties, I mean "Mormon" parties - no alcohol - just fun, music, and games) I actually found a boyfriend. But they were never the highlight of my life.

Now is not much different, except I'm not finding any more boyfriends (wink). Even my kids prefer to stay home, though at least one admits to staying up to midnight (I READ your blog, girl!). The smart ones go to bed. Usually, people have work the next day anyway.

The parade? Ken isn't into parades. I've watched them with my kids, especially when we were in California. But we don't have cable here and I generally don't think about it. I do try to serve some kind of special thing. Analiese made punch this year.

It Came All the Same

Around here, there's a lot of build up for the next "storm." Remember "Snowmaggedon," the snow that wasn't? This week, the weather caught up, just in time for the kids to have fun in it before school starts up again.

Wednesday the clouds rolled in. That night, it rained and rained and rained. Buckets. I woke up briefly at five a.m. and spoke with Ken - and it was still raining. I went back to bed and arose a little after eight. This time, the snow was coming down in huge flaky clumps! Which it did - all day!

Back porch, snow falling

Pretty, but cold

Analiese was charmed by it; I knew it was deceptive. Under that sweet, innocent snow was the buckets of water from the previous rain. Read: Ice. My winter nemesis. But she needed to get to TB to get her work schedule. Hmmm. When to go? Decision: Mid-day. If I waited too late, the night would fall and temps would drop and it would be treacherous going.

Not only did I have to brush 3-4 inches of snow off of the windshield, side windows and the back,

There's a van under there!

but I had to break off thick SHEETS of ice off of them as well. We may have walked out of the house around noon, but it took us a good twenty minutes before we were ready to drive out!

Honestly, the roads weren't that bad, but I took the well-driven main roads just to be safe. We made it to TB and even a stop at Walmart. I was surprised how busy both places were. I guess I'm the only wary one in the snow. 

But...I strayed not from the hearth once I returned. I do not tempt fate.

The next day, Analiese & I stayed snuggley at home while Ken & Jonathan went off to work. I bit my nails a little in worry with Jonathan facing icy streets with not much experience, but he made it there and back okay. We girls just listed to the constant drip-drip-drip as the sun came out and the snow slowly succumbed to it's warm rays. It was a very pretty day and many children were out enjoying it!

Back porch again, pretty

Bright sunny day

Saturday, I had to drive to Norman for the January Seminary Inservice. I took the back roads (to avoid the tolls), but all was clear. If anything, the day was even more beautiful - temps in the 50's - and it was a lovely drive. No ice on the roads at all, lots of snow melting. My kind of day!

My First Class

VIPKid tells you it can take up to two months to get settled into a regular teaching schedule. But I'm not sitting there, waiting for it to happen. In the meantime, I'm busy taking workshops, studying for my International TESOL (ESL teaching) certificate, and trying to certify for more teaching levels. Since I didn't have Seminary to study for this week, I took a workshop every day...on Thursday I even took two!

Tuesday evening, I received an update from VIPKid. I got my first booking! I would be teaching a level 3 student on Friday evening. I was so excited, it took me forever to go to sleep. In retrospect, I should have just got up and looked at everything, because that's what I wanted to do, but told myself I could wait until morning. Seriously, I should know myself better by now! 

Now, on top of the workshops, I was prepping for my first class.  I can't go into too many details due to copyright laws, but let's just say there were animals involved. I had to scour the house for things, I even borrowed something from Jonathan (which I will not elaborate on so as to not embarrass him!). I made this shark "puppet" on a popsicle stick:

Friday evening came and I added nervousness to my excitement. I was alone in the back - I'd shushed everyone out, though Ken listened to my side (I had headphones) from his recliner in the livingroom. As the clocked ticked to 7:30...there she was! A giggly little seven-year-old...all the way in China! Was this real?

We had fun. She showed me her stickers, told me she liked dolphins better than sharks, and giggled at my funny face when she mistakenly read "Mommy" as "monkey." Then she continued to do it, silly girl! She was a very good reader and I enjoyed her just as much as I think she did me.

The hardest part was the mandatory feedback. I had to tell these parents in China (the company translates it) what she learned and what she needed to work on. I wanted it just right: she did a good job, but could work on her pronunciation of words ending in -s. It's a common issue in Chinese learners. Also, parents EXPECT suggestions from improvement, otherwise you're not a good teacher! I hope I gave just the amount of positive encouragement along with some constructive ideas for improvement.

Ken hearing it, said I was a little fast sometimes (nervous me), but it sounded like I knew what I was doing. And I liked it. It is really up my alley. The parents might leave me feedback - I hope they will, but they don't always. Still, it was a good first experience. I learned a lot, I can only get better, and I can't wait for the next one!

This is my "uniform." Isn't it cute?

MORE PICS

Happy NY! I got my piano tuned!

Cuddly Pom

Even Alice can be a cuddle bun sometimes!