I made it!

YAY~~ It's winter break! I made it through the first half of the year at my new school and in CO. It's been a crazy 5 months but I have really enjoyed being with my family! I am still getting used to my new district but I have an amazing class. Anyways.....I got this idea from a friend of mine who put her favorite picture of 2009 and I thought it was a fun idea.

Mindee and I with our nieces. They are a big part of me moving back. I love them to death!!! They are my cousin Regina's kids.

Our annual Wine Festival outing. Adrienne and I wouldn't miss it.

One of the highlights of 2009 was going to Forks with Adrienne and Max. After Forks we played by the ocean. It was a great day.

Adrienne's graduation party. I am so proud of my bestie Adrienne for graduating from college. She is now teaching kindergarten in Lacey!

The best fourth grade team ever! I miss these three on a daily basis!

At Portland Pub Crawl.

This picture still makes me cry. This was my last hoorah in Olympia and I am saying good bye to Adrienne. Heart breaking!

With Mindee and Susan at an event in the gym. 300 kids in the gym was a little much for us!

My 29th birthday at Brittney Spears.

In Chelan. Love that place!

A night out with Mindy, Susan and Jess. They have turned into fabulous friends. We need each other at school.

Kid Quotes

Quotes of the week:

A "Miss Crums you know that Halloween guy that is a skeleton and wears a big coat with a hood, the Blue Rapper?"

E "You mean the Grim Reaper?"

A "Yeah, that's what I meant."

"Miss Crum I have a weird bookmark on my leg!"

"You mean birthmark?"

"That's what I meant."

Chappelow

So my newest professional adventure is teaching third grade at Chappelow Magnet School. I have made some great friends. Us newbies try and stick together.

Me and Jessica, my 3rd grade buddy!

Me, Susan and Mindy. Susan and Mindy are new 4th grade teachers!

At our weekly HH date!

I must say I gave my old team members a lot of crap for being in a portable but Karma is a brat. I am in a portable and it has it's plus and minuses. We call it the trailer park. One of my student's calls it the apartments. People keep asking me to post pictures so here they are. Not that anyone actually reads this but whatever.

Becoming a Coloradoan

I can't believe it's October!!!! Where has the time gone? I have been in school about a month and a half and it's been flying by. I am not quite adjusted to my new school or curriculum but I am trying to do my best. I LOVE my class! They are just a great group of kids and they make me laugh everyday. Greeley has a lot of Spanish speaking people and I have a few kids that English is their second language. They are teaching me some Spanish and laugh at me on the regular when I try and talk Spanish. I am really trying to tone down my sarcasm which everyone knows is very hard for me. My ELL kids take me very literally! For example:

Me "N your watch is very bling bling!"

N "Mrs. Crums my watch is not bing bing!"

Me "Bling bling means fancy."

Nayra just walked away shaking her head. They look at me like I am crazy!

My niece Sienna!!!!

Ariana, my cousin Regina and I at the CSU game!

The major thing that gets me trough the days is that I am so close to my family! I love being with my family and being able to take my mom out. My mom stays with me about one weekend a month and we have a good time. I also get to hang out with my cousins. JD and Regina took me to a CSU game which was really fun! I mean it's no Coug game but it gets the job done. My cousin Regina is pregnant and I am so excited for my new niece. I missed the birth of Sienna and Payton so I didn't get to do the quality bonding to become the favorite aunt but the third one is mine!!! Mindee doesn't have a chance!

My new motto: I can do it!

Well, I finally made it to Greeley about two weeks ago and time had flown by. I have been in training trying to learn the new curriculum and let me tell you, it's a change. Talking to my bestie Amanda who is also in a new teaching position that is new and going to be a challenge we have decided "I can do it". I am looking forward to meeting my 26 third graders and working with my new team. I SOOOOOO missing my old fourth grade posse but have already made a new awesome friend on my new team.

It has been amazing seeing my family every weekend! I have the best family that anyone can ask for!

Change and Kayci are not friends

Right now I am sitting in my apartment surrounded by bare walls and cardboard boxes. What did I do?????? I am so torn on my upcoming move! On one hand I am really excited to be closer to family. My cousin Regina is have her third baby. I have missed the birth of the first two beautiful girls so I am excited to be there for the third one. I won't have to miss holidays or family dinners. I get to see my grandma more often who is getting older. I can take my mom to Target more than twice a year. I don't think I'll get as lonely as I do sometimes here.

On the other hand I have become an adult here in Olympia WA. I have lived here for seven years. I moved to Olympia to student teach at the young age of 22. I have built a life here and it's hard to leave. I have what I like to call my Washington family. Kenna has ben my surrogate mom and big sister. She is my life mentor and my teaching mentor. I student taught with her and have been teaching next door to her for the last four years. What am I going to do without her? She will be receiving emails from me daily. Then there's is my bestie Adrienne who is one of the trio of the 360's. When Amanda left us to have another adventure Adrienne and I became closer. She is my go to person. I don't know what I am going to do without her optimism and silliness. There are no words to say how much I am going to miss her. I also have friends that I don't see as much but I know are around. I have friends in Seattle and some still in Pullman. Of course there is Steph in Portland who hosted amazing sweater parties and pub crawls and just being one of my great friends for life. I am also going to miss my students. Today I saw a former student at the gas station filling up HER CAR. When did that happen that my students are driving? I am going to miss hearing "Miss Crum" at random places. I am also going to miss teriyaki. Teriyaki in Colorado is not the same. I am going to miss Cougar football for many reasons. I will be coming back to go to games for sure!!!!

For those of you that know me, you know that I don't deal well with change. I know that this change is going to be good. I am leaving WA but going to CO where my family is and great Mexican good and new challenges professionally. I am going to go to CSU games but still sporting my Coug gear. I am going to see the sun almost everyday and I am excited about that. It's going to be great or that's what everyone keeps telling me!

New Chapter

I have some big news....I am moving to Greeley CO.  It has been something that I have been thinking about for a very long time but have been to nervous to pursue.  Last year I started applying but not seriously and then this year I finally decided that it was time.  I went to a teacher fair in February and made a great connection with a principal in Greeley and the rest is history.  I will be working in a K-8 school which is a magnet school.  I am very excited but having a very hard time leaving my second family.  I love my school where I am at now and it's going to be very hard to leave.  I'll post more details about my big move when I get them.

On another note.......a couple weeks ago was the annual Pub Crawl in Portland.  Adrienne and I went and had a great time with Steph and her friends.  Pub Crawl is a guaranteed good time and it was great to spend some time with Stephanie.  

There was some serious rain!!!!

My crawling partner Adrienne.  Heart her for life!

The crawling crew.

It was great to spend some time with Stephanie!!!